He wasn't a warrior. Not really. When we first meet Raka in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, he isn't leading an army or swinging through the canopy with the grace of a young hunter. He's just... there. Sitting. An aging Bornean orangutan wearing a rusted medallion and clinging to a history that almost everyone else has forgotten.
Honestly, he’s the soul of the movie.
While Noa is the protagonist we follow, Raka is the bridge. He represents the "Order of Caesar," a small, dying sect of apes who actually remember what the legendary leader stood for. In a world where 300 years have scrubbed the truth into myth, Raka is the only one holding the map.
The Orangutan Keeping Caesar’s Memory Alive
The world of Kingdom is lonely. It’s been generations since the Simian Flu wiped out most of humanity and Caesar led his people to the promised land. By the time Noa meets Raka, Caesar’s name has been twisted. Proximus Caesar, the film’s antagonist, has hijacked the title to build a kingdom based on slavery and conquest.
Raka sees right through it.
Played via performance capture by Peter Macon, Raka provides the necessary exposition without it feeling like a lecture. He’s funny. He’s cynical. But he’s also deeply mournful. He explains that Caesar’s most important rule—"Ape shall not kill ape"—isn't just a slogan. It was a philosophy of mercy.
While Proximus uses "Apes together strong" as a mandate for fascism, Raka remembers the nuance. He remembers that Caesar once cared for humans. That’s why he protects Mae (Freya Allan). He doesn’t see a "scavenger" or a pest; he sees a creature that his messiah once loved.
What Raka gets right about the timeline
There’s a lot of confusion about where Kingdom fits. We are roughly 300 years post-War for the Planet of the Apes. That is a massive gap. Think about how much human history changes in three centuries.
Raka is a scholar. He lives in the ruins of what looks like a museum or a library. His clothes—those heavy, woven wraps—and his pendant are symbols of a lost literacy. He can read. Or at least, he understands the value of recorded thought. Most of the other apes in Noa's Eagle Clan have devolved into a primitive, tribal existence. They don't know what a "human" really is. They think they are the first to walk the earth.
Raka’s presence proves that the intellectual lineage of Maurice (the orangutan from the original trilogy) survived, even if it’s currently on life support.
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Why Raka Had to Die (And Why It Hurts)
Let’s talk about the river scene.
It’s brutal. It’s quick. It feels unfair.
When Raka is swept away by the rapids while trying to save Mae and Noa, the heart of the movie shifts. His death serves a specific narrative purpose: it leaves Noa alone to decide what kind of leader he will be. If Raka had stayed alive, he would have been the moral compass for the entire third act. Noa wouldn't have had to struggle with the choice of whether or not to trust Mae; Raka would have made that choice for him.
By removing the teacher, the student is forced to apply the lessons.
But there’s a darker reality here. Raka’s death symbolizes the potential death of the true Caesar legacy. With him gone, who is left to tell the story of the "lawgiver" correctly? Noa has the medallion now, sure, but he doesn't have the decades of study. He doesn't have the context.
The Mystery of the Medallion
The circular pendant Raka wears isn't just jewelry. It’s the symbol of the Caesar cult. If you look closely at the design, it mimics the shape of the window in Caesar’s childhood attic room from Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
That’s a brilliant bit of production design.
It shows that the "religion" Raka follows is based on the physical spaces Caesar occupied. It’s a grounded, tangible connection to a past that has become supernatural to everyone else. When Raka gives Noa a history lesson, he isn't just talking about a king. He’s talking about a person who lived and breathed.
He calls humans "Nova."
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Every human is "Nova" to him. Why? Because that was the name of the girl Maurice protected in War. Over 300 years, a specific name became a categorical label. It’s a beautiful, tragic example of how language decays and evolves. Raka is the last person who understands that "Nova" was a person, not a species.
Peter Macon’s Performance
We need to give credit to Peter Macon. Most people know him from The Orville, where he plays the stoic Bortus. Here, he is completely unrecognizable. He brings a "grandfatherly" warmth to Raka that balances the tension of the film.
Orangutans in this franchise have always been the thinkers. Maurice was the conscience. The orangutans in the 1968 original were the defenders of the faith (albeit a corrupted one). Raka fits into this archetype perfectly, but with more humor. He’s essentially a monk living in the apocalypse.
He likes his solitude, but he loves his books more.
The Legacy of the "Order of Caesar"
Is Raka really the last one?
The movie suggests he might be. He mentions that his "friends" are gone. He is a solitary figure. However, the world of Kingdom is vast. If a group like the Order of Caesar existed in his corner of the world, it stands to reason that other pockets of "educated" apes might exist elsewhere.
Proximus Caesar certainly didn't invent his version of the history out of thin air. He likely encountered another member of the Order, killed them, and stole the "brand" to justify his power.
Raka represents the "Old World" of the reboot trilogy. He is the ghost of Andy Serkis’s Caesar, haunting a world that has moved on to bigger, louder, and more violent things. His insistence on kindness—even when it seems impractical—is what makes him the most "human" character in the film.
Common Misconceptions About Raka
I've seen a lot of theories online, and some of them are just flat-out wrong.
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- Raka is not Maurice’s son. No. The math doesn't work. It’s been 300 years. He is likely a descendant or just a follower of the teachings Maurice wrote down.
- He didn't "fail" Mae. People argue he was too trusting of the human. But Raka’s trust wasn't naive; it was an act of faith. He believed that if Caesar loved humans, there must be a reason for it.
- His death might not be permanent. Look, this is a movie. We didn't see a body. He was swept away in a river. While it’s likely he’s gone, the "Disney/Marvel" rule of cinema says if there’s no corpse, there’s a 10% chance of a sequel return. (Though, honestly, I hope he stays dead. His sacrifice means more that way).
How Raka Changes the "Apes" Formula
Usually, these movies are about "Apes vs. Humans."
Raka changes that. He introduces a third faction: "Apes vs. The Perception of History."
Because of Raka, the conflict in Kingdom isn't just about who has the most spears. It’s about who gets to define what Caesar meant. It’s a battle over scripture. That’s a much more "adult" theme than your standard summer blockbuster usually tackles.
He makes Noa realize that his own tribe, the Eagle Clan, is ignorant. Not bad, just... small. Raka expands the world. He shows that there is a global history at stake.
Final Thoughts for Fans
If you're looking to really understand the impact of this character, you have to look at his final moments. He doesn't die fighting a soldier. He dies trying to save a human girl because he believes it's what his god would have wanted.
That's heavy.
For those rewatching the film or diving into it for the first time, pay attention to Raka's "heirlooms." The way he touches his books and his medallion. It’s not just "lore." It’s a man (well, an ape) trying to hold back the tide of a second dark age.
Actionable Insights for Movie Lovers:
- Watch for the "Window" Symbol: Next time you view Kingdom, look for the diamond/circle shapes in Raka’s home. It’s a direct visual link to Caesar’s childhood home in the 2011 film.
- Compare Raka and Maurice: If you have time, do a double feature of War for the Planet of the Apes and Kingdom. The way both orangutans use sign language and spoken word is a fascinating study in character continuity.
- Research the "Order of Caesar": While the film doesn't give a full backstory, the tie-in materials and interviews with director Wes Ball suggest that Raka’s group was once much larger, dedicated to preserving the "sacred text" of Caesar’s life.
- Listen to the Score: Notice how the music changes when Raka speaks about the past. It shifts from tribal percussion to more melodic, almost "religious" strings. It’s subtle, but it tells you he’s the keeper of something holy.
Raka isn't just a sidekick. He's the moral backbone of a new era. Without him, the "Kingdom" is just another wasteland. With him, it's a world worth saving.