Koba

Koba
Birth	2000
Death	Spring 2026
Occupation	Ape King Advisor (formerly) King of the San Francisco Ape Colony (unofficial; formerly) Co-commander of the San Francisco Ape Army (formerly) Member of the Ape Council (formerly)
Race	Bonobo
Gender	Male
Age	26 (at death)
Status	Deceased
Family	Unnamed mother †
Continuity	Movies (CE)
Portrayed By	Christopher Gordon (RotPotA) Toby Kebbell (DotPotA) & (WftPotA; Caesar's hallucination)
First Appearance	Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Last Appearance	Dawn of the Planet of the Apes War for the Planet of the Apes (Caesar's hallucination)

Koba..."
"Sleep... you cannot save them. Apes all die... here."
"No..."
"Yes. Join me."

Koba's spirit taunting Caesar

Koba was a fierce and aggressive evolved bonobo who harbored a deep-seated animosity towards humans due to years of mistreatment. Initially a loyal supporter of Caesar during the Ape Rebellion, he eventually turned into his most formidable adversary upon witnessing Caesar's compassion and regard for humans, ultimately leading the apes into conflict with humanity.

Biography

End of A Happy Life

Koba was born and raised in a primate research facility, where he lived with his beloved and loving mother and their kind caregiver, Mary, who taught them sign language. Like many Sign Language apes, Koba did not understand that apes who did not use sign language were like him, and also was not taught by Mary what the word "chimp" meant. As a result, Koba regarded non-signing chimps as "big black caterpillars", and identified himself with humans, a sentiment Mary was aware of, but never made any attempts to change.

One day, Mary's assistant, Kuo, left the facility and was replaced by an abusive alcoholic named Roger. Due to being unfamiliar and uncomfortable with Roger's rough handling methods, Koba disobeyed him without even meaning to, causing Roger to verbally and physically assault the young bonobo in a drunken rage. When Koba's mother attacked Roger to defend her son, Roger retaliated by fatally beating her with a sack of oranges. Due to having never seen a dead animal before or even been taught about death, Koba did not understand at the time that his mother was dead, though he missed her terribly. As a result of the death of Koba's mother, Mary's project funding was cut, and Koba was sent to a new home which Mary promised would be good.

Used for Entertainment

That turned out to be false, as Koba was sold to a TV studio under the care of the abusive Tommy. There, he lived with another young ape who knew sign language named Milo, with whom Koba became friends, although they were never as close as Koba was to his late mother. Tommy was the producer of a comedy show entitled Monkey of the House, and regularly forced Koba and Milo to do tricks, electrocuting them or beating if they failed or disobeyed him. One night, for his own amusement, Tommy forced the two apes to drink alcohol, causing them to get drunk and accidentally hurt themselves.

The next day, Koba and Milo were unable to perform correctly due to still being slightly groggy. Frustrated, Tommy left to talk with Alice, his supervisor. In Tommy's absence, an unruly boy visiting the set harassed Milo by poking him, insulting him and demanding he do a trick. Provoked, Milo bit the boy on the nose in self-defense. Upon discovering this, Tommy punished Milo by wiring his mouth shut, which disturbed Koba.

Tommy's show was eventually cancelled due to poor ratings and litigation sparked by Milo biting the boy. Turning to drink, Tommy took his anger out on the two apes. When Koba finally tried to defend himself from Tommy's abuse, Tommy punished the bonobo by slashing his face with a knife and then blinding his left eye with a lit cigarette. Tommy later killed himself and the two apes attempted to escape his home, only to be caught and separated by animal control officers.

Tortured in the Name of Science

Koba was then sent to a laboratory, where he was subjected to painful experiments, the very first of which involved giving him an injection which almost instantly made him vomit while he was muzzled. He was also vivisected several times, always with anesthetic, but this ultimately made little difference because Koba's stitched up wounds always hurt whenever he woke up and the sedative drug always made him feel sick. When he was not being experimented on, Koba was kept locked up in a cage which had no enrichment. He tried to sign to his captors that he was not a "big black caterpillar" like he believed the other lab apes to be, but they ignored him. As a result of boredom, loneliness, and the trauma of the experiments, Koba quickly descended into depression. He even developed self-harming behaviors such as pulling out his fur and injuring his knuckles and fingers by Signing them against the floor of his cage until they bled.

Koba was eventually discovered by a neuroscientist named Amol and the latter's superior, Steven Jacobs. Amol knew sign language and, since Koba knew it too, selected him as his test subject for an experiment intended to improve cognitive ability. Delighted to finally have someone to sign with him, Koba reluctantly submitted to being experimented on. Amol then had a machine designed to produce images directly from the brain attached to Koba's head and back while the bonobo was sedated, though this ultimately made little difference as the machine still caused Koba crippling pain when he woke up. A few days later, after the pain had diminished enough for Koba to think clearly, Amol did lots of signing with Koba in order to test the machine's effectiveness. Although Koba came close to forming a bond with Amol, Jacobs fired the neuroscientist after his experiments failed, resulting in a severe financial loss for Jacobs. Afterwards, Jacobs confronted Koba in his cage, callously deriding him as a "stupid, ugly monkey" and claiming he would put Koba down if he could. This caused Koba to develop a strong dislike of Jacobs.

Koba was then moved to several other laboratories, where he was experimented on countless more times by many scientists. The experiments included being vivisected, forced to breath in two different gases (one made him go to sleep, while the second gave him a hacking cough for two days), having long needles stuck into his stomach without anesthetic, and having his eyes sprayed with a substance that hurt worse than tear gas (though very fortunately for Koba this did not further damage his eyesight despite the pain). As a result of his unbearable suffering, Koba fell so deep into despair that he felt as if he was his cage and his pain. He also displayed aggression toward non-signing apes who tried to interact with him, as he still did not know how, nor did he want to, interact with non-signing individuals, and only wanted to be left alone.

A Dark Path

Eventually, in 2016, Koba, along with nine chimpanzees, was selected and taken to Gen-Sys Laboratories in part of testing the new ALZ-113 retrovirus developed by Will Rodman. Shortly after arriving, Koba was visited in his new cage by Jacobs, who had become the CEO of the lab. Jacobs sadistically taunted the long-suffering Koba, calling him the "ugliest ape in the world", and telling him that there would be no more "hand-talking nonsense," and no matter how human Koba thought he was, he was nothing more than an animal. This proved to be the breaking point for Koba, who finally realized that he was not human and thus concluded that Mary had lied to him that he was. After reflecting on how much pain and suffering humans had caused him throughout his life (taking his mother from him, blinding his eye, and abusing and torturing him in countless ways against his will), Koba repudiated all remaining affection he had for humans, replacing it with pure hatred and distrust, as well as a desire for revenge on all of humanity. Knowing it was impossible for him to reach all humans, but it was possible for him to reach Jacobs, Koba decided to focus his anger and hatred on Jacobs for the time being.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

On the day of resuming chimp testing, Koba saw Will and chimp handler Robert Franklin examining the chimpanzees. Determined to get to Jacobs in order to kill him, Koba made sure to get himself picked first by holding out his hand from the slot of his pen, catching Will's attention. As Will dropped a cookie in his hand, Koba quickly ate it and held his hand out to demand another, cementing Will's decision to pick Koba as the first test subject. As Will, Franklin and an assistant strapped him down, Koba noticed Jacobs knocking on the window and joined, satisfying the bonobo to start his revenge on the cruel and greedy man. After Jacobs dressed up in lab testing gear, Koba lied still as Will placed a canister of the new ALZ-113 in an anesthetic machine and placed a breathing mask on Koba's mouth. Waiting for the right moment, Koba breathed in the virus and felt strange before he initiated his surprise attack by bursting through the restraints and trying to lunge at Jacobs. In the process, Koba disconnected his gas mask from the machine and knocked off Franklin's mask. However, before Koba could fully get off the table, the scientist managed to restrain him. Despite losing consciousness after Will reinserted the tube back in the machine, Koba kept breathing in the virus as Franklin rubbed his jaw, unaware that he breathed in the 113.

