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| Zaius | |
| Aliases: | Thade's father |
| Continuity: | Planet of the Apes |
| Notability: | Minor character |
| Gender: | Male |
| Race: | Evolved ape |
| Location: | Derkein, Ashlar |
| Relatives: | Thade (son) |
| Status: | Deceased |
| First: | Planet of the Apes (2001) |
| Actor: | Charlton Heston |
Zaius is a fictional humanoid ape featured in the Planet of the Apes multimedia franchise. Played by actor Charlton Heston, this version of the character appeared in the 2001 Tim Burton remake of Planet of the Apes.
Biography[]
Zaius was a humanoid ape of the chimpanzee race. He was the father of General Thade and lived in the capitol city of Derkein on the planet Ashlar. As an aging ape, Zaius knew the true secret history surrounding the mysterious forbidden region known as Calima. On his deathbed, he consulted his son, who was the leader of the Red Army of Derkein. He warned him of humanity's potential to overtake the apes and provided him with proof of his words, by bestowing upon him a token of man's intuitiveness - a handgun. Before dying, Zaius choked out the words, "Damn them... damn them... damn them all to Hell".
Notes & Trivia[]
- The character of Zaius was created by director Tim Burton and writers William Broyles, Jr., Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, based on concepts orginally developed by director Franklin J. Schaffner, screenwriters Michael Wilson, Rod Serling and novelist Pierre Boulle.
- This is the third Planet of the Apes film for actor Charlton Heston and his second character in the franchise. Heston played the lead role of George Taylor in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes and briefly reprised the role for the opening and closing sequences from the 1970 sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes.
- In the movie, Zaius' line of "Damn them all to Hell" is imitative of George Taylor's line at the end of the original Planet of the Apes when he realizes that his contemporaries in the past were responsible for destroying the Earth.
- It is a bit of humorous irony that Zaius should foster an anti-gun stance while decrying the destructive potential of humans. Actor Charlton Heston was president of the National Rifle Association (NRA) from 1998 until 2003.