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This article is about the character of the Planet of the Apes reboot series
For the character of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes, see Caesar (APJ).
Don't worry... Maurice. You are all... home, now. Apes are strong... with... or without me.
Caesar's final words to Maurice before his death

Caesar was a commanding and emotional evolved chimpanzee who led the Ape Rebellion against the humans and founded the San Francisco Ape Colony. The much revered and respected king of the apes, he fought both humanity and even his own kind to ensure peace for his species throughout the long Human-Ape War, becoming legendary among his people as a hero.

Biography

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

A legend is born

Caesar was born in the San Francisco biotech company Gen-Sys Laboratories as the son of a female chimpanzee nicknamed Bright Eyes and an alpha male chimpanzee of Bright Eyes' tribe residing in the West African Jungle. Following the death of his mother, Caesar was found by the chimpanzee handler, Robert Franklin, and the eccentric scientist, Will Rodman. Upon the discovery, they realized that Bright Eyes' earlier rampage was not due to the ALZ-112 (an experimental drug that, through neurogenesis, repairs brain cells and increases mental capabilities) in her system, but due to her maternal instincts to protect her newborn baby whom she had secretly given birth to a day or two earlier. Because Bright Eyes' aggression was believed to be the effects of the ALZ-112, head of Gen-Sys, Steven Jacobs, terminated the project and ordered the apes in the facility's possession, to be euthanized. However, Franklin was unable to bring himself to put the infant down and convinced a reluctant Will to take him instead, sparing the infant's life in the process.

Returning home, Will discovered, to his delight, that the infant chimpanzee had inherited the ALZ-112 from his mother after he and his father, Charles Rodman, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease that Will, under employment at Gen-Sys, was desperately searching, to no avail, for a cure to, witness the infant drinking from a bottle on his own at only two days old. Three years later, Will decided to keep the infant whom he named Caesar, and raised him as his own while continuing his life's work on the ALZ-112 in secret. At eighteen months, Caesar was signing up to twenty-four words. At age two, he completed puzzles and models designed for human children eight years and up. At age three, he completes the Lucas Tower with a perfect score of fifteen moves and became an expert chess player as well. Throughout his early years, Caesar continued to show signs of heightened intelligence and cognitive skills that far exceeded that of a human counterpart, much to Will's amazement.

One day, Caesar saw children outside of his attic window playing on bikes and, after seeing the children leaving their bikes in a garage, snuck out a window while Will was distracted assessing his father's improvement after supposedly curing him with the ALZ-112. However, Alice Hunsiker discovered Caesar playing with a bike in the garage and alerted her father, Will's short-tempered neighbor, Douglas Hunsiker, who threatened Caesar with a baseball bat until Will and Charles, after discovering his absence, arrived to defend him.

Since Caesar suffered a leg injury while attempting to escape from Hunsiker, Will took him into the San Francisco Zoo where he was treated by veterinarian and primatologist, Caroline Aranha, who took an interest in Caesar after learning that Will had taught Caesar how to sign along with a handful of other things. Visiting their home, Caroline informed Will that Caesar should have "some open space" since he will not be young and small for long and will soon grow into "a large, powerful animal". Therefore, Will, Caroline and Charles introduced Caesar to the redwood forest at Muir Woods National Monument where he spent time in a more natural habitat, climbing the towering redwood trees. Five years later, Caesar, now an ambitious teenager, grew more curious about the world around him. After leaving the redwood forest with Will and Caroline, now in a relationship, Caesar saw a dog on a leash like his own and questioned his identity. Will took Caesar and Caroline to Gen-Sys and informs Caesar of his mother's death and explained the origins of the ALZ-112 that she genetically passed on to him, leaving him devastated over her death and causing him to start to resent humans.

The Awakening

One day, Caesar saw Hunsiker harassing Charles (who had relapsed due to his new immunity to ALZ-112) enraging the Ape enough that he attacked the man biting off his right index finger as revenge for threatening Charles. However, he became horrified by his actions and ran into Charles' arms. After the incident, Caesar was forced by court order to leave Will's custody and be confined in captivity at the San Bruno Primate Shelter.

At first, Caesar was treated cruelly by Dodge Landon, a caretaker at the shelter who sprayed Caesar with water after he throws food at Dodge. Rocket, the alpha male chimpanzee at the shelter, harassed Caesar in the shelter, attacking him, ripping off his shirt and causing him to fall from a tree, before both were sedated. However, Caesar later formed a close friendship with Maurice, a circus orangutan, who also knew sign language. When Dodge invited his friends to the shelter, one of them taunted Caesar over to him, only to be grabbed, Caesar stealing the man's pocket knife before releasing him, scaring Dodge and his friends away.

Caesar later used the knife to free himself, entering the common area. He then gained another friend after he released Buck, a gorilla, who had been kept in solitary confinement and subsequently pledged his allegiance to Caesar. Later, Caesar lured Rocket out of his cage and attacked him with a gasoline canister, using Buck as leverage to establish dominance over the ape, proving that he was now the alpha male. Rocket willingly surrendered. Caesar also gained the respect of the other apes at the shelter as a result.

Caesar later stole Dodge's cookies and gave the packet to Rocket, teaching him to be selfless and care for his fellow apes, earning Caesar the respect and friendship of Rocket. The next day, Caesar explained to Maurice that "apes alone... weak", but "apes together strong". They then noticed several apes wrestling in the water, prompting Maurice to comment, "apes stupid", giving Caesar an idea.

That night, he escaped from the shelter, undetected, and returned to Will's house. He gazed at his sleeping human parents before he proceeded to steal two canisters of the ALZ-113, a more powerful yet gaseous version of the ALZ-112 that Will developed. Caesar exposed himself to the gas and gained more intelligence with his eyes changing more green as he realized this was needed to further the other ape's intelligence.

Caesar then returned to the shelter and punctured the canisters of the ALZ-113 and exposed it to the sleeping apes which further enhanced the intelligence and mental capabilities of himself and his fellow apes. The next morning, he examined each of them and saw they all had green eyes like him which was a sign of their evolution. He soon rallied them promising to lead them to freedom. Ready to put his plan in to action, Caesar refused to go back in his cage and was confronted by Dodge, who struck him several times with an electrical cattle prod, but just as Dodge attempted to strike Caesar again, he caught the prod before shocking everyone by speaking for the first time, shouting, "No!" He knocked Dodge out and left him in a cage before freeing the apes. Rodney, another caretaker at the shelter, was beaten up by the apes, but Caesar stopped them, as Rodney was kind to him so he locked him in a cage instead. However, Dodge reawakened, going to grab the hose, but Caesar pulled it away from him. An angry Dodge grabbed the prod instead and lunges at Caesar who electrocuted him by spraying him with water, unintentionally killing him.

Rebellion against humanity

Caesar was distraught at his accidental kill but brushed it off, as he knew there was no turning back. He freed Buck from his cage before leading his fellow apes to the outskirts of the city. He divided the apes into two groups, leading one group to Gen-Sys Laboratories while Buck would lead the other group to the San Francisco Zoo in order to free the remaining apes.

Caesar led hundreds of apes throughout the city, sending its population into a massive panic. The apes fought off the humans that tried to apprehend them before Caesar, Rocket, Maurice, Buck and many other apes commandeered a tram, heading straight for the Golden Gate Bridge in order to escape into the redwood forest of Muir Woods Park.

Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge

Caesar led his army across the bridge, terrifying the citizens as they made their way to the redwood forest. However, the police set up a blockade, forcing Caesar to halt his army's progression. Realizing the impending threat, Caesar split his forces into three groups: the first group led by Koba would climb the suspension cables, the second group led by Maurice climbed underneath the bridge while the third group (led by Caesar) charged straight ahead in order to overcome the blockade and ambush the police. Caesar then ordered for the gorillas to use a bus as a shield, protecting them from the police force's gunfire before Caesar, riding a police horse, ordered his army to attack from all sides, overwhelming the police who soon ran off. The apes cheered at their victory as Will called out to Caesar, surprising him.

