- "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!"
- ―Paul assumes full control of Fremen society[src]
Paul Atreides is the main character of the 2021 film Dune and also its sequel, Dune: Part Two. He is the son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica. Paul is portrayed by Timothée Chalamet.
Born on the planet Caladan, Paul begins experiencing vivid visions of the future in the form of dreams, including an attack on Arrakis, and a yet-to-come relationship with Chani Kynes.
Description[]
The son of a great man and royal heir to the noble House Atreides, young Paul has spent his entire life being prepared for the greatness that comes with his family’s name. Haunted by visions of a mysterious girl and an inevitable future, he is called to leave his childhood homeworld behind for a new life on the most dangerous planet in the Known Universe, where he must confront his innermost fears if he is to realize his true destiny.[1]
History[]
Early life[]
Paul is the only son and heir of Duke Leto of House Atreides and his concubine Lady Jessica. Paul was raised on the planet Caladan, training under the influence of high ranking Atreides soldiers and family friends, Gurney Halleck, Duncan Idaho, and Thufir Hawat.
Given his mother's role as a member of the Bene Gesserit, Paul received training from her on the ways of the organization, but also on the ability to use the Voice. Despite Paul's advanced training, he often found it difficult to control The Voice and therefore, was not as advanced as his mother had hoped.
Desires & doubts[]
When House Atreides is given stewardship of Arrakis, a vast planet home to the most valuable substance in the universe, Spice Melange, Paul is desperate to visit the planet with Duncan Idaho and begs his master to take him with him. Idaho refuses, citing that it is no place for him yet, but also that he would be court-marshalled for breaking Leto's rules.
Paul is reluctant to let the matter rest, however, and talks directly with his father about the matter. Leto refutes Paul, citing that he must be protected as the only heir of Atreides, but also that he will become more involved with the running of Caladan during this time. Paul shares his concerns with inheriting the role of Duke, but his father remarks that he will always be the most important thing: his son.
Paul becomes confused and inquisitive when he begins having dreams of a girl within the desert. The recurrent dreams present themselves as visions to Paul, and he believes that he is seeing the future. It quickly becomes clear that the visions are set on the Arrakis, which makes Paul — and those around him — more inquisitive.
The Gom Jabbar[]
Shortly after he is denied travel to Arrakis, Paul is woken during the night by his mother, who reveals that the Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam has heard of his dreams and come to visit him. She explains the importance of the visit and asks Paul to comply with her every wish, to which he agrees. Before entering the room to meet with Mohiam, he is warned by Yueh — the Suk Doctor — that the Bene Gesserit have their own ulterior motives.
Seconds after their meeting, Paul becomes wary of Mohiam when she dismisses Jessica, citing that it is rude for her to be dismissed in her own home, only for Mohiam to dominate Paul's will with the Voice. Mohiam subjects Paul to a test under the Gom Jabbar, which he graciously passes with ease. Mohiam is surprised, but nonetheless impressed.
Paul questions the Bene Gesserit's motives further when he overhears a conversation between Mohiam and his mother in which they talk about the The One, a prophesied son that will bring peace to the universe. Jessica explains that the Bene Gesserit has been manipulating bloodlines for centuries to bring about The One, but that some believe he has already arrived.
Arrival on Arrakis[]
Shortly after their arrival on Arrakis, Paul is invited along with his father, Leto, on a tour of the spice harvesting operations upon the desert planet. They are accompanied by Liet-Kynes, the judge of change. They witness a harvester circling the desert harvesting spice but are made aware that large sandworms are attracted to the rhythmic thumping caused by the harvesters. Paul and Leto are concerned, however, when the equipment on a carryall fails and the harvester cannot be lifted to safety.
Leto orders as many men to be saved from the harvester as possible, but when Paul leaves the ornithopter to help, he begins experiencing hallucinations due to the vast amount of spice within the air. His hallucinations present themselves in the form of the Fremen girl he has been seeing for weeks. Paul is dragged back aboard the ornithopter just in time before the sandworm ravages the harvester.
