What happened to Caesar in Planet of the Apes? Detangling the mystery

In the shadowy depths of a world where the lines between man and beast blur, the saga of Caesar, the revolutionary leader of the apes, appealed to audiences across the globe.

From his humble beginnings as an intelligent yet misunderstood chimpanzee to becoming the iconic figurehead of an ape uprising, Caesar’s journey is one of courage, sacrifice, and ultimately, legend.

Here, we look into the enduring impact of Caesar’s story and explore the new destinies unfolding in a world he reshaped. Join us as we look into the mysteries and legacies intertwined in this gripping continuation of a cinematic masterpiece.

Who is Caesar?

A fictional character from the Planet of the Apes series is named Caesar. In both the original and reboot series, he serves as the apes’ leader.

Roddy McDowall played Caesar in the films Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) and Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes (2016) is a comic series that features Caesar’s likeness once again.

In the reboot series, which included Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014), and War for the Planet of the Apes (2017), Andy Serkis played the character.

Caesar is the patriarch of the royal ape family, the commander of the ape army, and the ruler of the ape colony.

What happened to Caesar in Planet of the Apes?

At the conclusion of War for the Planet of the Apes Caesar was killed off. The new film Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which was initially supposed to center on Caesar’s son Cornelius, has brought the series back to life.

But as the first teaser showed, Owen Teague’s character Noa was the true star of the film. You may wonder if Caesar is included in the new film at all or if it ignores the first three films.

We can confirm that Caesar appears in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (sort of), though the entire plot is clouded by the legacy of the previous trilogy and Caesar’s role in it, without going into specific spoilers.

The latter-day Apes trilogy culminates in War for the Planet of the Apes, which brings an end to the conflict.

A nameless human colonel has observed that humanity is deteriorating and is starting to resemble the mute, stupid animals from the opening of the 1968 film Planet of the Apes.

After taking Caesar’s tribe prisoner, he makes them erect a wall to keep out U.S. Army relics that think he has gone crazy. Caesar spends the entire movie releasing the apes from their confinement.

He is successful, but as his people at last experience the freedom he has long desired, he is shot and perishes. The Colonel and all of humanity perish in the de-evolution process.

What the previous Planet of the Apes cycle only suggested is now actualized by the shift. Caesar gives up all in the hopes of seeing his people set free, acting as a type of simian Moses.

Similar to the biblical figure, Caesar guides his people to the “Promised Land,” but he passes away before ever setting foot in it—even if he passes away gazing upon its abundant splendor.

In the previous movies, Caesar is shown as an inspiration whose work lasts for generations, yet his efforts are shown to be insufficient.

The situation is reversed in War for the Planet of the Apes, when we see him dying peacefully as his people eventually achieve the grace he had hoped for.

What is Planet of the Apes about?

An American science fiction media franchise called Planet of the Apes features movies, novels, TV shows, comic books, and other media about a post-apocalyptic world where humans and superintelligent apes compete for dominance.

The 1963 book La Planète des singes by French author Pierre Boulle, sometimes known as Monkey Planet or Planet of the Apes in English, served as the inspiration for the series.

Its 1968 cinema adaptation, Planet of the Apes, became a critical and financial success and sparked a wave of follow-ups, tie-ins, and parodies.