Character page for Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of Dune.
For the characters in the source material and other adaptations, see here.
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House Atreides
In General
- Adaptational Wimp:
- In the book, the Duke and his entourage all suspect Arrakis is a trap by the Emperor, who is jealous and threatened by his cousin Leto's great popularity. They know the Emperor wants Leto dead, they just don't quite suspect what form the trap will take (a Harkonnen attack with Sardaukar backing never comes to mind), at best suspecting it's meant to have House Atreides fail to meet spice quotas which will ruin their political capital and allow their enemies to move against them. In the film, Duke Leto is still aware it’s all a setup, but believes the danger is more political in nature. They still worry about the quotas, and suspect the Emperor is trying to stir war between the Harkonnen and Atreides, but there's no sign they consider something more sinister is afoot.
- In addition, for allegedly being the "finest legions in the Imperium" with the implication that they are a match for Shaddam IV's finest in battle, their actual performance against the Sardaukar during the Fall of Arrakeen doesn't indicate any notion that Leto's men were a threat to the Emperor's Doom Troops in any way shape or form. They come across as superior versions of Landsraad soldiers due to how well they perform against the Harkonnen, but they still come across as just that: run of the mill Landsraad soldiers that get butchered with ease by truly elite forces like the Sardaukar or the Fremen.
- Arcadia: In contrast with the stifling heat and severe aridity of Arrakis and the Urban Hellscape of Giedi Prime, Caladan is a lush, oceanic world with grassy hills and peaceful sceneries covered in a partially-cloudy sky. The scene where Paul observes the massive ships emerging from the water was filmed at Myresanden in the Stad or Stadlandet Peninsula, located in northern Norway. Thus, it is quite depressing for House Atreides to leave their paradise of a homeworld.
- Badass Family: Pretty much every known member of House Atreides counts. The Old Duke loved bullfighting, Duke Leto was a beloved leader and an Ace Pilot, Lady Jessica is a Benne Gesserit, and Paul is the long expected Kwisatz Haderach.
- Badass Army: They're stated to have the strongest army of all the Great Houses in the Landsraad, thanks to the training of Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho. When the Harkonnens finally attack, the Atreides troops outmatch their enemies man-to-man and make the Harkonnens pay dearly for their conquest, but they are also underequipped, outnumbered, and caught off guard even before the Sardaukar show up.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: They're good people for the most part and also a pretty attractive bunch. This contrasts with the evil and uniformly hideous Harkonnens.
- Culture Chop Suey: They are a lot more Mediterranean than the other Houses, with a Greek name to boot, dark-skinned people and Spanish bloodsports. However, their military attire also invokes 19th century European formal military uniforms, and they also have bagpipes in their military bands (although this point in particular also echoes Spain as well, with bagpipes being a traditional instrument of northern Spain).
- Curb Stomp Cushion: When the Baron springs his trap the Atreides forces are overwhelmed and defeated in a single night, but they're also shown inflicting heavy casualties on their Harkonnen attackers. Duncan Idaho in particular manages to cut through the invaders with ease, only being just barely brought down in a 20-to-1 fight against a whole unit of Sardaukar.
- Dark Is Not Evil: They dress in black Putting on the Reich uniforms but they're pretty decent folks as Great Houses go.
- Defiant to the End: When the Harkonens and Sarduakar come down on their heads, and they are left outnumbered, underequipped, and sleep-deprived by their enemies' surprise attack, not one Atreides soldier chooses to surrender or retreat even in the face of certain death.
- Gender Is No Object: A number of women can be seen in the Atreides army as officers and foot soldiers.
- Humans Are White: Downplayed. Most of them are fair-skinned, not as pale as the Harkonnens, but lighter than the Fremen. Justified, as House Atreides traces its roots to Greece, and has lived on the cloudy, mild planet of Caladan for millennia. There are also the presence of Dr. Yueh and Duncan Idaho, who are not white at all.
- The movie cut these lines for time, but it's explained early on in the book that Gurney Halleck used to be a Harkonnen slave on Giedi Prime who got freed in an Atreides attack, then gradually worked his way up the ranks to become their military commander — so it makes sense that the movie version is a white actor who doesn't look like the same ethnicity as other people from Caladan. Later books also reveal that Duncan Idaho himself was similarly from Gieidi Prime but escaped to join the Atreides. Dr. Yueh was assigned to House Atreides from the Imperium's elite school of Suk Doctors. Similarly, Lady Jessica was assigned to Caladan by the Bene Gesserit order.
- Knight in Shining Armor: The House in general embodies many aspects of knightly culture-justice, honor, and mercy-and while the armor worn by their soldiers doesn't exactly shine, it does bring a knight's war plate to mind.
- A Lighter Shade of Grey: They aren't real paragons of virtue, but they are a lot more noble and upright than the Harkonnens.
- Loved by All: Aside from their rivalry with the far less popular Harkonnens, the Atreides are said to be highly admired and respected by the other Houses. This popularity is exactly why the Emperor wants them eliminated, and resorts to underhanded methods to ensure that his own part in their downfall is not exposed.
Paul
Paul Atreides / Usul / Muad'Dib
"Lead them to paradise."
Played By: Timothée Chalamet Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One | Dune: Part Two
"There's something happening to me. Something waking up in my mind. I can't control it."
The son of Duke Leto Atreides and his concubine Lady Jessica and the young prince of House Atreides, who's been trained in the ways of the Mentats and the Bene Gesserit. He has frequent prescient dreams of a very particular destiny for himself on Arrakis and beyond.- Adaptational Context Change: In Part Two Paul's decision to go to the south is still triggered by the Harkonnens attacking the northern sietches, but unlike in the book, he doesn't have a son with Chani who dies in the attack.
- Adaptational Nice Guy:
- Downplayed. Both the films and book tell the story of Paul's Protagonist Journey to Villain, but in the films he takes much longer to start sliding into villainy. In the films, he only starts to slide over the edge after drinking the Water of Life, where in the book he had taken to doing things like executing unarmed prisoners even before then, to the point where even Gurney was horrified by some of his actions.
- Paul's decision to drink the Water of Life is made a less selfish one here. In the books, he decided to drink it for the sake of getting revenge after the Harkonnens murdered his son during an airstrike. Here, since said son was Adapted Out, Paul instead does it when it's clear there's no other way to win the war against the Harkonnens, and with great reluctance.
- Adaptational Wimp:
- Possibly. Part of the reason why Paul is The Ace in the books is that he's being trained by his father to become a Mentat, like Thufir and Piter are shown to be in the film (though their abilities are never explained). Here, it's never explicitly pointed out that that's the plan, even though we do see multiple scenes of Paul studying. That being said, he's still a force to be reckoned with.
- When Paul gets his visions while in the tent with his mother, in the book he's far more in control of them (and they are not the result of accidental spice exposure), and his abilities are far more expansive (to the point he's answering thoughts in Jessica's head out loud as she's having them) and he makes several deductions in the tent that Paul in the movie does notnote . In the book his breakdown in the tent stems more from how little grief he feels over the recent tragedy, and irritation that his mother cannot keep up with his deductions. In the film he's horrified by what he's seeing and lashes out because he feels like he has no control over what will happen.
- Affably Evil:Even after his Face–Heel Turn, Paul remain as cordial and personable as ever and treats his allies with respect. Despite becoming a Dark Messiah leading a holy war, he honors his agreement with Princess Irulan, sparing her father as long as they submit to his demands.
- All-Loving Hero: A dark, subverted example of this archetype that Paul plays with. Like the trope, Paul is well-liked by most people, from the Fremen to his own House. He is a well-manered, polite if quiet young lad who initially starts off with a strong moral compass, albeit naive due to his age. However, Part Two showcase how such positive attitudes around a singular man would eventually lead to dangerous religious fanaticism with a personality cult to boot. Part Two also shows how this eventually overwhelmed Paul and pushed him to a much darker path, with him manipulating the blind fanatic faith of the southern Fremen fundemantalists to his own political benfits. By the end of Part Two, Paul is not much different than the Baron or the Emperor, being a Galactic Conqueror about to wage a Jihad in his name.
- Ambition Is Evil: Part Two truly highlights how much power and revenge has overtaken Paul's good conscience. In the beginning, he chastised his mother for using religion to manipulate the Fremen for their family's own political interests, with Paul himself feeling insecure about where this will lead to. By the end, he embraces it and his ambitions grew from reclaiming Arrakis for the Fremen to retaking the galaxy in his name as its new emperor.
