Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Villain's Goal Copies 1 Of Caesar's Rules

Summary Proxima Caesar in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes mirrors Caesar's rule that "knowledge is power" through his pursuit of human technology.

The new villain, Proxima Caesar, seeks dominance over humans by uncovering their technology, showcasing a malevolent twist on Caesar's values.

The film's focus on Proxima Caesar's hunger for knowledge highlights the theme that power stems from having the most knowledge.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will introduce a new villain to the franchise whose primary goal is reminiscent of one of Caesar's rules. The fourth installment in the reboot series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, will take place at a later point in the Planet of the Apes timeline. Planet of the Apes 4's story will revolve around a new, more ruthless leader ruling over apekind. While he may differ wildly from the franchise's last leader, Planet of the Apes 4's new antagonist appears to share at least one thing in common with Caesar.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Caesar replacement is a power-hungry ruler by the name of Proxima Caesar. Though not much is known about the character, trailers for the film and the movie's official synopsis make it clear that Proxima Caesar will be a villainous and sadistic king who hunts humans for sport. This contrasts heavily with the original Caesar's approach. However, Proxima Caesar's primary goal in Planet of the Apes 4 copies one of Caesar's fundamental rules.

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Proxima Caesar Is Driven By A Desire For Knowledge In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

He Wants To Know More About Humans And Their Technology

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Essentially, the Planet of the Apes movies are based on the very idea that whoever has the most knowledge yields the most power.

The Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes trailers appear to set up Proxima Caesar's hunger for knowledge. He is depicted as an ape who is keen to learn all about the world that came before him, especially with regard to human technology. Along with the other apes, he rediscovers electricity and uses it to forge new weapons to enslave humans. He clearly wants to learn as much as he can, even if his motives for doing so are immoral. Ultimately, Proxima Caesar appears to understand that by becoming the most knowledgeable ape, he can also become the most powerful.

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Essentially, the Planet of the Apes movies are based on the very idea that whoever has the most knowledge yields the most power. When the series began, humans were the most intelligent species on the planet and, therefore, were the most dominant. But the more intelligent and knowledgeable the apes became, the greater power they obtained. Proxima Caesar's goal in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is, in essence, this notion distilled; instead of a whole species having knowledge and power over another, Planet of the Apes 4 will focus on an individual ape's quest for total dominance.

The first three installments in the Planet of the Apes series are currently available to stream on Hulu.

Proxima Caesar's Goal Copies Caesar's Knowledge Is Power Rule

It's One Of Caesar's Three Golden Rules

Proxima Caesar's desire for power through knowledge in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes calls back to one of the original Caesar's rules. In 2014's Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, three ape laws are shown inscribed on the side of a rock, including "knowledge is power." Caesar, like Proxima Caesar, knew the value of knowledge. Unlike his successor, however, Caesar strove to use knowledge and information to learn from humanity's mistakes and to improve ape civilization.

Caesar's Ape Laws 1. Ape Not Kill Ape 2. Apes Together Strong 3. Knowledge Is Power

There's a good chance that Proxima Caesar's more malevolent take on Caesar's rule isn't a coincidence. After all, the trailers and the movie's synopsis both hint that the events of the previous three films and the struggles of the first enhanced apes will play a large role in shaping the ape culture portrayed in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. It's very possible that Proxima Caesar, at some point, learned about Caesar's "knowledge is power" rule and misinterpreted it to mean he should learn all about human technology in order to use it against them.