Dune Explained: The Full Story of Part 1 and Part 2

Dune: Part Two is now in theaters and it finishes the story of author Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. That said, Dune has always been one of the densest sci-fi novels around; even with two films to cover the events of the book, director Denis Villeneuve had to prune some of Herbert's lore down to a more manageable form for mainstream movie audiences. 

There's also the reality that Denis Villeneuve is adapting Dune in a very different period than when Herbert's novel was written, or when the David Lynch film was released (1984). Consequently, Villeneuve has a different point of view when it comes to the story of Dune, and what he wants to convey about it. 

Dune 1 & 2 Full Story Explained (SPOILERS) 

The Spice Is Life – The first thing to explain is the contextual framework in which the story of Dune takes place. The film is set in a distant future, where a naturally-occurring narcotic called the Spice Melange is at the heart of interstellar commerce. Spice acts as both a crucial element in guiding spaceship Navigators through Fold space wormholes used in galactic travel – as well as a drug that has mystical properties, including increasing someone's lifespan and health beyond the natural limits, as well as boosting mental capacity and unlocking clairvoyant awareness (or "prescience") in some people who consume it regularly. Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) controlled the wealth of spice through his allegiance with House Harkonnen, who brutally took control of the desert planet Arrakis (aka planet Dune), the primary source of spice in the universe. 

The Prophecy – The Bene Gesserit Order is a sisterhood of witch-like mystics, scientists, political operators and spies, all working toward one common goal: the evolution and ascension of the human race, by way of the "Kwisatz Haderach," a male Bene Gesserit 'chosen one,'  who would have unparalleled power, combining the mystic/psychic abilities of the Bene Gesserit with the super-computing mind of a "Mentant" and prescient vision of a Space Guild Navigator. To achieve that goal, the Bene Gesserit engaged in targeted breeding schemes for 10,000 years, culminating with Lady Jessica (who was secretly bred by the Bene Gesserit to be half-Harkonnen) being assigned to seduce and breed with Duke Leto Atreides, to produce a girl. Instead, Jessica fell in love with Leto and produced a male heir, Paul Atreides, who turned out to be the one the Bene Gesserit had been waiting for, with the boy exhibiting the powers of the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul grows up being trained by Atreides warriors like Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), masterful military commanders like Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), House Atreides' brilliant Mentat Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson), master physician Wellington Yueh (Chang Chen), and even his own Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). By the time the story of Dune (2021) begins, Paul (Timothée Chalamet) is just coming of age and maturity, and discovering the strange powers that make him different – including prescient visions of his own future on Arrakis, and the fall of his family's hosue.  

Schemes Within Schemes – Just before the events of Dune (2021) begin, Emperor Shaddam is manipulated by the Bene Gesserit's Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) into betraying his dear friend Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) and annihilating his family. The Emperor fears that Duke Atreides is becoming too powerful a rival for him, while the Reverend Mother fears the potential unparalleled power Paul Atreides will develop as he matures – especially after testing Paul herself and witnessing his power. Since the Atriedes are one of the Great Houses of the universe, Shaddam cannot openly destroy them, lest the other houses rally against him. Instead, the Reverend Mother and Shaddman plot to give Duke Leto a "gift" in the form of taking control of Arrakis from his rival Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). The Baron is informed that the change on Arrakis is merely a ruse and that the Emperor will allow the Harkonnen to reclaim it, and bury House Atreides in the sands of Arrakis.  

Arriving On Arrakis –  Leto is trepidacious about taking on the assignment but thinks that proving his House's worthiness on Arrakis will solidify their power and standing for generations. He moves his family and forces to Arrakis, settling in the capital city fortress of Arrakeen. Duncan Idaho is sent ahead of Duke Leto, to scout Arrakis and learn about its native people, the Fremen; thanks to Duncan's successful bonding with the Fremen, one of their local leaders, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), meets with Duke Leto and forms a tenuous alliance with House Atreides. Some of the Fremen have great reverence for Lady Jessica and Paul, as the Bene Gesserit have had missionaries on Arrakis for centuries, seeding the Fremen with the prophecy of the "Lisan al Gaib," the messiah from another world that will come to Arrakis, prove himself through several trials, then free the planet from oppression and restore it to a paradise of greenery and oceans. 

