Seraph (The Matrix)
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Seraph is the name of a fictional character (played by Collin Chou) in the science fiction film saga, The Matrix. He is portrayed as the personification of a sophisticated CHAP which guards the Oracle.
The role was initially offered to Michelle Yeoh, but she declined due to a scheduling conflict. The character was changed to a male, with Jet Li being offered a role. As Li declined the role, stating that the movie could do well without his presence, Chou signed on.
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[edit] The Matrix
In The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Seraph is seen acting as a "guardian angel" of the Oracle. In fact, he refers to himself several times as "Seraph, Guardian of the Oracle," but in actuality he held this position since long before the timeframe in which the first film took place. We also learn from a scene later in the movie that Agent Smith has tried to hunt him before, but Seraph confounded him in these attempts; Seraph also points out that he has "beaten him before," implying that the two may have in fact met in battle before. The scenario is different this time now that Smith has become disconnected from the Matrix and has become an entity unto himself.
Over the course of the Reloaded and Revolutions plot arcs, he has three brief altercations with warriors of Zion. The first was with Ballard, which he staged in order to get to know him; the second, with Neo, to prove he was the One. The third takes place in the closing stages of Enter the Matrix, after the conclusion of Reloaded but before the beginning of Revolutions. Seraph summons either Niobe or her First Mate Ghost to meet the Oracle. Whoever he summons, he first tests that person with another battle, in order to "test his/her heart's resolve" (or, more technically, a Challenge-response authentication).
In Revolutions, Trinity and Morpheus meet with the Oracle so that she could help them locate Neo. She explains that he lay within a place that was neither the Matrix nor the Real World: a construct created by the Trainman. Seraph, she said, knew how to find him, and would lead them to him.
The trio departs to the Megacity's subways. Seraph tracks down the Trainman in short order, but after a short chase and exchange of fire, he escapes. Without further action to take to this end, Seraph deems it right that they should meet the Merovingian, for whom the Trainman worked.
At that moment, the Merovingian was holding court at Club Hel, a decadent nightclub owned by the Merovingian. The three make their way to the club and have a battle with a number of the Merovingians guards, whom they dispatch with relative ease. They then exchange threats with the Merovingian; Trinity's threat seems to hold greater gravity than the Merovingian's (thanks to a gigantic Mexican standoff she creates), and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar are reunited.
Some time later, Seraph flees with Sati from the increasingly more powerful Smith, to little avail. In due course, Smith catches up to them. Seraph mentions that he has defeated Smith in the past. Smith assimilates them both, adding two more copies of himself to his growing collective of Smiths.
Upon Smith's destruction at Neo's hands, however, all the minds that Smith had infiltrated were freed from his abduction, including Seraph's.
[edit] The Matrix Online
At this time, Seraph's alignment is uncertain. In The Matrix Online he claims he isn't allied with any of the three Factions, that he protects the Oracle and Sati - and that he will use force to protect them if need be. However, there is some speculation that he has actually allied himself with the Merovingian or has at least worked for him in the past; when Seraph aids Morpheus and Trinity's raid on Club Hel, the Merovingian says to him, in a voice thick with disdain, "The Prodigal Child returns!" implying Seraph had left his service to protect the Oracle, and also calls him a 'Judas' implying that Seraph betrayed the Merovingian at some point of his service. He also calls Seraph "L'ange sans ses ailes", which is French for "The angel without his/her wings". In the guide to the Matrix: Path of Neo, he is actually stated to have worked for the Merovingian at some point in the past.
His skills as a warrior are almost unmatched, and he is evenly matched against Neo. Despite not having his wings, Seraph is still able to hyperjump beyond the range of many exiles and redpills.
As of Chapter 6.3, Sati has been kidnapped by the General's commandos after a lengthy observation, with Seraph attempting to rescue her, only to end up falling into the river. By Chapter 7.1, it is revealed that Seraph has managed to swim out of the river, but has attacked various redpills and bluepills absorbing their code (most likely as a result of accidentally absorbing the cheat code vials as the Agents dumped it into the river). This has recently been revealed to be releasing the attacked individuals from an overwritten personality by the Machines, much like Agent Smith overwrote Bane and others in Reloaded and Revolutions. His most signifigant target was Cryptos, leader of the Cypherite faction.
[edit] Etymology
Seraph is a biblical allusion to the first of nine orders of angels, the Seraphim. This allusion is also evidenced by the fire-like appearance of Seraph when Neo sees him in his coded form. The word 'seraphim' comes from the Hebrew word saraph meaning 'burning'. In the short fight right before the "coat check" fight in Revolutions, one of the guards is seen calling him "wingless".
