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Persephone
| Persephone | |
|---|---|
| The Matrix character | |
 | |
| First appearance |
The Matrix Reloaded |
| Created by |
Wachowski Brothers |
| Portrayed by |
Monica Bellucci |
| Information | |
| Species | Computer program |
| Gender | Female |
| Spouse(s) | Merovingian |
For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).
Persephone is a program in the Matrix series of movies, played by Monica Bellucci. Based on her appearance, the role of her husband in the series, and her power to read the emotions of others, she has been described at various times as being a Succubus.
History
In the movies The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Persephone is the wife of The Merovingian. She seems bored with her existence in the Matrix, and is disaffected from her husband, possibly because of his dalliances.
She is attracted to Neo and offers to help him if he kisses her with the same passion with which he has kissed Trinity. Reluctantly, he complies, and she helps him free Keymaker.
Persephone uses a distinctive four-barreled handgun, loaded with silver bullets, to shoot a werewolf who is in her husband's employ. The gun is a COP 357 Derringer; the same gun was used by replicant Leon Kowalski in Blade Runner.
Persephone also encounters and takes a kiss from both Niobeand Ghost, depending on whose story you follow in the video game Enter The Matrix. She seems to be able to deduce the feelings and emotions of those she kisses, noting Niobe's love for Morpheus, and Ghost's unrequited love for Trinity. She apparently takes deep pleasure in sampling the emotions of others. Given that much of the Merovingian's retinue is made up of ex-agents based on classic fantasy villains such as werewolves, ghosts and vampires, it is often presumed that Persephone is a Succubus.
In The Matrix Revolutions, Persephone is seen briefly and warns The Merovingian that Trinity would indeed kill everyone in Club Hel to free Neo from the Train Station, simply because she is in love. This leads viewers to believe that Persephone perceives and understands love, and may be disheartened by the cynicism of her husband, who seems to be driven solely by greed and lust.
The character takes her name from the Persephone in Greek mythology, who is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter (Ceres), and whom Hades took to the underworld to be his queen. There are allusions throughout the movie that The Merovingian works in the Matrix as an analogue to Hades, including his presence in Club Hel, his unhappy marriage to Persephone, and his existence as one of the oldest beings in the Matrix universe, specifically as the one in charge of "lost souls".
Matrix Online
In the MMO The Matrix Online, Persephone gave the location of the Assassin's hide-out to Zion operatives in a critical mission relating to the Death Of A Destroyer event.
Cultural References
The character takes her name from the Persephone in Greek mythology, who is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter (Ceres), and whom Hades took to the underworld to be his queen. There are allusions throughout the movies that The Merovingian works in the Matrix as an analogue to Hades, including his presence in Club Hel, his unhappy marriage to Persephone, and his existence as one of the oldest beings in the Matrix universe, specifically as the one in charge of "lost souls".
Before shooting her husband's employee in The Matrix Reloaded, Persephone mentions needing silver bullets, implying that he is a werewolf. In behind-the-scenes footage, Persephone herself is described as a "vampire that seeks after emotions". This can be interpreted as Persephone being Succubus in nature as well.