#like Proximus is right. He IS Caesar. Who Caesar could've easily become

[sweetsoona]

Proximus IS Caesar. And that's what makes him a great villain.

There are a lot of similarities between the two, to the point where it has to be intentional. A reverse of the previous trilogy.

Proximus is the smartest ape in the film.

Even moreso than Raka.

Raka was knowledgeable about Caesar's morality and mercy. But that's ALL he knows. He does not know the truth about humanity, the history of apes, or about the world they all live in. Raka knew a lot, but he came nowhere close to knowing as much as Proximus.

Proximus' intelligence is terrifying in a world that knows so little. He knows about the sciences, he knows philosophy, he's had to study fascism & religion to replicate them so perfectly, he obviously knows about Ancient Rome (which would easily lead to a rabbit hole of Ancient Greece, Ancient Egypt, and so on.)

He knows the truth about ape's origins. He knew they used to be silent and, if not in the wild, primarily kept in zoos. He knows humans used to be dominate, and he knows they'd do anything to dominate again.

In turn, Caesar was the smartest ape throughout his whole trilogy. Having been raised by humans - by a scientist - and been born with the 112 ingrained in his system. Caesar had insight into human behavior and their ways of life, and used this knowledge to break apes free from captivity.

(You could even say Trevathan parallels Will. Teachers who bestowed vast knowledge onto their ape students. Except Caesar was Will's "pet" wherein Trevathan is Proximus'.)

Both are the most intelligent apes of their generation. This is even reflected in the way they speak, both being the most fluent with vocal communication. (Seriously, it didn't hit me until a rewatch that Proximus speaks the most fluid out of any of the others. I believe this was intentional.)

Caesar and Proximus were efficient at what they strove to do because they had knowledge of not only their fellow apes, but also of humanity. They had an understanding of both their peers and their enemies that no one else did.

They are both incredibly charismatic, and highly admired by their followers.

Apes follow Caesar because he rescued them from captivity and continued to do right by them. While Eagle Clan had little love for Proximus, during his introduction scene it's clear that many other apes did. Proximus has a cult-like following who cater to his every move and every blink.

Now, it's hard to say whether their love stems from fear, trauma, or is genuine. Nevertheless, Proximus is worshipped. His introduction scene reads like a pastor giving a sermon or a prophet come to life because that's who he is to them.

(Another dark parallel: Proximus kidnapping and absorbing clans is his idea of "freeing" them. Freeing them to live in his kingdom. A dark reverse of Caesar freeing captive apes who proudly chose to live under his rule.)

Similarly, Caesar's colony would do anything for him. Did they blindly follow him? No, but they did hold immense admiration for him. Caesar gets shot and most of his colony are ready to commit a massacre IMMEDIATELY. In War, they shun him for a few minutes until he reminds them of who he is. Their leader and protector, and their love returns in full force. They worship Caesar, just as Proximus' apes worship him.

Both believe in "Apes together strong". It's the foundation for everything they've done and continue to do. And this isn't an idea anyone can disagree on. It's a universal truth. People are stronger together.

The biggest difference is that Proximus adds "Apes together strong under MY leadership" that Caesar does not. Caesar dies with a smile on his face because he knows his loved ones are capable enough to thrive without him. He's always wanted them to. Meanwhile Proximus spends majority of the movie afraid of death ("I am but a mortal ape") and is willing to sacrifice hundreds of his followers so he can thrive.

Conclusion

The scariest thing about Proximus is that he isn't wrong. He IS a mirror of Caesar. Of who Caesar could've EASILY turned out to be. Of a background, and charisma, and persistence that Caesar really had.

The two have much more similarities than they do differences. And the most significant difference is that Proximus is selfish while Caesar was selfless. This one characteristic is what makes their nearly identical paths diverge.

I've seen it said that Noa is supposed to equal Caesar and Mae and/or Proximus are supposed to represent Koba. But if we're making comparisons, then I think the point of Kingdom is that Noa is most similar to Koba and Proximus is most similar to Caesar. That the ideologies these 4 characters stand for aren't inherently evil or inherently good. That there's truth and flaw in all of them. It's what they do with their abilities and desires that truly define who they are.

Caesar as a villain is Proximus and Koba as a hero is Noa.

And the way Kingdom flips the script to have all these characters mirror each other in the most honorable and most damnable ways is nothing but amazing.