Did Caesar die in ‘Planet of the Apes?’

Warning: this article contains spoilers for War for the Planet of the Apes.

We’re finally being given another Planet of the Apes sequel, set generations after the last one. Of course, it’s been a while since the last film in the franchise, so you may have questions. We all remember Caesar, but what happened to him in the last film?

The new Planet of the Apes films are re-tracing certain elements from the original five films, which are fun sci-fi flicks, if majorly flawed at times. There actually was an ape called Caesar who appeared in those films, and who led his fellow apes to freedom. He is seen as a hero, and the final film in the pentalogy jumps forward 600 years, at which time an ape named Lawgiver recounts the story. Obviously, by this point, Caesar is dead, but his ending is a happy one, as he is able to foster peace between the apes and humans. 

So does the reboot version of Caesar get a similarly happy ending?

The reboots see a slightly different origin for Caesar; rather than being brought back in time, he is the product of scientific research. The newer films also introduce us to the Simian flu, a disease that kills off most of the human population. After freeing his fellow apes in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar has to deal with the final remnants of humanity, most of whom have grown quite desperate and somewhat hateful of the apes.

It all culminates in the final film in the trilogy — War for the Planet of the Apes, which sees a variation of the Simian flu that seemingly turns humans into mute, animalistic beings that lack higher thought processes. We see one last battle between the apes and a man, known only as The Colonel, whose militia has been holding apes captive and using them for manual labor. Caesar is captured by The Colonel, but ultimately leads another revolution against the humans.

In the battle that ensues, Caesar is shot by The Colonel’s right hand man. The human army is destroyed, and an injured Caesar and the remaining apes make their pilgrimage across the desert, finding a new land for themselves. It is here where Caesar ultimately succumbs to his injuries. In his dying moments he looks over his group, free at last, and Maurice promises him his son will know who he is. 

Obviously, this ending is quite different to the previous films; the original Caesar was able to live and experience the freedom and peace he obtained for his species and the humans. The reboots present his death as more as a sacrifice; Caesar dies to achieve peace for his people, but ultimately is remembered for his heroic deeds. 

In the upcoming Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, it seems that Caesar is still seen as a heroic figure to his people, similar to his role in the older films. It will be interesting to see what else changes from the original story as the saga goes on.