However, a helicopter (in which Jacobs was riding) arrived and immediately began to gun down the apes. Identified as the leader, Caesar was targeted but Buck sacrificed himself by throwing Caesar to safety and leaping onto the helicopter which crashed on the bridge, killing all three police officers while injuring and trapping Jacobs in the wreckage.

Caesar pulled the mortally wounded Buck out of the wreckage, but was unable to do anything to save him as the dying Buck thanked Caesar for his friendship as he passed on in his arms. Saddened over the death of his friend, Caesar refused to save Jacobs (who begged for his help) allowing Koba, a scarred bonobo, who holds a grudge against humans for mistreatment, permission to kill Jacobs. Koba proceeded to push the helicopter off of the bridge, sending it and Jacobs plummeting into the ocean below.

The beginning 

With the police defeated, Caesar led the apes to the redwood forest. However, Will, who had earlier learned of Caesar's rebellion against humans and witnessed the battle between the police, quickly followed the apes to the forest. Will searched for Caesar, only to be attacked by Koba, but Caesar arrived and ordered Koba to stand down, as the angered bonobo ran off in the woods. Will then warned Caesar that the humans would hunt them down and pleaded with him to come home, promising to protect him if he did.

In response, Caesar looked upon his followers and hugged Will as he whispered in his ear, "Caesar is home". A shocked Will, realizing that it was indeed their final moments together, respected Caesar's wishes. Caesar then approached his favorite tree before turning to face the apes who stood on upright like him to show they had now accepted him as their leader as he climbed to the top with Maurice and Rocket joining him on the adjacent trees. They calmly gazed upon San Francisco, unaware of the deadly virus that would soon destroy mankind.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Peace and harmony

Ten years after the worldwide pandemic of the deadly Simian Flu, human civilization is completely destroyed all over the world. Over 99% of the human population has died in the pandemic while apes with genetically enhanced intelligence have started to build a civilization of their own. Near the ruins of San Francisco, Caesar reigns supreme over the ever growing Ape Colony residing in Muir Woods. His people have learned sign language in order to communicate with one another, medical and combat training to care for and defend themselves as well as hunting as a way of life. He also forges the Ape Council consisting of his closest friends, Maurice, Rocket and Koba. Later in life, Caesar and his wife, Cornelia, have a son named Blue Eyes (due to his blue irises) who is inducted into the Ape Army and the Ape Council by his father in order for him to learn how to operate an empire that will one day be his own.

On a hunt for elk, Caesar successfully ensnares a stag. Before proceeding to kill the stag, Caesar notices, to his concern, large claw marks on a nearby tree and orders his son to wait. Blue Eyes, however, disobeys his father's order and attempts to kill the stag, but is attacked by a bear. Caesar, attempting to protect his wounded son and fight the bear, stands no chance and immediately calls for help. His call is eventually heard by Koba who kills the bear by spearing it in the back of the head, trapping Caesar underneath its corpse. However, Caesar emerges from underneath the corpse. He thanks Koba for the assistance and reprimands Blue Eyes for his recklessness before they return to the Ape Village. Returning to the village, Caesar is summoned to his home where he witnesses the birth of his youngest son, Cornelius. He summons over Blue Eyes to meet his new younger brother and together, the Royal Ape Family celebrates the new addition to their family and colony. Later that afternoon, Maurice congratulates Caesar on the birth, but the subject changes to humans who haven't been seen for the last ten winters. Maurice believes that the humans are all gone, but Caesar still questions the humans' eradication.

A fragile agreement

Awakened by the sound of a gunshot, Caesar and his followers quickly makes their way through the forest where they discover a group of humans led by a man named Malcolm, much to his shock. Malcolm tries to reassure the apes that the humans mean no harm to them, but since one of the humans shot Ash, the son of Rocket, wounding him. Caesar angrily orders the humans to leave. The humans quickly depart, but Caesar orders Koba to follow them, leading the apes to discover a community of human survivors in the city who are genetically immune to the virus and living in a tower within the city. Back at the village, Caesar and the Council discuss what should be done about the humans. Koba insists on fighting the humans, but Caesar acknowledges that war could cost them their home. He assures the Council that he will have a decision by morning before retiring to his home. However, Koba approaches Caesar and tells him of his past, that he will obey his commands without hesitation, but the apes must show strength. Caesar agrees with this statement.

The next day, the ape army heavy in number and weapons enter the city and arrive at the human colony. Marching to the tower, Caesar surprises the human colony by announcing, in speech, to the terrified humans that while apes do not want war, they will fight to defend their home, warning the humans to never come back to the forest before the apes depart. However, Malcolm and his party return to the forest despite Caesar's warning. Malcolm travels into the apes' territory and is captured by the Gorilla Guard, the protectors of the forest, and is taken to Caesar. Malcolm tells Caesar that if he just allows him to show him, he will understand why the humans are trespassing into his territory. Caesar accepts Malcolm's proposal. Malcolm then takes Caesar and several other apes to a hydroelectric dam where he explains that the humans need to repair the dam's generator, which could provide long-term power to the city and therefore they will be able to reach the outside world and hopefully find other survivors. Sympathetic to the humans, Caesar allows them to stay and repair the dam's generator, but they must work unarmed.

Returning to the village, Caesar is at ease with the humans' presence in the forest unlike Koba who is angry that Caesar is choosing to help the humans rather than attack them. However, Caesar informs Koba that the apes and the humans have only one chance for peace, but Koba's hatred for humans only grows stronger, driving a wedge between the honorary brothers. As the humans proceed to repair the dam's generator, they bond with the apes. Mutual distrust of both sides gradually subsides. During their progression, the humans are suddenly trapped underground due to an explosion, but Caesar and his fellow apes rescue them after they had been informed of the humans' situation by Ellie, a nurse and Malcolm's wife, and Alexander, Malcolm's son. While the humans are being treated for their injuries, Malcolm thanks Caesar for the assistance, but before anything else can be said, Cornelius scurries out of Blue Eyes' arms to investigate the humans. However, the genocide between the apes and the humans returns when Carver, who holds a deep hatred for the apes, threatens Blue Eyes with a concealed shotgun, enraging his father who almost kills Carver. Caesar, in his betrayed fury, threatens the humans with the shotgun, but instead, tosses it into the lake. Departing with both of his sons, Caesar furiously orders the humans to leave at once. Back at the village, Caesar discovers, to his grief, that his wife is seriously ill. Weeping over his sick wife, Caesar receives a visit from Malcolm and Ellie who had followed him back to the village, begging for him to reconsider as they did not know about the shotgun. Caesar, however, hasn't forgotten the recent incident and is not at all pleased by their presence in his home, ignoring their pleas. Ellie then notices Cornelia and offers to treat her with antibiotics, but Caesar doesn't trust them anymore. Despite his distrust and his son's protests, Caesar allows Ellie to treat Cornelia, allowing the humans only one day to finish their work with the apes' help.

Battle of San Francisco

Meanwhile, Koba returns to the village after infiltrating the city along with his followers, Stone and Grey, and discovering an armory in secret. After learning from Blue Eyes that Caesar is still assisting the humans at the dam despite that they have threatened both of his sons. Koba confronts Caesar, accusing him of loving humans more than apes and more than his own sons. In response, an enraged Caesar severely beats Koba, but refrains from killing him, adhering to his philosophy that "ape not kill ape". Koba asks for forgiveness and Caesar hesitantly forgives him. However, the brutal fight has permanently broken their relationship beyond repair. While Caesar continues to assist the humans, Koba begins to secretly plan to overthrow him. The dam is eventually repaired with the combined efforts of the apes and the humans, restoring power to the city. Caesar invites the humans back to the village to celebrate. During the celebration, however, Grey, under Koba's orders, sets fire to the apes' home, then, unseen to anyone else but Caesar, Koba shoots Caesar in the shoulder with an assault rifle that he stole from the humans' armory, causing Caesar to fall from the settlement's main tree, much to the horror and grief of his people, especially Cornelia and Blue Eyes. In the panic of the loss of the alpha and the threat of the fire, Koba takes charge and, implicating Carver whom he secretly murdered in the shooting, urges his people to fight against the humans, promising to avenge the death of their beloved king.

