Rocket was a courageous and determined evolved chimpanzee, renowned for being one of the most reliable lieutenants of the late Ape King Caesar throughout the Ape Rebellion and the Human-Ape War, where he held the esteemed position of second-in-command within the San Francisco Ape Army.
Biography[]
Rise of the Planet of the Apes[]
Rocket's history remains largely a mystery, with the exception of his arrival at the San Bruno Primate Shelter, where he selected a female ape named Tinker as his partner. He also asserted his dominance by becoming the alpha and showcasing his strength to establish his superiority.
Bullying the Newcomer[]
One day, while resting in his cell, Rocket caught the scent of a new chimpanzee named Caesar. He reacted by banging on his cell and hooting in frustration, which incited the other apes to show their hostility towards the newcomer. Later, during feeding time, Rocket witnessed Caesar throw the improvised food provided by keepers Dodge Landon and Rodney at Dodge's face, provoking a furious response from him as he sprayed Caesar with a hose. Rocket kept his gaze fixed on the trembling Caesar until night arrived, and he eventually fell asleep.
The following day, Dodge and Rodney released the apes from their enclosures into the play area. Perched on the central rock formation with his mate and two female chimps, Rocket noticed Caesar entering the space, prompting him to grunt at his females to leave and assert his dominance with a hoot. Observing Caesar engaging with a ball, Rocket snatched it away and tossed it aside, keeping a watchful eye on the newcomer, who was acting oddly by extending his hand. Rocket disregarded the hand and grabbed the sleeve of Caesar's sweater, sniffing it before tearing it off and tossing it around while hooting briefly, then displaying dominant postures and screeching. When Rocket saw that Caesar appeared confused rather than submissive, he picked up a nearby bucket and dashed around the central tree in one direction while Caesar ran the opposite way. Spotting an opportunity, Rocket hurled the bucket and lunged at Caesar, striking him down with his arms.
Caesar, while being observed by the other apes, successfully escaped from Rocket's hold and ascended the tree. However, Rocket pursued him and caught his foot, prompting Caesar to retaliate by kicking Rocket in the face. Infuriated, Rocket pressed on with the chase, ultimately knocking Caesar down at the top and forcing him to cling to a branch to avoid falling. Seizing the moment, Rocket leaped onto the branch Caesar was holding and bit his left hand, which caused Caesar to lose his grip and tumble down. As Rocket prepared to launch another attack, he was suddenly hit by a tranquilizer dart, causing him to lose consciousness.
Submission[]
Days later, while sitting with his companion on the central rock of the play area, Rocket observed his fellow apes and noticed Caesar keeping his head down, seemingly uninterested in drawing Rocket's attention. This led Rocket to believe, in his primitive way, that Caesar recognized him as the alpha until the playtime for the apes concluded. As night fell, Rocket settled down in his cell until Dodge entered with three friends, causing a commotion that agitated Rocket and the other apes. Rocket then saw Caesar seize one of Dodge's friends for getting too close to his cage, but he eventually released the human. In response, Rocket leaped onto his cell door, startling the human. He watched as Dodge and his friends departed, unaware that Caesar had taken the human's switchblade.
In the dead of night, Rocket was asleep until he felt something dirty land on his face, jolting him awake. Frustrated, he scanned his surroundings to identify the culprit responsible for the food toss until he noticed the hatch of his cell ajar, which he climbed through. As he poked his head out of the tunnel, Rocket surveyed the play area, only to be struck on the head by a bucket, causing him to tumble to the ground. Turning his head, he saw Caesar wielding the bucket, poised to hit him again before tossing it aside. Rising to his feet, Rocket readied himself to confront Caesar, but a grunt from behind made him turn to find the gorilla Buck looming over him. In a state of panic, Rocket watched as Buck nodded his head twice, signaling him to yield his alpha position to Caesar. As he turned, Rocket noticed other apes gathering at the back of their cells to witness the scene, realizing he could not face Buck alone. Whimpering, he lowered his head and extended his hand toward Caesar, conceding his status to the unfamiliar ape, who accepted Rocket's surrender.