In a matter of hours, Koba felt his brain changed and was placed in a special room with a writing computer screen. Picking up Jacobs' scent as the human walked in, Koba wrote his name and turned to see an astonished Jacobs, displaying his new heightened intelligence as he conspired to kill him.

Liberation

Koba was later freed by Caesar during the early stages of the Ape Rebellion and immediately admired him for liberating him along with the other experimented apes. It would seem that he went off on his own as he walked in the opposite direction of the apes during his escape (most likely to find Jacobs) but he later met up with the other apes as they were causing mass chaos in the city. He and the other apes then set their sights on the Golden Gate Bridge as their next target before escaping to true freedom.

Ape Leader

At the Golden Gate Bridge, Koba was ordered by Caesar to lead the chimpanzees in an attack from above using the bridge's high-wire supports. His group narrowly avoided the helicopter after them, at the cost of Wolfie. Once Caesar gave his army the order to attack a large battle ensued. During the battle, Koba was shown holding his own against several officers and joined his new comrades in the celebration of the battle after the surviving police flee.

He was then forced to take cover after the police helicopter with (Steven Jacobs on board) appeared and starting wiping out many of the apes. But this threat was resolved when the ape army's fourth-in-command, Buck sacrifices himself to take down the helicopter to save Caesar. Steven Jacobs who been wounded by Buck's attack and the crashing of his helicopter had begged Caesar for help as his damaged helicopter dangled precariously over the water below. Caesar, angered over his friend's demise refused to help him and left Koba to do whatever he pleased with the human. Jacobs, recognizing Koba from Gen-Sys, got scared as the vengeful bonobo approached the helicopter and gently nudged it off balance with his foot. In defiance against Koba, Jacobs called him a "stupid monkey". With an angry snarl, Koba pushed the helicopter and sent it plummeting into the bay, sending a screaming Jacobs falling to his death. With his vengeance complete (at least for now), Koba left the area with the other apes who made their way to the redwoods of Muir Woods and embraced their newfound freedom.

Freedom

Later, Koba attacked Will and was about to kill him before he was stopped by Caesar who pushed him away from Will. Koba attempted to attack Will again only to be threatened by Caesar. Koba was surprised, angered and hurt by this, wondering why Caesar would refuse to let him kill another human after just letting him kill one. Nevertheless, Koba reluctantly obeyed his new leader, backed off and ran into the woods. Despite this, Koba soon acknowledged Caesar's leadership with the other apes.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm

Koba's first days of freedom were problematic for him, as he had never seen the moon before, had difficulty sorting through his now more vivid memories, and integrating with the non-altered apes, whom he still considered beneath him. Nevertheless, he continued to look up to Caesar, and hoped to be given a greater role in maintaining the safety of the colony. After a few apes were killed by hunters, Koba watched Caesar close the still-open eyes of one of the corpses, which caused him to have a flashback of his mother's death. This made Koba realize, for the first time, that his mother had been killed by Roger, although he would never understand why. Later, during a conversation with Maurice, Koba was told by the orangutan that the creatures he considered "big black caterpillars" were also apes, like him. Finally realizing the wrongness and human-like nature of his belief, Koba resolved to be respectful and loyal to all apes from then on.

When the colony was hunted by the forces of Anvil, Koba proved his trustworthiness by discovering tracking devices in fruit left as bait by Anvil mercenaries, then chose to save Rocket over an opportunity to kill one of the mercenaries. Later, Koba, leading a a group of five chimps and six gorillas and held off an assault whilst Caesar and the other apes moved to a safer location. Only Koba and two other apes of his band survived the battle.

When the mercenaries attempted to bomb the apes, Koba managed to return to Caesar and save him and Cornelia from the explosions. Koba, Maurice and Rocket then moved the troop to a safer location while Caesar was unconscious, with a concerned Koba never leaving his leader's side. When Caesar finally regained consciousness, Koba was embraced by Caesar, who called him his brother.

Planet of the Apes: The Simian Age "Cloud and rain"

Koba kills Cloud

By the time Blue Eyes was still a young child, Koba had gained the respect of Caesar. He was entrusted with searching an area of the woods to find food supplies along with Cloud and Rain. While they were searching, Cloud picked up a human toy, which Koba quickly snatched from his hands and threw away. Later, the pair found a couple of berries, and Cloud started to eat them, asking Rain not to tell Koba about it. All of the sudden, they heard a scream and found a human with a broken ankle. Cloud offered the human a couple of berries, but Koba arrived and pushed the apes away from the human. Taking a rock, Koba raised it above his head to kill the human. Cloud reminded Koba that Caesar had forbidden killing humans, but Koba responded, "Koba no Caesar," before using the rock to kill the begging human.

After that the three of them started a campfire, where Koba told the pair that humans made apes weak and gave little to no value to them. Koba told the pair how even though Caesar was an ape and their leader, apes could be stronger and better. He then proceeded to order them not to inform Caesar about the human's murder. The next day, the three apes met with Maurice to deliver the food supplies they had collected. Later Cloud headed to where the human's corpse was, intending to inform Caesar about what had happened. However, Koba caught him in the act and killed him the same way he had killed the human. A funeral was held for Cloud, and during Caesar's announcement, Koba blamed the humans for his death, stating that apes would never kill other apes.

Caesar establishes their ultimate law

That night, Rain remembered Cloud as a brother but was interrupted by Koba, who choked her and threatened her never to go behind his back and tell Caesar what had happened with the human. The next day, Caesar met with Koba and told him that for apes to have a secure future, they needed to create their own laws. He then decided to establish the first law to protect their future: "Ape shall not kill ape." Caesar showed this law to Koba, adding that if he were ever gone, the apes would need a capable leader like him.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Life of Peace

Ten years after his liberation from captivity, Koba has achieved significant status in the newly established Ape Colony, which has settled in a mountainous village capable of accommodating thousands. His bond with leader Caesar has deepened, to the extent that he serves as both an honorary brother and advisor, despite his disagreements with Caesar's affection for humans. Koba, along with other adult apes, now acts as a mentor to the younger generation and is admired by Caesar's son, Blue Eyes, who regards the bonobo as an uncle. At one point, he formed a friendship with two chimpanzees, Stone and Grey, who frequently follow Koba's lead, viewing him as their leader.