Malcolm's group, who had successfully hidden from the outraged ape army, find Caesar barely alive who reveals to Malcolm that Koba shot him, not Carver. The group return and discover the city in flames due to the apes' earlier assault on the city. Despite heavy causalities, the apes breached the tower using a hijacked tank and imprisoned the humans while Dreyfus, the leader of the remaining human survivors, fled underground. Malcolm's group transports Caesar to his former home in the city, where they learn of his past with humans. Malcolm leaves the group and heads into the city to find medical supplies for Caesar. Eventually, Malcolm returns with the medical supplies and Blue Eyes who had encountered Malcolm whilst he was searching for the medical supplies. Blue Eyes is overjoyed to see that his father is alive and Caesar tells him that Koba shot him, to the latter's sadness. Blue Eyes stays by his side while Ellie prepares to operate. After the surgery, Blue Eyes also learns of his father's past with humans before Caesar suddenly awakens. Blue Eyes apologizes to his father, but Caesar tells his son that it is his fault and that he shouldn't have trusted Koba. Because of Koba's actions, Caesar realizes that apes can be as violent as humans. Blue Eyes informs his father that Koba imprisoned the apes still loyal to him and that Koba killed Ash, much to his sadness. Blue Eyes tries to reassure his father that once the apes see that he is alive, they'll turn from Koba, but not if Caesar is weak. Since ape always seek the strongest branch. Unable to contain his rage towards Koba for not only his betrayal, but for what he is trying to turn his people into, Caesar is determined to try and stop Koba, but is in no condition to fight just yet. Therefore, Blue Eyes, speaking in broken English for the first time, asks his father to let him help him. Caesar, proud of his son, agrees.

Two days later, Caesar, slowly recovering from the surgery, explores his former home and discovers an old camcorder, which depicts Will Rodman, Caesar's adoptive father, teaching a younger Caesar before Caesar is interrupted by Malcolm. Suddenly, Caesar spots, outside of his attic window, Blue Eyes, who has successfully freed the imprisoned apes, he had also successfully freed the imprisoned humans as well. Blue Eyes informs his father that Koba is planning to move the females and the infants from the forest into the city, including Cornelia and Cornelius. Fearing for his wife and his youngest son, Caesar urges Malcolm that they must leave immediately. Malcolm guides Caesar and the apes to the tower from below, but are forced to separate after encountering an armed human. Caesar and the apes climb the tower to the top where Caesar confronts Koba. Caesar and Koba battle for supremacy while the rest of the tribe watches on with concern. As Caesar and Koba's battle escalates, Dreyfus detonates C-4 charges that he planted beneath the tower. The resulting explosion kills him and collapses part of the tower. Seeing his people in pain, Caesar and Blue Eyes help the injured apes, as a furious Koba takes a gun and opens fire on them, injuring Maurice in the process. Infuriated, Caesar dives at Koba and tackles him, causing both of them to tumble down the debris. Caesar lands safely, but Koba is hanging over the edge of the tower.

Pleading for his life, Koba reminds Caesar that apes do not kill apes, as Caesar takes his hand and starts to lift him up but stops when seeing the trauma done onto his people by Koba's hand. Staring at Koba, Caesar firmly disowns Koba as an ape and lets him fall to his death, shedding a single tear at the latter's death. The tribe celebrates Caesar's victory.

Preparation for war

After ending Koba's tyranny, Caesar notices Grey and several other apes threatening Malcolm who had survived the earlier explosion and orders the apes to leave him. Malcolm informs Caesar of the impending arrival of human military reinforcements that Dreyfus' men had made radio contact with. He implores Caesar to leave but Caesar tells Malcolm that the humans will never forgive the apes for the war that they have started and advises him to leave with his family for safety as the two of them acknowledge their friendship. Both of them lament the fact that peace could have been achieved if there wasn't any animosity existing between the apes and the humans.

As Malcolm disappears in the shadows, Caesar reunites with his wife and youngest son who is relieved to see him alive before Caesar embraces his family. He then stands before the other apes, who bow down to him in respect awaiting his guidance for the war to come.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Fighting a War

Two years after the U.S. military was called to fight off an increasingly intelligent and dangerous tribe of apes, the apes' clan, led by Caesar, are attacked in the woods by a rogue paramilitary faction known as Alpha-Omega, led by a ruthless Colonel. Alpha-Omega also has in its service apes they call "donkeys" that had previously followed Koba, a maniacal bonobo who led a failed coup against Caesar and tried to wipe out humanity. During the attack, the Alpha-Omega militants are met by heavy ape resistance, and several soldiers, including a "donkey" gorilla named Red, are captured by the apes. Caesar arrives and orders the four human soldiers to be released, with a message to the Colonel that he did not start the war, and that he desires peace between the humans and apes. Caesar orders that Red is to be imprisoned for his crimes, but before he can be imprisoned, Red escapes, injuring an albino gorilla named Winter. Soon after, Caesar's son Blue Eyes and his lieutenant Rocket return from a journey to find a safe haven for the apes.

Losing his family

In the Ape Waterfall, Rocket and Blue Eyes report that they have found a place across the desert that is perfect for the clan. Winter, still frightened from the soldiers' attack, wants to leave immediately, but Caesar does not think they are prepared to leave so soon.

That night, a group of Alpha-Omega soldiers, led by the Colonel, infiltrates the apes' home. Caesar and a few apes noticed a disturbance and went to investigate, finding and killing several human soldiers. Caesar overhears a communicator, where McCullough broadcasts a message to his fellow soldiers that he (supposedly) killed Caesar. Realizing the danger of the message, Caesar returned to the waterfall opening, only to see McCullough preparing to leave. As he prepared to jump, they lock eyes, before the confused McCullough turned to the bodies of Blue Eyes and Cornelia, which Caesar directed his gaze and became horrified and enraged at the death of his wife and eldest son.

Realizing his mistake, McCullough proceeded to open fire on Caesar, who avoided being struck before the Colonel disengaged after spotting more apes emerging from the tunnels and jumped out through the waterfall. An enraged Caesar pursued, grabbing onto the cable and climbed, but McCullough cut the cable after Caesar knocked the M4A1 Assault Rifle out of his hand, sending the ape falling down into the water, while he escaped. Caesar survived the fall and was angered by McCullough's escape and his loss.

The next day, Caesar sat beside the site Cornelia and Blue Eyes were killed as Luca reported Winter cannot be found, and it is believed that Winter has betrayed them out of cowardice. Caesar orders the apes to look for his missing youngest son Cornelius. After he is left alone, he breaks down at his family's fate before he is alerted and discovers Cornelius, who survived the attack after he is revealed to have been hidden from the Colonel.

Revenge Quest

Realizing they are no longer safe, Caesar decided to evacuate the apes to the haven that Blue Eyes spoke of. However, he revealed that he was not accompanying them as he will hunt down his family's murderer and does not expect to return. Leaving his younger son in the care of Blue Eyes' mate, Lake, Caesar departs to exact revenge on the Colonel for the death of his family.

