The following contains spoilers for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, now playing in theaters.

In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, the heroic chimpanzee Noa (Owen Teague) finds himself learning about the cruel world he lives in. His reclusive clan has been culled and enslaved, so he embarks on a journey to free them. He meets a Caesar loyalist in Raka, who teaches him about that great leader years after Caesar's followers died out.

Joining them is young Nova, a mute who has her own mission in mind. She agrees to take them to the king, Proximus Caesar, but a few twists and turns unwind. Proximus needs them for a job on a military bunker, while Nova has a secret mission of her own. It leads to an intense ending with Noa realizing he has to be cynical and cold to survive in this new world order.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Military Bunker, Explained

Kevin Durand's Proximus has been using slaves to try to break into a military bunker at his makeshift beach-side castle. Unfortunately, by trying to blow up the doors and pull them down with chains, many of his apes are repeatedly killed. This is why he needs to replenish his ranks. But after seeing Noa is genius at rewiring taser sticks, and finding evidence that Nova knows what's behind the doors, Proximus promises them a place in his kingdom if they aid them. It turns out, there are weapons inside, so Proximus wants them to strengthen his legion.

Proximus can get more slaves this way and grow his fief exponentially. However, Nova sneaks out with Noa and his friends Soona and Anaya to garner secrets from within. Nova tells them there is a book there that can teach humans to speak again. Once they attain this, they can blow up the dam, destroy the bunker, get Noa's people, and flee. This will ensure the apes are liberated and that Proximus doesn't become a bigger terrorist. However, Nova is lying, and it has to do with her human side.

Throughout the movie, Nova keeps performing suspicious acts. Hiding that she can speak is one of them. Noa thinks she might be lying and taking advantage of his allegiance, but he has faith in her. This is the compassion Raka would want him to show her. Raka died on the trek, but he believed Nova was a good person, especially after hearing her real identity was Mae -- someone who lost her family. Noa relates, which is why he helps her kill a human snitch in Trevathan.

Little does Noa know, Nova is really after a special hard drive. Part of her knows the apes won't understand this piece of technology, but part of her feels guilty. It's another secret she buries, endangering the apes without explaining why she is using them in the bunker in Wes Ball's movie.

Mae's Betrayal Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Explained

When Mae opens the doors, the evil Proximus is there with his warriors. He's also holding Noa's mother, Dar, hostage. He confesses now that he has tanks and such, he can make his dream come true. He won't just be a king; he'll be an emperor. A fracas ensues, which leads to Mae shooting a soldier dead who threatens Soona. This firepower is something Noa fears, but it's what a gleeful Proximus wants.

With everyone out of position, however, Mae decides to blow up the dam and flood the bunker. Noa yells at her not to destroy the dam, as innocent apes will die. Mae ignores him, reneges on the pact and flees. In her mind, the mass casualties and collateral damage will be worth it. Noa and his clan are resilient, however. They're a tribe of climbers, so they barely avoid drowning. Noa even gets to trap the gorilla, Sylva, who killed his father, Koro.

Noa watches him drown in more ape against ape action. It's poetic justice, as Sylva was the one who later cut the net and helped Raka drown midway through the movie. Noa is forced to become a monster, but he still has a good reason, compared to a cold, selfish Mae. He shouldn't have ignored the red flags and warning signs. He already felt guilty as they dumped Trevathan's body into the ocean. Seeing Mae strangle the man to death hinted she had ulterior motives. That said, an exhausted Noa goes to embrace his clan on a cliff. The journey has been arduous, but worth it. His father would be proud of him for bringing the clan home.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' Noa Kills Proximus Caesar

Despite having fulfilled his goal of liberating his tribe, unfortunately, Proximus ambushes Noa. The ambitious bonobo wants to kill Noa for flooding his palace and destroying everything he worked so hard for. It's very much like the cliff scene from the first Black Panther movie, with two leaders vying for leadership. The scared apes are siding with Noa since he is kinder, but Proximus retains the upper-hand. He is more powerful, so he brutally beats up the protagonist.

When Noa sees the eagles in the sky, he becomes inspired. His kind raised them as partners. He inherited his father's eagle, so he sings his song and gets the bird to attack the king. The other apes follow suit. Noa is officially the Master of Birds, taking the mantle from his father. The eagle never saw him as worthy, but it finally blesses him as Koro's successor. The other apes get their eagles to claw and scrape the king away. Proximus falls off the edge, hundreds of feet to his death.

It's morose, but triumphant as Proximus tortured so many people. He didn't care if he killed humans on the outskirts or other apes. His ego grew too big after Trevathan fed him stories of his Roman namesake. He loved literature, so his narcissistic side decided to warp Caesar's name and teachings into a political campaign to win people over. However, he underestimated the small, inexperienced but mighty Noa, who is built on heart, soul and bravery. At last, Noa breathes a sigh of relief. He sacrificed a lot to get to this point, so all he wants to do is get back to his burned-down village in the post-Caesar era.

Kingdom of the Planet of Apes Begins Its Rebuild on Both Sides

Mae shows up to visit Noa in the Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' finale. There is thick tension, because as much as she wants peace and a truce, she believes her kind is the dominant species. Noa wants to share, however, questioning mankind's nature. He does give her Raka's chain and smiles to let her know there is hope. But she hides a gun, scared of backlash. This paranoia is telling, informing what comes after. She rides off to a base where a lady welcomes her in.

The woman in a hazmat suit takes the drive and accesses it. Once the drive is decrypted, it links up satellites all over the world. Pockets of civilization are reconnecting. With everyone having their own technollogy, an alliance is forming. Will this coalition be willing to honor and work with apes? That remains to be seen, but it's ominous.

Noa ends the film star-gazing with Soona. He has a pensive look and is stressed. He's contemplating not just his destiny, but that of his tribe. Ultimately, mankind may become hostile again to take their space back. Conversely, Noa might have to make his utopia more militant if they are to survive the movement that Mae has inadvertently kickstarted.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now in theaters.