- Animal Motifs: Alluding to the name he eventually takes in the novels, this film associates him with the desert mouse ("Muad'dib" in the language of the Fremen); he pays attention to one in the hologram of Arrakis life he studies early on, and one is prominently shown after he and Jessica flee into the desert. One of his visions straight up says "Even a small mouse can survive in the desert" overlapping with a vision of him and Chani finding a nest of a desert mouse.
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Before his fight with Feyd-Rautha, Paul is very adamant to let Chani know that his love for her is sincere despite the dark path he is taking.
- Anti-Villain: For most of Dune:Part Two, Paul's primary motivation aligns with a heroic objective – liberating Arrakis from the oppressive Harkonnens, while being haunted by his visions of a brutal jihad. After having a vision of Jamis instigating him to go the Southern Tribes, he finally accepts his destiny, travels to the South Pole of Arrakis and drinks from the Water of Life. He fully embraces his role as Dark Messiah and enacts a galactic holy war after learning that his a Harkonnen through his mother.
- Arch-Enemy: Baron Vladimir and Emperor Shaddam IV for conspiring against his family and the murder of his father. Paul personally slashes the throat of the Baron, but spares the life of the Emperor only because Irulan interferes.
- Authority Sounds Deep: While otherwise soft-spoken, whenever he holds a speech, his voice plummets to a commanding baritone. He can even startle the person next to him when he raises his voice unexpectedly.
- Badass Boast: "I am Paul Muad'dib Atreides, Duke of Arrakis. The hand of God be my witness I am the voice from the outer world. I will lead you to Paradise!"
- Badass Longcoat: Sort of. He stylizes a Fremen garb as a long vest worn over his suit. Notably, he is the only character character to wear a fabric this way.
- Barefoot Captives: Paul is barefoot (and in pajamas) when he is captured by the Harkonnen soldiers, with a shot emphasizing his bare feet.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: When Paul plans to regain his power after House Harkonnen destroys House Atreides, he decides his best key to securing that power is to marry one of the Emperor's daughters in order to succeed him. His defeat of Shaddam is finally resolved by Princess Irulan offering him her hand in marriage, which will enable him to become Emperor — but by accepting the marriage he loses Chani, the woman he truly loves.
- Became Their Own Antithesis: Paul's terror that his visions will come to pass and make him lose sight of himself and his morals are well-founded, as by the end of Part Two he thirsts for absolute control of the known universe through a bloody, galactic holy war. While still a Well-Intentioned Extremist who ultimately wants to protect the Fremen and those closest to him, it in no way diminishes the devastation he plans to unleash in order to secure his reign as the most powerful man in existence.
- Becoming the Mask: He was initially scared and skeptical of the whole Lisan al-Gaib Chosen One prophecy. By the end, he fully embraces it and uses his religious and political legitimacy for his own political ends.
- Being Good Sucks: His efforts to stick to his morals ultimately don't do much to make progress in his war against House Harkonnen. It ultimately leads to him drinking the Water of Life in desperation, and embraces his destiny as a Dark Messiah.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Doubles with Beware the Quiet Ones. Paul is soft-spoken, kind and respectful, but underneath it has a powerful temper and command of authority that's waiting to get out. Following the attack on House Atreides, and even more haunting visions, he snaps at his mother, effortlessly snap-casting the Voice on her while simultaneously blaming her and the Bene Gesserit for "turning him into a freak." He quickly recoils and collects himself, but to say that he genuinely frightened Lady Jessica for a moment is an understatement. Heck, he even frightened Reverend Mother Mohiam with his Tranquil Fury much earlier.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: He's a soft-spoken, respectful man who rarely calls attention to himself, yet he proves to be quite an effective fighter and a brilliant strategist.
- Big "NO!": Shouted repeatedly as Duncan carries out his Heroic Sacrifice.
- Big Brother Instinct: In "Dune: Part Two," Paul exhibits a strong big brother instinct towards his unborn sister. His introduction in the movie is an apologetic speech to her. Having learned of her impending arrival since the events of the first part, he always expresses concern for her well-being, inquiring about her health to his mother.
- But I Read a Book About It: Paul tries to argue Chani's lessons about sandwalking because he's read in books what anthologists wrote about it, but stops when Chani gives him a Death Glare for daring to contradict her, a Fremen woman who lived on Arrakis her whole life.
- Byronic Hero: Paul is a brooding and attractive Warrior Prince who struggles with being the Kwisatz Haderach and being haunted by future visions of him becoming a Dark Messiah figure to the Fremen at a very young age. The shot of Paul looking at the sea of Caladan, dressed in a black coat with his back to the viewer, bears a strong resemblance to the Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, a romantic painting strongly associated with the concept of byronic heroes.
- Calling The Old Woman Out: He berates his mother for her manipulation of the Fremen to do her bidding in order to get him south and to make him the Mahdi.
- Came Back Strong: After drinking the Water of Life, Paul falls into a deep coma, but upon awakening, he exhibits perfect prescience.
- Came Back Wrong: After drinking the Water of Life, Paul is nearly killed and left in a coma near death. When he revives, he's become much more ruthless and is cold to the point of seeming almost inhuman. He does show a softer side around Chani, but it's clear that the kind, soft-spoken Humble Hero who drank it has been replaced by the Lisan al-Ghraib.
- The Chosen One: An extremely dark deconstruction of this trope. Lady Jessica ambitions for him to be the prophesied Kwisatz Haderach of the Bene Gesserit, and Paul's dreams lead him to think his destiny is to lead a holy war of sorts, which horrifies him (at least initially). Upon his arrival on Arrakis, Fremen pilgrims greet him with the prophet moniker "Lisan al-Gaib"[[note]]. By the end of the film, Paul outright embraces this status as it grants him the legitimacy to lead an army of religious fanatics to wage a holy war across the galaxy in his name.
- Classical Anti-Hero: He has difficulty believing that he's the chosen one and spends most of the film doubting himself and his ability to lead. Considering what being a "chosen one" will lead to...
- Coming of Age Story: A dark and mature example. Paul does grow up. But in the dark, feudalistic environment of Dune, one must get their hands dirty if they want to achieve power.
- Compelling Voice: His mother trained him in the ways of the Bene Gesserit, including the Voice, which can submit untrained minds to his will. He's got much work to do to be as good at it as Jessica, however. By the end of the second film, he's gained enough mastery of it to even take control of Helen Mohiam.
- Cursed with Awesome: Mohiam calls Paul an abomination.
- Darker and Edgier: Of the All-Loving Hero and Chosen One archetype.
- Dark Messiah:
- What he is destined to become, according to his visions. He doesn't take his destiny of being responsible for the death of billions well at all:
- In the sequel he becomes exactly this. He destroys the Harkonnen and Sardaukar forces, but after the other Great Houses refuse to acknowledge him as emperor, he unleashes the Fremen on them in a holy war.
- Deconstructed Character Archetype: Of The Chosen One and heroes in general. Paul is the Lisan al'Ghaib and the Kwisatz Haderach, a legendary figure prophesied to take over the universe and overthrow the corrupt government with his army of worshippers. Unfortunately, Paul's visions reveal to him that he's very much a Dark Messiah who will cause immense amounts of death and destruction, and that should he embrace his destiny, he'll ultimately become a tyrant just the same as the Emperor and the Baron. When he finally does, it's treated not as a triumphant moment, but as a horrifying one. Paul has lost sight of his true self, and quickly descends into being just as ruthless and cruel as his enemies, and none of his allies question it because they firmly believe he's The Hero, and therefore he must be right.
- The Dreaded: Paul, or rather Muad'Dib, is such an important religious figure to the Fremen, that Emperor Shaddam becomes worried about the problems his existence can create. He discuses with his own daughter what he could do with Muad'Dib and still come on top.
- Dreaming of Things to Come:
- Paul has the power to dream of things that have yet to happen. However, such dreams are not necessarily set in stone. During the last third of the story, he begins dreaming of a friendly man who says that he will teach Paul the way of the desert. When he actually meets the man, he enters what he initially doesn't realize is a Duel to the Death with the man. Before the battle begins, he has another vision that the man will ultimately kill him. In the end, neither event happens and Paul kills the man and gains the respect of the Fremen. Though arguably from a certain point of view, the man did teach Paul a lesson of the ways of Arrakis: in the desert, it is kill or be killed. Interestingly, the Bene Gesserit do not realize how powerful Paul's visions are. Reverend Mother Mohiam leaves her meeting with him believing his visions only show him events presently happening rather than the future.