Strength through Unity[]
For the following two days, Rocket felt downcast after losing his alpha position to Caesar, seldom leaving his cell. One afternoon, he noticed John and Dodge allowing a human to take Caesar, but Rocket quickly closed his cell and turned away from the human's outstretched hand. He was puzzled until he heard Buck and the other apes, except for the orangutan Maurice, hooting in appreciation for Caesar. That night, Rocket was awakened by the sound of something being dropped into the slot of his cell. Rising to investigate, he discovered a cookie and inspected it before indulging in the treat. Shortly after, he turned to see Caesar opening his cell while carrying a bag of cookies.
Rocket stepped outside and noticed Caesar walking toward the next cell. He observed a peculiar ape banging on Heston's cell, leading Rocket to conclude that Caesar intended for him to distribute cookies to each ape. With a hiss, Rocket snatched the bag from Caesar and reached inside for a cookie as Heston approached his cell door. Rocket then leaned closer to Heston's cell slot and dropped a cookie inside. Next, he moved to Maurice's cell, placing a cookie in his slot, followed by Andy's and Vanessa's. In his primitive understanding, Rocket embraced his new role among the apes as he delivered cookies to their slots while they hooted in anticipation.
The Awakening[]
The next night, Rocket and the apes were sound asleep while Caesar quietly slipped out of the shelter. He returned with the ALZ-113 canisters belonging to his human father, using a switchblade to pierce them and rolling them into the apes' cells. By morning, Rocket awoke with a new perspective on the world, feeling as though his mind had been broadened, and he noticed the same transformation in the other apes. As he emerged from the tunnel to join Caesar, who was the first to exit, Rocket displayed his green eyes to Caesar, who then permitted him to enter the play area. Once all the apes were free from their cells, Caesar started teaching them Sign language until Maurice hooted, alerting them that John was watching. Rocket and the other apes scattered while Caesar kept a watchful eye on John until he departed, after which Caesar continued the lesson.
That night, Rocket and the other apes returned to their cells as part of Caesar's escape plan from the shelter. Once they were secured in their cells, Dodge noticed Caesar lingering in the play area and decided to investigate. Rocket moved closer to observe as Dodge ordered Caesar to return to his cell, but Caesar remained defiant. Dodge then attacked him with his prod. Rocket and the other apes expressed their frustration with hoots and screeches as Caesar defended himself against Dodge, managing to grab the human's arm. This act infuriated Dodge and led to a surprising moment for Rocket and the others: Caesar exclaimed "No!". After disarming Dodge and knocking him out, Rocket and the apes cheered for Caesar's victory as he spoke once more before dragging the unconscious Dodge toward the cell room.
Caesar confined Dodge in an empty cell and began liberating the apes. Rocket remained still as Caesar paused for a moment before unlocking Rocket's cell, which the gray ape recognized, gaining newfound confidence in Caesar as his leader. Rocket observed the other apes delight in their captor's confinement until they noticed Rodney entering the cell area. Two chimps seized him and dragged him up the steps, starting to beat him, but Rocket moved aside as Caesar rushed in to intervene. After securing Rodney in a cell for his protection, Rocket noticed Dodge managing to free himself and trying to grab the hose. Rocket quickly snatched it away from Dodge just as Caesar approached. Following Caesar, who took the hose and sprayed it at Dodge, the latter retaliated by activating his prod, shocking Caesar. Once Dodge collapsed, Rocket stepped forward to inspect the fallen body while the other apes reacted to the smell of burnt flesh. Rocket then began to hoot and grunt until he saw Caesar moving toward the play area and decided to follow. After Caesar released Buck and signaled for departure, Rocket and the other apes ascended the central tree and broke through the atrium-style section.
Liberation[]
Reaching the outskirts of the city at dawn, Rocket stood at the forefront alongside Caesar, Maurice, and Buck, while the rest of the apes gathered behind them. After Caesar instructed Buck to take half of their group to rescue the apes from the zoo, Rocket and Maurice accompanied Caesar, leading the other half toward Gen-Sys. As daylight broke, Rocket and Caesar burst through the main entrance of Gen-Sys, startling the employees as the apes advanced toward the testing lab. Once they broke through the glass doors, Rocket and the chimps began to force open each enclosure where the Gen-Sys chimpanzees were held, liberating them, including Cornelia and a one-eyed bonobo. After the apes at Gen-Sys were freed, Rocket followed Caesar as the leader signaled for their departure.
