The Matrix: Zion’s Multiple Locations & Real World Setting Explained

Where is Zion in the world of The Matrix, and could there be more than one of them? The Matrix trilogy is set within two distinct worlds – the titular digital simulation crafted by the Machines in order to placate and drain mankind, and the real world, in which Machines dominate over humans. This dual reality is a key theme in The Matrix, as the lines between both planes of existence are continuously blurred. Under the right circumstances, the Matrix can feel like the truth, and the real world can appear to be a lie.

At the end of the original Matrix trilogy, Neo finally brings peace between the Machines and the humans, and the arduous process of offering the still plugged-in folks an exit route begins. The Matrix Revolutions ended on a hopeful note, hinting at a prosperous future where mankind would finally be free again and live in relative harmony with their mechanical creations. Whether or not that hope was misplaced will be revealed in The Matrix 4, currently set for release in 2022. With Keanu Reeves making his return alongside a slew of returning faces and big-name newcomers, The Matrix 4 is primed to expand the Wachowski sisters’ world in predictably unpredictable new ways.

In the Matrix trilogy’s real world, Zion is where most of the action takes place. This city became Neo’s home for much of his cinematic tale and provided the backdrop for the big final battle of The Matrix Revolutions. Zion also hosted the world’s most cringe-worthy rave, but the less said about that, the better. In relation to the real world, however, where was Zion located? And could there potentially be more than one settlement?

The Matrix’s Zion Location Explained

Zion is the place of salvation where Morpheus and his pals bring the newly-unplugged in The Matrix. Every freed human on Earth lives within this labyrinthine city, which is understandably primitive while still offering access to machine guns, mech suits, hovercrafts and computers. Naturally, Zion is also birthplace to those who are conceived there rather than rescued from the Matrix via the red pill, bringing the total population to around 250,000. In terms of Zion’s location, The Matrix confirms that the entire city has been built underground – a vast network of caverns and tunnels hidden away from the Machines on the surface. But pinning down which modern day country or continent Zion lies beneath is much trickier, since there are no overt references to suggest a specific part of the world Zion was constructed under.

It can be deduced from the Animatrix that Machine City was built upon the ruins of the Middle East, somewhere within the stretch of countries known as the Fertile Crescent. Neo travels from Zion to Machine City relatively quickly aboard the Logos in The Matrix Revolutions, and since hovercrafts don’t appear to move at supersonic speeds, it’s likely that Zion is located relatively nearby to Mesopotamia. The Saharan and Arabian deserts would be strong potential locations for Zion – vast expanses of land that wouldn’t have been covered by the ruins of civilization, yet still close enough to Machine City for Neo and Trinity to reach swiftly. Being covered by expansive desert would also give Zion an added layer of defense against the Machines in case of attack.

However, hidden meaning lurks around every corner in The Matrix, and the city’s name could reveal a clue. The term “Zion” is generally associated with Jerusalem, and Mount Zion does indeed exist out there in the real world. If The Matrix‘s underground city of Zion was located beneath Jerusalem as the name suggests, this would not only fit on a thematic level (you might’ve noticed a few subtle religious parallels in the trilogy), but also in terms of being close to Machine City.

Are There Multiple Zions In The Matrix?

Somewhat typical for The Matrix, the answer to whether multiple Zions exist is both “yes” and “no.” In The Matrix Reloaded, The Architect confirms that Zion was a construct permitted by the Machines in order to bring stability to the Matrix. A certain level of freedom helped maintain the illusion, but every time the human population reached a certain level, The One would reset the simulation, Zion would be destroyed, and the cycle would start again. In this sense, multiple iterations of Zion have existed throughout the timeline. Less clear is whether Zion was built in the exact same location on each pass.

The Architect suggests that every time the Matrix is reset and 23 humans are picked to rebuild Zion, the city is constructed in exactly the same place. This doesn’t seem to make sense – wouldn’t the humans of Zion 2.0 find remnants of the original settlement and figure out the secret behind Matrix and the Machine war? In The Architect’s revealing exposition speech to Neo, he describes the Machines’ process of destroying Zion as becoming increasingly more effective over the years, to the point where the city can be wiped out of all existence. The implication here is that the Machines are so thorough in their destruction, no trace of any previous Zion is left behind. If Zion changed location each time, there would be no need to destroy the city so completely with every Matrix reset, meaning every Zion must be built on top of its predecessor. Logically speaking, Earth would also eventually run out of potential underground sites given enough cycles. While there have certainly been different generations of Zion, it’s likely all of them were located in a single geographical area.

Zion In The Matrix 4

Zion could have a crucial role to play in The Matrix 4. In the franchise’s fictional past, the Machines allowed Zion to grow to a certain point before bulldozing it clean and starting afresh, ensuring those disgusting humans never got too big for their boots. After Neo’s truce in The Matrix Revolutions, Zion will be allowed to grow and develop beyond that limit for the very first time. The Matrix 4 could show the fruits of that labor – a Zion the spans an entire continent, perhaps even extending up to the surface. Zion could also be instrumental in keeping the fragile peace between the two races. The conclusion to the original Matrix trilogy was never specific about how the Machines would share the world with humans, but the natural setup would be Machines on the surface and humans underground, since that’s where they’ve made their home already. The war blocked out all sunlight from the surface anyway – mankind isn’t missing much by being underground.

While the plot of The Matrix 4 is not currently public knowledge, the Wachowskis’ enduring commitment to originality means the new story won’t simply be a retreat of the “Machines invading Zion” concept. If rumors are to be believed, The Matrix 4 will adopt a time travel element and a younger Morpheus, possibly exploring the Zions of yore. It’ll be interesting to see how these older settlements differ from the classic Zion seen in the original Matrix movies. Alternatively, many have suggested that The Matrix 4 could introduce a human villain, rather than another Machine or program. If this proves true, Zion could be the antagonist’s base of operations – an authoritarian home to a brutal dictatorship and a far cry from the bastion of hope and freedom Morpheus helped create.

About The Author

Craig Elvy
(3624 Articles Published)

Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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