Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Matrix Resurrections
Kujaku was a machine double agent in The Matrix Resurrections with a lot more under the hood than it initially seemed. Working as an informant for Niobe, Kujaku first appeared in the latter half of The Matrix Resurrections and soon became a central player in the Trinity rescue mission. Like so many other things in the meta-sequel, Kujaku also added to the jam-packed list of meta-connections to the original Matrix trilogy.
It is no secret that the Wachowskis looked to Japan for inspiration when making overseas cult hit Ninja Scroll as major influences for The Matrix trilogy. Japan references were scattered throughout The Matrix, like the Japanese characters in the green code, or Morpheus’ samurai sword. Kujaku was another Japan-connection in the Matrix series that came with a philosophical metaphor to boot.
Kujaku is the Japanese word for peacock, which was a good fit for a beautifully designed flying machine. But there was more to Kujaku than good looks and a Japanese name. In Japanese Buddhism, peacocks are symbols of wisdom and comion. Like Kujaku in The Matrix Resurrections, peacocks are believed to steer the faithful away from evil and ward against disasters. In other words, Kujaku was another meta-sequel metaphor that connected to the original Matrix trilogy both through its Japanese and religious connotations.
It is well-known that The Matrix universe is rife with metaphors for Buddhist concepts and ideas, the most obvious of which is perhaps the boy who said “there is no spoon” in the first Matrix film. Some even went as far as to claim that The Matrix in its entirety was an allegory for Buddhist philosophy. The concept of Samsara is a prime example. It proposes the idea that worlds evolve, reach great potential, face downfall, and ultimately are replaced by new worlds, like versions of the matrix.
The Matrix Resurrections title also toyed with the Buddhist concept of rebirth, which teaches that enlightenment is the only way to escape the falsehoods of imaginary worlds. This tied nicely together with Kujaku’s collaboration with Sati, whose name also connected to Buddhist thought. In Buddhism, Sati is a tool that is often translated as “mindfulness”. This tool is used to observe the human mind, develop insight, and end suffering. In The Matrix storyline, some thought that Sati would replace the Oracle in Resurrections, but instead, she ed forces with Kujaku. Just like the Buddhist peacock and the mindfulness tool, Kujaku and Sati guided humans toward wisdom and peace.
Kujaku flew into The Matrix Resurrections and perfectly aligned with the Wachowskis’ self-proclaimed fandom for Japanese pop culture. Moreover, Kujaku introduced yet another metaphor for Buddhist philosophy which built on the concepts that Sati introduced in The Matrix Revolutions. Like a prancing peacock, Kujaku proudly displayed its meta-sequel metaphor about and further dug the endless rabbit hole that makes up The Matrix canon.