Hunting Trip

One day, during a hunting trip in the woods Koba is with his fellow apes secretly observing a herd of deer awaiting Caesar's command which alerts the deer into a panic and have them flee in terror. As the deer run from Caesar's group they encounter Koba and his group who attempt to attack but are knocked aside despite their efforts. Koba then hears Caesar's call for help as he holds off a bear attacking his son. The bonobo immediately comes to his friend's aid and stabs the bear in the back with a spear, fatally injuring it and saving Caesar and Blue Eyes. Caesar thanks Koba for his assistance and they collect the body of the bear for food before heading back to their village. Arriving in the village, Koba talks to the maimed Blue Eyes and tells him not to feel bad about his scars as they show he is strong.

Hatred Reborn

The following day, Koba heard a gunshot and followed the other apes to investigate its source. They stumbled upon a shocking and terrifying scene: Rocket's son, Ash, was injured, and a group of armed humans was staring at them. Once the humans lowered their weapons, Koba and the other apes shouted at them to leave the forest, which they did in fear. Under Caesar's command, Koba, Stone, and Grey trailed the humans back to their van, leading them to the human settlement where they realized the extent of human survival after the Simian Flu a decade earlier. Afterward, Koba and his companions returned to the colony for a council meeting to discuss the implications of encountering humans again. Koba proposed eliminating them for what happened to Ash, but Rocket countered, agreeing with Ash that it was an accident. Koba rebuked Rocket for his stance, but Rocket insisted he was loyal to Caesar. Their dispute was interrupted by Caesar, who reminded them that the apes had achieved so much and could not risk losing their homes to war. Koba then confided in Caesar about his traumatic experiences with humans, expressing his loyalty to Caesar for liberating him, but insisted that action must be taken against the humans, to which Caesar assured him they would.

March into the City

The Ape Army entered the city, where Caesar spoke to the humans, expressing their desire for peace but readiness to fight if necessary. He urged them to avoid Ape Territory, promising that the apes would likewise refrain from entering human territory. Following this declaration, the apes exited the city. As they departed, Koba, the last to leave, shot a furious look at Malcolm and the other humans before joining his fellow apes.

Turning against Caesar

Malcolm, a co-founder of the human settlement, entered the Ape Village in an effort to negotiate peace with the apes in order to gain access to a hydroelectric generator located at a dam within their territory. This generator could supply the city with sustainable power. Koba urged Caesar to allow him to eliminate Malcolm and eradicate the remaining humans while they were still vulnerable. However, recognizing the potential for peace, Caesar permitted Malcolm and his team to access the dam, on the condition that they remain unarmed. This decision infuriated Koba, who began to exhibit signs of rebellion against Caesar for showing mercy to a species that had inflicted so much suffering in the past. Koba argued that granting the humans more power would only make them more perilous, while Caesar countered that if the humans were allowed to work peacefully, they would eventually depart. Feeling betrayed, Koba reminded Caesar of the torment he endured at the hands of humans, displaying his numerous scars and concluding with his blind eye, exclaiming, "Human work!" His defiance created an abrupt silence in the village as Caesar rose above Koba. However, Koba evaded further conflict by seeking forgiveness from his leader, which Caesar granted. Koba then departed, filled with shame and disappointment.

Usurpation

The next day at the river dam, Caesar and a group of apes join the humans to monitor their activities, with the exception of Koba. Caesar inquires with Maurice about Koba's whereabouts, to which the orangutan replies, "Still upset… He mentioned going hunting."

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Koba, along with Grey and Stone, observes the human armory and realizes they possess enough weapons to annihilate his entire community. He quickly returns to the village to alert Caesar. However, Koba is spotted by two human guards who threaten him. He cleverly feigns ignorance and walks away, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

Upon arriving in the village and searching for Caesar, he encounters Blue Eyes, who informs him that Caesar is at the dam with the humans. When he reaches the dam, he attacks Alexander. As the human boy comments on this, Koba attempts to inflict further harm on Alexander, but Maurice and Malcolm intervene, positioning themselves between Koba and Alexander. In his anger, Koba calls out for Caesar to appear, and Caesar responds. Koba confronts Caesar regarding his leniency towards the humans, claiming they have threatened his sons yet are still allowed to work on the dam. Koba continues to express his frustration over Caesar's tolerance, accusing him of caring for humans more than for apes and even more than for his own sons. Infuriated by Koba's disrespect, Caesar retaliates and severely beats him, drawing blood in the process. He nearly strangles Koba to death but halts at the last moment, recalling the "Ape Not Kill Ape" principle. As Koba lies on the ground, bloodied and beaten, he looks to his fellow apes for assistance, but they turn away, while the humans continue to watch him. With no other options, Koba submits and pleads for Caesar's forgiveness. Caesar accepts his plea, and Koba quickly departs from the dam. This confrontation marks a turning point in their relationship, as the enraged, traumatized, and deeply humiliated Koba secretly begins plotting to overthrow Caesar and confront the humans.

Later, Grey questions a brooding Koba about why he failed to inform Caesar regarding the significant stockpile of firearms in the city, which is under human surveillance. Koba, however, insists that it will remain a secret. Subsequently, Koba seeks out Blue Eyes, who is still reeling from having lost Caesar's trust, and cautions his honorary nephew to safeguard his father, expressing ongoing concern for Caesar's safety as long as humans occupy the ape territory. Koba then returns to the armory shooting range where he had previously been caught, encountering the same two human guards once more. Feigning ignorance, Koba engages with the inebriated guards and seizes an M4A1 assault rifle from them, brandishing it like a toy before abruptly opening fire and killing both men. He departs the scene with his newly acquired weapon and hurries back to the forest with his followers.

That night, power was restored to San Francisco. The humans celebrated, and Malcolm's team joined the apes in their festivities. Meanwhile, Koba ambushed Carver, brutally killing him and claiming his hat and lighter as trophies. Upon returning to the Ape Village, Koba instructed his two followers to secretly ignite a portion of the village. Concealed, Koba then shot Caesar in the shoulder with an assault rifle, their eyes locking in a moment of confrontation, as Caesar fell into the darkness below, seemingly dead. Koba left the rifle and Carver's hat at the scene of the attack. As the ape colony descended into chaos over the loss of their leader and their homes, Blue Eyes emerged with the gun and Carver's baseball cap, handing them to Koba. Seizing the opportunity amidst the turmoil, Koba blamed the humans for Caesar's death and the destruction of their home. By manipulating Blue Eyes and the other apes, he positioned himself as the new alpha and declared war on the humans as the only means to "avenge" Caesar.

Leading his people into madness

Koba takes charge and instructs the younger apes and females to seek refuge while he leads the male apes into battle in San Francisco. The apes successfully overpower the armory and storm the high-rise, unleashing gunfire on the unsuspecting humans. At the onset of the conflict, Koba's horse is swiftly killed, along with numerous other apes. As the casualties mount, the apes grow anxious and contemplate retreating, but Koba remains resolute. He seizes a fallen ape's weapon, forces another ape off a horse to mount it himself, and grabs a second gun, beginning to fire at the humans and taking down several of them. Blue Eyes, Luca, and other apes watch in disbelief as Koba displays unprecedented aggression and ferocity. Just as he is about to breach the humans' main building, a tank appears, providing support to the humans and unleashing a barrage of rockets and bullets that claim many ape lives. Fueled by rage, Koba courageously assaults the tank, seizing control of it and using it to break into the humans' main stronghold by demolishing a pillar, which subsequently crashes through the door.

