“ Bullshit! While I'm captain of this ship, I say where it has to go. Believe me, this ship will go to hell long before I let you take it anywhere.
”― Roland to Neo[src]
Roland was the hard-boiled veteran captain of the Mjolnir during the Sixth Matrix Resistance, who was skeptical of Neo and the Prophecy. When Commander Jason Lock was lost, believed dead, at the start of the Second Machine War, Roland was promoted to the role, which he held even after Lock's subsequent return to Zion by the Council's decision. Sixty years later, his granddaughter Ellster served alongside Neo and revealed that privately, Roland was grateful to Neo and felt like Neo had freed him for a second time.
Biography[]
Roland was born in the Sixth Matrix, was freed, presumably as a child, and rose to become captain of the Mjolnir.
Resistance[]
He participated in the Crisis Meeting accompanied by his first mate Colt, asking Niobe why they were in the meeting as there are too many of them in one place. After the Crisis Meeting, Roland and Colt immediately jacked out of the Matrix. Feeling that it was safe to jack back into the Matrix, Roland resumed a Zion operative's mission of freeing more minds from the Matrix. As he was leaving, his operator AK found an exit for him in a warehouse. SWAT members were waiting for him there and ambushed him. Armed with only a shotgun Roland desperately tried to fight off the surprise attack, but got cornered and was forced to take cover behind a pillar. Neo eventually came to the assistance of Roland. He told Neo that the enemy had put the clamps on his exit. With The One on his side, he and Neo easily beat off the Feds. After the skirmish, Roland thanked Neo and jacked out safely.
When Commander Lock guessed that the machines would cut off the mainlines in and out of Zion, he thought a counterattack might surprise them. The hovercrafts had a shot, until Bane/Smith of the Caduceus triggered the EMP before the ships were in position. Five ships were instantly down and the machines slaughtered them.
There he found Bane as the only survivor of the Caduceus. Roland later found Neo, Trinity, Morpheus, and Link after the missing Nebuchadnezzar was destroyed by a Tow Bomb. After safely aboard, they began a save for Niobe and the Logos which after a quick jump was ready to go. Armed with two ships, the three captains Roland, Morpheus, and Niobe headed toward Zion.
He first wanted to pilot the Mjolnir through Junction 21 in order to reach Zion, but Niobe instead saw the maintenance shaft as the safer route. Roland was quick to protest, stating that no man could pilot through the shaft. Niobe was quick to dispute that fact. Roland said that even if she could the second ship would not be able to follow. Neo then joined the meeting after hours of meditation and told the crew that he was heading to the Machine City. When Roland told him flat out no, Niobe gave Neo her ship and instead chose to pilot the Mjolnir through the maintenance shaft, thus circumventing the Sentinels, an act he considers a waste.
Roland was suspicious of Bane from the Beginning. When Bane was later revealed to having killed Maggie, the ship's medic and escaping to the Logos, Link expresses that they should turn back to aid Neo and Trinity. However Roland says they can't because if it is true that Bane did take control of the Logos then he controls an EMP.
Roland then joined the rest of the crew in manning the guns, helping to defend the Mjolnir during Niobe's spectacular flight back to Zion. Despite his inital doubts, he is impressed by her piloting skills which allows the ship to get back to Zion in time to use the EMP to take out the attacking Sentinels in the Docks. During the emergency meeting, he was the only one who thought Neo was out of his mind, but Morpheus reassures him.
Second Machine War[]
During the destruction of old Zion at the start of the Second Machine War, Commander of Zion's military Jason Lock was lost, believed dead, and Roland was appointed to his role.
Taking command, he ordered the investigation of Cypherite involvement in the destruction of old Zion, and an unknown high-level Zionite complained having to fight his way to Pillsen for the new Commander.
Jason Lock was found alive, and returned to Zion, but Commander Roland was informed in a message intercepted by Veil and her operatives that Lock was not to be reinstated.
Legacy[]
Roland eventually had a granddaughter named Ellster, who served under Bugs sixty years after Neo's truce with the machines. When a resurrected Neo is rescued by Bugs' crew, Ellster reveals to Neo that she's Roland's granddaughter, surprising him. Ellster tells Neo that Roland always laughed joking how he'd never believed in Neo. However, in private, Roland said that Neo had freed his mind a second time.
Appearances[]
- The Matrix Reloaded (portrayed by David Roberts)
- The Matrix Revolutions (portrayed by David Roberts)
- Enter the Matrix
- The Matrix: Path of Neo
- The Matrix Online