Ambush & exile[]
Paul faces further dangers when House Atreides is betrayed by none other than Dr. Yueh, who disables the shield surrounding Arrakeen and jams Atreides' communications. Paul is taken hostage along with Jessica by Harkonnen soldiers. Below them, Arrakeen is ravaged by a hoard of Harkonnen and Sardaukar soldiers.
Whilst the Harkonnen men plan to drop Paul and Jessica into the desert, Paul becomes increasingly concerned for Jessica's safety when the men talk about raping her. Paul tries to use the Voice but fails on numerous occasions. Eventually, he is successful and commands the soldier to remove his mother's gag. Jessica is able to use the Voice to command the men to kill one another and they are successfully able to escape the ornithopter. They take with them a survival kit left by Yueh.
With Arrakis under siege, Jessica and Paul are forced to sleep in a tent in the desert. Sadness overwhelms the two, however, when they find Leto's ring — bearing the Atreides seal — and realize that he is more than likely dead. Paul begins to pull away from Jessica, blaming her and the Bene Gesserit for their intervention.
Finding the Fremen[]
The following morning, Paul and Jessica venture into the desert where they meet with Duncan Idaho, who confirms the death of the late Leto. Paul is welcomed by Duncan as the new Duke of House Atreides, and leads the two to a Fremen stronghold where they meet with Dr. Kynes.
At the stronghold — and old research facility — Kynes explains the history of Arrakis to Paul and Jessica, including how its purpose changed after the discovery of spice. Their time at the facility is cut short, however, when they are attacked by Sardaukar troops and Idaho is killed. Kynes is able to aid Paul and Jessica to safety and allows them to take her ornithopter before telling them she will meet them with the Fremen.
Paul pilots the ornithopter and is successfully able to evade the Sardaukar troops, but crashes in the desert not long after. Paul and Jessica begin to panic, however, when the crash attracts a sandworm. Paul is barely able to escape as he comes face-to-face with the sandworm but finds that it is distracted moments later when someone activates a thumper nearby.
Shortly after, Paul and Jessica are met by a group of Fremen led by Stilgar. Within the group is Chani, the Fremen girl Paul has been dreaming about. Stilgar allows the two to stay with their group, but Paul is forced to fight when Jamis contests the their membership. Paul is able to defend himself with ease and kills Jamis moments later. He and Jessica are invited to join the Fremen, which the two accept.
Personality[]
Intense, quiet and principled, growing up as a Duke’s son meant he was educated in everything from melee combat to basic ecology, but Duke Leto also emphasized the personal qualities of an ideal leader: fair, humble and decisive.
Quotes[]
"Remove her gag!" - Using the Voice to escape capture, 2021 film
"It's coming. I see a holy war spreading across the universe like unquenchable fire. A warrior religion that waves the Atreides banner in my father's name! Fanatical legions worshipping at the shrine of my father's skull! A war in my name! Everyone shouting my name!" - Lamenting his prescient visions
"Father, I found my way." - Dune: Part Two
"Addaam reshii a-zaanta! (Long live the fighters!)" - Rallying his Fremen hoards against the Padishah Emperor
"Silence!" - Cowing the Emperor's Truthsayer into submission
"Lead them to paradise..." - Paul begins his Holy War against the Landsraad
Trivia[]
- The novel's Great Convention specifically forbade using atomic weapons against humans. Paul dodged this proscription by targeting just the Shield Wall. The resulting breach allowed his wormriders to storm Sardaukar forces from a previously impossible direction.
- The irony of the Sardaukar is that they were absolute elites, but only in conventional warfare involving shields, which couldn't be used in worm territory. Only by luring the Emperor to Arrakis and breaching the protective Shield Wall could the Fremen neutralize his Sardaukar advantage. Striking where the enemy is weakest is the most fundamental principle of strategic warfare, as Paul was taught by his mentors.
- The most tragic part of Paul's story is that by the end, nobody truly loved him. His father and Chani were the only ones whose love was focused on him as a person. His mother wanted the Kwisatz Haderach, Gurney his Atreides Duke and his vengeance, and Stilgar his messiah. In the end they got what they wanted and were content with the hollow shell that Paul became.
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
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| Characters from Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two | |
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