Planet of the Apes is a film franchise that’s approaching 60 years with 10 films total, and several reboots, some more questionable than others. The first Planet of the Apes was a satirical dystopian science-fiction story about astronauts discovering a planet where apes are the dominant and intelligent species while humans are reduced to uncivilized and savage animals. After the first film adaptation was a massive success, it kickstarted a franchise that would falter after five movies, eventually leading to the disastrous 2001 reboot starring Mark Wahlberg.
However, time was on the side of the apes as a decade later, the franchise was revived with an epic trilogy. Rise of the Planet of the Apes kickstarted the new series in 2011 as a summer crowd-pleaser, making way for two more films, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes in 2014 and War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017. Utilizing motion capture technology, the films were able to give us incredible characters and visuals, leading to multiple Academy Award nominations and another film in the series, 2024’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
With an extensive history and multiple movies, there’s a lot to choose from, but here’s a list of the 10 best characters across the entire Planet of the Apes film franchise.
10) Will Rodman
Though he’s only in the first film, Will Rodman (James Franco) was a pivotal character. He’s the pharmaceutical chemist who created ALZ-112 to treat Alzheimer’s. When tested on chimpanzees, the treatment worked and gave them increased cognitive abilities. After Caesar was orphaned, Will took him in and raised him with his father, Charles Rodman (John Lithgow). Together, they cared for and nurtured Caesar and instilled in him a love for humans. That love is what kept him from turning fully sinister like Koba (Toby Kebbell), a chimpanzee who was abused and disfigured by humans and now hates them. Will continued fighting for Caesar after he was taken to the primate enclosure, and he loved Caesar enough to let him go to his new home when he led the ape uprising. Caesar’s childhood home window became the symbol of the revolution, and Caesar carried the lessons he learned from Will into the legacy he built.
9) Bad Ape
Steve Zahn brings a fantastic and fun innocence to the new Apes trilogy as Bad Ape, a sheltered and abused chimp Caesar takes under his wing in War for the Planet of the Apes. Bad Ape brings much-needed levity and humor to the dark and serious war. While the other primates are strong or intelligent, Bad Ape brings a unique personality to the film with a lot of heart. As a chimp with a more innocent perspective, we see the war through a unique set of eyes. He stops Caesar from giving too much into his animal side. Bad Ape gets scared when Caesar becomes aggressive, and he serves as a reminder of the future Caesar is fighting for—a future where all apes can live together without fear.
8) Taylor
George Taylor (Charleton Heston), the protagonist of the original Planet of the Apes, crashes on a planet after waking up from cryogenic sleep. After exploring the terrain he is shocked to discover a world where humans are caged and wild animals run free. He is a pivotal character, as he is the only human the apes have met who can speak. Despite his treatment by the apes, George finds it in himself to trust the likes of the Chimp scientist Zira, with that trust in one another proving vital to his escape and survival.
Taylor’s intense conviction of believing he’s on another planet makes the final twist and reveal more shocking as he sees the Statue of Liberty destroyed on the beach, confining that he was on Earth the whole time and giving us one of the most classic and iconic lines in cinematic history.
7) Dr. Zaius
An orangutan who hates humans and blames them for the downfall of society, Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans) was the first in a long line of powerful antagonists in the Planet of The Apes franchise. The original Planet of the Apes is a commentary on culture, with the apes split into different groups with different jobs. While the orangutans are regarded as the most morally superior of the species, presiding over laws and judgment, Dr. Zaius’ morals are corrupt and clouded by hate and judgment. He paved the way for a future of both apes and human villains who share his blind hate and righteousness.
6) The Colonel
Woody Harrelson’s Colonel was an intense adversary to Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes. He was strong and ruthless, with a contempt for apes that clouded his judgment and reason. Harrelson’s performance raised the bar for the central conflict in the new trilogy, as his tactics of turning apes against their kind strongly divided them, with that division lasting long after his death. The Colonel’s character is a grim reminder of the age-old conflict of Man vs. Nature and how actual progress and peace are found in the balance between the two, not in their destruction.
5) Zira
Dr. Zira (Kim Hunter) first appeared in the original Planet of the Apes, but would become a major character across its sequels. As a psychologist studying humans, she is an outspoken advocate for the human species and shows the most humanity in a world of apes. She showed great empathy, intelligence, and understanding for the humans and aided in their escape. Humans would have remained in a cold, dark, and scary world without her.
4) Raka
Raka (Peter Macon) is another orangutan, appearing in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. As a historian he’s kept the story of Caesar alive, carrying on his messages. He teaches Noa about the legacy of their kind and grows to be a mentor to him. In a world where people are the minority, Raka shows great understanding and compassion to the human they find on their journey, even sacrificing himself to save them. Raka strongly believed in a world where humans and apes can live and work together in harmony, which is a teaching that Noa takes as he continues to lead his kind into the future.
3) Maurice
Maurice (Karin Konoval) was an orangutan and right-hand ape to Caesar. He was the first primate friend Caesar made when he was surrendered to captivity and helped Caesar lead the apes in the revolution. Maurice was a great confidant and guide to many characters throughout the trilogy and always helped maintain Caesar’s faith in humanity. Throughout the films, Maurice proved to be a vital strategist in both battle and governing.
2) Noa
Noa (Owen Teague) was the lead Ape of the newest film in the series, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Set several generations after Caesar’s death, where ape societies have grown and become divided, Noa sets out to rescue his clan after they’ve been abducted by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). Noa is curious and naive, a reflection of how Caesar started, and like Caesar, he shows respect and kindness for the human survivors, who have now lost the ability to speak. By the end of his journey, Noa proves to be a compassionate and strong leader, working with apes and humans like Caesar would have.
1) Caesar
Of course, Caesar takes thhe #1 spot, without him, there would be no revolution. Andy Serkis’s motion capture performance ironically portrays Caesar’s complicated character from infant to leader in across the reboot trilogy of movies. His arc across the three films shows Caesar growing from a baby to a well-respected leader, leading the apes to paradise by balancing the love of his kind with the respect he still holds for humanity. He’s a staple of the series that now casts a long shadow, one that future installments may never be able to live up to.
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