After suffering significant losses, Koba and the remaining apes start to capture the surviving humans. Koba eventually confronts two humans who are trying to resist, disarming one of them. He commands Ash to kill the unarmed man, but Ash refuses, recalling Caesar's teachings. Koba pretends to comfort Ash by patting his back, but then he violently grabs him by the neck and drags him up the stairs to a balcony. In a brutal act, Koba throws Ash off the balcony, resulting in his death. He then declares to the frightened apes that Caesar is no longer with them and that they must now follow him. The other apes, particularly Blue Eyes, are left in shock and horror at Koba's actions, yet they remain too intimidated to confront him.

Following this, Koba orders his army to capture any human survivors remaining in the city, proclaiming that they are now the apes' prisoners and will experience life confined within a cage. He also detains Caesar's remaining supporters on a bus next to the humans; these apes consist of Maurice, Rocket, Luca, and several others. Through this action, Koba effectively establishes himself as the most feared tyrant among both humans and the other apes.

Battle with Caesar

Blue Eyes eventually discovers that his father is still alive. On his own, he successfully liberates the captured humans and Caesar's loyal followers. The liberated apes unite with Caesar and ascend to the top of the high-rise to face Koba, who is taken aback by Caesar's survival before leaping down to challenge him.

Initially, a heated argument erupted between the two apes. Koba declared that the apes now followed him, but Caesar countered that they were following him into battle against the humans. Koba, filled with pride, asserted that they would triumph in the war under his leadership, exclaiming, "Apes together strong!" He derided Caesar by calling him "Caesar weak," but Caesar, undeterred and resolute, calmly replied, "Koba weaker." Infuriated, Koba launched an attack on his former ally, leading to a fierce confrontation. Koba gained the advantage at first, landing multiple strikes on Caesar and pushing him off a girder. However, Caesar managed to pull Koba down with him, resulting in Koba being impaled by a rod during the fall. Fueled by rage, Koba seized a metal bar and pursued Caesar around the tower, attempting to strike him with it, while the other apes could only watch helplessly.

Koba eventually traps Caesar on a ledge, but Caesar seizes a piece of metal to defend himself. The two apes exchange words about their conflict, with Caesar expressing that he loved and trusted Koba as a brother. Koba counters by claiming that Caesar is a brother to humans, while he himself fights for the liberation of apes from oppression. Caesar angrily dismisses Koba's assertions, declaring that "Koba fights for Koba" and suggesting he deserves to be caged, which provokes Koba to attack with even greater fury. Koba ultimately succeeds in disarming Caesar by knocking away his makeshift shield. However, as Koba attempts to deliver a fatal blow, Caesar strikes Koba's injured side multiple times, weakening him and causing him to drop his weapon. Despite being furious, in pain, and unarmed, Koba continues to fight. As Caesar and Koba struggle for dominance, C-4 explosives planted by Dreyfus explode beneath the tower, injuring and killing numerous apes.

As Caesar and others help those injured and trapped by the collapsing debris, Koba discovers Grey pinned beneath the rubble. He lifts the debris and grabs Grey's assault rifle, but then heartlessly drops the rubble, leaving his former ally ensnared. Koba begins to fire wildly at Caesar, killing one of the apes Caesar had saved and forcing the remaining apes to seek shelter. Blue Eyes retaliates by throwing some debris at Koba, who responds with anger by shooting at Blue Eyes, inadvertently wounding Maurice. Witnessing the harm Koba has inflicted on Maurice and the other apes, Caesar charges at Koba, catching him off guard and causing both to tumble down a platform. While Caesar lands safely, Koba is left hanging precariously from a ledge, struggling to hold on.

Death

Koba, clinging to the edge, begins to climb and implores Caesar for help, insincerely referencing the "Ape not kill ape" principle. Caesar takes hold of Koba's hand and starts to lift him, providing a moment of relief for Koba until he sees the expression on Caesar's face, reflecting the pain Koba has inflicted. In a somber tone, Caesar declares, "You are not ape." He then releases Koba's hand, allowing the treacherous ape to plummet from the tower to his demise, effectively ending Koba's reign of terror. The other apes cheer for Caesar, while he takes a moment to grieve Koba's death, remembering him as a brother.

War for the Planet of the Apes

Even though Koba was deceased during the Human-Ape War, Caesar and other apes continued to feel his influence, particularly Maurice, who once likened Caesar to Koba due to Caesar's desire for vengeance against humans. Caesar referenced Koba when he told the captured soldiers that he was not the instigator of the war; rather, it was Koba, whom he had killed for his heinous deeds. Koba appears in two of Caesar's hallucinations, persistently tormenting him. The first instance occurs after Caesar accidentally kills Winter, where Koba reminds him that he has just taken the life of an ape, violating his own principle. Koba's second and final manifestation happens during Caesar's torture, where he admonishes Caesar, claiming that he cannot save the other apes and urging him to join him in the afterlife.

Legacy

Koba's demise had a profound impact on the other apes, as his animosity and aggression towards humans made it impossible for the apes to coexist peacefully with them, leading to an inevitable war. In death, Koba achieved his ultimate desire: conflict with humanity.

Koba is remembered as a traitor and a monster by the San Francisco Ape Colony. Nevertheless, some apes chose to abandon the colony, remaining loyal to Koba, who had become a symbolic martyr for apes like Red. These loyalists, excluding Red who redeemed himself by rescuing Caesar from the soldier Preacher, were ultimately eliminated in the final battle against the Alpha-Omega.

Caesar ensured that everyone, whether apes or humans, understood that he was not the instigator of the war; it was Koba who initiated the conflict. He admitted to killing Koba, yet this revelation did not halt the escalating violence. Additionally, Caesar was psychologically tormented by Koba's actions, frequently experiencing dreams in which Koba mocked him for his choice to end his life. As the war continued, Caesar began to feel as though he was slowly becoming like Koba. Koba's decision to wage war against humans ultimately resulted in the deaths of Caesar, Cornelia, Blue Eyes, and Luca, making him indirectly accountable for their demise.

When Caesar faced the chance to eliminate Colonel J. Wesley McCullough, the individual accountable for the deaths of Cornelia and Blue Eyes, he opted against it, permitting the latter to take his own life. This decision demonstrated that Caesar managed to keep his hatred in check, a feat that Koba was unable to achieve.

Grey, having seen Koba "interacting" with the two guards, shared the tale with other apes, and it evolved into a well-known story titled "How Koba Played the Fool." Later, Maurice would document this story in a book for Caesar's young son, Cornelius.

In the narrative of Caesar's life, which Maurice conveyed to Cornelius, he detailed Koba's legacy, referring to him as "Koba the Betrayer." Maurice elaborated on the hardships Koba endured at the hands of humans, which were greater than those faced by most other apes. Koba had lost his mother, been exploited for entertainment, and subjected to torture in the name of science, fostering a deep-seated hatred for humans. Nevertheless, Koba demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the ape colony on numerous occasions, and his repeated acts of saving Caesar's life meant that Cornelius would not have existed without Koba's presence. Maurice posited that had the humans not returned, Koba would not have turned against Caesar and would have likely passed away peacefully as a cherished member of the colony. By overthrowing Caesar and igniting the conflict between humans and apes, Koba was responsible for immense loss and suffering on both sides. Maurice was left puzzled as to why Koba opted to imprison him and Caesar's other loyal followers instead of executing them immediately, as he had done with Ash. He speculated that Koba might have sought to persuade them to pledge allegiance to him or simply wished to gloat over his triumph. Maurice remained uncertain, as Koba was no ordinary ape; he had once harbored affection for Caesar, and the transformation of love into hatred can lead to convoluted reasoning. Additionally, Maurice theorized that Koba's choice of the incomplete skyscraper as his lair stemmed from a sense of connection to it: both were "unfinished," with the tower never fully constructed and Koba having not been properly nurtured.

