1 Subtle Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Moment Confirmed What Made Andy Serkis’ Caesar Such A Great Leader

Summary Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes showcases a new cast of characters 300 years after the last film, but none compare to Caesar's leadership.

Proximus Caesar's leadership style contrasts sharply with Caesar's mutual respect for his followers in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

Twisted teachings: Proximus claims to follow Caesar's ways, but instead hunts and enslaves humans for sport, betraying Caesar's principles.

Like its predecessors, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes features a long list of memorable moments, including one that subtly highlights why Caesar was such a great leader. The fourth installment in the reboot franchise, the film takes place around 300 years after the events of the last movie, and for that reason, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes features a new cast of characters. Though many of the new additions have compelling stories, none of them hold a candle to Caesar in terms of leadership.

Every Planet of the Apes movie has had its fair share of stand-out moments ever since Charlton Heston's George Taylor discovered he was still on Earth at the end of the original 1968 film. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which revolves around humans and different clans of apes being enslaved by a tyrannical bonobo ape known as Proximus Caesar, is no different. A subtle scene that comes at a crucial point in the movie is not only great in its own right, but also in how it confirms why the original Caesar was the best leader in the franchise.

Related I Was Not Prepared For Caesar's Scene In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes Despite taking place 300 years after War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes revisited Caesar in the most bittersweet way.

Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Proximus Didn’t Acknowledge His Followers (Unlike Caesar)

The Two Leaders Treat Members Of Their Clans Very Differently

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Throughout Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the self-proclaimed king of the apes, Proximus Caesar, is depicted as having a very different leadership style from the original Caesar. Their contrasting approaches are best demonstrated by how each of them treats their followers. In his introductory scene, Proximus can be seen walking through his kingdom as a crowd of apes cheers and kneels before him. Many of them hold out their hands for him to touch, but Proximus doesn't acknowledge them and continues walking.

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Proximus appears to have no time for his followers, believing himself to be far superior to them. This contrasts heavily with Andy Serkis's Ceasar. Like Proximus, Caesar is portrayed walking through crowds of apes more than once in the first three movies. When members of his tribe hold out their hands, Caesar touches them and looks them in the eye. In fact, the touching of hands is a mark of mutual respect among Caesar's clan. Ultimately, this highlights how Caesar, despite being the de facto leader, views himself as equal to his followers, not better than them.

How Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Proximus Twisted Caesar’s Teachings

Caesar Had Three Golden Rules For Apes To Follow

In the first three installments of the Planet of the Apes reboot series, Caesar is shown to be a very principled leader who wants the best for apekind. He even establishes a set of three rules which form the foundation of ape society. Centuries after Caesar's death, his teachings live on among the apes, though they have been twisted considerably. Proximus claims to preach the ways of Caesar, yet, while Caesar hoped for a world where apes and humans coexist peacefully, Proximus hunts and enslaves humans for sport.

Caesar's three rules in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes are: 1. Ape not kill ape 2. Apes stronger together 3. Knowledge is power.

Furthermore, Caesar's golden rule, which can be seen inscribed on the side of a rock face, along with his two other tenets, in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, is "Ape not kill ape". Caesar took this rule very seriously and, regardless of the circumstances, was always reluctant to harm fellow apes. In contrast, Proximus and his followers take pleasure in enslaving, maiming, and even killing other apes. While Caesar cared deeply about what was best for all of apekind, in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Proximus' only priority was acquiring power for himself.