What Does TRON: ARES’ Permanence Code Even Mean?

Okay, listen up! I’m about to dive deep into *Tron: Ares*, and I’m warning you now – major spoilers ahead! If you haven’t seen the film yet, seriously, go check it out first. Then, when you’re ready to discuss everything that happens, come back and we can really unpack it all.

In *Tron: Ares*, Eve Kim, Julian Dillinger, and his advanced AI program were all searching for the same thing: Kevin Flynn’s lost ‘permanence code.’ This code was crucial, but what did it actually do? Interestingly, Flynn’s digital self claimed he’d originally given it the wrong name. And does the existence of this code contradict anything we’ve seen in the first two *Tron* movies? Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know about the permanence code, plus the remaining unanswered questions.

What Is Tron: Ares Permanence Code?

Back in the 1980s, Kevin Flynn created a special piece of code called the ‘permanence code.’ He concealed it by saving it to a private, offline file. Flynn designed the code with a double helix structure, similar to DNA, and then split it into two separate parts. This made it incredibly difficult to find and use, as someone would need to locate both halves and combine them to make it work.

The permanence code allowed digital creations to exist and function in the physical world. Without it, any digital machines or AI – like Ares and Athena – that became real would quickly fall apart after about 29 minutes. When they failed, they didn’t truly disappear, but instead returned to their original digital form within the virtual grid.

Why Did ENCOM and Dillinger Systems Both Want the Permanence Code in Tron: Ares?

I remember when ENCOM and Dillinger Systems were battling to change everything. They’d both figured out how to turn digital designs into real objects using lasers, which was incredible. The problem was, anything they created would fall apart after about 29 minutes. They desperately needed Flynn’s permanence code to fix that. Julian Dillinger was after it to deliver on his commitments to the military and investors – he wanted to build super soldiers and advanced weapons. But Eve Kim, she had a different vision. She wanted the code to help people, to improve lives by creating better food and finding cures for diseases. Honestly, her goals really reminded me of what Kevin Flynn was hoping to achieve before he disappeared back in 1989.

The person with the permanence code controlled the fate of both the real world and the virtual world known as the grid.

What Does Permanence Mean in Tron: Ares and Why Did Flynn Say He Misnamed It?

Flynn created a code that allowed digital beings to become real and exist forever. However, when Flynn encountered a copy of himself in a virtual world during the 1980s, the digital Flynn revealed he’d realized the code should have been called the “impermanence code.” While it brought creations into the real world, it also made them vulnerable to death. When Athena discovered Ares had enhanced himself with the permanence code, she vowed to kill him and then disappear. Without the code, Ares would endlessly respawn within the digital grid. But the permanence code meant that death would be final, truly ending his existence.

But just because he can die doesn’t mean he’s mortal like a human.

Is Ares Immortal Now that He Has Permanance? Can Ares Die After Getting the Permanence Code?

Even after becoming permanently real, Ares retained all of his enhanced abilities. If the code change had fully turned him human, he wouldn’t have been able to win against Athena and her forces – no ordinary person could. Though he *can* be killed, as both Flynn and Athena have confirmed, he seems to be effectively immortal, similar to the elves in stories like *The Lord of the Rings* – they can live for a very long time but aren’t completely invulnerable.

Will Ares Age or Breakdown Over Time?

Ares appears to not age, but it’s impossible to predict the long-term effects of turning a computer program into a living being. Will he need updates to keep functioning? What if he’s damaged – how do you even repair a program that’s been given a physical body?

As technology advances, what will become of Ares? Just like old software struggles with new hardware, will he need to return to the digital world to fix any problems? And if he does, will he even be able to?

Can Ares Go Back Into the Grid Now That He Has Permanence?

Kevin Flynn and characters like Ares and Athena could travel between the real world and the digital world of the Grid. While Ares has done this before and uniquely possesses the code for lasting permanence, there’s no certainty he can be digitized again without complications. He’s the only program known to have this code, so it’s impossible to predict what would happen – the movie doesn’t offer any hints.

Although Ares is one of a kind, he isn’t the first digital being to exist permanently in the real world. However, the way Ares exists doesn’t contradict anything we learned in *Tron: Legacy*.

Does Tron: Ares‘ Permanence Code Retcon Tron: Legacy‘s Quorra?

As a long-time fan, it’s always been clear to me that the Kevin Flynn Ares encountered wasn’t the *real* Flynn – he might even be gone. What Ares met was a digital version of Flynn, created way back in the 80s when Flynn first developed his permanence code. That’s why everything looked so familiar – it had the same incredible computer-world effects as the original *Tron* movie from 1982! It was all built into that original system he created.

Flynn created a special code to ensure his digital creations could exist in the real world if the technology ever allowed it. However, in the failed digital city he built with Clu, as seen in *Tron: Legacy*, something unexpected happened. A new form of digital life, called ISOs (Isomorphic Algorithms), spontaneously emerged. These beings didn’t need to be created by a user – they simply appeared on their own. Kevin Flynn described these remarkable ISOs to his son, Sam, as follows:

They appeared suddenly, like a burst of flame, not originating from any specific place. They simply emerged when the conditions were ideal. For centuries, humanity has imagined powerful beings – gods, spirits, extraterrestrials – intelligences far surpassing our own. I discovered them here, a surprising bloom in a desolate landscape. They were remarkably innocent, yet possessed wisdom beyond comprehension.

Kevin Flynn initially hoped that ISOs could achieve everything Eve Kim later did with the permanence code. He believed their fundamental code – what he called their “digital DNA” – held the key to solving major problems in areas like disease, history, science, and philosophy. He envisioned a world where all of humanity’s ideas about the universe were accessible, describing it as a “bio-digital jazz” and his potential “gift to the world.”

Clu eliminated all the ISOs except Quorra, who was saved by Flynn. At the end of *Tron: Legacy*, she journeyed to the human world with Sam. This was made possible by Kevin Flynn’s unique and powerful Identity Disc, which allowed travel back to reality—and was the reason Clu so desperately wanted it.

Quorra didn’t disappear as expected after twenty-nine minutes, and she continued to exist in the real world for quite some time. The film *Tron: Ares* confirmed she was still there. We saw a scene of Ares holding a photograph of Quorra and Sam, who had stepped down as CEO of ENCOM for private reasons. This image proved that the last ISO isn’t just alive – Sam appeared much older in the picture – but that someone else from the digital world is aware of her existence.

Kevin Flynn couldn’t grasp how the ISOs worked, because they weren’t created by a user. Just like Quorra herself, the reason she continues to exist is unknown. It’s also impossible to create more ISOs – their programming is completely unique and different from what allowed Ares to enter the real world. Ares’s past didn’t affect Quorra, but now, their futures are connected.

These two programs have a lot to learn from each other, and they share quite a bit in common. They’ve also gained a new enemy: Julian Dillinger. His search for the permanence code didn’t lead to success; instead, it brought him into the grid as the new Sark. And, having proven he’s just as ruthless as the original Sark, he’ll readily pursue these two programs, as they represent his own shortcomings.

2025-10-10 05:07