He is accompanied by Maurice, Luca, and Rocket, while the other apes head for the desert, which each informing him their own reason of staying by his side. During their journey, the apes encounter a soldier living in an abandoned village and Caesar shoots him when he reaches for his rifle. Caesar, Maurice, Luca, and Rocket search the dead soldier's home. Maurice discovers the soldier's daughter who is apparently unable to speak. Maurice befriends and adopts the girl, giving her a small rag doll. Along the way Caesar's party locate Winter in an Alpha-Omega camp on the beach, where he has volunteered to become a "donkey" for the soldiers in return for sparing his life. Confronting while he was alone, Caesar interrogates the traitor and he tells Caesar's group that the Colonel has departed for a location referred to as the "border". Winter tries to beg for forgiveness but Caesar tells him of what his act has cost him and Winter tries to call out to the Alpha-Omega soldiers to save him, but Caesar and the others smother him to keep him quiet, killing him.

Haunting Visions & Shocking Discovery

Caesar begins to worry that he is becoming like Koba by killing his fellow apes and seeking revenge. While following the soldiers to the border, they discover some soldiers who have been shot and left for dead. Their examination of a soldier who survived reveals that he, like the girl, cannot speak.

Later the group meets Bad Ape, an intelligent chimpanzee hermit who lived in the Sierra Zoo before the Simian Flu pandemic. Bad Ape reveals that the human soldiers are encamped at the border and hesitantly agrees to lead them there.

When the group arrives at the border, they see hundreds of apes held captive inside a former quarantine facility. While getting a closer look, Luca is killed protecting Caesar from an Alpha-Omega patrol, angering Caesar and causing him to proceed alone.

Capture

Caesar discovers Spear and several apes tied to crosses, he approaches Spear to ask what happened. Spear tells him the rest of the ape clan has been captured and are being forced to build a wall with no food or water, Caesar tries to ask about his son Cornelius but Spear succumbed to his wounds and died. As Caesar looked to see the camp, he is caught off-guard and captured by Red.

Caesar meets the Colonel and tells him it was his wife and son that he killed and how he wanted revenge. The Colonel has Caesar escorted through the camp, where he see the apes captured and spots his son Cornelius calling to him but doesn't respond to protect him from danger. Caesar is placed in a cage where he wallows on his failure of his colony who seem to have lost faith in him.

The next day, Caesar is put to work but is chained, making his load more difficult. When he spots an orangutan being punished, Caesar becomes angry and demands for the tortures to stop. This act of defiance rallies his fellow apes who start to protest before McCullough forces Caesar to be brought to him and soon threatens to shoot him but Caesar isn't fazed. As a result, the Colonel shoots the ape and has the apes resume working after Lake inspires them to do so.

That night, McCullough threatens Caesar not to impede the work and reveals to Caesar that the Simian Flu virus has mutated and now causes humans who survived the original strain to devolve, becoming mute and regressing back to a primitive state. Caesar deduces that the Colonel is barricading himself in the facility to fend off remnants of the U.S. Army from the north who are coming to execute him because he favors massacring any infected humans, including his own son, to stop the spread of the virus. Caesar is commended by the Colonel for his intelligence, and the Colonel explains that he is fighting a "holy war" for the survival of mankind. He continues by stating while he didn't mean to kill Caesar's son that he is happy he did it to halt his destiny to inherit his kingdom. Caesar lashes out but is detained by Red and put back in his cage.

The next day, Caesar sees the Colonel has fed the apes but he is given none and serves as a martyr to the apes for signs of defiance by being chained to a pole .

While Caesar is tortured with starvation, the mute girl, whom Maurice names Nova, sneaks into the facility to give Caesar food, water, and her rag doll (originally given to her by Maurice). To prevent Nova from being discovered, Rocket allows himself to be captured as a diversion.

The next day, the Colonel comes to see if Caesar is still alive, and confiscates Nova's doll upon discovering it.

Final Battle

Together Caesar and Rocket are able to work out a means of escape via an underground tunnel that leads out of the facility. Maurice and Bad Ape use the tunnel to rescue the apes, and Caesar orders the others to escape while he goes to confront the Colonel. As the facility comes under attack by the northern army, Caesar reaches the Colonel. As Caesar is about to kill the Colonel, he realizes that Nova's doll has infected the Colonel with the mutated virus, rendering him unable to speak. Caesar puts down his gun and spares the Colonel, who then uses the gun to commit suicide rather than become a primitive. During the battle between Alpha-Omega and the northern army, the escaping apes come under fire from Alpha-Omega. Caesar attempts to attack Alpha-Omega forces from behind, but is shot with a crossbow by Preacher, one of the Alpha-Omega militants he had previously set free.

Red saves Caesar's life by killing Preacher with a grenade launcher, and is executed by an Alpha-Omega superior as a result. Caesar blows up a large fuel tank, causing a cascade of explosions which destroy the Alpha-Omega facility and allow the Northern army to win the battle. As Caesar proceeded through the tunnel leading to the outside, he spotted the Northern army advancing on the ruined Alpha-Omega base, with a few of their soldiers emerging from the base with a few Alpha-Omega surivors and celebrated.

Death

However, the army is subsequently devastated by a massive avalanche, which Caesar and the other apes and Nova survive by climbing nearby trees. Caesar reunited with his son as he and the remaining apes depart the facility and cross the desert to find the oasis.

While the other apes joyously celebrate their new home, Maurice discovers Caesar's wound and the latter reveals he will soon die. Maurice then speaks to him, telling Caesar that Cornelius will know who his father was, what he stood for and what he did to protect the apes. Caesar then slowly and silently succumbs to his wounds and dies peacefully while Maurice mourns his passing as the other apes look on.

Legacy

Caesar was known by many as a charismatic and intelligent leader of the apes, respected and feared by both friends and enemies; humans and apes alike. He emphasizes brotherhood and trust over domination and control, as evident as he builds friendship with his fellow apes during his time in San Bruno Primate Shelter, and later progressed into unwavering bond of brotherhood, particularly Rocket and Maurice. He also taught the apes of love, which they value the lives of each other as apes.

Despite years after the unknown fate of Caesar's adoptive father, he passed on the love and kindness that he had received from Will to his fellow apes, thus; earning trust from the apes as a benevolent leader. What perhaps a few of his greatest legacies is the continued survival of his Ape Colony and his philosophy: "Apes together strong".

Before Caesar succumbing to his wounds, he had seen that the apes are strong; with or without him; he even assures Maurice of this. In return, Maurice also promised Caesar that Cornelius]] will know who his father was, what he stood for and what he did to protect the apes.

Caesar will go down in history as a legend and a great leader to the San Francisco Ape Colony, as he will always be remembered as a legend among his kind; due to Caesar's heroic and noble sacrifice to protect the apes.

As Maurice promised to Caesar, Cornelius will know about his late father's life so that; the young prince doesn't forget him, what he did to ensure the tribe's safety, and strive to be a true leader.

Despite Caesar's death, Cornelius the last surviving member of his family, would be next in line to become the king of the San Francisco Ape Colony at some point.

Caesar's his main goal; was for evolved apes and humans; to co-exist in peace, but this has yet to be achieved; due to the fact that there are several other humans; such as Colonel McCullough, who are prejudiced towards evolved apes, as they (incorrectly) believe that; the evolved apes want to dominate the entire human race; which is actually the complete opposite.

However, despite this, most other humans such as Alexander, Ellie, Foster, Kemp, Malcolm and Nova respectively, are willing to peacefully co-exist with the evolved apes, as they know full-well that the apes do not want to dominate the entire human race.

Personality

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Caesar was an immensely intelligent chimpanzee who commands respect and loyalty from all those that encounter him. From his various ages, Caesar's personality changes.

As an infant, Caesar was very curious, his curiosity grows as he gets older and sometimes gets him into trouble.

As a young chimpanzee, Caesar was very playful, adventurous and carefree.

As a teenager, Caesar was much more mature, displaying human emotions, such as happiness, anger and independence. He also displays a resentment for most humans after he learns the truth about his origins and his mother's death. At the beginning, Caesar had a good relationship with humans due to being raised by Will and Caroline, but by the end, Caesar had grown to despise most humans mainly because of their behavior towards his fellow apes. His relationship with his people is much better. He is devoted and protective of his fellow apes. Caesar had proven on several occasions to be a great leader, displaying charisma during the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, and willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his army.

