There are four feature-length movies in The Matrix franchise, but some of the best Matrix stories happen outside of this main series. While the Wachowskis’ movies are about Neo and the role he plays in the war against Zion, many of the Matrix’s spinoff projects explore different aspects of the universe and navigate the corners of this world that hadn’t been mentioned on-screen before. There are lots of great parts of The Matrix sequels, but they’re bogged down by their hyper-fixation on Neo as the only perspective through which to explore the Matrix.

However, this isn’t a problem with many of The Matrix’s side projects. This extended universe has proven to be the ideal place for writers to delve deeper into the world created by the Wachowskis in the original movie without feeling compelled to focus on Neo’s story. These anthology movies, video games, and books are a reminder of how rich that world is, and while each of the Matrix movies has strengths, projects like The Animatrix have a lot more freedom.

The Animatrix Is The Best Matrix Sequel That A Lot Of People Never Watched

More People Should Check Out This Animated Spin-Off

Although very few people have watched The Animatrix in comparison to the more well-known Matrix sequels, it’s a fascinating project that deserves more recognition for its unbridled ambition and unwillingness to conform to the standards expected of it. Unlike the cinematic sequels, The Animatrix presents multiple interweaving stories through the lens of an animated anthology, expanding this fictional universe in ways that wouldn’t have been possible in live-action. The decision to make these stories animated may have sadly contributed to many audiences’ dismissal of the project, but it’s actually one of its biggest strengths.

Unsurprisingly, The Animatrix has aged particularly well and stands out as one of the best Matrix movies. The film currently holds 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while this is admittedly a smaller sample size than the mainstream sequels, it’s enough to prove that fans should be paying more attention to this unorthodox project. It even has a stronger audience score on RT, with 78% in comparison to The Matrix: Reloaded’s 72%. And yet, The Animatrix never truly gathered the popularity it deserves.

The Animatrix Embraced How Rich The World Of The Matrix Is Better Than The Movies

The Project Wasn’t Afraid To Steer Away From Neo’s Story

One thing that stands out particularly strongly in The Animatrix is how limitless the storytelling feels. While every Matrix sequel did an excellent job of expanding on the universe created in the original, The Animatrix doesn’t feel bound by the limitations of Neo’s story. It proves just how grand and epic this story can be without Neo at the center, which is something that the original trilogy never touched upon. There’s so much potential to explore in this world, and the main series barely scratches the surface.

There are several different stories in The Animatrix, and none of them feel too similar or repeтιтive. Each short had a specific purpose that took advantage of its animated format with gorgeous visuals and epic action that would’ve been almost impossible to capture in live-action. The project aims to open the audience’s eyes to just how expansive this universe is and incidentally proves how restrictive the Matrix films can be in their hyper-fixation on Neo and the prophecy of the One.

Over 20 Years Later, It’s Time For Another Anthology Matrix Movie Like The Animatrix

It’s The Perfect Time For The Animatrix 2

Making a sequel to The Animatrix is one of the easiest things that The Matrix franchise could do ahead of the upcoming Matrix 5. The possibilities are genuinely endless; the stories wouldn’t need to connect to any of the existing sequels but rather could follow new characters and new locations. This would give the directors and writers complete freedom to do whatever they felt was best, instead of adhering to the strict backstory that’s already been established in this franchise.

A sequel to The Animatrix feels like a natural progression for this series now that the main series has seemingly ended. With the conclusion of Neo’s story in The Matrix Resurrections, it wouldn’t make sense for another sequel that focuses on Keanu Reeves’ protagonist. Instead, it’s time for The Matrix to fully embrace the scope of its fictional universe and give us an insight into the many corners of this world that haven’t been explored on-screen yet.