After Rocket and the chimpanzees broke free from Gen-Sys, they met up with Buck's group, which now comprised all the chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans from the zoo, along with a few metal rods taken from the ape exhibit. As they navigated through the city, one chimpanzee was captured by an animal control officer. However, Caesar diverted the officer's attention by jamming two metal rods into the truck, giving Rocket the chance to force open the back doors and rescue the captured chimp. Using the door as a shield, Rocket defended against the rods thrown by other chimps from a rooftop until the truck was rendered inoperable. Rocket and the chimp then climbed up and followed Caesar, crashing through office spaces and surprising the humans inside. Once back on the ground floor, Rocket collided with a streetcar and decided to hop on, joining Caesar, Buck, and Maurice on top to see their next destination: the Golden Gate Bridge.
Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge[]
Upon reaching the bridge, Rocket and the apes navigated through the vehicles, surprising the humans inside. When they were halfway across, Caesar commanded them to stop, realizing that both ends of the bridge were blocked by law enforcement. Rocket observed as Caesar instructed the chimpanzees to climb over the bridge's cable suspenders, with Koba leading them, while Maurice guided the orangutans and the ape mothers with their young went beneath the bridge. Caesar, Rocket, and Buck directed the gorillas and remaining chimps across the bridge until they were suddenly attacked from behind by several mounted units. Rocket, along with the gorillas and chimps, continued forward as Caesar and Buck confronted a few officers on horseback who were assaulting three chimps.
Rocket approached the bus from the side and observed Caesar directing the gorillas and Buck to topple the vehicle, which they slid forward to protect themselves from the officers' gunfire. As the officers halted their shooting and Caesar commanded the attack, Rocket noticed the chimps leaping down from the suspenders while orangutans emerged from under the bridge, calling to the remaining apes behind the bus to charge and join the chaos. Rocket ducked and leaped into an open car, tackling an officer and dragging him away. After the police officers retreated in defeat, Rocket celebrated with a triumphant hoot, banging two helmets together before throwing one off the bridge. As the apes cheered in victory, Rocket and the others noticed a helicopter ascending from the bridge's edge, carrying the head of Gen-Sys among its passengers, which opened fire and killed several apes. Rocket and many others took cover as more apes fell, prompting Caesar to grab a pair of chains and hurl them at the shooter, while Buck bravely lunged at the helicopter, bringing it down at the cost of his own life. With no time to grieve, Rocket and the apes continued their mission after the bonobo pushed the helicopter over, eliminating the head of Gen-Sys, the last survivor on board.
Freedom at Last[]
Upon arriving at Muir Woods, Rocket and the apes began to roam freely until they noticed Caesar intervening to prevent Koba from attacking Caesar's human father, who had followed them from the bridge. Rocket and Maurice approached as they observed Caesar saying goodbye to Will before joining the other apes. As Caesar made his way toward his fellow apes, Rocket acknowledged him with a nod of appreciation, while the alpha moved toward the same tree he had first ascended five years earlier. In a show of gratitude for their newfound freedom, Rocket and the apes stood upright like Caesar had done before he climbed the tree. Rocket then ascended a nearby tree, taking in the view of the sunrise and the damage to the bridge as they embarked on their new lives.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: Firestorm[]
Rocket is first seen when he spots a helicopter hovering above the trees. Caesar commands him to find him six apes and to report back to him. He soon returns with three orangutans, two chimpanzees, and Koba the bonobo. Later in the book, he excitedly reports to Caesar and shows him and his small band of apes a pile of food that he and his own band had found. Caesar sees skins from some of the fruit on the ground and questions Rocket. He sheepishly tells him that he and his band had eaten some of the food. Caesar, suspicious of this mysterious pile of food, has Koba inspect only to find a camera and several other devices.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes[]
Time of Peace[]
Over the following decade, Rocket served as one of Caesar's closest confidants, alongside a wise former circus orangutan named Maurice, and Koba, a bitter bonobo who had been experimented on at Gen-Sys. Together, they built a large thriving village in the woods for the apes. Rocket became a prominent figure among his fellow apes, and he has retained his position as the second-in-command of the Ape Army.