- In the second movie, he starts to have haunting nightmares of what will happen if he goes to the South of Arrakis. His nightmares always show him a holy war triggered by him, with millions over millions of people dying of starvation, and his own mother walking among the starved. Because of this visions, Paul avoids until the last act to go the South of Arrakis. His visions become true by the end of the movie.
- Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Just like in the other adaptations, Paul is portrayed as Raven Hair Ivory Skinned young man, courtesy to Timothee Chalamet. After drinking the War of Life and gaining the typical Occult Blue Eyes, the contrast makes Paul to gain deadly pallor the more inhuman and Drunk with Power he becomes.
- The Emperor: At the end of Dune: Part Two, Paul has successfully destroyed the Harkonnens and captured Shaddam IV, forcing the sovereign to yield his throne, leaving Paul as Emperor of the known universe. When the other Great Houses of the Landsraad refuse to honor his ascendancy, Paul unleashes the Fremen upon them, prepared to secure his newly attained Empire by force.
- Evil Costume Switch: After he sees his entire bloodline and realizes he is Harkonnen through his mother, he adopts more black to his outfits, the color of House Harkonnen. He also becomes far more ruthless.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: His voice becomes much raspier after his Face–Heel Turn in a manner reminiscent of Baron Vladimir and Feyd, symbolizing that he's become no better than his enemies.
- Extremely Protective Child: Paul loves and respects his mom, and becomes very protective of her after the death of his father. He constantly asks her if she is fine, holds her hand when the Fremens of Sietch Tabr accuse her of being a witch, and is shown very concerned while waiting to see how the ritual of his mother becoming a Reverend Mother goes.
- Face–Heel Turn: After drinking the Water of Life, he embraces his destiny and decides to become just as ruthless as the Harkonnens in the name of wining.
- Fallen Hero: Part Two effectively hits the hammer on the head on where Paul's future would lie.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Paul goes from a precocious sheltered prince to a Dark Messiah enacting a galaxy-wide holy war with help of Fremens after the fall of his House.
- Frontline General: He masterminds numerous Fremen raids on House Harkonnen's settlement and personally participates in them throughout the second film.
- Future Badass: While Paul is by no means weak in the movie, his visions of the future (which may or may not be accurate) depict him leading an army of Fremen warriors and cutting down Sardaukar with even greater ease than Duncan Idaho.
- Gaining the Will to Kill: Having never killed a man, Paul's duel with Jamis has him repeatedly hesitate to end the Fremen warrior's life, even demanding that he yield, (unaware that it's a fight to the death). He finds the will to take a life at the duel's end, marking the growth of his character and his choice to embrace the terrifying path in front of him. By the end of Part Two, he's not only comfortable with killing, he orders a galactic war to bring the galaxy under his banner.
- Galactic Conqueror: By the end of Part Two, Paul fully commits to this as the new emperor, launching a jihad on the rest of the galaxy to establish himself power and legitimacy.
- A God I Am Not: He's quite insistent to Stilgar and the other southern Fremen that he is not the Lisan al-Ghaib and always denies it, doing his best to discourage their belief and Jessica's attempts to convince people that he is their messiah. He explicitly promises Chani not to exploit it, as the entire legend is rooted in colonialism and is just another instance of how the galaxy has manipulated and mistreated the Fremen. The biggest sign he's become a Fallen Hero is Paul embracing the title and becoming a religious demagogue.
- Going Native:
- At the end of the first film, after killing Jamis in a Duel to the Death, the Fremen consider him as one of them as he walks by them toward Chani — who still has a bit less stern look on her face — more like of awe. He's taken in by Stilgar and welcomed to Sietch Tabr despite Jessica's pleas to smuggle him to Caladan — which Paul himself refused in favor of the Fremen's offer.
Stilgar: You're one of us now. A life for a life. Come with us to Sietch Tabr.
Jessica: No. Paul needs to get off-world. You must have ways. You have smugglers. You have ships...
Paul: [to Jessica] No. [to Stilgar] The Emperor sent us to this place, and my father came not for spice, not for the riches, but for the strength of your people. My road leads into the desert. I can see it. If you'll have us, we will come.- In the second movie, he learns from the Fremens how to sandwalk, set up wind traps and ride a sandworm.
- Heroic Bastard: Technically, as Leto and Jessica, despite their loving relationship, were never actually married.
- Heroic BSoD: Paul's vision of the holy war that will be waged in his name leaves him shaken, horrified, and tearful.
- He Who Fights Monsters: The war against the Harkonnens takes its toll on him, especially when he drinks the Water of Life and learns that he is one-fourth Harkonnen through Jessica. By the end, he's become almost as ruthless as the Baron and winds up the movie by unleashing the Fremen on a jihad that he knows will claim billions of lives.
- Hope Bringer: A deconstruction. The Fremen believes he is Lisan al-Gaib, a prophet who will bring their freedom back and turn Arrakis into a green paradise. Unfortunately, Paul is not just an inspirational figure for some freedom fighters, he plays the role a Dark Messiah for the Fremens, whose fight for freedom turns them into religious zealots enacting a holy war that will kill millions if not billions of people.Jessica: We gave [the Fremens] something to hope for.
Paul: THAT'S NOT HOPE! - Humble Hero: Paul starts as this, despite being of royal lineage. Once he's among the Fremen, he's fine with being just one of them, rejecting the titles of Mahdi and Lisan al-Gaib, even explaining the actual science behind seemingly miraculous feats (which falls on deaf ears with the fundamentalists like Stilgar). As the war with the Harkonnens rages on, and Paul has to embrace his destiny to win, this changes, especially after he travels south and drinks the Water of Life; by the end of the second film, Paul is neither humble nor a hero.
- Irony: Paul is one of the few characters with no real ambitions or hunger for power, yet he ends the second film worshipped as a god by his subjects and taking over as the Emperor.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: He's understandably horrified by the visions of a galaxy-spanning holy war being waged in his name. Even when he embraces it by the end of Part Two, his choices have turned him into everything he feared and his actions cost him the woman he truly loves.
- Kubrick Stare: When he overcomes the pain the box test was inflicting on him, he turns his agony-filled face into this with a searing Death Glare towards Reverend Mother Mohiam.
- Long-Lost Relative: To the Harkonnen through his mother, who didn't know herself for most of her life.
- Lonely at the Top: As Muad'dib's legend grows, Paul finds himself increasingly isolated from the Fremen, sadly noting to Gurney that those fighting by his side were once his friends, but are now his followers. It only gets worse when he embraces his dark destiny; Paul has all the power in the universe and stands ready to claim even more, but it costs him Chani, who abandons him out of disgust for her people's fanaticism.
- Looks Like Cesare: Paul's fair-complexion and dark hair are already evident, even after spending the better part of a year in the desert, but after he drinks the Water of Life, the stress of transmuting the poison leaves him even paler than normal, with dark circles around his eyes. The absence of color both drives home how devastating the experience was and makes his newly-discovered Harkonnen ancestry visually apparent.
- MacGuffin Super-Person: Just about every important faction in story wants either to kill Paul, or to have custody of him. The Harkonnen and the Emperor want Paul that, while the Bene Gesserit and the Fremen are interested in Paul because he is Kwisatz Haderach.
- Meaningful Rename: In the second movie after successfully attack on a Hakonnen harvesting machine, Paul is given the right to chose a war name for himself. He choses the name of the native desert mouse of Arrakis, Muad'Dib, revered for its resourcefulness and ability to survive in harsh conditions. This name also holds significance for the Fremen as it represents a crucial constellation, "the one who points the way." After this, other characters and Paul himself identify him as Paul Muad'Dib Atreides.
- Messianic Archetype: To the Fremen. They call him Mahdi, the Islamic equivalent of the Messiah as the saviour who comes at the end of days to save the faithful.
