Cypher (Matrix character)
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Cypher is a fictional character from the movie The Matrix played by Joe Pantoliano.
His full name is Louis Cypher or Lou Cypher (pronounced Lucifer), although he was referred to as "Mr. Reagan" by Agent Smith.
In the first film of the trilogy, Cypher is one of the rebels from Morpheus' hovercraft the Nebuchadnezzar. His character is bald and he has a moustache. Although he may have been idealistic at first, Cypher has grown tired of the Man/Machine war within the Matrix. Harshly disillusioned by the grim existence living on a hovercraft and tired of following Morpheus and his blind faith of the Prophesy, he soon starts to wish he'd never exited the Matrix in the first place. This prompts him to strike a deal with the Agents. At the beginning of the movie, he nearly gets Trinity killed by Agent in successfully proving to the Agents that he, "the informant," was legitimate.
Cypher secretly meets with the Agents once more, agreeing to turn Morpheus over to them if the Agents will return Cypher's body to the Matrix power plant with no knowledge of the Matrix, and rich and famous to boot.
Despite his crush on Trinity, he overcomes this to betray his comrades and kills most of the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar, but is then killed by Tank.
One of Cypher's most famous quotes from the movie is "Ignorance is bliss", which he utters while speaking with Agent Smith, referring to the state of people inside the Matrix.
Questions and Speculation
Given that it takes at least two people to jack into the Matrix from a hovercraft (one crew and one Operator, the shipboard support person, how did Cypher communicate to the Agents each time without being caught by his fellow crewmates? In his scene where he speaks with Agent Smith, Cypher is seen eating a steak. However, it appears he is not, in fact, jacked into the Matrix here, but managing the Operator consoles to speak with Smith. He is interrupted by Neo and shuts down screens where he was speaking with the Agent. How can Cypher truly taste the steak while not actually jacked in?
His choices in the real world raised a lot of questions for philosophers: would you stay in the harsh real world, or the excellent dream world?
Cypher's name may relate the 30 denarius received by Judas Iscariot for betraying Jesus. It is likely that, aside from the satanic reference noted above, that Cypher refers to the computer term of "null" or "zero", suggesting he is an opposite in beliefs to The One (Neo).