Let’s be real: a sci-fi epic is only as good as its bad guys, and Planet of the Apes has presented us with some of the most intriguing villains in the history of the big screen. From brutal gorilla warlords to human villains with consciences and angry bonobos, the villains of this franchise are more than cardboard figures. They’re multidimensional, sometimes likable, and always fun to watch. Here’s our countdown of the 13 most memorable villains the Apes universe has ever unleashed.
13. Aldo
In Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Aldo is the brutish gorilla leader who represents force over diplomacy. He’s not the most profound character in the franchise, but his choice to violate the sacred law “ape shall not kill ape” is a turning point with monumental repercussions. Flat or not, Aldo has a lasting impact on ape history.
12. Steven Jacobs
The face of corporate evil in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Jacobs (David Oyelowo), is unbridled greed. Gen-Sys CEO approves the experiments that cause the Simian Flu and Caesar’s rebellion. Cold, calculating, and quick to use violence, Jacobs receives a brutally appropriate demise at Koba’s hands.
11. John and Dodge Landon
The Landons, father-and-son team, manage the ape sanctuary in Rise. John is flippant, but Dodge (Tom Felton) is simply cruel, taking pleasure in bullying Caesar and the other chimps. Dodge’s sadism makes him one of the series’ most punchable villains, and his gruesome death is pure poetic justice.
10. Governor Kolp
First appearing in Conquest and becoming a mutant leader in Dragon, Kolp evolves from whiny bureaucracy to battle-crazy human general. Far from the most fearsome of villains, his combination of campiness and desperation lends an oddly appealing flavor to the franchise’s latter-day installments.
9. Governor Breck
Breck in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is cruel, with no subtlety. A brutal dictator, he feeds on manipulating and dehumanizing apes. His iron fist incites the revolt, and his destruction feels both earned and inevitable. In the uncut conclusion, he gets what’s coming to him at the gorillas he tyrannized.
8. Thade
Tim Roth lays it all on the line as General Thade in Tim Burton’s 2001 remake. He’s ruthless, volatile, and totally dedicated to eradicating mankind. Though the movie as a whole is polarizing, Roth’s bestial energy makes Thade unforgettable, one of the only positives of the reimagining.
7. General Ursus
Ursus, of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, is the embodiment of warmongering. His iconic quote, “The only good human is a dead human,” encapsulates him to a tee. Blustery, single-minded, and belligerent, Ursus is not subtle, but his aggressive militarism is instrumental in leading the planet headlong into apocalypse.
6. Dreyfus
Gary Oldman’s Dreyfus in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a complex antagonist. He’s a human commander, battle-scarred, and he will do anything to preserve what remains of humanity. His willingness to die demonstrates both his determination and his terror of the apes’ ascension. Oldman’s performance lends Dreyfus a tragic quality.
5. The Colonel
Woody Harrelson’s Colonel in War for the Planet of the Apes is as menacing as he is obsessed. Determined to thwart Caesar and his ilk, he’s so dedicated that he’s willing to kill his own son to keep the Simian Flu from spreading. Harrelson acts him with equal parts menace and warped zeal, making the Colonel one of the series’ greatest villains.
4. Dr. Otto Hasslein
In Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Dr. Hasslein (Eric Braeden) is a character who thinks he is doing the right thing by stopping ape rule before it starts. His methods of killing Zira and her son are repugnant, but they are driven by fear. In attempting to save the human race, he ensures Caesar’s ascendancy.
3. Proximus Caesar
The franchise’s latest bad guy is the new face of villainy in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Proximus (Kevin Durand), a bonobo tyrant with ambitions grander than his name. He enslaves ape clans and covets human technology, but also thinks he’s laying the groundwork for a more powerful future for apes. Charismatic and ruthless, Proximus brings a new depth of complexity to the franchise’s rogues’ gallery.
2. Dr. Zaius
Half scientist, half religious leader, Dr. Zaius is the ideal early franchise bad guy. He conceals humanity’s history to preserve apes’ futures, performs a lobotomy on Taylor’s friend, and upholds his society’s dogma with unyielding passion. But there’s sympathy in his reasons; he genuinely believes he’s saving his people. His combination of wisdom, arrogance, and fear is indelible.
1. Koba
No Apes saga villain possesses Koba’s depth. A bonobo traumatized by human brutality, Koba begins as a survivor and ally who becomes Caesar’s most lethal enemy in Dawn. His animosity toward humans is understandable, but his treachery, assassinating Caesar, killing his own kind, and causing war solidifies him as the franchise’s all-time greatest villain. Brought to life by Toby Kebbell’s haunting motion-capture performance, Koba is terrifying and tragic.
From fascist gorilla generals to scientists with ambitions for power and vengeful apes, Planet of the Apes never held back on memorable villains. Not only what makes them unforgettable is their danger, but it’s also how they make us grapple with fear, power, survival, and cruelty.