- Mighty Whitey: A light-skinned son of a noble-born Duke who joins a tribe of dark-skinned human nomads and eventually becomes one of them. Exploited and invoked by the Bene Gesserit, who have for many years been planting the seeds of a hero figure across many cultures. Also Deconstructed: Paul has to adapt himself to the Fremen way of doing things, since that's how one survives on Arrakis. Furthermore, Paul's effect on the Fremen is decidedly not a positive one; while he ultimately leads them to victory over their oppressors, in the process, they've become a horde of fanatics who launch a holy war at Paul's behest.
- Morton's Fork: Paul is ultimately faced with this midway through the second film. If he doesn't drink the Water of Life and embrace his destiny to become a Dark Messiah, the Fremen will be wiped out and the Harkonnens, the Bene Gesserit, and the Emperor will win. But if he does, he'll corrupt the Fremen into mindless fanatics and bring about an even greater mass death than his enemies would have. He ultimately chooses the latter, which costs him Chani and his very humanity.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Late into the first film, he is able to mind-read Liet-Kynes' dreams, which solidifies his The Chosen One status but it's a power not hinted at so far. He does it again in the second film to prove he is the Fremen Messiah, uncovering the secrets of some of them to make a point in a way that seems difficult to do by any other power than mind-reading.
- Nice Guy: He's almost Spoiled Sweet, considering his affluent upbringing and the fact that he's very close with just about every servant and retainer of House Atreides, and for good reason: Paul is just a decent, kind fellow who's easy to get along with, if somewhat introverted. This gets turned on its head by the end of Part Two, as many of Paul's darker traits start to show. His ego, his ambition and his manipulation all sprouts into fruition once he dons the Lisan al-Gaib mask fully.
- Not Quite Dead: A lot of factions believe that Paul Atreides is dead, but some characters, such as Princess Irulan, start to suspect that Paul might be the new religious figure of the Fremen known as Muad'Dib.
- Pajama-Clad Hero: Has to walk around in his pajamas after the surprise Harkonnen invasion at night.
- Power Echoes: Paul's voice becomes distorted and commanding whenever he uses the Voice.
- Protagonist Journey to Villain: By the end of Part Two at least, Paul goes from a heroic figure to proclaiming himself the new Emperor on his way to launch a holy war of galactic proportions.
- Pretty Boy: Paul has a rather small frame by comparison to the tall and rugged-looking Fremen or the powerfully built Harkonnen (with the except of Feyd-Rautha). He has a slender built, long eyelashes and youthful, delicate features framed by his luscious black hair.
- Pyrrhic Victory: He succeeds in overthrowing the Emperor and taking revenge on the Baron, but it comes at the cost of Paul embracing being a Dark Messiah and becoming no better than his enemies, as well as driving Chani away from him.
- Refused the Call: He really doesn't want to embrace his destiny as the Lisan al-Ghaib for the very good reason that it will turn him into a Dark Messiah, and ruthlessly exploit the Fremen just like the Harkonnens and the Bene Gesserit have. He's still willing to help the Fremen, but in a way that doesn't steal their agency. Unfortunately, he eventually embraces it and decides to become just as ruthless as his enemies.
- Revenge: Taking revenge for the death of his father on the Harkonnen and the Emperor is what motivates him to join the Fremen in their fight for freedom.
- Seers: After drinking the Water of Life, Paul gains perfect prescience.
- Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Paul was initially, incredibly against the idea of becoming the Lisan al-Gaib and was frightened by it. For good reason. However, external events out of his control such as the unceasing ruthlessness of House Harkonen and the Emperor, push him into becoming just as ruthless and embracing his fate. A fate that will lead him to a path of wanton genocide on a galactic scale.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: A subtle one. But beneath his calm and polite demeanor, Paul's trauma metastasized within him. This trauma is occasionally released by his sudden burst of shouting. By the end of Part Two, he went from a boy with a soft-spoken voice to a cynical man with a deep, raspy voice.
- Significant Name Shift: After growing closer to Stilgar and Chani, they both start to use the name "Usul" for Paul in an affectionate way.
- Spoiled Sweet: He comes from immense wealth and privilege, yet he's kind and sensitive, and is polite to everyone.
- Staring Down Cthulhu: Paul finds himself face-to-face with Shai-Hulud, the great sandworm, off a rock after being chased by it. The worm just sits there and hesitates to attack, then leaves after a thumper is set up by Jamis (or so he says).
- The Stoic: He's generally calm and soft-spoken, and although he can get emotional, he tends to keep his feelings under wraps and remains tranquil most of the time. After drinking the Water of Life, he becomes so cold he comes across as almost inhuman.
- Stronger Than They Look: He's far from being physically intimidating, but his various training sessions end up paying off once he's left to fend for himself on Arrakis.
- Suddenly Shouting: A justified example. Paul will occasionally shout at even his own mother to assert authority. From the surface, it is to convey his leadership and decisiveness. But inside, it is nothing more than Paul venting his frustrations, anger and traumatic experience to a convenient target. To say this boy suffers from an acute case of PTSD is not an understatement.
- Taking the Bullet: Paul shields Chani from an Ornithopter shooting at them for trying to destroy a Harkonnen warship. Of course he falls on top on her and looks into her eyes.
- Telepathy: Aside from prescient visions, he seems to have the power to read minds in a limited way, done with Liet-Kynes and some incredulous Fremen.
- Then Let Me Be Evil: After taking the Water of Life, previously being forced to seek shelter with fanatical southern Fremen by Feyd-Rautha's attacks, Paul confronts the fact that he is descended from Baron Harkonnen and that the only path he sees to victory requires fully embracing the role of Lisan al-Gaib, something he'd been fighting against since joining the Fremen. With all this in mind, Paul embraces the messianic role, flavored with Harkonnnen-style ruthlessness, whipping the Fremen into a fanatical frenzy and unleashing them on first the Harkonnens and Sardaukar, then the rest of the Great Houses, setting off the holy war that once filled him with existential dread.
- These Hands Have Killed: Played with in that in this instance this happens before the death. Paul's visions warn him that "Paul Atreides must die for Kwisatz Haderach to rise'' (showing him dying by Jamis' blade), but another vision tells him "When you take a life, you take your own". Paul spends most of the fight trying to work up the courage to do what he has to do. And he's repeatedly haunted by visions of bloodied hands and knives.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: After drinking the Water of Life, he becomes increasingly cruel, ruthless, and fanatical. It's clear by the end that the man he once was has been fully consumed by the myth of the Lisan al-Ghaib.
- Tragic Hero: Once an idealistic heir to House Aterides, Paul lost almost everything to the Harkonnens in a surprise ambush, and soon receives terrible visions of himself as the Kwisatz Haderach who will wage a devastating holy war across the galaxy. Paul wants to avoid such a terrible future and instead live in peace with Chani among the Fremen. But outside machinations by the Harkonnens, the Fremen fanatics, and his own mother all push him on the path he so desperately wants to avoid and eventually, his desire for revenge plus the discovery that he is a Harkonnen by blood has caused him to embrace his dark destiny. At the end of the second film, he has become a cruel but lonely Emperor who set the galaxy on fire to secure his rule... at the cost of his one true love.
- Uptown Boy: Hails from a wealthy noble family, and falls for Chani, a member of the nomadic Fremen.
- Villain with Good Publicity: By the end of Dune:Part Two, Paul enjoys strong support from the Fremens, hailed as their messiah who will usher a new era for them.
- Warrior Prince: The heir to a House that controls a planet and he is more than capable of killing trained warriors. Notably, his combat training is all exactly that: training in controlled circumstances, yet he can defeat a battle-hardened and practically experienced Fremen warrior.
- Watching the Sunset: Early on, Paul watches the sun setting on Caladan shortly before departing to Arrakis with the rest of House Atreides. He knows it's likely the last time in a long while he'll see the sun setting on his home planet; it also symbolises how the sun is setting on his former life.
- The World Is Just Awesome: For all of its harshness, Paul considers Arrakis to be "breathtaking". Chani tells Paul that Arrakis is beautiful especially when the sun goes down while admiring the sandy landscape with him.
- You Are in Command Now: After Leto's presumed death at the hands of the Harkonnens, Duncan wastes no time in declaring Paul the new Duke of House Atreides as soon as he reunites with Paul and Jessica in the desert and kneels before him.
- Young Conqueror: The source material features a three-year time skip that allows Paul to mature into a young adult by the time he takes on leadership roles. But because the three years time skip doesn't happen in the second movie, Paul is still a teenage boy when he becomes the leader of the Fremen, defeats the Harkonnen and the Emperor, and takes the helm of the Empire.
