Dune: Part Two Ending Explained

Dune: Part Two arrives in theaters this weekend, bringing to life the latest installment of the live-action science fiction saga. Fans have been excited for Dune: Part Two for a number of reasons, from its all-star ensemble cast to its wild source material from Frank Herbert. Now that Dune: Part Two is in theaters, and the prospect of a third film is already popping up, there will certainly be a lot of conversation about how the sequel culminates.

If you need help breaking down the ending of Dune: Part Two, we're here to help. Obviously, spoilers for Dune: Part Two lurk below! Only look if you want to know!

How Does Dune: Part Two End?

Dune: Part Two follows Paul Atredies (Timothée Chalamet) in his journey on Arrakis, becoming a part of the Fremen community — and, in the eyes of some, its savior — while hoping to enact revenge for the Harkonnens' massacre of his family that occurred in the first film. For years, Paul undergoes a transformation into Muad'Dib, a folk hero on Arrakis who helps the Fremen destroy Spice production and draw the attention of the Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and the Great Houses. Along the way, Paul learns a shocking truth about his lineage — his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is a descendant of the Harkonnens, a secret that she didn't even know before drinking the all-knowing Water of Life.

Paul successfully draws the Emperor and the Harkonnens to gather in Arrakis, and uses the Fremen army to wipe out the Emperor's Sardukar forces. He then charges into the Emperor's throne room and kills his grandfather, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). Threatening to use the Atredies' arsenal of warships to destroy all of Arrakis' spice production — an act that would have ramifications across the galaxy — Paul challenges the Emperor to give him the throne, offering to marry his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). A duel ensues, with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) stepping in to represent the Emperor and dying soon after. The Emperor agrees to Paul's demands, but the Great Houses refuse to recognize Paul as the new Emperor, so he tasks the Fremen with leading "them to paradise." In the aftermath, Chani (Zendaya), who is upset both by Paul's transformation into a tyrant and his marriage to Irulan, departs on a sandworm. Meanwhile, Jessica and her unborn daughter Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy) acknowledge that Paul's reign is only beginning.

Will There Be a Dune 3?

As fans of Herbert's books know, the grand narrative of Dune extends far beyond the events of the first book — and to an extent, the first two films still leave some things unexplored. For starters, Paul's efforts to make Arrakis into "paradise" have not been shown, outside of a flash-forward with a now-adult Alia confirming that his plans were a success, and that Arrakis will have water once again in the future. Dune director Denis Villeneuve has teased that a script for a third film, Dune: Messiah, exists, and that he is focusing on telling the best possible distillation of the source material.

"I'm working on four different screenplays -- I know that Dune: Messiah will be one of them, I don't know if it will be the next or the second next," Villeneuve shared in an interview earlier this year. "My job was to try to keep the spirit of Frank Herbert alive as much as possible -- the whole meaning of Dune becomes clear with Dune: Messiah."

How do you feel about the ending of Dune: Part Two? Do you hope there ends up being a third film? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Dune: Part Two is now playing exclusively in theaters.