Two years after the events of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Caesar and his apes have been at war against the humans. As the apes start suffering heavy losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts in order to face Colonel McCullough and the traitorous gorilla Red. This face-off will determine the fate of both species and Earth's future
After the U.S. military was called to fight off an increasingly intelligent and dangerous clan of apes, the apes clan, led by the chimpanzee Caesar, are attacked in the woods by a rogue military battalion known as Alpha-Omega, led by a ruthless Colonel. Alpha-Omega also has in its service apes they call "Donkeys" who previously followed Koba, a treacherous bonobo who led a failed coup against Caesar. During the attack, Alpha-Omega militants are met by heavy ape resistance, and several soldiers, including the gorilla Red, are captured by the apes. Caesar arrives and orders the four soldiers to be released, with a message to the Colonel that he did not start the war, and that he desires peace between humans and apes. Caesar orders that Red is to be imprisoned for his crimes, but before he can be imprisoned, Red escapes, injuring an albino gorilla named Winter
Soon after, Caesar's eldest son Blue Eyes and his lieutenant Rocket return from a journey to find a safe haven for the apes. They reported what they have found: an oasis across a vast desert devoid of settlement, making it the perfect home for the clan. Winter, still frightened from the soldiers' attack, suggested to leave immediately, but Caesar does not think they are prepared to leave so soon