Duke Leto
Duke Leto I Atreides
"We are House Atreides. There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray."
Played By: Oscar Isaac Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One
"Your grandfather said, "A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it. And he answers." And if your answer is no, you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be, my son. I found my own way to it. Maybe you'll find yours."
The head of House Atreides and the father of Paul.- Ace Pilot: Says to Paul during their conversation on Caladan that he wanted to be one and not the Duke when he was younger, but his status as a member of House Atreides made it impossible for it to be his sole occupation. He still manages to fly an ornithopter with ease while rescuing workers aboard a spice harvester that are about to be attacked by a Sand Worm. Probably an Actor Allusion too, given Isaac's other recent role.
- Adaptational Badass: While he doesn't kill the Baron, he seriously injures him in this adaptation, which is far more than can be said about his book counterpart, even if it's technically Yueh's doing.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: While a good man in either medium, the film focuses on the Duke's better qualities, leaving out most of his more pragmatic and morally gray moments. Case in point, book Leto ordered an attack on the Harkonnen's spice reserves, effectively firing the first shot of the conflict, whereas here, hostilities are instigated by the Baron.
- Defiant to the End: Despite finding himself naked and paralyzed in a humiliating No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine situation, and being told that his lover and his son are dead and thus his house extinguished, Leto manages to hold it together, and enact a Thanatos Gambit Assassination Attempt on Baron Harkonnen via a poisoned tooth. Unfortunately, he only manages to hurt the Baron, but kills everyone else in the room, including Piter De Vries and himself.Leto: Here I am, and here I remain.
- A Father to His Men: He willingly abandons the bounty of a spice harvester to save its crew when a sandworm attacks them.
- Good Parents: While he was one in the book as well, this film establishes the good father-son dynamic he has with Paul by including a scene on Caladan where Leto tells him he is proud of Paul no matter what.
- Informed Ability: We are told he is a very charismatic leader and holds such great sway with the other great houses That he is a big enough threat to the Emperor. But his political capital is never shown on screen.
- The Men First: When a spice harvester is about to be devoured by a Sand Worm, Leto's first and only priority is to save the workers aboard. Despite the vital importance of House Atreides meeting their Spice production quota, Leto barks "damn the Spice" when the workers hesitate to abandon it, showing himself to be the polar opposite of Arrakis' former overlords. The film notably omits the novel's implication that Leto was partly motivated by the need for good press, making him come across as wholly altruistic.
- Nice Guy: Although stern and authoritative by necessity, Leto is clearly a kind and genial man at heart, being a good and devoted father who understands his son's troubles, considering his lieutenants to be good friends, and refusing to entertain the idea of oppressing the Fremen as the Harkonnens did. While he does want an alliance with the Fremen, Leto makes it clear that he also wants to respect their culture and human rights, which earns him a good deal of respect from Stilgar.
- Papa Wolf: The otherwise soft-spoken and genial Duke Leto is livid when an attempt is made on Paul's life, outright shouting "They have tried to take the life of my son!" while confronting Thufir Hawat about the hunter-seeker that managed to sneak into Paul's room.
- Pet the Dog: Leto shouts, "Damn the Spice!" when putting his men's lives above the product, showing that he's a good man at heart. This goes a long way in earning House Atreides the sympathy of Kynes.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: When the Atreides settle on Arrakis, he immediately seeks to pursue, if not an alliance (though that is the long-term plan), at least a mutual peace and respect with the Fremen, unlike Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who had no qualms oppressing, enslaving and killing them when extracting the Spice.Leto: [to Stilgar] I respect the personal dignity of any man who respects mine. [...] So long as I rule here, you will never be hunted.
- Shameful Strip: After being brought before the Baron, Leto is stripped nude and forced to watch his archnemesis eat food from his own kitchen, all while helpless, unable to move and surrounded by enemies.
- Single Tear: As he dies via exhaling poison gas, Leto lets a single tear stream down his face.
- Taking You with Me: Attempts to do this to Baron Harkonnen after he's captured courtesy of Dr. Yueh's poison gas-filled false tooth. He fails to quite kill the Baron but does manage to severely damage him and kill quite a bit of his inner circle including his Mentat Piter de Vries.
- Trauma Conga Line: It all begins when he arrives on Arrakis. First, he is informed that the equipment left by Harkonnen is substandard and the majority malfunctions, which not only causes a significant financial setback, but almost leads to the death of many men when a carryall fails in saving a harvester. Then, an assassin sends a hunter-seeker after his son, putting him on high alert. He is then betrayed and captured by his own doctor and friend. His men are brutally slaughtered, and his house defeated by invading Harkonnen forces. The villainous baron strips him naked and taunts him about his dead family. This culminates with Leto trying to kill the baron with a poison tooth, knowing he will die as well.
- Universally Beloved Leader: He is a beloved leader whose subjects serve him with absolute loyalty, and is quite popular among the other Great Houses of the Landsraad. It's because of this though that the Emperor sees him as a potential threat to his rule, and conspires with the Harkonnens to destroy Leto and his House.
- Wrong Assumption: Leto is suspicious from the start of Emperor Shaddam's decision to send the Atreides to Arrakis, and confides to Paul that he believes the Emperor feels threatened by their power and intends to weaken both them and the Harkonnens through this arrangement. While he is completely correct in guessing his motive, it tragically does not occur to Leto that Shaddam is in fact plotting to outright destroy House Atreides, and is working with the Harkonnens to do so.
Jessica
Reverend Mother Jessica
"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration."
Played By: Rebecca Ferguson Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One | Dune: Part Two
"You may die. You may see. The beauty and the horror."
The Bene Gesserit concubine of Duke Leto Atreides and the mother of Paul.- Action Girl: Although she never presents herself as a physical threat, she has all the same training as any other Bene Gesserit, which allows her to be able to kill two of the baron's men and best Stilgar in hand-to-hand combat. As of Part Two however, she's fully committed to becoming a Reverend Mother for the Fremen so she doesn't see action anymore (and she's pregnant).
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the novel, Jessica bore Paul instead of an instructed daughter purely out of love for Leto; in the film, the Reverend Mother suggests it was out of pride that she herself could produce the Kwisatz Haderach. Based on her response ("Am I wrong?"), there may in fact be a grain of truth in that. Also, book Jessica doesn't realize her son is the Kwisatz Haderach until their time in the tent in the desert and Paul's visions kick in fully. Here she seems to know, or at least believe, he's it from the get go.
- Adaptational Villainy: After drinking the Water of Life, she becomes increasingly sinister and ruthless. Where her book counterpart was mostly sympathetic throughout, by the end of the second film she's become a much more manipulative and borderline villainous figure, as well as The Corruptor to Paul and the Fremen.
- Adaptational Wimp: She is more doubtful and emotionally fragile than in the book (albeit coming from perfectly-understandable concerns any sane woman would have). Then again, as portrayed, she is also a Bene Gesserit with zero qualms about securing her own.
- Affably Evil: Even once she's fully embraced the role of Reverend Mother, she doesn't seem to bear Chani any personal grudge. She stops by to wish Chani well as the latter packs up to leave, though it's unclear whether she's sincere, whether it's an instance of Have You Come to Gloat? or whether she believes Chani has a further role to play in Paul's story.
- Anti-Villain: After her Face–Heel Turn. She's one of the main architects of Paul's Protagonist Journey to Villain, but it's all for the understandable goal of protecting her remaining family.
- Barefoot Captives: Like Paul, she too is captured by the Harkonnen soldiers in her pajamas and has to spend time (thankfully at night) barefoot in the desert.
- Barefoot Sage: In every vision Paul has about what will happen if he goes to the south of Arrakis, he sees his mother walking barefoot among starving Fremen, wearing diaphanous robes. As for the sage part, she becomes the new Reverend Mother of Sietch Tabr after the death of Reverend Mother Ramallo.
- Becoming the Mask: Jessica initially views the Fremens' religion and her role as their new Reverend Mother as a means to protect Paul, but she becomes increasingly fanatical as she convinces them that Paul is their messiah. By the end of the second film, she's become just as much of a zealot as her followers.
- Big "NO!": Pursuing Paul, she gives off a rapid fire "Paul, NO!" in reaction to his desperate Big "NO!" plea to Duncan not to sacrifice himself to save them.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: She becomes quite creepy and sinister in her demeanor after becoming the Reverend Mother, but she's still quite cunning and an effective manipulator.