Rocket grew closer to Caesar, who had taken the chimpanzee Cornelia as his wife and had a son named Blue Eyes. They all came to view each other as family, with Rocket serving as an honorary brother to Caesar, and Caesar's eldest son Blue Eyes viewing Rocket as an uncle-figure. Rocket and his wife Tinker have a son named Ash, who grew up with Blue Eyes, with the two young apes becoming best friends and soldiers in the Ape Army. Rocket joined the Ape Council, becoming one of Caesar's most trusted lieutenants and companions.
Ash's Accident[]
Rocket is first seen during the hunting expedition and is seen again in the forest later on when his son Ash is shot in the shoulder while out on a fishing trip with Blue Eyes. Forever protective over his son, Rocket is visibly shaken by this attack and looks as if he might attack the humans only for Caesar to tell him to calm down. After the humans put their guns away, Caesar and the others yell at them to leave the forest before having Koba and his group follow them into the city. Later at night, during a council meeting, Rocket argues with Koba over what should be done about the attack on Ash. Rocket angrily tells him that he follows Caesar's orders and that he will follow whatever Caesar wants to do.
Ape Threat[]
The next day, Rocket accompanied Caesar and the ape army into the ruins of San Francisco where Caesar personally threatened the human community with war if they entered the apes' territory again. With the message being given, the apes leave the city after returning the satchel of the human teenager Alexander.
A Truce[]
After the truce is made between Caesar and Malcolm, Rocket confiscates the human's guns and smashes them to pieces with a rock passionately, so that the weapons cannot be used against the apes or his son again. Rocket was present on horseback when Caesar leads the army his friends and sons to meet up with Malcolm at the dam. Rocket listens to Caesar and Maurice's conversation about Koba, who has not accompanied them because Maurice believes he is still angry about Caesar letting the humans into the village, and decides to go out hunting. Rocket then helped the other apes in saving Malcolm and his friends after they were trapped in debris by an explosion.
Koba's Usurpation[]
When Caesar and Blue Eyes were summoned by Cornelia's midwives, Rocket sat guard over the Ape Queen while Caesar, Blue Eyes and their recently newborn son Cornelius sit nearby, devastated over the thought of losing Cornelia. He watched as Caesar speaks with and gives the humans one more day on the dam telling them the apes will help. When Koba arrives at the Dam and angrily confronts Caesar, Rocket watches as Caesar proceeds, ending with the Ape King nearly beating the bonobo to death before stopping and forgiving him. Later that night, as power was restored to San Francisco, Rocket celebrated with the apes and humans until a gunshot was heard and Caesar fell from his home. Rocket then saw the Village go up in flames and watched as Koba took power (after secretly shooting Caesar) and framed the humans for Caesar's apparent death. Koba then led the Ape Army in an attack on the San Francisco colony. It is unknown where Rocket went while the other apes followed the deranged bonobo orders in his plan of "vengeance".
Imprisonment[]
After the apes seized control of the human colony, Rocket and Maurice were given the tragic news that Ash was killed for disobeying Koba's orders. After finding his sons body, Rocket was consumed with grief and anger and demanded to be brought to Koba. However, Koba had his followers capture all apes that he deemed too loyal to Caesar, including Rocket and Maurice. They were all chained on a bus next to the imprisoned humans along with Luca and others because of their undying loyalty to Caesar, but he and the others were later freed by Blue Eyes, who then takes them to the derelict Rodman House where a still living Caesar was hiding out with Malcolm, Ellie, and Alexander.
Caesar's Command[]
Rocket was present when Caesar fights with Koba for supremacy. Later on, he and the others aided those who were caught in an explosion caused by Dreyfus. He is forced to take cover when Koba opens fire on the apes before he and Blue Eyes would tend to a wounded Maurice who had been struck by Koba's stray bullet. Rocket watched as Caesar had Koba at his mercy before he sent the bonobo falling to his death, silently nodding at his friend. After Koba's defeat and death, Rocket and the surviving apes cheer on Caesar before they leave and reunite with the females and young. Rocket is then seen kneeling before Caesar with the other apes as they await the impending war with the humans.
War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations[]
Caesar sent Rocket, Blue Eyes, and Ray on a mission to find a new home for the apes that is far away from the Humans.
War for the Planet of the Apes[]
Rocket and Blue Eyes soon returned, revealing that night that they had found a desert far away from where humans would not find them. When they returned, Rocket is seen embracing a child, presumably his.
