Positioning itself as the beginning of a new saga, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is set many years after Caesar’s death and introduces a host of new characters to the franchise, such as Noa and Mae. However, one new character that seemed to really pique the audience’s interest is Raka, an orangutan. Depicted as a very wise and knowledgeable figure, Raka played an instrumental role in Noa and Mae’s journey in the film.
Raka’s ‘death’ scene explained
During the second act of the film, Raka, Mae, and Noa are on a mission to rescue Noa’s clan, who have been captured and enslaved on the orders of Proximus Caesar. The trio make their way towards a beachfront settlement. However, they are ambushed on a bridge over a fierce river by Sylva. This leads to a scuffle between Sylva, Raka, Mae, and Noa.
During the fight, Mae lands in the water and begins to drown. However, Raka ends up saving her life, but in doing so, he puts himself in danger. Sylva then cuts the rope that Raka is holding onto, and he is carried away by the current. Raka is not seen again in the film.
Did Raka really die in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes?
Raka is implied to have drowned and died after he fell into a river and got dragged away by the current. However, the film does not explicitly show him dying, so it is possible that Raka could have survived.
It’s not unusual for major film franchises to bring back characters who had implied death scenes or were killed outright. For example, the supporting characters of Han and Gisele in the Fast & Furious franchise were presumed to be dead by both the audience and the franchise’s main characters for the events of several films, only for them to return in later sequels.