- The Chessmaster: She, along with Alia, steer the Fremen and Paul in the desired direction through visions and the occasional use of the Voice.
- Colonel Kurtz Copy: She becomes one after taking over as the Fremen Reverend Mother. She becomes a cultish figure who steadily sways the Fremen to her side, and gradually takes control of them outside of a few skeptics. She becomes quite the beloved figure to the religious, but proves quite abusive to the increasingly small amount of skeptics and atheists who don't kowtow to her.
- Compelling Voice: A Bene Gesserit ability which she passed onto Paul. She is far more adept at it than he is, something which three Harkonnen soldiers find out the hard way. She uses it frequently after her ascension to drive skeptical Fremen such as Chani to do her bidding.
- Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: In the beginning of Part Two, she saves her son's life by ambushing a Harkonnen soldier from behind and bludgeon him to death with a rock.
- The Corrupter: After becoming the Reverend Mother, she pushes Paul to exploit the Fremens' religion to manipulate them and sets about persuading them further and further into religious fanaticism, knowing fully well she's turning Paul into a Dark Messiah. She ultimately succeeds in corrupting both.
- Creepy Good: Downplayed. She becomes decidedly more sinister after drinking the Water of Life, but she's still on Paul's side and is setting up events in his favor... it's just that these events are meant for him to take over the Fremen and embrace his role as a Dark Messiah.
- Deadpan Snarker: After Stilgar orders her death, Jessica swiftly overpowers him, leading the Fremen chief to ask why Jessica didn't say she was a "weirding woman" (a Fremen term for the Bene Gesserit). Jessica quips "conversation ran short".
- Evil Costume Switch: After becoming the Reverend Mother, Jessica switches from her elegant garb to ceremonial robes and jewelry. It accompanies her shift into a much more sinister and at times outright villainous religious demagogue.
- Face–Heel Turn: She's more morally ambiguous than Leto, but throughout the first film Jessica is a mostly heroic and sympathetic character despite clearly wanting Paul to be the Kwisatz Haderach. After becoming the Fremens' Reverend Mother, she becomes increasingly ruthless and sinister as time goes on, and starts manipulating Paul to make him embrace his destiny as a Dark Messiah.
- False Prophet: After becoming the Reverend Mother, Jessica begins convincing the Fremen that Paul is the Lisan al-Gaib and sets herself up as a religious demagogue. However, at a certain point it's implied Jessica has begun to buy into the religion herself.
- Forced into Evil: She accepts Stilgar's offer to become the Reverend Mother because he makes it clear she'll be cast out if she doesn't. After she takes the position, she becomes increasingly ruthless in the name of protecting Paul.
- Going Native: A dark example. After becoming the Reverend Mother, Jessica gradually becomes indoctrinated into the Fremen religion. She never loses sight of manipulating them, but as time goes on it becomes clear she's come to believe the fanatical religious zealotry she seeded.
- Hollywood Old: Rebecca Ferguson is only 12 years older than Timothée Chalamet, and she portrays his character's mother (though this time, it isn't because a younger actress was cast for the role, but because Timothée Chalamet is a decade older than Paul). It can also be justified in that, while it's not mentioned in the film, in the book one of the effects of spice is to prolong life and reduce the effects of aging; as a result, most anyone who can afford to takes very small doses regularly to remain young and healthy for far longer.
- Human Notepad: A vision by Paul shows Jessica deep in Prajna meditation with scriptures written all over her skin. She gains them for the sequel after becoming the Fremen Reverend Mother
- Imperiled in Pregnancy: Paul deduces early on that Jessica is expecting her and Leto's second child, and Jessica is forced to go through all the chaos of the first film's latter half while pregnant.
- Jerkass: She doesn't qualify at first, as while she's cold, she's mostly polite and affable. However, after becoming the Reverend Mother, she becomes increasingly manipulative and sinister, to the point even Paul becomes wary of her.
- Join or Die: Stilgar proposes to Jessica to become their new Reverend Mother after Romello will die. He specifically chose her as the mother of Lisan Al'Ghaib. Jessica asks him out of curiosity what will happen to her if she refuses. Stilgar coldly answers that they will take her water.Paul: It's an honor, isn't it? I think you should feel honored.Jessica: Well, it was a choice between this or death, you know forgive me if I'm not flattered.
- Kick the Dog: When Chani refuses to play her role in the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy, Jessica invokes the Voice to force her to take part.
- Knight Templar Parent: After becoming a Reverend Mother in Part Two, Jessica starts going to some very dark lengths to ensure Paul's safety and his victory over the Emperor and the Harkonnens. She exploits the Fremen's belief in the Lisan al-Gaib (planted generations ago by the Bene Gesserit) to create a religion surrounding Paul, acting as a cult leader to ensure her son has an unmatched legion of fanatics to fight on his behalf. Later, when Paul himself takes the Water of Life, Jessica goes so far as to use the Voice on Chani to force her into taking a part in the prophecies she had roundly rejected.
- Man Bites Man: After her gag is removed, the Harkonnen pilot tries to gag her with his hand. She bites it.
- Mama Bear: Is willing to defend Paul with her life and cuts down several Harkonnen soldiers to protect them. Takes this to extremes in Part Two, where she becomes a Knight Templar Parent.
- Manipulative Bastard: She effortlessly manipulates the Fremen into accepting Paul as their leader and worshipping him as their Dark Messiah from behind the scenes by forcing events to resemble the prophecy of the Lisan Al-Ghaib.
- Many Spirits Inside of One: After accessing her genetic memory, both Jessica and her unborn daughter become susceptible at being influenced by the Abomination.
- More than Mind Control: Implied Trope. Though it is yet to be confirmed, it's heavily hinted that the reason why Jessica goes through such an abrupt personality transformation after drinking from the Water of Life, is because she is possessed by the genetical memories of her the Bene Gesserit ancestors.
- My Beloved Smother: Jessica's efforts to push Paul into fulfilling the prophecy of the Kwisatz Haderach/Lisan al-Gaib are met with exasperation by her son, who is afraid of the suffering that could result and would much prefer to live as a regular Fremen.
- Mood Whiplash: The taking of the Water of Life distinguishes the attitude exhibited by her. She was timid prior but was much darker in tone after.
- Nervous Wreck: Paul is quick to notice that his mother is very afraid of becoming a Reverend Mother, and she has good reasons for it, as she will have to experience centuries of pain and sorrow. She starts to recites the Litany Against Fear to calm herself down and Romello uses the Voice to force Jessica to drink the Water of Life.
- Nominal Hero: She becomes this after drinking the Water of Life. She's still on Paul's side, but only his and has no qualms about manipulating the Fremen, or kickstarting the prophecy that will lead to a holy war.
- Not What I Signed Up For: She tries to convince Stilgar to smuggle her and Paul back to Caladan on two occasions. She says the reward for this would be great, but Stilgar retorts there is no greater reward than the water in their flesh. The second attempt is after Paul kills Jamis. After Stilgar considers Paul one of the tribe, she inisists that they be smuggled offworld. She is countered this time by Paul himself — who says his road leads into the desert. She reluctantly agrees.
- Protagonist Journey to Villain: Jessica's journey in the sequel is similar to Paul's. While Jessica was always a pragmatic and morally gray character, she was still ones of the most moral characters in the movies. Unfortunately, after drinking the Water of Life and accessing the memories of the other Bene Gesserit, she becomes a sinister and manipulative religious figure, corrupting her own son to accept his role as a Dark Messiah.
- Sanity Slippage: Downplayed. Jessica remains mostly sane after drinking the Water of Life, but afterwards she becomes quite sinister and eccentric in her demeanor.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She might look like a Proper Lady, but she's been trained to fight and the Bene Gesserit are definitely not an order of women to mess with. She kills the three Harkonnen soldiers holding her and Paul captive by using the Voice (and stabbing one herself), then swiftly trounces Stilgar when he attacks her.
- Skeptic No Longer: After becoming the Fremen's Reverend Mother.
- Slowly Slipping Into Evil: After drinking the Water of Life, she becomes increasingly ruthless and manipulative, and is one of the main architects in setting up the holy war Paul leads at the climax of the second film.
