Naomi Armitage in Poly-Matrix

During her time with the Mars Police Department and then the MPD Technical Criminal SWAT, Armitage sees robots being used to commit crimes on a weekly basis and discovers that she feels pity for them. Under the control of humans, the robots have no free will and are forced into criminal activity rather than choosing it, and their helplessness in the face of human commands strikes a chord with her. That pity leads her to kill such robots quickly, ending their lives as puppets and freeing them from human control to move on to whatever afterlife there may be, if any. She sees the Seconds as lesser cousins, similar to how humans view apes and other intelligent animals- advanced, but not truly people. In this, she is a step above most humans on Mars, who feel that Seconds are merely things to be used like any other possession. Her attitude of superiority, however, shows that Armitage is perhaps not quite as advanced as she likes to think.

The murder of the Thirds, however, awakens new thoughts within Armitage. She discovers that she is not the only robot on Mars different from the Seconds, and sees the Thirds killed by D’Anclaude as her kin, feeling their deaths much more strongly than the destruction of any simple Second. When the opportunity presents itself to finally discover more about her past and answer some important questions, she immediately takes it. Where is Dr. Asakura? Why was she created? What is her purpose? The need for answers to all of these questions drives her ever onward, and marks her as more than just a machine, for those questions mirror the fundamental ones humans ask themselves. Is there a Creator? What is the meaning of life? Is there any point to living?

Armitage reaches several low points during her search for answers, but none is lower than when she finally finds Dr. Asakura. Her ‘father’, who should be able to tell her everything she wants to know, instead fails to remember her. Even worse, he dismisses her as a failed experiment, outdated technology that he now scorns. This rejection cuts Armitage to her very soul, as she begins to truly believe that she has no purpose and was simply a mistake. Only Ross and his unconditional love keeps her going at that point, and her persistence is rewarded by Asakura’s short return to sanity and his expression of love for her. No longer feeling alone and beginning to understand that her original purpose matters much less than what she does with her life from that point forward, Armitage chooses to remain on Mars and forge a new life with Ross at her side.

As Armitage develops emotionally and mentally, she becomes less of a cocky loner and more of a team player, a sign that she is ready to truly let others into her life. Her burgeoning relationship with Ross is a result of this, as is her quick adoption of Julian as her ‘brother’. The more Armitage opens her heart to others, the more she matures, changing from a brash confused girl at the beginning of the film into a strong, self-aware woman at the end. This growth from emotional child to adult is a major theme of the film, and Armitage’s internal strengthening is mirrored by Ross’ external one, as he becomes more and more cybernetic. Interestingly, as Armitage becomes less like a robot and Ross becomes more like one, each develops a clearer outlook on their life.
 

Naomi Armitage in Dual Matrix

And yet this fighting spirit hasn’t disappeared, just gone underground until it is needed again. When Armitage is contacted by the victims of the First Error, her old personality and fire spring back to life, as does her instinct to fight every battle alone so that no one else is hurt and any failures are on her head alone. Because of this she heads off to Earth, quickly showing Colonel Strings and his men that the wildcat is back. When she meets up with Ross, he comments on her solitary ways, and Armitage finally comes to believe that there is more to being in a family than just being together- that support comes in a number of different ways, and it is unfair both to herself and her family to try to do everything dangerous alone.

Armitage’s fighting spirit is even stronger when Yoko is in danger or needs protecting, as the power of the robotic warrior is increased by the maternal feelings she has. These feelings are relatively new to Armitage, who had no mother of her own, but she finds that there is nothing she will not do, no prize she won’t give up to ensure the safety of her daughter, her own flesh and blood. She shows this several times during Dual-Matrix, allowing herself to be captured to buy Ross time to save Yoko, then repeatedly throwing herself into combat with copies of herself, facing desperate odds, to allow Ross and Yoko to escape. Armitage shows she has done more than accept her robotic nature- she has embraced her human consciousness and finally become a whole person.

At the end of Dual-Matrix, Armitage has finally accepted herself as a member of a family, loved for who she is and supported through whatever events may come to pass. In turn, she is willing to give everything she can to help her husband and daughter. The cocky, angry introvert with a chip on her shoulder and scores to settle is gone- in her place is the loving mother and wife willing to give her all for her family and expecting the same in return. She has become someone who belongs, and that makes all of the difference for her.