Koba's impact endures even generations after Caesar's demise, as numerous apes continue to exhibit violent and power-seeking behavior. One notable example is Proximus Caesar, an ape who distorted Caesar's teachings to pursue global supremacy. As Caesar foresaw, apes mirror human nature, evidenced by Proximus and his followers who persist in wreaking havoc, asserting control over the world, and subjugating humans as mere livestock, fueled by their belief in Koba's ideology.

Physical Appearance

Koba, although a bonobo, was notably large, standing at the same height as a chimpanzee. He was muscular, with grizzled black fur that had patches of grey and several small areas missing. His time as a subject in ongoing laboratory experiments had left him with significant scars and deformities; he suffered from scoliosis, resulting in a more pronounced curve on the left side of his body compared to the right. His hunched back displayed a more prominent left side than the lowered right. Among his many scars, the most striking was a long, jagged wound that extended from his left forehead, through his blind, milky white eye, and down to his cheek. He also bore a scar on his right forearm that stretched from his wrist to his elbow, and another that disfigured the left side of his neck. Additionally, his right ear had a few notches. Originally brown, Koba's right eye changed to green with a white sclera after exposure to ALZ-113.

In Dawn, Koba painted his face and torso with white chalk, resembling a skeleton, while on a hunt. He also received a horizontal wound on his left side during his battle with Caesar for control of the Ape colony prior to his demise.

Personality

Koba represented the most formidable threat that both apes and humans had encountered. His intelligence was remarkable, and he exhibited a belittling demeanor, marked by ruthlessness, violence, cruelty, sadism, instability, manipulation, and a vengeful spirit. These characteristics were rooted in his traumatic experiences of severe mistreatment by abusive humans and the experiments conducted on him by scientists, which fueled his deep-seated hatred and genocidal desires against humanity.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Koba, deeply traumatized and disturbed by years of experimentation, abuse, and neglect, was psychologically unstable and filled with a fierce desire for revenge, particularly against humans, especially Steven Jacobs. Possessing high intelligence and a bitter cynicism, Koba exacted his vengeance on Jacobs during the climax of the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, callously pushing him to his death while maintaining a silent, malevolent glare. He was characterized by a short temper, aggression, ruthlessness, strength, vindictiveness, and a profound hatred for humans, stemming from his treatment as a mere test subject and the torture he endured through their research. His animosity and quest for revenge ultimately contributed to humanity's downfall when he removed his gas mask and infected Robert Franklin with the ALZ-113 virus, which would later impact all of humanity. Koba viewed all humans as adversaries, as evidenced by his attack on Will, despite Will's attempts at kindness, which is somewhat understandable given that Will had previously experimented on him.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm

Koba, in his youth, exhibited kindness, friendliness, curiosity, playfulness, and naivety. His deep affection for his mother was evident, and he found joy in playing and signing. He held the belief that apes who did not communicate through sign language were merely "big black caterpillars." Demonstrating his gentle nature, he chose to release a caterpillar after playing with it rather than harming it. Koba did not harbor hatred for humans, as he shared a close bond with his human caregiver, Mary, who raised him in a manner that made him identify with her kind.

After the loss of his mother and enduring years of abuse at the hands of cruel humans, Koba became filled with despair, bitterness, aggression, and hatred. He developed an instinctive urge to either frighten away or kill any human he encountered. The trust and affection he once held for humans vanished, including for Mary, whom he believed had deceived him about his humanity. Koba's traumatic past seemed to have rendered him unable to see any goodness in humans, a blindness that was both literal and metaphorical, as one of his tormentors, Tommy, had burned out one of his eyes. Malakai Youmans observed that Koba's expression of hatred mirrored those he had witnessed on the faces of child soldiers in Central Africa. Throughout Firestorm, Koba exhibited multiple symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, particularly experiencing flashbacks and nightmares, and displaying a reluctance to form emotional connections with others.

Koba, despite his previous experiences, animosity towards humans, and inner turmoil, possessed a gentler side that emerged occasionally in the presence of his fellow apes who truly understood his struggles. This was particularly evident when he shared fruit with Maurice and expressed empathy for their mutual suffering from human abuse during training for entertainment. Koba demonstrated deep loyalty and respect for Caesar, who had liberated him from captivity. His commitment to his fellow apes was shown to be greater than his hatred for humans when he chose to save Rocket instead of seizing the chance to eliminate a mercenary. Nevertheless, Koba harbored ambitions for a prominent role within the ape community, although he did not wish to usurp Caesar's position as the leader.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Koba seemed to have become quite relaxed and composed in the decade following his release; he was a courageous and noble warrior willing to risk his life for his fellow apes, showing compassion to those in distress. He took on the role of a mentor for the younger generation of apes, particularly his honorary nephews, Blue Eyes and Ash, the sons of his close friends, Caesar and Rocket. Koba demonstrated this by consistently supporting Blue Eyes, acting as a second father figure in his life, whether by saving him or reassuring him that his scars were a testament to his strength. During the time when they believed the humans had vanished, Koba truly cared for his fellow apes.

Koba's deep-seated fear and animosity towards humans, along with his unfulfilled thirst for revenge, resurfaced a decade after the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge when humans were encountered once more. His previous encounters with humans led him to the conviction that they were inherently untrustworthy and needed to be eradicated to prevent any future oppression of the apes. Fueled by his hatred, Koba felt no remorse or guilt in his intentions to harm or kill humans, regardless of their behavior, as demonstrated in his interactions with Malcolm and Alexander. To Koba, all humans represented a threat, and he wished for them to endure the same suffering he had experienced.

Koba held a deep respect and admiration for Caesar, yet he could not grasp Caesar's empathy and kindness towards humans, which Koba considered dangerously naive. This led to Koba's disillusionment when Caesar chose to collaborate with humans on the reconstruction of their city’s dam, as Koba feared this would empower humans to become a significant threat. Disagreeing with Caesar's choice, Koba secretly sought to uncover the true extent of the danger posed by humans. Upon finding their extensive arsenal, Koba quickly concluded that humans could annihilate the apes and felt compelled to inform Caesar, demonstrating that despite his grievances, he remained loyal. However, when Blue Eyes disclosed that Caesar continued to permit Malcolm's group to work on the dam, even after one of them violated their agreement by bringing weapons and attacking Cornelius, Koba interpreted this as evidence that Caesar prioritized humans over apes. Consequently, Koba lost his composure, abandoned his intention to warn Caesar, and instead boldly accused him of favoring humans, which led to a confrontation that Koba ultimately lost.

After being defeated and humiliated by Caesar in front of the ape colony and Malcom's group, Koba's already fragile mental state seemed to shatter completely. This drove him to fully embrace his darkest instincts and desires, disregarding anyone who stood in his way. Any feelings of love and loyalty he once had for Caesar and his fellow apes appeared to vanish following the humiliating defeat. Determined to eliminate the humans, he became willing to take any action necessary to achieve this goal. Despite Koba's previous gratitude and long-standing loyalty to Caesar for rescuing him from captivity, this did not prevent him from ultimately shooting his former friend or endangering his fellow apes. This demonstrated that Koba's hatred and thirst for revenge against humanity had overtaken his loyalty to his fellow apes, fueling a desire for power that rendered him dangerously treacherous.

