Dune: Part One ending explained - What’s next for Paul and Jessica?

However, betrayals see House Atreides come under fire from their bitter rivals House Harkonnen and its monstrous leader Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), forcing Paul and his powerful mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) to flee into the desert.

Once there, they encounter the planet's native population, the Fremen, and the titanic Sandworms.

So, how does Dune end and what does it mean for the sequel?

Dune: Part One ending explained

The final act of Dune was devastating for House Atreides, as their enemies ganged up to eliminate their leader Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and leave their new home on Arrakis in ruins.

Paul's cherished mentor figure Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) was among the allies lost, while the fates of Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) and Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson) were left unrevealed.

Paul and Jessica escape with help from Dr Liet-Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), taking a thopter into the desert and weathering an epic storm that leads the Harkonnens to believe them dead.

While Dr Liet-Kynes also loses her life, Paul and Jessica manage to get away and even escape death at the hands of a Sandworm.

Amid their time in the desert, Paul experiences prescient visions of the future, including seeing his mother covered in written scripture and cradling a baby with blue eyes, whilst also seeing him standing on a ship overlooking a planet with masses of warriors before him and a mysterious woman by his side, portrayed by Zendaya.

They are taken in by the Fremen people – who have learned to devise methods to survive the hostile conditions of Arrakis over generations – after Paul bests one of their own in combat.

Among the Fremen community, he first encounters Chani (Zendaya) in the flesh, the mysterious young woman he has been experiencing visions about for some time.

She informs him: "This is only the beginning," which doubles as a statement of intent from director Denis Villeneuve to his audience, as the filmmaker will continue the story in a sequel.

• Read more: Does Dune have a post-credits scene?

What will happen in Dune: Part Two?

Warning: potential spoilers for Dune: Part Two follows.

Frank Herbert's Dune novel is separated into three parts – titled Dune, Mua'dib, and The Prophet respectively – with Villenueve's adaptation encompassing an abridged version of the first two.

Part three will presumably form the basis of his proposed film sequel, which sees Paul and Jessica settle into their roles in the Fremen community of Sietch Tabr under the watchful eye of its leader, Stilgar (Javier Bardem).

Jessica takes on the role of Reverend Mother (the position also held by Charlotte Rampling's Gaius Helen Mohiam), undergoing a ritual that involves ingesting a toxic substance misleadingly named the Water of Life.

The liquid, which is produced by a dying sandworm, has an effect on Jessica's unborn child while still in the womb, but she is ultimately born a girl and given the name, Alia.

Two years pass and in that time Paul has a child of his own with Chani, while his abilities to see the future only grow stronger, leading the Fremen people to consider him a messiah.

Their belief is being deliberately manipulated by Paul, who is exploiting the false prophecies once spread by the Bene Gesserit's Missionaria Protectiva. Still, they do become a more effective fighting force under his leadership and free themselves from the bondage and repression of House Harkonnen and Emperor Shaddam IV Corrino.

This gets the attention of the villainous Baron Harkonnen, who took control of Arrakis after the fall of House Atreides, but now finds himself struggling to fight back against raids from the organised Fremen.

This sets the stage for an epic battle against Paul's forces and those of the Harkonnens, as well as a confrontation involving the Emperor who orchestrated the fall of House Atreides but was absent from the first part of Villenueve's adaptation.

Who dies in Dune: Part One?

The following major cast members died in Dune: Part One.

• Shadout Mapes (Golda Rosheuvel) - A Fremen servant of House Atreides who is killed by House Harkonnen.
• Dr Wellington Yueh (Chang Chen) - Killed by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen after he was blackmailed into betraying House Atreides to save his captive wife.
• Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) - Paul's father ended his own life and attempted to kill the Baron by biting on a false tooth to release a poisonous gas.
• Piter De Vries (David Dastmalchian) - The twisted 'Mentat' of the Baron was killed in Leto's suicide and assassination attempt on the Baron.
• Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) - The swashbuckling swordmaster of House Atreides died fighting the Emperor's Sardaukar troops while defending Paul and Lady Jessica.
• Dr Liet-Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) - The ecologist and ally of Paul Atreides was injured by Sardaukar troops but attracted the attention of a sandworm and took her attackers down with her.
• Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun) - A Fremen warrior who died during a fight to the death with Paul, earning the Atreides heir safe passage with the Fremen to Sietch Tabr.

Which new characters will be introduced in the sequel?

Several new additions will arrive in the cast in the second part of Dune.

• Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) - The psychopathic but charismatic younger nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his designated heir. A skilled warrior and nemesis for Paul Atreides.
• Princess Irulan Corrino (Florence Pugh) - The eldest child of Emperor Shaddam IV Corrino, Princess Irulan is trained in the ways of the Bene Gesserit and is an academic and perceptive royal presence.
• Emperor Shaddam IV Corrino (Christopher Walken) - The ruler of the Known Universe and head of the Imperium, Emperor Shaddam IV betrayed House Atreides in a deal with the Harkonnens.
• Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux) - A member of the Bene Gesserit and a close friend of the Emperor, Lady Margot acts as a spy for the Imperium and her sisterhood.
• Shishakli (Souheila Yacoub) - A Fremen warrior who comes to fight with Paul's cause.

Read More

• Dune Part 2 cast: Full list of actors and characters in sequel

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