Fall of House Atreides – Doctor Yueh turns out to be a traitor working for the Harkonnen, who took his family hostage. He unsuccessfully tries to assassinate Paul using a hunter-seeker poison drone, to avoid Paul's prescient vision of the coming attack, before lowering the shields around the fortress to allow the Harkonnen fleet to infiltrate and stage an ambush in the middle of the night. Yueh fatally poisons Duke Leto, but gives him an additional poison capsule to kill Baron Harkonnen with; the Baron betrays and kills Yueh (as he did his family) but narrowly escapes Leto's poison gas attack by hovering on the ceiling. House Atreides falls, but Duncan and Gurney both manage to escape, while Paul and Jessica are taken prisoner and smuggled out of the fortress to be murdered and disposed of in the desert where there are no witnesses. Baron Harkonnen installs his nephew, Glossu Rabban Harkonnen (Dave Bautista) as the new commander of operations on Arrakis after Rabban successfully led Harkonnen forces in killing the Atreides. 

Surviving the Fall – Using the Bene Gesserit power of "The Voice," Jessica and Paul brainwash and overpower their Harkonnen captors. They escape into the desert and are found and aided by both Duncan Idaho and Dr. Kynes, a scientist who has been living among the Fremen. Paul thinks he can wed the Emperor's daughter and therefore bring peace between their families, but Shaddam's elite soldiers the Sardaukar find them and attempt to kill them. Duncan sacrifices his life covering Paul and Jessica's escape – as does Kynes, by luring a Sandworm to consume her and the Sardaukar soldiers.  

Meet The Fremen – Paul and Jessica barely survive in the desert, with Jessica feeling the strain of her loss and her pregnancy, and Paul starting to have his prescient powers enhanced by prolonged exposure to the spice that coats the desert. After traveling for a day, Paul and Jessica are ambushed by some local Fremen, but get spared when it's revealed that Stilgar is leading the hunting party. When Paul realizes the girl with Stilgar, Chani (Zendaya), is the girl from his visions of Arrakis, he pledges to join with the Fremen and learn their ways, to harness what his father called "Desert Power" against the Harkonnens. Another Fremen warrior, Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun), cannot abide the outsiders, wanting to kill them and take "their water." Paul agrees to a duel, guided by prescient visions of the fight, and kills Jamis. The victory earns Paul and Jessica a spot in Stilgar's party, but fills Paul with dread that the life he's taken is just the first in a long line of deaths that will happen because of him. 

The Great Empress – Emperor Shaddam's daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) learns that House Atreides has fallen, and deduces that it was her mentor Reverend Mother who pushed her father to do it. Reverend Mother doesn't deny it, stating that Jessica's betrayal of her duties had created a potential Kwisatz Haderach whose power might've not only threatened her father's rule but also the entire galaxy. While Irulan is very conflicted by what has happened, she pledges her continued allegiance to the Bene Gesserit. 

Whole New World – Paul and Jessica are still walking with Stilgar's party back to the Fremen's northern stronghold of Sietch Tabr. The group encounters a squad of Harkonnen hunters, but outmaneuvers and kills them, with Paul and Jessica both getting blood on their hands. Their Fremen companions are impressed (including Chani), and they head for home. When Stilgar arrives carrying Jamis's corpse, the Fremen are split over whether the strangers with him are spies and murderers – or the messiah Lisan al Gaib and the Reverend Mother the prophecy said would arrive with him. 

