Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes' Ending Explained: What It Means For The Future

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes!

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending ends the central conflict between Noa and Proximus Caesar while setting up a new trilogy with major revelations. The main story revolves around Noa’s search for what remains of Eagle Clan after Proximus Caesar’s army burns down their village and takes hostages while searching for a missing human, Mae. This brings Noa and Mae to Proximus’ ape kingdom as they attempt to open the doors to a human vault. While the apes struggle to open the doors, Mae knows a secret entrance and utilizes Noa’s help to get in.

Watching Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the conclusion revolves around Mae and Noa’s plan to flood the vault so that Proximus Caesar cannot “evolve” by obtaining the human technology and weapons inside. Although Mae and Noa seemingly have the same goal, their motivations are different, and what they are willing to sacrifice to ensure Proximus’ kingdom crumbles varies. This builds to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending re-aligning relationships, shifting power levels for Earth’s remaining species, and setting up future Planet of the Apes movies that can continue these storylines.

Noa Defeats Proximus Caesar & Becomes Eagle Clan’s Leader

Noa Rebuilds Eagle Clan

Noa’s story remains at the focus of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending as he must come face-to-face with Proximus Caesar. Noa led Eagle Clan out of the flooding vault to safety, but by the time he arrived with them, Proximus had also found his way there. The result is Proximus fighting Noa for undermining his authority and playing a part in Mae’s plan to destroy the settlement and contents of the vault. The new ape king initially has the upper hand and is ready to kill Noa after he bows.

Noa ultimately kills Proximus Caesar after using the help of the eagles. He begins to sing the Eagle Clan’s song that creates a bond between ape and eagle, with the other apes eventually joining in. This leads to the flock of eagles flying above to follow Noa’s commands and attack Proximus. They peck and claw at him until he is on the edge of the cliff at the back of the vault. This is when Noa orders his father’s eagle to fly directly into the villain’s chest, resulting in Proximus Caesar falling to his death.

After killing Proximus, Noa emerges as the new leader of Eagle Clan and takes the clan back to their original village. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending shows them rebuilding their village after Proximus’ army destroyed it. Noa’s new leadership role is clear as he has seemingly taken over his father’s position as Master of Birds. He is last seen leaving the clan with Soona to return to the remains of the human city, with them specifically going to the space observatory.

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Mae Returns To A Secret Human Colony In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes

There Are More Intelligent Humans

Mae’s origins are finally confirmed in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending as she leaves Noa and the apes. The movie’s final moments show Mae riding through the plains as she approaches what looks like a partially underground base. She is greeted by another human wearing a hazmat suit upon her return, indicating that Mae came from this secret human colony before Proximus Caesar’s army found her and killed the other humans she traveled with. Mae does not re-enter the colony, seemingly because she has now been exposed to apes and whatever remains of the Simian Flu virus.

Mae’s human colony is a major reveal for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending. This confirms that Mae and Trevathan are not the only humans who still have some level of intelligence and the ability to speak. The movie reveals that there is an entire group of intelligent humans who live relatively close to Noa and Eagle Clan. There are well over a dozen humans shown in the various glimpses of the underground colony. Mae and these other humans have their own objectives and a built-in hatred of apes for overtaking the planet.

The Humans Restart The Satellites In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending

Mae’s Mission In The Vault Was A Success

For much of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, what Mae wants from the vault is a mystery. All she says is that what is inside will help humanity regain their ability to speak. Instead of finding a book, the ending finally confirms that her mission is to take a SATCOM key from the vault. Mae brings the key back to her human colony so that they can use it to control the satellites at the facility. The humans want the satellites to work so they can try to contact other survivors of the virus.

Ultimately, the humans are delighted to discover that the satellites still work thanks to the SATCOM key and have success in contacting others. The colony gets a response from a group of humans from Fort Wayne, Indiana. After Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes revealed Trevathan came from a different human group than Mae, the movie had already established that other intelligent humans were around the world. Thanks to Mae’s mission and the humans turning the satellites back on, humanity can now speak with each other and mount a plan for the future.

Why Mae Doesn’t Shoot Noa When They Say Goodbye

She Hides A Gun Behind Her Back

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending could have taken a completely different turn during Mae and Noa’s goodbye, as the movie reveals that she secretly had a gun. The shot of Mae holding a gun behind her back and underneath her cloak indicates that she is ready to shoot Noa if needed. She may have even had orders to kill any prominent ape she encountered. It also implies that she still has some level of distrust or disdain for apes. While Mae might have been prepared to kill Noa, she ultimately decides not to shoot him.