After Colonel McCullough kills Blue Eyes and Cornelia; Rocket joins Caesar, Maurice, and Luca in a mission for revenge against McCullough, with Rocket's main reasoning being that he "knows what it's like to lose a son" referring to Ash. He offers his strength that would be of great use to Caesar in his battle.
Rocket agreed with Caesar during the apes' debate after Luca's death saying that they should continue on their mission whereas Maurice and Bad Ape believed they should join the other apes, not knowing they had been captured. After the debate gets heated between Caesar and Maurice, Caesar storms off towards the base saying it was a bad idea to bring his friends. Rocket stares at Caesar shocked.
When Caesar is captured and Nova goes to feed and hydrate him, Rocket distracts the guards from Nova by purposefully getting captured and helping the ape colony escape McCullough. When Red the gorilla is ordered to beat Rocket, Red is attacked by Rocket but soon overpowers the chimpanzee. Rocket then participates in the apes' escape by getting one of the guards into the prison cell and tricking him into standing in a spot where he can be grabbed by Maurice from under ground. Maurice then kills the guard and gives the apes the key to escape. The apes then release their children and begin escaping through the underground tunnels. When Caesar wants to stay behind to kill McCullough, Rocket unsuccessfully tries to convince him to escape with them.
Rocket survives the battle and helps the other apes in avoiding the conflict between the humans. He also pushes Bad Ape to safety before the avalanche. Afterward, Rocket and all the remaining apes trekked a long journey to the hidden oasis that he and Blue Eyes discovered. Once arrived there, he and the other apes wandered around the new environment, now being able to relax knowing humans will not be able to find them. But unbeknownst to him and everyone else, Caesar was slowly succumbing to an injury and only after Caesar dies and after Maurice lets out a growl of mourning does he and everyone else notices something is wrong, making him head over to discover that their great leader who lead them this far had passed on.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes[]
Following Casear's passing, Rocket attended Caesar's funeral at their new home in the Oasis, along with Maurice, Cornelius and the other apes, with Rocket laying a flower on his fallen friend's corpse, before he is burnt on the funeral pier. As Caesar's body starts to cremating, Maurice raises his fists to respect Caesar's law, "Apes Together Strong”, with Rocket and the others apes following along.
Personality[]
Rise of the Planet of the Apes[]
At first, Rocket was an aggressive yet dominant chimp who intimidated Caesar simply to show dominance over him. He showed immense pride in being in charge as he was the alpha. However, after being overthrown by Caesar, Rocket became a worthwhile ally and his sense of pride mellowed out. Because Caesar's takeover of what would become the Ape Colony, Rocket realized there was more to power than he originally thought.
However, Rocket was not very bright; this was proven to be true when Caesar easily lured him out of his cage and into a trap. However, after he was exposed to the ALZ-113, Rocket becomes intelligent and struggled with the change.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes[]
Over the last decade, Rocket evolved greatly from his old days when he was a normal dominant chimp, as he shows a strong loyalty only to Caesar and is not afraid to express it. Rocket is now recognized for his strength and intelligence, which has allowed him to be a great mentor to the colony's younger generation of apes.
As a father, Rocket would do anything to keep his son from harm, as shown where he stood in the way of his son when discovering the humans injured his son and looked tempted to attack them for it. Due to his friendship with Caesar, Rocket takes his protective nature to a whole level and takes it upon himself to protect Blue Eyes, Caesar's eldest son, from the wrath of ape-hating human Carver.
Rocket has no desire for power; evident by the fact that when Caesar was apparently killed by Koba, he did not use the chaos as an opportunity to become the new leader of the Ape Colony, in contrast to Koba's power-hungry and treacherous traits. As a follower of Caesar, Rocket does not believe that all humans are bad, as evident by the fact that he became friends with Malcolm.
War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations[]
War for the Planet of the Apes[]
Rocket has displayed complete loyalty to Caesar, staunchly staying with the ape king, citing he needed him as they both had lost children, such loyalty bordered on the irrational, Rocket growing angry at those who lacked respect towards Caesar, such as Winter, due to the ape's betrayal, helping Caesar subdue him and how he stood up to strike Bad Ape for refusing to take Caesar to McCullough, forcing the ape king to hold him back. He also felt they should continue to find McCullough, not wanting Luca's death to be in vain.