Acolytes vs Skeptics – Stilgar wholeheartedly believes the prophecy and makes an appeal to the Fremen's elders to put Paul through the trials to prove he is Lisan al Gaib. The council agrees to let the desert and its perils be Paul's test; as a Bene Gesserit, Lady Jessica is given the choice of replacing the Fremen's dying Reverend Mother or donating her own water to the sacred pool underneath Sietch Tabr. Jessica and Paul both taken on their respective challenges, strategizing that their survival depends on the Fremen. Paul is reluctant to use the Gesserit's religious manipulations to control Arrakis's native people, but Jessica's unborn daughter Alia gains awareness while still in the womb, and conspires with her mother to use The Voice and religious propaganda to sway the Fremen to Paul's side and ensure their safety. 

Passing the Tests – Jessica is taken to the temple of the Fremen's Reverend Mother and is commanded to drink the Water of Life, which is a poisonous liquid derived from the Sandworms. Jessica uses Bene Gesserit transmutation techniques to metabolize the poison but is still affected by the Water of Life – as is Alia. Both mother and daughter unlock the full awareness of their bloodline, meaning gaining the combined knowledge (and pain) of their entire ancestry. Jessica realizes she is the illegitimate daughter of Baron Harkonnen, but keeps that secret from Paul. With Jessica surviving and becoming Reverend Mother, Fremen fundamentalists like Stilgar are further convinced that the prophecy of Lisan al Gaib is being fulfilled; this starts a schism with Chani and her fellow Fremen nationalists, who don't adhere to the prophecy of an off-world savior, believing that only Fremen fighters can free the Fremen people and Arrakis. Paul agrees with her, proclaiming he is NOT the messiah, humility that only makes the fundamentalists believe in him more, while Chani builds a quiet respect for Paul. 

His Name is Muad'Dib – Paul is sent on a hike across the desert to prove he can survive and live like a Fremen. Chani tags along and helps him master the survival techniques and equipment the Fremen use to be one with the desert. As weeks turn into months, Paul trains as a Fremen fighter ("Fedaykin") and earns his place in the group by accomplishing feats like riding a Sandworm, and leading successful raids against giant Harkonnen spice mining machines and production factories. Chani becomes Paul's lover, and he takes the Fedaykin name Usul Muad'Dib, after a mythic figure (Usul) and desert mouse ("Muad'Dib") wise in the ways of survival. The Fremen raids become a significant interruption to Baron Harkonnen's spice mining operation and he seeks to replace Rabban as overseer of Arrakis, after the legend of Muad'Dib begins to spread across the galaxy.  

Enter Feyd-Rautha – Back on the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime, there's a gladiatorial event to celebrate a rare eclipse. Baron Harkonnen's nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) is the featured warrior in the arena, challenged to kill the final prisoners taken from the conquering of House Atreides. The Baron throws in the twist of not drugging one of the prisoners, forcing Feyd-Rautha to put up an honest fight for survival. Showing no fear, Feyd turns off his own shield generator and fights the man to the death, showing his opponent respect as he takes his life. 

The Next Haderach – Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux) gets sent by the Bene Gesserit to test Feyd as a potential Kwisatz Haderach, as well as seduce and breed with him, all of which she does successfully. When Feyd-Rautha confronts the Baron about putting his life at risk in the gladiator games, Baron Harkonnen claims it was a job audition to take over for Feyd to take over from his older brother Rabban on Arrakis, which Feyd is delighted to hear. The Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother convenes with Princess Irulan and Lady Margot, ascertaining that Feyd is indeed a viable candidate to be the  Kwisatz Haderach, and can be controlled by the order even though he's psychotic and cruel. 

Southern Pilgrimage - Paul's prolonged exposure to spice boosts the power of his prescient visions. He begins to have a recurring vision of a future in which he starts a galactic war that causes mass famine and billions of deaths. He knows that going to the Fremen strongholds in the south of Arrakis will start the ball of that terrible fate rolling; and when Jessica moves to make the pilgrimage Paul's fears become a reality. Paul is still very reluctant to play upon the Fremen's faith, but Jessica and Alia have successfully influenced the northern tribes into overwhelmingly believing in Paul (as a military leader and messiah) and aim to sway the religious fundamentalists that live in the south. Paul and Jessica have clear tension over her propagandist agenda, but she and Alia tell him that he must also go south and drink the Water of Life, if he is truly to become the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul refuses. 

Old Man, Young Pup – During a Fedaykin raid on some spice smugglers, Paul discovers that his old mentor Gurney Halleck is alive, working as a smuggler. Gurney can't believe that Paul is the infamous Muad'Dib – or that he will not use that religious fervor to more of an advantage.

Arms Race – There is one advantage that Gurney brings to the table: the location of where Duke Leto Atreides hid his nuclear arsenal on Arrakis. However, when the Fedaykin enters the vault where the nukes are located, they are shocked to see that Feyd-Rautha's forces have launched a surprise attack and are annihilating the Fremen settlement at Seitch Tabr. Many Fremen are slaughtered, including Chani's best friend Shishakli, who is burned alive by Feyd. 

South We Go – With Seitch Tabr gone, the leaders of the Fremen tribes call for Quorom to decide what to do in retaliation. Paul realizes that he no longer has any choice in avoiding his visions, and heads South with Chani, Stilgar, and the surviving Fremen of the north. However, Paul breaks away from the group and instead heads to the southern temple where Jessica has had the Water of Life prepared and waiting for him. 

The Lisan al Gaib – Paul drinks it and goes comatose, as the knowledge of his bloodline past and visions of possible futures overwhelm him. True to the prophecy (and her true name), Chani mixes her own tears with the Water of Life, reaching Paul and giving him a lifeline back to the world. Paul is visibly changed when he re-awakens, declaring himself the messiah and liberator of Arrakis. When the Fremen all pull knives in revolt, Paul shocks them by reading the past events in the lives of random people in the room, proving that he has achieved god-level prescience and the control over it. The Fremen bow the knee, declaring Paul the Lisan al Gaib and pledging themselves to his holy war. Only Chani and Gurney seem to recognize the fanaticism taking place, but Gurney makes Chani hide in the crowd. Paul reveals to Jessica that he knows that they are part of the Harkonnen bloodline and that he's seen a vision of a future where they can prevail against their enemies. 

War Challenge – Paul sends Emperor Shaddam an official message stamped with the seal of House Atreides, declaring himself to be alive, and calling out the Emperor to answer for his crimes by coming to Arrakis. When Shaddamn arrives with Princess Irulan and the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, the baron calls on the other great houses to come to his aid. Shaddam turns on Baron Harkonnen, revealing that Muad'Dib is really Paul, meaning the Harkonnens failed in their mission. With all of his enemies gathered in one place, Paul launches a barrage of nukes at Shaddam's ship, knocking out the shields. The Fremen launch an assault on multiple fronts, including Stilgar leading a group of Sandworms against the Harkonnen and Sardaukar forces, and Chani leading ground troops. Paul easily wins the battle and executes Baron Harkonnen in the Emperor's throne room in front of everyone, revealing to the Baron at the last moment that they are related. 

Knives Chip And Shatter – Paul declares that Shaddam must pay for his treachery with his life, but Feyd-Rautha steps in as the emperor's champion, to duel with Paul. The fight is brutal, and Paul suffers two serious stabs through his body, but pulls out one knife and uses it to kill Feyd. Irulan volunteers to marry Paul and bring peace between their houses, if Paul will let her father live in exile. To Chani's shock, Paul agrees to the proposal and makes Shaddam bow the knee and kiss the ring of House Atreides. 

Holy War – When the other great houses arrive on Arrakis, they refuse to recognize Paul as Emperor, leading Paul to declare war against them. Stilgar and the Fremen believe it to be the holy war and rush to the ships left by the Emperor and Harkonnens to begin spreading their war to the other planets. Chani remains behind, looking deeply hurt and conflicted about what Paul has done. 

NEXT: How Dune 2 Sets Up Dune 3 Explained