Spoiler Alert: Spoilers follow for Dune: Part Two

Summary

Dune 2
challenges the worn concept of a “chosen one” by exploring the consequences and sacrifices that come with such a destiny.
Unlike other genre works, Paul Atreides in
Dune 2
is not a willing hero but rather a conflicted figure forced into a path of bloodshed.
The film serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of elevating individuals to mythic status, showcasing the dark side of blind faith.

For as long as sci-fi and fantasy have dominated film and literature, “chosen one” storylines have been ubiquitous. The appeal is easy to see; if we see stories primarily as escapism, the idea of being destined for greatness or importance in the world is undeniably seductive. This mode of storytelling has led to some of the best genre works of all time, and it’s hard to imagine where pop culture would be without the templates set by quintessential heroes’ journeys like Star Wars or Harry Potter.

But while story tropes like these have become so widely used for good reason, at a certain point, they run the risk of feeling like just another cliché, or worse, a lazy shorthand to excuse poor storytelling. One of the many refreshing things about Dune: Part Two, which finally opens this weekend, is that it recognizes how worn the concept of a “chosen one” has become. Even more impressively, it interrogates the very idea of a “chosen one” and uses its discoveries to give a new dimension to one of the most widely beloved sci-fi novels of all time.

How Dune 2 Subverts Audiences Expectations

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It must first be stated – there’s nothing inherently wrong with “chosen one” storylines, and as previously mentioned, they’ve given us some of the greatest sci-fi and fantasy fiction ever. However, while the idea of a hero being destined for greatness is appealing, if executed poorly, it’s a storytelling device that can too often feel like a power fantasy or, worse, fall into a sort of objectivist line of thinking that certain people are inherently more special than others.

There’s a great irony to the fact that Star Wars took so much influence from Frank Herbert’s Dune novels to the point that a galaxy far, far away may not have even been realized without them. Both stories focus on a young boy seeking to escape his everyday life before being swept into a giant galactic war and realizing he may be the key to turning the war’s tide. Star Wars plays this story straight, proudly wearing its classical influences like a badge of honor. Dune, in contrast, takes a more explicitly deconstructive angle.

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In the world of Dune, Paul Atreides is a figure seemingly destined for greatness, but his life has been building to becoming a hero entirely by design. The Bene Gesserit, a secretive matriarchal order plotting its way to power, has worked over centuries in the shadows to manipulate bloodlines as part of a breeding program. Their ultimate goal is to manipulate the birth of a superbeing known as the “Kwisatz Haderach,” who they can manipulate to consolidate their power in the galaxy.

Not only is Paul’s status as the Kwisatz Haderach a means of control by external forces seeking power, but he came into that role by accident and wasn’t their only candidate. Paul’s mother, Lady Jessica (a member of the Bene Gesserit), had once been given explicit orders to give birth to a daughter, but when she refused and instead gave birth to Paul, everything was thrown into chaos. The Kwisatz Haderach was born a generation early, and knowing that Paul is impossible to control, the Bene Gesserit manipulates another candidate for the role, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, into trying to kill him. In the story of Dune, Paul’s acceptance of his “destiny” is shown to undermine the ones who created him in the first place and render him an all-powerful force intent on destroying all who seek to control him.

Paul’s Loss of Humanity in Dune 2

Most of Dune: Part Two’s dramatic crux rests on the expectations placed on Paul because of his role. The Fremen worship him as a messiah, and everything he does to win their favor only further solidifies their faith in him. But Paul recognizes through his visions that embracing his destiny means following a path of bloodshed, and out of fear of unleashing deadly consequences, he spends much of the film running away from his supposed destiny. His relationship with Chani, who also tries to push him away from a path of war, keeps his humanity intact.

Crucially, unlike several other genre works, Paul doesn’t embrace his destiny so much as he is forced into desperate circumstances that leave him with no other choice. His mother, Lady Jessica, now the Reverend Mother of the Fremen, works covertly to push the tribes into believing that Paul is their savior by deliberately playing into their spiritual beliefs (which were secretly manipulated by the Bene Gesserit as a means of controlling them). Additionally, being a leader in a time of war inevitably requires one to make difficult decisions, and Paul reluctantly decides to become the Kwisatz Haderach only after several Fremen are killed in a deadly attack.

And when he finally becomes the Kwisatz Haderach, Paul becomes all-powerful but at the cost of his humanity. By the time the final battle begins, Paul is noticeably more bloodthirsty and less conflicted about his actions, to the point where his newfound viciousness outright alienates him from Chani, and it fractures completely once he decides to marry Princess Irulan as the new Emperor of the galaxy. The film’s final scene only hints at worse things to come still, as Paul orders his followers to attack the Great Houses who don’t accept him as Emperor, turning him from a young boy looking to avenge his family to a leader willing to unleash a holy war on the galaxy.

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Dune 2 Is a Cautionary Tale About Heroes

All of these things tie into author Frank Herbert’s original concept for the series; he once stated that his goal with the first novel was to “show you the superhero syndrome and your participation in it.” Since people are imperfect by nature, there comes a great risk in elevating everyday people to mythic or superhuman status, especially if their intentions aren’t entirely pure.

While the idea of a “chosen one” can often be an effective storytelling device, just as often, it can risk feeling like this kind of power fantasy. The shockingly bleak ending of Dune: Part Two, which has already earned significant praise, allows us to see how much Paul has sacrificed his humanity to achieve godlike status, is a welcome reminder of the cost of putting blind faith in others, and a welcome shake-up of a well-worn story formula. Dune: Part Two is playing in theaters now.