Rocket is quite brave and selfless, instinctively putting himself in full view of the human soldiers to provide a distraction so Nova could escape. He also furthered this by attacking Red to buy her time, despite knowing there was a chance he would be shot and that Red would heavily beat him afterwards.
When Caesar wanted to finish his revenge, Rocket tried to convince him to leave with him, showing that he really cared about Caesar more as a brother than as a king.
Physical appearance[]
Rocket was the most easily distinguished chimpanzee from other chimps, having less fur on certain areas of his body: his scalp, chest and shoulders, and grey skin. He also had a huge notch on his left ear. After being exposed to the ALZ-113, Rocket's irises turned green and his sclera white.
In Dawn, Rocket's fur has grown more coarse, notably on his lower body, his forearms, and the area from the back of his head down to the neck, and he adorned himself with white chalk on his face and torso, reminiscing a skeleton, during a hunt.
At some point between Dawn and War, Rocket obtained a horizontal scar on his left pectoral, and he obtained cuts on the right side of his face and fists from fighting Red near the end of War.
One of Rocket's most prominent features were his muscular arms, compared to other apes Rocket's muscles are way more pronounced.
Abilities[]
- Advanced Strength: Like all chimpanzees, Rocket is very powerful and strong, during the Ape Rebellion, he was able to rip a door off an animal control van with no effort, his strength would serve him well as he later became the second-in-command of the Ape Army and later go on to be well-known to all the young apes in the Ape Colony, such as Caesar's son, Blue Eyes. In War, Rocket held Winter down, despite the gorilla weighing more than him though he was helped by Luca. He could also hold his own against Red, despite the gorilla's incredible strength.
- Advanced Speed: Like all chimpanzees, Rocket was amazingly fast. When Caesar came to the shelter and ran away from Rocket, the latter chased him up a tree easily catching up with him and quickly knocked him down. After Caesar and his ape army encountered Malcolm and his group, Rocket was already next to Malcolm's group without any of them noticing he was heading towards them, in order to protect Blue Eyes and Ash.
- Expert Hand-To-Hand Combatant: Due to being the second-in-command of the San Francisco Ape Army, as well as the former alpha of the San Bruno Primate Shelter, Rocket is a capable hand-to-hand combatant. He is notably the only ape to beat Caesar in a one-on-one fight; although should be noted that; Caesar had lacked any combat skills at the time. He was one of the primary combatants of the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge and was seen defeating several police officers; with no problems at all. He also easily overpowered a human soldier; despite him having a gun. He could also hold his own against Red, despite the gorilla's incredible strength, although he was ultimately (apparently) overpowered; but it should be noted that; Rocket's goal was not to defeat Red; but to simply cause a distraction long enough for Nova to escape detection, so it is very likely that; the chimpanzee was intentionally holding back at the time.
- Expert Marksman: Over the next two years throughout the final human-ape war, Rocket has become proficient in the use of firearms, using one to kill several soldiers; during their attack on the Apes outpost.
- Expert Rider: Rocket was able to ride a horse with ease, quickly dismounting it to get to cover if need be.
- Expert Leader: As the former alpha of the San Bruno Primate Shelter, Rocket has past experience in taking on a leadership role, as the second-in-command of the San Francisco Ape Army, he was able to lead many apes against the police force with no problem and later confidently leads at Caesar's side during the final human-ape war. In Caesar's absence, he confidently led Maurice and Bad Ape in his plan to rescue Caesar and the apes. This also granted him bravery, standing against Red and the soldiers despite knowing they would heavily punish him, much like Caesar did.
- High-Level Intellect: While asleep Rocket unknowingly inhaled the ALZ-113 when Caesar, in the dead of night, exposed it to the other apes while many of them were imprisoned in San Bruno. He was one of the first apes seen with green irises, a trait that is later passed on to his own son, Ash. It is unknown how much his intelligence and IQ has increased. Because of Rocket's new-found intelligence, he struggled with the idea of being intelligent but came to grips with over time.
- Skilled Tactician: Rocket displayed quick thinking, exposing himself to the colonel and his soldiers so Nova could escape detection, despite knowing he would be captured. His other reason for doing so, was to gain a way to talk with Caesar and come up with an escape plan for the captive apes.