Koba exhibited troubling signs of a severe mental disorder during the events of Dawn. His behavior was characterized by extreme violence, egomania, and a complete lack of guilt or remorse. As he became increasingly maniacal and delusional, his traumatic past drove him to commit brutal acts against humans, displaying a bloodthirsty and sadistic nature. This was evident when he ruthlessly shot humans during battles with a sense of hateful joy, later imprisoning the survivors as a twisted form of revenge for his own suffering, with the intention of ultimately killing them all. Koba's animosity towards humanity was both genocidal and irrational. In his relentless pursuit of power and vengeance, he also turned against his fellow apes, exhibiting the same ruthlessness he directed at humans. This was illustrated when he set fire to the Ape Village to provoke his kin into fighting against humans and later established himself as a tyrannical leader. He showed no mercy when he executed Ash for disobeying his orders and imprisoned other apes loyal to Caesar, including Maurice and Rocket, despite their past friendship. Nevertheless, Koba drew the line at sacrificing female and young apes, choosing to take only the males into battle while leaving the young with the females in the woods.

Koba exhibited a high degree of cunning and deceitfulness; he skillfully influenced Blue Eyes, the son of Caesar, to join him in battle and orchestrated the illusion of Caesar's death along with the destruction of the ape colony's home, all while placing the blame on humans, who were the most apparent threat to the colony. Koba possessed remarkable intelligence and insight, comparable to Caesar's, although his thought processes were significantly more erratic. His talent for manipulation was highlighted when he successfully convinced two human soldiers of his foolishness by employing tricks learned from Tommy to appear silly, even pretending to be playful with firearms. Nevertheless, Koba revealed his true nature to the soldiers during one encounter; after amusing them with his act of stupidity, he shot both of them with their own weapon without hesitation and with evident satisfaction.

Koba possessed a charisma similar to that of Caesar, yet he squandered his talents in oratory and leadership by resorting to violence, oppression, and tyranny. He favored the use of force over diplomacy to resolve conflicts with his adversaries. Koba was also highly intelligent and cunning, as evidenced by his destruction of the colony to provoke further anger and his attempts to assassinate Caesar while framing the humans for his actions. Additionally, he was a highly skilled tactician, demonstrated by his ability to orchestrate the human holocaust at the film's climax. However, his belief that brute strength could resolve all issues left him vulnerable when Caesar employed psychological warfare during their confrontation.

Koba exhibited traits of a "kleptomaniac," evident in his enthusiastic use of machine guns during the Battle of San Francisco, the destruction of the Ape Village, and his attack on Caesar and the other apes while on the human tower.

Koba rapidly transformed into a self-serving hypocrite; during his confrontation with Caesar, he yelled at his former ally that he was fighting for the apes. His belief in this notion only highlighted his madness, as Koba displayed an alarming disregard for his fellow apes. This was evident when he callously killed Ash after the latter refused to execute two unarmed humans as ordered, and again when Koba made a final attempt on Caesar's life, leaving a wounded ape to perish. He also showed a willingness to shove other apes aside or seize their tools, exemplified when he knocked an ape off a horse to take it for himself and when he took weapons from other apes whenever he desired.

Koba exhibited a profound arrogance, convinced that Caesar's compassion and regard for humanity rendered him weak and unworthy of kingship, which was entirely untrue. When Caesar rejected Koba's notion that humans should be exterminated, Koba became convinced that he would be a far superior leader to Caesar. Regrettably, he demonstrated himself to be a tyrant and was, in fact, inferior to Caesar in intelligence, wisdom, strength, and leadership. Koba's unreasonableness was evident; even after Caesar warned him that initiating a war against humans would lead to significant casualties on both sides, Koba persisted with his plan to overthrow and seemingly eliminate his former ally, Caesar, and to instigate a conflict with humanity.

When cornered, Koba turned to begging, as demonstrated by his plea to Caesar for salvation, despite having previously attempted to kill him and having murdered numerous apes. He ironically and unsuccessfully tried to manipulate the "Ape not kill Ape" principle to his benefit, only to find that his actions had hardened Caesar's resolve, leading him to ignore the principle and reject Koba's identity as an ape. In his final moments, Koba's last act was a scream filled with defiant rage.

Abilities

• Animal Strength: Koba was powerful and strong; this was displayed when he beat ape-hater Carver to death in the dead of night, and when he took over a man-driven infantry fighting vehicle, both times with just his bare hands and without any difficulty. However, Koba's strength was ultimately inferior to Caesar's but it was more a question of biology.
• High-Level Intellect: Even before he was exposed to the ALZ-113, Koba had some level of intelligence, as he silently planned to kill Jacobs by acting docile with his handlers. After he was exposed to the ALZ-113 at Gen-Sys Laboratories by Will - and his team - who tested it on him, he became much more intelligent than before, though it was unknown how much his advanced intelligence and IQ had increased.
• Expert Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Despite his advanced age, Koba was an exceptionally skilled hand-to-hand combatant; near the climax of the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, the scarred bonobo proved himself to be a capable close-range fighter, being able to grab and throw a police officer with great ease. He was also capable of holding his own against the much younger Caesar. While in their first brief, but brutal, brawl, Caesar defeated him easily, the second fight was a long, ferocious duel, which Koba initially dominated, putting up an extremely savage offensive against Caesar (who was still recovering from his wounds). However, despite being a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant in his own right, Koba's combat skills were ultimately inferior to Caesar's; the bonobo was forced to resort to using an iron bar as a weapon against his former friend when he found that hand-to-hand combat was not enough to overpower him. Even then, he ultimately was outmatched, Caesar wounding him with a cut on his abdomen that he exploited to force Koba onto the defensive.
• Skilled Marksman: Koba was surprisingly proficient in the use of firearms. During the assault on the human settlement in San Francisco, he used both an M4A1 with an ACOG scope and an M249-SAW.
• Expert Horse Rider: Koba was able to ride a horse with incredible ease, even when carrying a spear or dual-wielding machine guns.
• Sign Language: Like Caesar, Koba knew American Sign Language and used it as a means of communication. Koba was taught sign language by his human caregiver Mary, though it is unknown how skilled he was before being exposed to the ALZ-113. What is known is that he exceeded his handlers expectations, being recognized as one of the leading apes in the facility.
• Speech: After being exposed to the ALZ-113, Koba had gained the ability to speak, shown when he yelled at the humans in the woods and verbally berated Caesar for his tolerance of humans. His speech (like Caesar's) was near complete, as he was able to tell the humans that he had captured they would be exposed to the torment he had faced and also spoke out against Caesar on numerous occasions.
• Expert Leader: Like Caesar, Koba was a natural leader, as he was able to take control over the scared ape population in a matter of seconds and successfully lead them to victory; despite the many deaths of his army. He also rallied enough support that Apes (like Red) still followed his methods after his death.
• Expert Tactician: Like Caesar, Koba was a brilliant tactician; he was a brilliant orator and could rally whole hordes of delusional and angry apes in a crisis that he (ironically) started. Combining oratory skills, brutality, and propaganda, Koba was a deadly enemy on the battlefield. He used such to temporarily become the alpha of the San Francisco Ape Colony, though he ultimately lost such when Caesar challenged him.
• Pain tolerance: Due to his torturous time as a lab ape, Koba appeared to have a fairly high tolerance for physical pain. This was notably shown in Firestorm when he chose to keep his eyes open when he ran through a painful cloud of tear gas, and in Dawn when he continued to fight Caesar despite being wounded in his side.

Relationships

• See Koba/Relationships.

Quotes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

• "Don't feel bad Blue Eyes. Scars make you strong."(Signed) - Koba to Blue Eyes.
• "Must attack them now! Before they attack us!" - (Signed) Koba during the Ape Council meeting.
• "For years I was a prisoner in their lab. They cut me...Tortured me. You freed me, I would do anything you ask. But we must show strength!" - (Signed) Koba to Caesar.
• "If they get power, they'll be more dangerous! Why help them?!" - (Signed) Koba to Caesar.
• "(Chuckle) Human work? (Points to scar behind ear) Human work. (Points to scar on forearm) Human work. (Points to scar running down face) HUMAN WORK!" - Koba reacting angrily to Caesar's willingness to let humans work within the Ape Village (Spoken).
• "Enough guns here to kill every ape. Must warn Caesar." - (Signed) Koba after discovering the humans' armory.
• "Humans attack your sons, you let them stay?! Put apes in danger! Caesar love humans more than apes! More than your sons!" - Koba berating Caesar for his sympathy towards humans (Spoken).
• "Forgive me." - Koba submitting after being beaten by Caesar (Spoken).
• "Humans kill Caesar, burn ape home! Go get them! Apes must attack human city! Fight back! Come! Fight for Caesar!" - Koba rallying the apes after Caesar's alleged assassination at the hands of the humans (Spoken).
• "We will avenge your father's death!" (Signed) - Koba to Blue Eyes.
• (Grey) "Followed the humans here. Hiding everywhere!" (Signed) (Koba) "We must capture them all!" (Signed) - Koba orders Grey to capture all the humans.
• "Go ahead Ash...Make humans pay". - Koba encouraging Ash to kill an unarmed human (Signed).
• "Caesar gone. Apes follow Koba now." - Koba after murdering Ash for insubordination (Spoken).
• "Humans, you ape prisoner! Now you will know life in cage! More humans out there! Go! Find them!" - Koba to human prisoners (Spoken).
• (Koba) "Caesar has no place here, apes follow Koba now." (Caesar) "Follow Koba to war."(Koba) "Apes win war! Apes together strong! Caesar...Weak."(Caesar) "Koba...Weaker." - Exchange between Koba and Caesar prior to battle (Spoken).
• "Caesar brother to human! Koba fight for ape! Free ape!" (Caesar) "Kill Ape. Koba fight for Koba. Koba... belong in cage." - Koba during battle with Caesar (Spoken).
• (Koba) "Ape...not...kill...ape." (Caesar) "You...are...not ape." - Koba and Caesar prior to Koba's death (Spoken).
• "No!" - Koba's last words as he plummets to his death (Spoken).

War for the Planet of the Apes

• (Koba) "Sleep. You can not save ape. Apes… all… die... here." (Caesar) "No." (Koba) "Yes. Join... me." - Koba speaks to Caesar in a hallucination while he is tied up and is slowly starving to death. (Spoken)

Toys and merchandise

HIYA (Rise of the Planet of the Apes)

The HIYA version of Koba, a 5-inch action figure sculpted to resemble the character as he was portrayed in Rise, comes with two pairs of heads (one calm and the other angry) and two sets of hands (open palm hands and another set to pose the figure in a crouch-walking stance). After its release, the figure saw a ton of bootlegs and knockoffs that are still being produced, along with Caesar from the same line.

NECA (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes)

Series 1

The National Entertainment Collectibles Association released their version of Koba, as portrayed in the beginning hunt scene of the movie, he is part of the 6 inch scale. This figure was part of the Series 1 assortment of Chernin Entertainment movie figures. He is extremely well-sculpted compared to the previous Koba, he comes with the spear he used to kill the bear to save Caesar and Blue Eyes, in addition to an alternate set of open hands. This mold was later redecoed in Series 2.

Series 2

The sculpt used for the Series 1 Koba was redecoed to make a new release of the character as seen in most of the movie without the trival markings and a new headsculpt with an open mouth. This version comes with a machine gun, which he used to commit murder against Caesar and lead the ape army in attacking the humans in San Francisco, as well as two alternate open hands.

Star Ace Toys/Sideshow

Normal Edition

Star Ace Toys, in collaboration with Sideshow Collectibles, created and distributed a superformed style statue of Koba as seen in the majority of Dawn, he is sculpted holding his machine gun and stands approximately at 6 inches tall.

Premium Edition

The previous version of Koba by Star Ace Toys was redecoed and slightly re-sculpted to create a new release based on his appearance in the hunt scene. Instead of having a machine gun he now sports a spear in his right arm.

Mini Epics

Made to conmemorate the 50th anniversary of the 68´ Planet of the Apes in 2018, this vinyl figure was 3D sculpted by Mauro Santini at WETA Workshop, a branch of WETA that makes various designs and manufacturing for a veriety of films. This Koba is seemingly based on his appearance in Rise, where he is holding a police helmet and a bludgeon. He stands just below the 6 inch scale mark at 5.82 inches.

Notes

• Koba was an anti-hero in Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the main antagonist of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He makes brief reappearances as a hallucination to Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes.
• Koba was named after Joseph Stalin, who used "Koba" as a nickname before the Russian Revolution.
• Perhaps coincidentally, the Niokolo Koba National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only protected area in Senegal known to have wild chimpanzees.
• Koba is a bonobo, a species of ape found to the south of the Congo River in Africa. Once thought to be chimpanzees, they have been classified as a separate species.
• Koba is partly responsible for the ALZ-113 pandemic because he exposed Robert Franklin who was not wearing a breathing mask while the 113's feed tube was loose. This makes Carver's statement somewhat true about apes having already "killed off half the planet".
• Koba may be based on two real life apes: Kanzi, a bonobo who mastered keyboard communication at Georgia State University (and whose name also starts with the letter "K"); and a wild, aggressive chimpanzee named Saddam, who was known to have murdered a number of children near the Kibale National Park in Uganda before he was hunted down by an angry mob.
• Asked about sequels, director Rupert Wyatt suggested one possible scenario in which Koba would take on the role as the main antagonist: "There's so much we can do. Whereas the story of the first film plays out as a fairy tale, the next film will play out as a Shakespearean sci-fi drama where you'll have Caesar as the leader of this revolution, but Koba would be the one leading his own troops wanting to wipe out humans in a genocide. But Caesar is more conflicted, and maybe Caesar needs Koba's assistance in terms of the conflict. And Maurice is his advisor and he's telling him to combine forces. Caesar needs the allegiance of the two, although he doesn't believe in what Koba believes in, which is complete genocide." This portrayal of Koba might suggest similarities to Aldo, or to Stalin (also a significant influence on Animal Farm, a novel which Wyatt and Andy Serkis plan to film).
• An earlier version of the script gave Koba's official Gen-Sys designation as "Nanotherapy, beta version: Male Test Subject #11". The same script emphasised Koba's sinister nature, with the lab assistants noting that "some are born rotten". Before their revolt, Caesar and Rocket escaped from their facility and broke into the lab in search of Caesar's mother. In return for a bracelet, Rocket freed Koba, who then killed Robert Franklin before returning to his cage, effectively framing Caesar. After the revolt, Koba lingered behind the ape army, infecting Steven Jacobs with the fatal virus and following across the bridge after the path had already been cleared. A deleted scene on the Blu-Ray disc of Rise of the Planet of the Apes showed Jacobs being given the ALZ-113 by the devious Koba.
• In another deleted scene on the Blu-Ray and DVD version of the film, Koba finds a shotgun in the woods at the film's climax and learns how to use it by aiming at the screen and firing.
• Bonobos are similar to chimpanzees, except they are darker, slightly smaller and tend to have longer limbs and longer hair on the tops of their heads. While Koba acts aggressively in the film, in reality this would ultimately be unlikely, as bonobos are far less violent than chimpanzees.
• Out of all the apes that play active parts in Rise, Koba is the only one that did not inhale the ALZ-113 when Caesar released it on the other apes. He received the ALZ-113 at Gen-Sys Laboratories when Will and his team administered it to him.
• At age 26, Koba is one of the oldest apes to appear in the reboot films. In Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Koba was the second oldest after Buck who was 19 years old and the bonobo was only 16 years old.
• When Koba is left hanging from the ledge after being knocked down by Caesar, he attempted to use the "Ape not kill Ape" law to convince the latter to save him. Ironically, Koba himself has broken that rule on many occasions by killing Ash and several other apes during his attack on Caesar both of which led to his deserved end; this is most likely why Caesar declared he was not an ape.
• Koba did not know it at the time, but the manner in which he killed Steven Jacobs was a reflection of his own future. This is further supported by the circumstances of their deaths as both were hanging from a ledge pleading for help from Caesar who let them fall to a deserved end.
• Despite Koba's hatred for humans, his actions during Dawn of the Planet of the Apes have him appear more human-like than any of his fellow apes, even Caesar. For example, he speaks English the most fluently and coherently from exercising his vocal chords more often, he is the first of the Ape Colony to use a man-made weapon such as a gun when attempting to assassinate Caesar and waging war with the human survivors, and like the humans that once dominated the continents of the world, he is willing to kill members of his own kind in the pursuit of power and vengeance.
• Koba starting the Human-Ape War indirectly led to the death of Caesar.
  • This is ironic as when Koba was alive he failed to kill Caesar twice and died himself.

Trivia

• Koba's relationship with Caesar, in Dawn, is a direct mirror of the relationship between "Caesar" from the original movie series and his leading military commander, General Aldo. In the fifth film, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, soon after the collapse of human civilization (through nuclear war) Caesar and Aldo become divided over how to treat surviving humans. Caesar wants to coexist with them, while Aldo wants to exterminate them. Coincidently, both Aldo and Koba fell to their deaths after their confrontations with their Caesars. Another thing between them is, while Koba is primary villain in Dawn, Aldo is a secondary villain in Battle.

• Toby Kebbell replaced Christopher Gordon as Koba in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes for unknown reasons.

• Director Matt Reeves regards Koba as a tragic figure whose horrific past, inner suffering, and hatred of humans drove him to villainy. He regards Koba's humiliation by Caesar at the dam as the breaking point for Koba, stating the humiliation was so bad Koba would never be able to "come back from it."
  • Ironically, despite Matt's intentions for Koba to be seen as tragic, he was only partially successful: while a large number of people do regard Koba as tragic through and through, many other people lose all sympathy for him due to his selfishness, hypocrisy and increasing ruthlessness towards his fellow apes. In fact, Villains wiki and Pure Evil wiki has classified Koba as Pure Evil (at least the movie version of him.)
• Koba shares some similarities with Scar from the Disney film The Lion King:
  • Both were uncles to their "nephews"; Blue Eyes/Simba. Though Blue Eyes was Koba's honorary nephew rather than his biological one, and Koba was genuinely compassionate to Blue Eyes at first, unlike Scar was to Simba.
  • Both have a hatred of the leader of their clans (Caesar/Mufasa)
  • Both take major control of their clans.
  • Both have scarred left eyes.
  • Both eventually try to kill their clan leader, however unlike Koba Scar actually succeeded in killing his leader, but was later killed by his successor.
  • Both fall from a great height in a climactic battle with their respective rival (though unlike Koba Scar survives his fall, only to be killed by his scorned hyena minions afterward).
• In an interview by Collider, Toby Kebbell revealed a huge chunk of Koba's backstory revealing how Koba has come to despise humans and how he became blinded in one eye. However, this contadicts with the events in the Firestorm novel.

"He lost his eye through a lab experiment. What was nice is reading like what was the back story that isn't official, so I don't know if I can actually say it, so maybe I'm not allowed to say it? But it was his family, they have their family inside this thing. So like your brother would be there, and his brothers...he had three bothers and each one of them died so he is the last of his family and all this kinda...and it's not...it sounds extra sobby , but it's really nice to have information and then watch. Go and see the lab, apes, which there are fewer of now, but it's hard living man, it's hard living, being inside [the lab]."

• Despite the common fan misconception that Koba was the first and only bonobo in the franchise, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, Leeta was the first bonobo to appear in the franchise. While her species wasn’t clearly identified onscreen, the unpublished novel Planet of the Apes: Rule would have revealed her as a bonobo.

• In spite of being a bonobo, Koba looks little like a typical bonobo. Bonobos have longer legs, a less stocky body, and a darker face than chimpanzees. Koba however, appears only to have the darker face. His legs and body seem to be the same as that of the other chimpanzees who appear in the film.

• Though bonobos are normally peaceful and rarely resort to violence, Koba is extremely aggressive; in fact he is arguably the most violent ape in the reboot trilogy.
  • This is probably due to his many years of imprisonment, abuse and torture.

• Though Koba is supposedly killed when Caesar drops him into the pit, sounds of moving rubble and an ape breathing hardly suggests that Koba is alive and breathing. He may have survived the fall, but succumbed afterwards.

• Koba is the first and only known bonobo to be killed by Caesar.

• In the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - Official Movie Novelization, Koba is referred to as "One-Eye" in the humans' point of view.

• He is the third villain in the whole franchise, who appeared in two movies. First villain: Dr. Zaius: Planet of the Apes and Beneath the Planet of the Apes Second villain: Kolp: Conquest of the Planet of the Apes and Battle for the Planet of the Apes Third villain: Koba: Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

• He is the first villain in the whole franchise who appeared in three films.

• Koba had three known followers: Grey, Stone and Red. Ironically, Stone is the only who does not try to kill Caesar to avenge Koba who was redeemed himself and survived at the end.

• Toby Kebbell stated interest in playing Koba again in War for the Planet of the Apes, greatly implying Koba had survived. If he did return, he would have likely be a secondary antagonist, but producer Dylan Clark has confirmed that Koba is in fact dead. However, Koba does appear in War, where he only made two cameo appearances in Caesar's hallucinations.

Gallery

• See Koba/Gallery.

Appearances

• Rise of the Planet of the Apes
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (novelization)
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios)
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes #1
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes #4
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes #5
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes #6
• War for the Planet of the Apes (novelization) (Caesar's hallucination)
• Planet of the Apes: The Simian Age