Caesar was also compassionate, however, these emotions can cause him to attack anyone who dares to try and harm the people he loves, this was proven on several occasions usually involving humans and apes, on the first occasion, he viciously attacks Hunsiker who assaults a confused Charles, during the incident, Caesar bites off of Hunsiker's right index finger by accident, a trait that all apes share when it comes to humans, but becomes horrified by his actions and is consoled by Charles. On the second occasion, Caesar refuses to return to his cage and is confronted by Dodge, growing more and more furious at the man's insults, he shocks everyone by speaking for the first time and by unintentionally killing Dodge. Although Caesar hated the man, he did not intend to cause his death. His death causes Caesar to experience survivor's guilt, but it also leads him to vow to kill only the humans that did wrong to him and his people, not those that did no wrong. He also begins to teach his people to do the same.

Although Caesar loves and adores his adoptive father, Will, their relationship eventually becomes strained to the point where he starts to feel abandoned by Will and when Will attempts to reclaim him, Caesar refuses to go home with him, no longer wishing to be treated as a pet and preferring to stay with his fellow apes. During the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar witnesses the deaths of many of his fellow apes, including his loyal friend, Buck, who sacrifices himself in order to protect Caesar. Caesar experiences sorrow and pain over Buck's death and also displays ruthlessness and cruelty when he refuses to save Jacobs who was, although indirectly, responsible for Buck's death. Instead of killing the man himself, Caesar chooses to allow Koba to kill Jacobs, which also displays that Caesar can be merciless but also vengeful. Although Caesar could have returned to the only home he has ever known, he ultimately chooses to live in the redwood forest with his fellow apes, choosing a life of freedom over a life of solitude.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm

During the early days of the Ape Colony, initially, Caesar became slightly arrogant, impulsive and a control freak, but by the time of the year 2026, he had become mature; to the point where he was no longer the inept chimpanzee he once was.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

As a middle-age chimpanzee, Caesar was now wise and well-respected by his people; who see him as more of the all-father than the king, he was the ultimate leader, he combines intellect, ability, confidence, humility, strength and compassion. It's this unique mix of rare qualities that inspires others to follow. At the same time though, he was not afraid to assert dominance if another ape defies him, seeing it as a challenge to his authority; such as when he nearly strangled Koba after the latter accused Caesar of caring for humans more than apes and his own family, in front of his fellow apes; including his sons, Blue Eyes and Cornelius respectively.

As a husband, Caesar loved his wife, Cornelia and shares an affectionate relationship with her.

As a father, Caesar loved both of his sons, sharing a strong bond with and sometimes having problems with his eldest son, but also becoming a counterbalance to Blue Eyes' recklessness. Caesar was fiercely protective of his family and will never hesitate to protect them when they are threatened, he will even go as far as to attempt to kill to protect his loved ones. This was proven when he almost kills Carver who threatened the lives of both of his sons.

As the king of a growing empire, Caesar had many responsibilities that can be very stressful since he had to try and juggle between being a husband, a father and a king. But he had Cornelia's constant support; her presence also helps keep him grounded and calm in important situations. He had since developed a strong moral code and principle, apes do not kill apes. He was fiercely loyal to the moral code; proven when he almost kills Koba after the latter accuses him of loving humans more than his people and his family, but ultimately spares his life. Caesar was also very forgiving even if he had been deceived or disrespected; proven when he forgives Koba twice for his indolence. Despite his resentment towards most other humans, Caesar still possesses compassion and sympathy for the humans; proven by his friendship with Malcolm, but also because he was raised by the Rodman family; who showered him with nothing but love and kindness.

Caesar was once naïve, as he always believing that; apes were better than humans, but after Koba's betrayal, Caesar realized that there is no difference between the two species. Caesar still possesses some of the personality traits; when he was a teenager; such as violent mood swings, although he had learned to control himself. He was a terrifying spectacle; when he was enraged.

However, despite this these positive traits of Caesar's, there was ultimately a dark side to his personality; as he could be cold, cruel, callous, aggressive, brutal, ruthless, vicious and stoic towards his enemies; evidenced by the fact that; when he chooses to let Koba fall to his death, after declaring that; he was no longer an ape; due to the fact that he had destroyed any chance for peace between the apes and the humans, forcing Caesar to have to prepare his people for war.

War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations


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War for the Planet of the Apes

Over the next two years throughout the final human-ape war, Caesar preferred to use speech to communicate, and struggles to maintain his compassion and sympathy for humans as his fellow apes suffer; when his peace offer was met with the assassination of his eldest son and wife, Caesar became full of vengeance, going on a vendetta to kill McCullough, even abandoning his fellow apes to do so. He (apparently) became uncaring towards humans, killing one without a second thought and would have left Nova to die had Maurice not convinced him otherwise.

Caesar eventually warmed up towards Nova, but his hatred of McCullough initially kept him from getting closer to her. When his group found a dying soldier, Caesar displayed some of his former compassion and sympathy, and upon learning the soldier wouldn't live, mercifully killed him. Still, Caesar admitted to Maurice and Rocket that he had grown to be like Koba, struggling to escape the darkness in his heart. This elevated further when Luca died protecting him, Caesar ordered Maurice and Rocket away to finish the mission alone. However, when it came down to it, he was unable to shoot McCullough, proving that he hadn't truly been complete consumed by hatred.

Caesar also maintained his love for his apes, befriending the wandering Bad Ape, defying Red's treatment of one, standing against him and McCullough, enough to inspire his group to do likewise. Caesar was also disturbed by McCullough's murder of his own fellow humans, believing the man was cruel and disturbed. Ultimately, Caesar still maintained his compassion and sympathy for humans while leading his apes to freedom. Before he sleep, his sight was of watching his people thrive while knowing they were liberated from the grips of war and that he could go peacefully with that knowledge.

Abilities

  • Animal Strength:
    Winter-Death

    Caesar restraining Winter.

    Caesar possessed incredible feats of strength, even for a chimpanzee, he was capable of overpowering several police officers during the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar was also stronger than humans, most chimpanzees and most gorillas, as he easily overpowered Koba during their first confrontation, Caesar was able to overpower and knock over adult humans effortlessly, he used it to successfully grapple and hold Winter down, an albino gorilla, he even (unknowingly) suffocated the treacherous gorilla to death. Caesar also used his strength to hold back other apes who tried to harm others, even Rocket and Luca.
  • Animal Speed: Caesar was incredibly fast even for a chimpanzee, escaping from and returning to the shelter without being seen. During the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, he was able to speedily attack enemies without be seen. He was capable of dodging McCullough's shots at him from a distance and nearly caught up to the man as they fled, only losing him when he cut the rope. He also managed to climb a tree fast enough to avoid an avalanche and avoided mortar fire that engulfed his position.
  • Animal Reflexes: Caesar possessed incredible reflexes, even for a chimpanzee, he was also an expert acrobat, possessing incredible climbing abilities, which were constantly displayed throughout his life and his countless battles with both apes and humans alike.
  • Animal Stamina: Caesar possessed very high stamina, rarely ever growing exhausted from daily activities or the necessaries of survival. He survived not going without food or water for days and the beatings McCullough had him dealt as well. He had a high pain tolerance, able to be shot by an arrow and not succumb to the wound until days later.
  • Animal Endurance: Caesar possessed incredible feats of endurance, capable of enduring powerful attacks from other apes or humans. He manages to survive a non-fatal gunshot wound and a dangerous, massive fall from his home until the next morning where he is found and treated by Malcolm's group. He was able to survive the cold air of the night, while completely wet and dehydrated of food and water, before Nova and the apes supplied him with such. He also survived an arrow shot of Preacher along with the destruction of the human camp until days later before succumbing to his mortal wounds.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes07

Caesar's bright eyes inherited from his mother.

  • Genius-Level Intellect: Inheriting the ALZ-112 from his late mother, Caesar was highly intelligent and excelled at everything; as he grew older, Caesar's intelligence further increased, far exceeding that of a human counterpart, his intelligence increased even further due to twice inhaling the ALZ-113 at his old home and in the shelter; he was the most evolved ape in the San Francisco Ape Colony, as his intellect is surpassed only by his two sons. Because of his advanced intelligence, he became the first ape to ever speak and later passed the gene onto his two sons, Blue Eyes and Cornelius. In War, Caesar also worked out why McCullough was really having them build a wall, causing the man to remark over how intelligent he was. It could be possible that Caesar would be more intelligent due to the fact he has been exposed to the ALZ-113, and his exposure to the ALZ-112 while he was in the embryo. A close-up on Caesar's plotting scene and showed that his eyes were more green than before.
  • Sign Language: Growing up alongside humans, Caesar was taught American sign language in order to communicate with others. It was his native language and he taught the other apes to be accustomed to it in Dawn. By the events of War, Caesar rarely used sign language, as he preferred to use speech to communicate with others; humans and apes alike.
  • Speech: Due to his enhanced intelligence and exposure to ALZ-113, Caesar had become the first ape in history to speak. In Rise, Caesar was shown to speak loudly his first word to Dodge and whispered to Will too. He later passed this gene on to his two sons, Blue Eyes and Cornelius. In Dawn, Caesar could only speak partial sentences. By the events of War, Caesar was now capable of fluently speaking English and could form complete sentences; something that he was previously unable to do.
  • Expert Leader:
    ThumbnailCAJKNV0O

    Caesar leading the Ape Rebellion.

    Caesar was a natural born leader, possessing great feats of charisma; he was capable of earning the respect and loyalty of every ape under his command, including Maurice, Buck, Rocket, Luca, Ash and even Koba. Nearly all of them remained loyal to Caesar during the battle of San Francisco. Caesar later displayed his leadership skills as he amassed an army of apes and lead them throughout the city, into the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge and to the redwood forest. As Ape King, he has led his people through a series of events and showed great care for his people; particularly in Koba usurpation. The apes all accepted him as leader, once Koba was defeated. He also motivated the fearful wanderer Bad Ape to join the colony. He firmly stood against McCullough's mistreatment of his companions, inspiring them to also resist the soldiers, something that caused McCullough to note on his affect on them. Caesar ultimately led them in an escape from entrapment and to an area where they would be free of humanity's grip.
  • Expert Tactician: Due to Caesar's enhanced intelligence, he was a highly skilled tactician; this was proven during the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, where he succeeded, leading the apes to defeat the police and to escape into the redwood forest. He also orchestrated their escape from McCullough's captivity in conjunction with Rocket, Bad Ape and Maurice. Caesar was also capable of using psychological warfare to his advantage; this was proven during the battle of San Francisco when he berated Koba for his treachery, leading an enraged Koba to attack Caesar more ferociously, but still ended with Caesar's victory and Koba's death. He also played similar mind games with Red, the gorilla eventually choosing to side with him due to such.
  • Expert Horse Rider: During the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar became the first ape to ever ride a horse and was a very skilled rider.
Caesar beats Koba for insulting him

Caesar fighting against Koba.

  • Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Caesar was a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, while Caesar was capable of overpowering the average human, like the several police officers during the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, he initially struggled against apes like Rocket. However, he grew stronger, defeating Rocket in their second fight by using a canister and severely beat Koba within seconds in their first fight. However, during Caesar's second fight with Koba, they were more evenly matched, Caesar using scrap metal as an effective melee weapon. However, Caesar ultimately proved to be the superior combatant, defeating Koba and letting him fall to his death.
WPOTA Caesar, Maurice, Rocket & Luca CU

Caesar wielding a shotgun.

  • Expert Marksman: Over the next two years throughout the final human-ape war, Caesar became very proficient in the use of firearms, including shotguns and pistols. He shot on a soldier in seconds before he could fire. He also threw a grenade into an oil tank from a distance.

Relationships

Quotes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

  • "Ape alone... weak. Apes together... strong!" - Caesar to Maurice (Sign).
  • "NO!" - Caesar's first word, spoken to Dodge Landon.
  • "Caesar is home." - Caesar before parting ways with Will (Spoken).

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

  • "Think before you act, son." - Caesar to Blue Eyes (Sign).
  • "Come meet your new brother." - Caesar to Blue Eyes after the birth of his youngest son (Sign).
  • (Maurice) "Another son." (Caesar) "Makes me think how far we've come, Maurice." (Maurice) "Seems long ago. Still think about them?" (Caesar) "Humans? Sometimes." (Maurice) "Didn't know them like you did, only saw their bad side." (Caesar) "Good, bad...Doesn't matter now. Humans destroyed each other." (Maurice) "Apes fight too." (Caesar) "But we are family." - Caesar and Maurice (Sign).
  • "GO!" - Caesar after the rediscovery of humans (Spoken).
  • "If we go to war, we could lose everything we've built. - Caesar during the Ape Council Meeting (Sign).
  • "Home...Family...Future." - Caesar to the Ape Council (Spoken).
  • "APES DO NOT WANT WAR, BUT WILL FIGHT IF WE MUST!" - Caesar to humans (Spoken).
  • "(Points toward the Ape Village) Ape home! (Points toward the city) Human home! Do not come back." - Caesar to Malcolm (Spoken).
  • "Show me." - Caesar after Malcolm asks to show him the generator (Spoken).
  • "I said no guns...Humans leave NOW!" - Caesar reacting angrily to Carver's hidden shotgun (Spoken).
  • "This...my home. You should not be here." - Caesar to Malcolm and Ellie (Spoken).
  • (Caesar) [To Ellie] "One day. You stay...one day." (Blue Eyes) "Father, no!" (Malcolm) "Might need a little more time." (Caesar, angrily) "ONE DAY! Ape will help." (Blue Eyes) "I will not help." - Caesar after agreeing to let Ellie help Cornelia (Spoken).
  • "Ape..not...kill...ape." - Caesar after nearly killing Koba in anger (Spoken).
  • "You are my son. I need you to listen." - Caesar to Blue Eyes (Sign).
  • "Trust." (Extends hand) - Caesar offering peace to Malcolm (Spoken).
  • "Ape. Ape...did...this." - Caesar to Malcolm (Spoken).
  • (Caesar) "Your mother...brother...safe?" (Blue Eyes) "For now." - Caesar asking Blue Eyes about his family's safety (Spoken).
  • "No...Not Human. Koba." - Caesar revealing to Blue Eyes that Koba tried assassinate him (Spoken).
  • (Blue Eyes) "I'm so sorry...for everything." (Caesar) "No...I am to blame." (Blue Eyes) "But Koba betrayed you." (Caesar) "I chose to trust him because he is ape. I always think, ape better than human. I see now...how much like them we are. Where...Koba now?" (Blue Eyes) "On the human tower. Loyal apes around him." (Caesar) "And those...who not follow?" (Blue Eyes) "Prisoners. Maurice. Rocket." (Blue Eyes beings to cry) "Koba killed Ash. Fear makes others follow! But when they see you alive, they will turn from Koba." (Caesar) "Not if I am weak...Ape always seek strongest branch. Must do something...to stop him" (Blue Eyes) "Father. Let...me...help you."- Caesar to Blue Eyes, who speaks for the first time.
  • (Malcolm) "Who was that? On the video." (Caesar) "A good man...Like you." - Caesar telling Malcolm about Will (Spoken).
  • (Koba) "Caesar has no place here, apes follow Koba now."(Caesar) "Follow Koba to war."(Koba) "Apes WIN war! APES... TOGETHER... STRONG!!!! Caesar... Weak."(Caesar) "Koba... Weaker." - Exchange between Koba and Caesar prior to battle (Spoken).
  • (Caesar) "Trusted Koba, like brother." (Koba) "Caesar... brother... to human! Koba fight for ape! Free ape!" (Caesar) "Kill ape. Koba fight for Koba. Koba... belong in cage. - Caesar and Koba during battle (Spoken).
  • (Koba) "Ape... not... kill... ape." (Caesar) "You... are... not ape." - Caesar declaring that Koba is no longer a true ape (Spoken).
  • "LEAVE HIM!" - Caesar ordering the apes to not harm Malcolm (Spoken).
  • "War has already begun. Ape started war, human...human will not forgive. You must go...before fighting begins. I'm sorry...My friend." - Caesar telling Malcolm to escape before the war begins (Spoken).
  • (Malcolm) "I thought we had a chance." (Caesar) "I did too." - Caesar and Malcolm lamenting the lost opportunity for peace (Spoken).