- Sign Language: When Caesar was teaching sign language at the Primate Shelter, Rocket was among them so that is when he was introduced to sign language. He uses it as a way of communication since then. It is not known when he became fluent.
- Speech: Having inhaled the ALZ-113, Rocket gained the ability of speech, this ability was later passed on to Rocket's son, Ash. In Dawn, Rocket only spoke through the use of sign language, but in the novelization, he did speak once. It is unknown how good the rest of his english is.
Relationships[]
- See Rocket/Relationships.
Notes[]
- Rocket was a minor antagonist turned supporting character in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a minor protagonist in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and the tritagonist of War for the Planet of the Apes. He also serves as one of the narrators of the novel Caesar’s Story.
- Most of the other apes in the movie had significant names, and Rick Jaffa claimed on the DVD feature that Rocket was named in tribute to Norman Rockett, a set designer on the original Planet of the Apes film.
- An earlier version of the script differed in that Rocket's eyes begin to go green (a sign of intelligence) after having bitten Caesar during their initial confrontation. After Caesar and Rocket together escape the primate facility and visit both Will's house and the Gen-Sys lab, they use stolen scissors to share their blood with the other apes at the facility and thus pass on their viral intelligence. In this version of the script, Rocket dies on the Golden Gate Bridge after being shot by Dodge Landon, who was aiming for Caesar.
- As seen in one deleted scene, Rocket appeared to take Caesar's overpowering seriously at first and kept to himself inside his paddock, nursing his pride and refusing to exercise despite being doused by Dodge's water hose. This scene may explain the later scenario where Caesar gives Rocket a cookie and instructs him to hand them out.
- Terry Notary; who had played Rocket, also worked on Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes in 2001, as a movement instructor and stunt coordinator on both films. He also played Bright Eyes.
- Terry Notary played Rocket's motion capture role but (unlike the other ape actors) also did the vocal effects for Rocket, according to Rupert Wyatt on the director's commentary on the Blu-Ray version of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
- In an earlier version of the script, as confirmed by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver while being interviewed, Rocket was originally the film's antagonist but in the final film Rocket instead became one of Caesar's second-in-command. The other being Maurice.
- Rocket was mistakenly described by Andy Serkis as a baboon, even though he is a chimpanzee and baboons are not apes, rather they are large monkeys.
- In the final cut of Dawn, Rocket is seen fewer times than he was in Rise in which he played a bigger role.
- War is the only film within the reboot franchise of films where Rocket played a main role. During Rise his role reoccurring as he was the ape antagonist before Koba's introduction towards the end of the film while Dawn minimized his role to appearing just under a dozen times in total.
- After Caesar's death, it can be assumed that Rocket played some role in raising Cornelius alongside Maurice and Lake.
Trivia[]
- Rocket is Caesar's second-in-command but struggles with being intelligent.
- Rocket never verbally speaks in the films, but in the novelization of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, he does once.
- Rocket, Maurice, Luca, and other apes who are loyal to Caesar and refuse to kill unarmed humans were caged and held prisoner by Koba.
- Rocket was ten years old during the events of Rise, twenty years old in Dawn, and twenty-two years old in War.
- Rocket has silver scars on his chest.
- Rocket; who is similar to Bad Ape, appears to be mostly bald. Given his build and general athleticism, it is likely that he suffers from a relatively uncommon condition called Alopecia, which causes baldness in many species of primates regardless of age.
- In War, when Rocket and Blue Eyes return home from the search an infant ape is seen running up to Rocket, who he embraces and walks off screen with. The relation between the two is unknown as the child is never seen with Rocket again nor is there any mention of Rocket and Tinker having a second child in the tie-in novels
- Likewise with other characters, Rocket would have passed away during the time gap between War and Kingdom.
- It is unknown how Rocket had died, but it is presumed that he had passed away sometime between 2028 and 2328.[1][2]
Appearences[]
- 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)
- War for the Planet of the Apes: Revelations
- War for the Planet of the Apes (novelization)
- War for the Planet of the Apes (BOOM! Studios)
- Caesar's Story
- Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (flashback)
Gallery[]
- See Rocket/Gallery.
References[]
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedWar - ↑ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes