The most ferocious fight scenes from ‘The Matrix’ movies, ranked

Time to swallow that red pill: the Wachowskis’ The Matrix was released in theaters twenty years ago. (Feel old yet?) Starring Keanu Reeves (Speed), Laurence Fishburne (Mystic River), and Carrie-Anne Moss (Memento), the film was a landmark sci-fi cyberpunk blockbuster. To mark its anniversary, we’re here to celebrate The Matrix franchise the only way it should be: by ranking its top ten most ferocious fight scenes. Guns – lots of guns.

The Matrix Revolutions : Seraph vs. Guards

Completing the trilogy was the 2003 followup The Matrix Revolutions. Let’s face it – it’s not the best of the bunch, but it still contained some entertaining fight sequences nonetheless, including this action-packed doozy in which Seraph (Collin Chou) leads Morpheus (Fishburne) & Trinity (Moss) in an epic battle against multiple layers of guards. That is one exclusive party!

The Matrix Revolutions : Neo vs. Smith: The Final Battle

Try not to get too excited when you’re revisiting the epic final battle between Neo (Reeves) and his arch nemesis Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), where Neo submits and allows himself to be assimilated in order to finally beat the hoard of clones. But not before plenty of kung fu action and epic slow mo fight shots.

The Matrix Reloaded – The Chateau Showdown

The Chateau Showdown is the infamous fight scene in which Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity find themselves trapped by the Merovingian. As Trinity and Morpheus attempt their escape, Neo takes on the Merovingian’s henchmen, resulting in this display of combat skills, impressive CGI, and epic gun fu madness.

The Matrix Reloaded – Highway Battle

Never forget the time Morpheus takes on those ghostly cyberpunk twins. He would’ve got the job done sooner had their shapeshifting and relentless one-liners not got in the way. Still, he got there in the end thanks to some next level combat skills and an absolutely epic highway car chase. Cars, guns, and snarky one-liners – what’s not to love? “You always told me to stay off the freeway.” Such japes!

The Matrix Reloaded – Neo vs. Multiple Agent Smiths

What’s worse than fighting Agent Smith? Fighting a massive hoard of Agent Smiths, duh! This scene in which Neo takes on a bunch of Smiths after he created replicas of himself using other people hooked up to the Matrix is pure martial arts badassery – a perfect example of The Matrix incorporating Hong Kong wire stunts and fight sensibilities into its mix.

The Matrix – Helipad Bullet Dodging Scene

On a mission to save Morpheus, Trinity and Neo engage the agents in a rooftop battle involving that notorious bullet dodging scene. One of the most infamous moments in modern cinema, the scene is a masterclass in special effects. “Dodge this!”

The Matrix Reloaded – Neo vs. Seraph

In pure homage to wire fu, we see Neo fight Seraph who is played by Collin Chou (The Forbidden Kingdom) – a true martial arts and stuntman veteran. Short but action-packed, this fight sequence is one of the most enjoyable to watch.

The Matrix – Subway Fight Scene

In the climatic fight scene from the original Matrix flick we see Smith & Neo ditch the guns for some epic wire fu action sequences. Simple yet gripping, this is up there as one of the franchise’s greatest battles.

The Matrix – Neo vs. Morpheus

While there are many fight sequences in the Matrix trilogy that are fought with purpose, the scene in which Morpheus and Neo battle it out in a digital dogo is an absolute martial arts gem and arguably the best in the entire franchise.