- Spanner in the Works: Seen as this by Reverend Mother Mohiam, for giving birth to a male heir instead of a daughter (The Bene Gesserit have the ability to choose the sex of their child), which was supposed to be married off to Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Indeed, Jessica spends most of Part Two pushing Paul into the role of the Kwisatz Haderach.
- Survival Mantra: She recites the "Litany Against Fear" at multiple points in the movie to keep herself together.
- Talking to Themself: Parodied after she takes the Water of Life which awakens Alia to adult level whilst still still within her womb. They talk with each other telepathically.
- Too Important to Walk: After becoming Sietch Tabr's new Reverend Mother, she is carried in a Fremen palanquin to the southern tribes for her safety and to accommodate her progressing pregnancy.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: After becoming the Reverend Mother, Jessica becomes a much more ruthless and manipulative figure. She also becomes increasingly sinister in her demeanor, to the point even Paul starts to become wary of her and her ambition to turn him into a Dark Messiah.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Where the Water of Life leaves Paul's demeanour mostly the same if noticeably colder, Jessica's personality changes drastically after she drinks it. She goes from a somewhat timid and expressive woman to an inhumanly cold, sinister demagogue who comes across as somewhat unhinged.
Thufir Hawat
Thufir Hawat
"Our plan bears fruit."
Played By: Stephen McKinley Henderson Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One
The Mentat of House Atreides.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: While still a good guy in the book and other adaptations, the book emphasized his dislike of Bene Gesserit and his constant suspicion of Jessica as a result. Other adaptations made Thufir somewhat gruff and uptight, but still somewhat avuncular to Paul. Thufir, in this film seems more laid back, easygoing and familial with everyone in the inner circle, despite having a job that required him to be Properly Paranoid.
- Cool Uncle: Despite not actually being his uncle, he serves this role to Paul, both clearly being very happy to see each other again when the Atreides family arrives in Arrakis.
- Frontline General: He personally leads the Atreides advance team in securing the main city on Arrakis and smoking out Harkonnen stragglers.
- Honor Before Reason: After Paul survives an assassination attempt, Thufir accepts responsibility for this lapse in security and offers his resignation. Being pragmatic, Duke Leto refuses his resignation, since Thufir is way too valuable for House Atreides, as well as being far too angry about the attempt on Paul's life to care about Thufir's honor.
- Nice Guy: Despite his role in House Atreides including espionage and assassination, Thufir is an avuncular, easygoing man who gets along well with everyone in Duke Leto's inner circle. Upon arriving on Arrakis, Paul greets Thufir with a warm hug, which a smiling Thufir gladly returns.
- Parasol of Prettiness: He shelters under a white Japanese-style parasol whenever he goes outside on Arrakis, which makes him look a bit effete.
- Prophet Eyes: When performing a Mentat calculation for the Duke, his eyes roll up into his head, leaving only the white sclera exposed.
- The Smart Guy: Being a Mentat makes him this by default since Mentats train their brains to turn them into living supercomputers. He can calculate what a ship and navigators cost for a journey to Caladan in an instant and with Ludicrous Precision.
- The Spymaster: His official title in the House Atreides court is Master of Assassins. His duties include espionage and counter-intelligence, as well as being responsible for House security.
- Uncertain Doom: He's not seen during or after the Harkonnen attack in the first film, and doesn't reappear or is mentioned again in Part Two, leaving his fate unclear. In the screenplay, Thufir ends up as a prisoner of a gloating Piter de Vries.
Gurney
Gurney Halleck
"Mood? What's mood to do with it? You fight when the necessity arises, no matter the mood. Now fight!"
Played By: Josh Brolin Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One | Dune: Part Two
"Rabban Harkonnen himself killed my family and gave me this scar to remember him by. This is all of my business."
The Warmaster of the Atreides army and Paul's combat trainer.- Adaptational Attractiveness: The novel describes Gurney as "an ugly lump of a man". The film has him portrayed by the ruggedly handsome Josh Brolin, though it does include the literary Gurney's gnarly facial scar.
- Adaptational Comic Relief: Inverted. In the books, Gurney was an eccentric jokester. Here, he's much more taciturn and stoic. He's much snarkier in the second film, but never as much as his literary counterpart.
- Adaptational Jerkass: He's much hammier and angrier in Part One, not to mention more short-tempered, and lacks his literary version's joking penchants. In Part Two, He's much less so as he is much happier after seeing Paul reach his potential and even jokes with Stilgar and Chani at times — even using a metaphor that scared them. (unintentionally though) He does, however, have significantly less honor than his literary counterpart and actively encourages Paul's growing ruthlessness, instead of being frightened of it.
- Adaptation Personality Change: This version cut out the troubador warrior aspects of Gurney's character (a scene of him with the baliset was shot but cut from the film). He also lacks the Antiquated Linguistics of the literary Gurney that other adaptations often flanderized. For instance, his annoyed reaction to Paul during their training duel after Paul says he's "not in the mood" uses the more blunt and "mundane" part of what he says in the book, "You fight when the necessity arises". The previous movie version and the miniseries use the more flowery half of his statement, "Mood's a thing for cattle or making love or playing the baliset." This may be due to the fact that this is the first time that the character was not portrayed by a British actor but a clearly American one.
- Adaptational Wimp: Downplayed as he is still formidable but it's kind of hard to imagine this version of him beating the movie version of Duncan Idaho in sparring "six times out of ten" like it happens in the books.
- And This Is for...: When he kills Rabban, Gurney dedicates the Beast's death to "my Duke, and my friends".
- Badass Teacher: Piter explains to a Sardaukar Bashar that Gurney and Duncan Idaho's training has made House Atreides' army into the finest in the Imperium.
- Berserk Button:
- Anyone who fails to take the threat from the Harkonnens (who enslaved him and killed his sister) seriously.
- Disrespecting Duke Leto; Gurney is visibly annoyed at Stilgar's lack of regard for Leto's authority, and nearly attacks the Fremen chieftain for spitting in front of the Duke (unaware of Fremen values; sacrificing any moisture is a sign of great respect among the Fremen).
- Closest Thing We Got: Invoked by Gurney during his and Paul's sparring session early in the first movie. As the House Atreides Weapons Master, normally Duncan Idaho oversees Paul's combat training. But with Duncan having been dispatched to Arrakis in advance, Gurney (as the House War Master) is the cloest thing they have to a substitute teacher.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He become this trope in the sequel because he knows where Leto Atreides hid all the atomic bombs belonging to House Atreides on Arrakis.
- The Comically Serious: There's a funny bit early in the first movie when Duke Leto tells him to smile while they're greeting the Herald of the Change. Gurney answers that he is smiling despite the fact that he's glowering at the camera, probably because he knows why the Imperial host is really on Caladan. Gurney is more than capable of smiling as shown when he meets up with Duncan on Arrakis and when Paul arrives for his first strategy meeting, or when Duke Leto suggests taking the Imperial Judge of the Change (Dr. Kynes) he jokingly calls her a hostage.Leto: Smile, Gurney.
Gurney: I am smiling. - Dark and Troubled Past: Alluded to; while training Paul, who has never faced the Harkonnens, Gurney emphatically states that he has known Harkonnens, describing them as inhuman and brutal. Gurney's backstory in the books includes a time spent as a gladiatorial slave on Giedi Prime, where Beast Rabban scarred his face with an inkvine whip, and where Gurney's sister died after being forced into prostitution. Part Two has him elaborate, telling Chani about the aforementioned disfigurement and mentioning that Rabban killed his family.
- Defrosting Ice King: He shows his emotions and affection for Paul more openly in Part Two, and is fairly cordial with the Fremen.
- Four-Star Badass: As warmaster he is the supreme commander of the Atreides military. He's also a capable warrior in his own right, leading the charge against the Harkonnens and easily killing two of their soldiers.
- Frontline General: He kicks ass right alongside his men when the Sardaukar and Harkonnen forces attack.
- I Choose to Stay: When he reunites with Paul, he reveals that he and several groups of Atreides troops broke through Harkonnen battle lines during the attack on Arrakeen and to safety. While he managed to get the remaining soldiers off-world and back to Caladan, he chose to stay because honor compels him to try and avenge his duke.
