20 Things You Didn’t Know About Dune

The hero’s journey is one of history’s most common plot structures. Outlined in John Campbell’s book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, it is posited that the most re-told story in our history and mythology is that of The Hero’s Journey. Here our hero goes on an adventure, is victorious in a decisive crisis and then comes home changed or transformed. At a surface level, it would be easy to apply Campbell’s theory to that of Paul Atreides’ journey; much like Geroge Lucas would later do with Luke Skywalker. However, those who read between the lines of the first Dune book - and even more so for those who read deeper into the series - know that Dune is in fact the anti hero’s journey.

Whilst Paul is held up as a messianic figure by the Fremen of Arrakis - which has itself triggered interesting and worthy conversations around the recent film’s handling of a potential white saviour narrative - it is pretty common knowledge that the Bene Gesserit planted the seeds of this religious prophecy centuries into the Fremen’s history. A sect of the guild known as the Missionaria Protectiva spread mythological rumours throughout the early galactic empire as a centuries-long insurance policy to protect Bene Gesserit interests.

While, yes, Paul is special in a physical sense due to training and the Bene Gesserit breeding program, he isn’t some prophesied demi-god. His ascension to the galactic throne causes a galaxy-wide jihad committed in his name; a fate he himself witnesses in a vision and refuses to stop (despite being able to) because it would deny him his revenge over the Harkonnens. Nonetheless he is frightened by his so-called ‘terrible purpose’.

It’s revealed in the 2nd book that an adult Paul has grown somewhat disillusioned with his own myth and ended up causing the deaths of over sixty billion people in said revolution. Frank Herbert made it clear on numerous occasions that Dune was a warning against charismatic leaders, and the dark paths they can take humanity down. Paul was never supposed to be the hero and many argue he’s actually the villain of the tale.