War for the Planet of the Apes

  • (Maurice) "Sixty-three dead." (Preacher) "You're him. You're Caesar. We've been searching for you for so long. We heard you had a hidden command base, but we could never find it. Some of us started to think that you might be dead, but Colonel McCullough said you were out here somewhere." (Travis) "Just kill us already." (Lang) "Shut up, man." (Travis) "What? They're animals. He's gonna slaughter us." (Caesar) "I..did not...start this war. The ape who did is dead. His name was Koba. I killed him. Now...I fight only to protects apes." (Travis) "Yeah? What about him? We got ten more just like him." (Caesar) "I know these apes. They followed Koba...they tried to kill me. They fear...what I will do to them. So now...they serve you. Just to survive." (Red) "I don't...fear you. You...must fear. How long...you think woods...can protect you? Humans destroy you. Their Colonel has all power...for them...he more than just human. He everything. He say...first, Caesar die...then all of you die." (Luca) "Winter! Take this traitor outside! What should we do with the human?"
  • (Preacher) "You're letting us go?" (Caesar) "Tell your colonel...you have seen me now. And I have a message for him: leave us the woods, and the killing can stop." (Maurice) "Do you think they will give him the message?" (Caesar) "They are the message, Maurice. He will see we are not savages." (Winter) "The traitor attacked me! He got away!"
  • (Caesar) "Koba still haunts us. Why didn't I see...that he could not forgive...what humans did to him?" (Maurice) "No one could have known how much darkness was living inside of him."
  • (Caesar) "Stay here, son! Protect your mother and brother!"
  • (Luca) "Caesar! What's wrong?!" (Caesar) "How many on patrol?" (Luca) "Five? Six?" (Caesar) "Get them! Luca. Get Rocket, too."
  • (Caesar) "Lake, you loved my son. Look after his brother, until I return." (Lake) "You're not coming with us to our new home?" (Caesar) "No. [Turing to Cornelius] Go with Lake. [Caesar places Cornelius' hand in Lake's and moves him toward her]" (Maurice) "Caesar! You're not going after them?!" (Caesar) "Not them. Him." (Maurice) "Caesar, you are our leader! We can't leave without you!" (Caesar) "You must. The soldiers will be back soon." (Cornelius) "Father! [Cornelius cries to Caesar as Lake attempts to calm him]" (Caesar) "When I find him, the soldiers will all come after me. That may give you the best chance to get out of the woods." (Spear) "Where is he going?" (Apes) "Caesar! Caesar!"
  • (Caesar) "Where's the Colonel?" (Winter) "He's gone." (Caesar) "Gone?" (Winter) "He left this morning...took many men with him. More soldiers are coming down from the North. The Colonel is going to meet them...at the border." (Caesar) "What border? Why?" (Winter) "I don't know. But the rest of us are going tomorrow. The donkeys think the soldiers from the North...are coming to help finish off the apes for good. That day, after the battle on the hill...The Donkey we caught promised me the Colonel would spare my life...If I told them where you were hiding. Forgive me!" (Caesar) "My son... my wife... are dead." - Winter in his final moments with Caesar, Rocket and Luca. (Spoken/Signed)
  • (Bad Ape) "Who is... child?" (Caesar) "I don't know." (Bad Ape) "But, she with you..." (Caesar) "She has no one else." - Bad Ape and Caesar speaking about Nova. (Spoken)
  • "LEAVE HIM!!" - Caesar yelling out against the whipping of an orangutan while captive in the colonel's camp. (Spoken)
  • "Maurice was right. I am by Koba. He could not escape his hate, and i still cannot escape mine". (Caesar)
  • (Caesar) “You learn to speak?" (Bad Ape) "Listen. Human. 'Bad ape!' Bad Ape."

Notes

Julius caesar

Julius Caesar

  • Caesar was named by Charles Rodman, who was mumbling quotes from Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar on the day Will brought the chimp home.
  • An earlier version of the script notes Bright Eyes' treatment at Gen-Sys Laboratories beginning on "Tuesday, March 10, 2011", with Caesar's birth following six week later (approx. 21 April, 2011). Seven years (according to that script) spent at the Rodman House would place the Ape Rebellion around 2018. Whether this is the correct year or not is unknown. It has been rumored that an August 2016 calendar was put on the set of the kitchen at the Rodman House. The film itself spans eight years, as evidenced by the captions "Three Years Later" and "Five Years Later". See also: What Year Is The Film Set?
  • The early script differs in that Rocket's eyes begin to go green (a sign of intelligence) after having bitten Caesar during their initial confrontation. After Caesar and Rocket together escape the San Bruno Primate Shelter and visit both the Rodman House and the Gen-Sys Laboratories, they use stolen scissors to share their blood with the other apes at the facility and pass on their viral intelligence. Caesar also has a relationship with Cornelia, a female chimp at the facility. The apes go to the Gen-Sys Laboratories and then to the San Francisco Zoo to free the apes Caesar has encountered over the years. At the end, Will takes a bullet intended for Caesar, and dies in his arms.
  • A deleted scene included in the DVD release had Caesar using his hands to push the helicopter off into the water with Jacobs inside. This would be changed to Koba using his feet to do so.
  • Most of Caesar's dialogue is either vocalizations, sign language, and the word "NO". To create Caesar's voice, sound designers Chuck Michael and John Larsen recorded hundreds of chimp sounds at the Chimp Haven sanctuary in Louisiana and mixed them with some of the audio Andy Serkis provided on set. The duo also aged Caesar’s voice from that of an infant to a full-grown chimp.[1]
  • According to the Rise timeline, Caesar is seen at 3 years old, then in the year in which the Ape Rebellion takes place, Caesar is 8 and can be classified as a teenager whereas in the events of Dawn, which takes place ten years after the rebellion and virus outbreak, Caesar is 18; meaning he is fully grown and possibly an elder ape. In addition to this, it has since been revealed that War will take place 2 years after Dawn; so Caesar will be 20 years old.
  • The quote that Charles says when he picks up Caesar for the first time as a baby could have been prophetic in terms of Caesar growing up and becoming a leader.
  • Caesar's first word, "NO"! serves as a parallel to the story that Cornelius tells in Escape from the Planet of the Apes about the ape known as Aldo uttering the word and being the first ape to speak. It is also parallel to Lisa telling Caesar (Milo) "No" in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