- It's Personal with the Dragon: While he hates the Harkonnens as a whole, Gurney has a special loathing for the Baron's attack dog Rabban, who murdered his family and left him with a permanent scar. He gets to settle his grudge against Rabban during the final battle for Arrakeen, slaying the brute in combat.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: As gruff as Gurney may be, he's incredibly loyal to House Atreides, and clearly cares a great deal for friends like Duncan Idaho and Paul Atreides.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Zig-zagged, He's fully in with the prophecy, but not because he believes that Paul is truly a messiah, but out of loyalty to House and Atreides and for personal reasons, as Rabban killed his family and gave him the scar to remember it by.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Between the two films, Gurney managed to survive the lost battle in Arrakeen and managed to secure safe passage for other survivors back to Caladan while he remained on Arrakis to take revenge on the Harkonnens however he could.
- Rank Scales with Asskicking: The Atreides Warmaster who is equally comfortable at the Duke's side during council meetings and at the very front lines of pitched battles.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The gruff, stoic Blue to Duncan's Red.
- Took a Level in Smartass: In the second film. While no less stoic, he's much more prone to joking around and making sarcastic remarks.
- Seriously Scruffy: In the months that passed since the events of the first movie, Gurney let his trimmed hair and beard grow quite long.
- Slasher Smile: Sports one after easily slaughtering a pair of Harkonnen foot soldiers and leading his surviving men in a charge against the incoming Harkonnen assault forces
- Stern Teacher: Gurney is unrelenting when training Paul in the fighting arts as the Harkonnen would show the Atreides no mercy in a fight. Outside of that, he's friendly and even affectionate with his young master.
- Toxic Friend Influence: After reuniting with Paul and joining the Fremen army, Gurney wastes no time at all bringing out the worst in Paul, encouraging his usage of violent tactics, encouraging him to go south to join the Southern Tribes, and actively keeping the few skeptical of Paul's increasingly ruthless personality from speaking to him, all so Paul can help him take his revenge on Rabban. That said, Gurney also clearly does take Paul's concerns into consideration when Paul makes it clear his fears and does at least try to offer him another option by offering him access to the Atreides family's atomics so he can hopefully bypass the need for prophecy by going to the Southern Tribes while fulfilling both of their needs to make the Harkonnens bleed. It is only after they are forced out of the North and Paul's guilt eating away him encourages Gurney to fully support Paul's slippage from a noble rebel to a manipulative "messiah".
- Uncertain Doom: In the first film, Gurney is last seen fighting Harkonnen troops in what ends up being a losing battle, and his fate is unrevealed then. The second film reveals he survived.
- Warrior Poet: Although this characterization was deemphasized in this adaptation (i.e., a scene where he plays the baliset was cut), some of Guerney's Warrior Poet personality remains. When the Atreides finally arrive at Arrakis, he can be seen reading the Orange Catholic Bible, and the first thing he does is to quote a poem. He's finally shown playing his baliset and singing when he reappears in the second movie.My lungs taste the air of Time
Blown past falling sands.
Duncan
Duncan Idaho
"To hell, dogs!"
Played By: Jason Momoa Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One
"Listen, dreams make good stories. But everything important happens when we're awake."
A Swordmaster serving House Atreides who formed a close bond with Paul.- Ace Pilot: Duncan isn't just a master swordsman, he's an expert pilot. During the attack on Arrakeen, once he gets into a thopter, he manages to bring down several enemy ships before deftly escaping the counterattack.
- Adaptational Badass: He's more competent and respected in this film, which omits his embarrassing drunk scene and Jessica's mistrust towards him.
- Ambadassador: A necessity; he didn't even see a Fremen until they sent a warrior to kill him, which Duncan admits he nearly did. Only after he killed their warrior did they accept him. Duncan's time among the Fremen makes him an ideal diplomat for the Atreides; it's Duncan who arranges the meeting between Stilgar and Duke Leto, and he deftly smoothes over a rough spot in the meeting caused by Culture Clash.
- Anachronism Stew: When we first see him on Caladan, he wears a flight suit resembling that of a contemporary jet fighter pilot. When first seen on Arrakis, he's wearing two swords like a samurai.
- Badass Teacher: Piter explains to a Sardaukar Bashar that Duncan and Gurney Halleck's training has made House Atreides' army into the finest in the Imperium.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Duncan is a genial, gregarious, jovial man, affectionate to his friends and diplomatic when dealing with the Fremen. He's also an incredibly fierce and deadly warrior, ruthlessly cutting down any enemy in his path, with even the dreaded Sardaukar being no match for him one-on-one.
- The Big Guy: In addition to being the most combat-capable member of House Atreides, he's also the most physically imposing and is played by 6'4" Jason Momoa.
- Big Guy Fatality Syndrome: Duncan, the resident Boisterous Bruiser of House Atreides, is also the only one of Duke Leto's lieutenants to die onscreen.
- Boisterous Bruiser: He is quite expressive when welcoming Paul with a Bear Hug. He also shouts when throwing himself into battle when facing off a bunch of Sardaukars during his Last Stand. Bonus point for being played by Jason Momoa, who has a certain knack for playing these.
- Cool Uncle: Has this sort of relationship with Paul. Paul confides in him and they're always happy to see each other. When he realizes that Arrakeen is under attack, Duncan goes to Paul's room to check on him, and is horrified and heartbroken to find Paul gone.
- Determinator: Despite being hopelessly outnumbered by the Sardaukar in his Last Stand, Duncan fights tooth and nail to make sure Paul and Jessica can escape, even getting back up to keep fighting after being impaled. It's not until Duncan drops dead that he finally stops.
- The Dreaded: He's so fierce and skilled a warrior that Piter de Vries mentions his name and that of Gurney when talking about the training of the Atreides forces to the Sardaukar when recruiting the latter for the assault on Arrakeen. During the attack on Arrakeen, three Harkonnen troops don't even try to attack Duncan when he comes for his ornithopter, backing away in fright just from Duncan yelling at them.
- Dual Wielding: Goes up against the Sardukar with a pair of Kindjal.
- Dying Moment of Awesome: Duncan goes out fighting ferociously against the Sardaukar in Paul and Jessica's defense, even pulling an enemy sword out of his chest to keep on fighting before they finally bring him down.
- Face Death with Dignity: Before his Heroic Sacrifice, Duncan stoically salutes Paul before throwing himself at the Sardaukar.
- Gentle Giant: He's huge but very laid-back and likable outside of combat.
- Going Native: Outright said by Gurney to be the case after Duncan returns from his time living among the Fremen, learning their customs.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Dies holding off the Sardaukar to allow Paul, Jessica and Kynes to escape their pursuit.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: A Sardaukar manages to drive his sword through Duncan's chest, seemingly killing the Swordmaster. Duncan, however, finds the strength to not only get back up, but pull the sword out of his chest and use it to cut down at least two more Sardaukar.
- Master Swordsman: His official title under House Atreides is Swordmaster, a title he more than lives up to with his sword and dagger.
- Not Quite Dead: Is impaled by a Sardaukar during his Last Stand, and left for dead. He gets back up a minute later for one last charge as they attempt to breach the room where Paul and Jessica were barricaded. He dies for real shortly after.
- One-Man Army: Duncan cuts through Harkonnen troops like they were made of paper, and Sardaukar are hardly much more of a challenge one-on-one. In his last stand, he cuts down over a dozen Sardaukar before they finally bring him down. In the book version, it's stated that one Sardaukar is considered to be worth a dozen regular soldiers, but Duncan managed to take out nineteen of them in his last stand.
- Race Lift: Downplayed. Momoa doesn't have Duncan's Asian features, although he is still dark-skinned like him.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: The boisterous Red to Gurney's Blue.
- Screaming Warrior: Shouts loudly before attacking a bunch of Sardaukar enemies during his Last Stand.
- Undying Loyalty: Like most of House Atreides retainers, Duncan demonstrates this, specifically toward Paul, who he treats like a combination of social better and little brother. Tellingly, when he reunites with Paul and Jessica after the Harkonnen attack, after embacing them, he immediately falls to his knees and takes Paul's hand to swear fealty to him.
- The Worf Effect: An offscreen variant; when a certified badass like Duncan attests to the lethality of Fremen warriors, saying that he never came closer to dying than when he fought one, it says a lot.
- You Shall Not Pass!: He locks himself behind a door to hold off a unit of Sardaukar and buy time for Paul and Jessica to escape. They eventually bring him down, but suffer heavy losses to their numbers, and lost their chance to end the Atreides line.