The reason why Mae does not kill Noa appears tied to what happens during their final exchange. Noa questions what apes should do now that they have intelligence and whether it is truly possible for apes and humans to coexist peacefully. Instead of pushing Mae away, he gives her the Caesar necklace that Raka gave him. It is an act of peace on Noa’s part, a sign that he shares Caesar’s original worldview that apes and humans do not have to be enemies. Now it is up to Mae and Noa to lead humans and apes towards that conclusion.

Every Death In Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending Explained

Several Key Characters Die

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending is filled with death, as several major characters meet their end. The movie is quite tragic leading up to this, as Noa’s father and Raka are among the significant deaths that come before. The biggest death in the finale comes with Proximus Caesar. The tyrannical leader of the apes who twisted Caesar’s teachings is outsmarted by Noa after the vault is destroyed. Noa is also responsible for the death of Sylva, as he traps the gorilla in the vault and watches the army leader drown.

Mae is also responsible for killing a few characters in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The first casualty to come by her hands is Trevathan. He comes down to the beach when Mae, Noa, Soona, and Anaya are preparing explosives and threatens to expose them. Mae immediately jumps on Trevathan’s back and puts him in a headlock until he dies. She then kills again when she pulls a gun on Proximus Caesar’s army and kills Lightning to save Soona.

What Happened To Proximus Caesar’s Clan After The Flood?

His Kingdom Endured Many Casualties

One lingering question that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending does not answer is what happens to Proximus Caesar’s clan. The new ape king built an entire kingdom for himself by bringing different ape clans together under his rule. Their main base was built around the vault using the beach and ship wreckage, but the group’s status by the conclusion is unclear. Proximus Caesar’s death means that they are without a leader, while Mae destroys the dam and floods the beach and vault, destroying parts of the base and killing many members.

The Planet of the Apes movie only gives audiences a glimpse into Eagle Clan’s future by the end, leaving the future of Proximus’ kingdom up in the air. It is possible that the different clans will go their separate ways and rebuild individually. There is also a chance that another member of the kingdom will rise to power and replace Proximus. Since his most trusted allies all died in the flood and conflict, this would only happen if a new character stepped up in Proximus’ absence. It is unknown if Proximus’ kingdom will return in future installments.

How Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending Sets Up A Sequel

Mae & Noa Both Look To The Skies

The final moments of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending are used to set up the franchise’s future in some very clear ways. Director Wes Ball spends time showing the parallels between Noa and Mae and their lives away from each other. By having Noa ascend to lead the Eagle Clan and showing Mae’s importance to the human colony, the two characters are set up to remain pivotal figures going forward. The movie goes as far as having both Noa and Mae look toward the stars in the sky as they ponder what the future holds.

Noa has promised to build Eagle Clan to be stronger and more evolved based on what they’ve learned. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes shows that Noa is smarter with technology than the average evolved ape, as he manages to fix an electric rod. This could mean that he and Eagle Clan will continue to advance technologically by the time the next installment comes. The fact that humans are reusing technology to mount their own plans makes it likely that Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ sequel will continue to explore technology’s importance to both sides.

One of the biggest teases for the direction of the new Planet of the Apes trilogy comes with Noa and Mae’s endings. The movie ends with them looking up at the sky and Noa’s return to the space observatory to look through the telescope. The franchise’s future involving space becomes clear then. It is possible that the humans want to go to space to escape from the apes or try and travel back in time to before the apes took over. Since there is no Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes post-credits scene, any additional teases don’t come.

The Real Meaning Of Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Ending

Can Apes & Humans Live Together?

There are plenty of themes and ideas at play in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, but the ending is all about if humans and apes can truly live in peace. Noa directly mentions this idea to Mae during their final conversation, but it is also something that lingers throughout the rest of the movie. Apes and humans view each other as enemies, but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending shows what can happen when they work together, and, importantly, that it is possible.

The difficulty comes with apes and humans still thinking they must do what is best for themselves instead of what is best for all. Mae blows up the dam and floods the vault even know it risks killing members of Noa’s clan, including his friends and family. Meanwhile, the apes resent the idea that they are in the wrong because they have evolved to this point. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes‘ ending proves that harmony is possible if all sides agree to work together – but it will be up to the sequels to show if that happens.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

Director

Wes Ball

Release Date

May 10, 2024

Writers

Patrick Aison , Josh Friedman , Rick Jaffa , Amanda Silver

Cast

Kevin Durand , Freya Allan , Peter Macon , Owen Teague , Eka Darville , Sara Wiseman , Neil Sandilands