Trivia

  • Caesar is a similar character to Taylor in the original films, because of his situation and because the birthmark on his shoulder may be inspired by the burns Taylor got on his shoulder after fighting another human.
  • It can also be seen that this version of Caesar is similar to Roddy McDowall's Caesar in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes as both become leaders of ape colonies, marry and have sons.
  • Similar to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar was named after the Roman dictator Julius Caesar. Unlike Julius Caesar, he stands for leadership through kindness.
  • The screenwriters believed that apes sexually mature at 8 years old and that Caesar could thus potentially attack Hunsiker at that age. Although chimps can become unpredictable at age 8, they don't become adults until at or past the age of 13.
  • Caesar was actually to be played by three people, Andy Serkis mostly played him from infancy to adulthood, Devyn Dalton played him in some scenes when he was a toddler, and Terry Notary played Caesar in the Golden Gate Bridge battle scene.
  • At Comic Con 2013, Andy Serkis mentioned in an interview that in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Caesar would have a teenage son and wife. It was confirmed by the film's producer Dylan Clark that Caesar's wife will in fact be Cornelia while the son was only mentioned a couple of times by Jason Clarke and by Andy Serkis himself. Actor Nick Thurston announced on his Facebook page that he was playing the role of Caesar's son and that the character's name was River before the name was changed to Blue Eyes during post-production. In a press conference at Comic Con, Andy Serkis mentioned that Caesar will also have an infant child meaning he would have more then one child in the film.
  • It has been suspected that Caesar actually witnessed the deaths of his surrogate parents, Will and Caroline.
  • The words Caesar speaks in Rise are; "NO!" and "Caesar is Home"; which he says clearly while according to the film's DVD subtitles; he says "Wait!", "Go Up" and "Get Under" which are incoherent during the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge. He also seems to say "NOW!" when he emerges out of the fog on the back of a police horse.
  • In the first official still from Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, his shooting star birthmark wasn't visible.
  • When Caesar bites Hunsiker while attempting to protect Charles, it's a reference to Andy Serkis' earlier role in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy when Gollum (Andy Serkis) bites Frodo's finger off in their final confrontation.
  • Judy Greer revealed in an interview that Caesar is still grounded in terms of personality because of the presence of his wife.
  • Matt Reeves has said in the recent USA Today sneak peek article that the other apes who value Caesar's leadership see him as their king and as their father.
  • According to a recent article; Caesar is not a big fan of gun.
  • There is a difference in the two trailers of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes recently released in the shot of the baby's birth. In the domestic trailer, Caesar isn't wearing war paint but in the international trailer its the same shot only Caesar is wearing war-paint.
  • In the first official featurette for Dawn, there is a never before seen shot where Caesar hugs Koba but the reason is currently unknown. The scene does return in a deleted scene where Caesar thanks Koba for saving his life from the bear and declares to the entire Ape Village in speech, "Apes together strong!".
  • According to an interview; Caesar has only one scene with Dreyfus.
  • Andy Serkis has mentioned in an interview that; he has based Caesar's relationship with Blue Eyes on the relationship he has with his own teenage son.
  • Andy Serkis stated that he took great inspiration from revolutionary and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela when he said "Really what Caesar is all about, he is empathy". and "It was really important to base the character on a leader who is capable of empathy and there aren't that many out there, however Nelson Mandela came to mind".
  • As two years have passed since the events of Dawn, it appears (according to the first trailer for War) that Caesar is now capable of forming complete sentences when it comes to speaking. But it is unknown at the moment as to whether both of his sons and Cornelia can do the same.
  • It can be presumed that Caesar always had a knowledge of proper English grammar given that he was raised by humans, and is able to understand complex sentences, his grammar improves drastically over the course of the films without any form of instruction, the reason why he couldn't speak fluently from the start could possibly be because, he has never actually spoken for most of his life so he would have no prior practice speaking despite having a theoretical knowledge of the language, and that his vocal cords had not mutated enough to allow him to speak until he was an adult. 
  • It is unknown how Caesar knew green eyes was a sign on intelligence when inspecting the evolved apes in Rise.
    • Caesar most likely learned this from his first exposure to the ALZ-113 and saw his eye color change.
  • Caesar has become more human-like biologically over the franchise. In Rise he was still mostly ape like despite his enhanced intelligence, in Dawn he has a more straight posture when he stands, and walks, and walks upright more, his screams are far more human like than a chimp in Dawn, he fights in a far more human like way, like when he fought Koba in the factory, he was shown to punch Koba with one fist at a time, and hit him directly with his knuckles. It is shown that Caesar is even more human like than ever before, in the trailer for War Caesar was shown being capable of running on his hind legs. 
  • It is unknown if Caesar knew the Simian Flu outbreak had anything to due with the ALZ drug that made himself and the apes intelligent. 
  • Caesar knows as much about human society as a normal human being raised in a mostly normal setting.
  • It is unknown why Caesar only began to realize he was different from humans until he was 8 or 9, or why he was considered a pet. 
  • It can presumed that Caesar only became completely sentient when he was 8 or 9, or never really thought of it considering his extremely sheltered upbringing and the fact that Will never completely treated Caesar as a fully intelligent sentient being no different from any person to begin with.

Gallery

Appearances

References

  1. Five Films: The Sounds’ The Thing - Film Independent (February 6th, 2012)
Planet of the Apes - Chernin Entertainment Series
Planet of the Apes (CE) Movies
Rise of the Planet of the Apes | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes | War for the Planet of the Apes | Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Main Evolved Ape Characters
Caesar | Bright Eyes | Koba | Maurice | Rocket | Buck | Cornelia | Blue Eyes | Luca | Ash | Cornelius | Winter | Lake | Bad Ape | Red | Noa | Soona | Anaya | Raka | Koro | Proximus Caesar | Coastal Ape Colony Gorilla
Supporting Ape Characters
Alpha | Burke | Verdon | Tinker | Grey | Stone | Andy | Wolfie | Jeanpierre | Lucky | Koba's Mother | Sparrow | Pope | Fifer | Cora | Rex | Bon | Dallas | Milo | Herman | Spear | Ajax | Oak | Fox | Aghoo | Ursus | Percy | Beardface | Armando
Main Human Characters
Will Rodman | Charles Rodman | Caroline Aranha | Robert Franklin | Steven Jacobs | Dodge Landon | John Landon | Douglas Hunsiker | Malcolm | Ellie | Alexander | Dreyfus | Carver | Foster | Colonel McCullough | Nova | Mae
Supporting Human Characters
Rodney | John Hamil | Rita | Sarah | Maddy | John | Edward | Roger Mason | Werner | Kemp | Clancy Stoppard | Corbin | Daniel Nygun | David Flynn | Finney | Kuo | Malakai Youmans | Max (Firestorm) | McVeigh | Terry | Roger | Rod Wilson | Preacher | Boyle | Lang | Travis
Families
Rodman Family | Caesar's Family | Malcolm's Family | Rocket's Family | Dreyfus' Family
Animals
Horse | Elk | Grizzly Bear | Eagle
Items / Weapons
Simian Flu
Important Events / Battles
Ape Rebellion | Human-Ape War | Simian Flu Pandemic | Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge | Battle in San Francisco | Battle of Muir Woods Park | Attack on Ape Waterfall | Battle of the Border
Organizations / Colonies / Companies
San Francisco Ape Colony | Caesar's Council of Apes | Caesar's Ape Army | Gen-Sys Board | San Francisco's Human Colony | Dreyfus' Human Army | Malcolm's Group | Alpha-Omega | Donkeys | Florida Ape Colony | Rocky Mountains Ape Colony | Eagle Clan | Coastal Ape Colony
Locations
West African Jungle | San Francisco | San Francisco Zoo | Gen-Sys Laboratories | Rodman House | San Bruno Primate Shelter | Golden Gate Bridge | Muir Woods Park | Ape Mountain | Ape Gate | Ape Village | Caesar's Home | Warehouse | Ape Waterfall | The Border | Oasis
Comics
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (webcomic) | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Contagion | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios) | Before the Dawn | War for the Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios) | Planet of the Apes: The Time of Man | Planet of the Apes: The Simian Age | Planet of the Apes: Devolution
Novels
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Official Movie Novelization | War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations | War for the Planet of the Apes - Official Movie Novelization | Caesar’s Story
Other Books
Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: The Art of the Films
Soundtracks
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Soundtrack Album) | Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Soundtrack Album) | War for the Planet of the Apes (Soundtrack Album)
Video Games
Plague Inc: Simian Flu | Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier | Crisis on the Planet of the Apes VR
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