No, Paul Atreides is not a good person.
The main protagonist of both the “Dune” films is the patriarchal son of the Atreides family, who while being a part of a well-known royal bloodline, is known as the Lisan al-Gaib. That name is given to him as he is the protector and powerful religious leader of the local people known as the Fremen who originally inhabited the planet Arrakis before being forcefully fought for their spice reserves.
On the surface, he appears to be the hero of the series, the savior who is fighting for the little people and rising to the greater threat from the corrupt authority figure known as the Emperor. However, while the movies pretty accurately portray Atreides’ character arc as it’s written from the books, I’ve seen many people jump to compare Atreides’ character to that of Luke Skywalker, labeling him as a savior and true hero with only good intentions before even reaching the end of his written arc.
Without spoiling the books, I can confidently tell you there is so much more to his character than just being a powerful warrior and leader for the Fremen. Rather, I would argue that he’s much more in line with Anakin Skywalker, someone who begins with good intentions and is powerful, but ends up becoming the very thing he fought against.
Both of the films do an amazing job introducing audiences to the characters and their place in the cinematic universe. However, even in the films there is a lot of context missing that is explained in detail in the books. Specifically, the books detail the effect Atreides has on the people of Dune even after he leaves his spot as Emperor.
In the films, we see the highs and lows of Atreides’ arc through his vague and eerie visions as he inches closer and closer to his downfall at the hands of the Fremen people he swears to protect. I’ve also seen plenty of reviews claiming that he’s the main character of “Dune.” The books take on multiple points of view from multiple characters, it does not just follow Atreides and tell the story from his perspective.
I think what makes the books so interesting is we get to see every single angle and story that occurs in this universe. The “Dune” books do a great job of providing even more outside context from the films. I think more people need to take the time to pick up the original 1965 book from author Frank Herbert, as not only does it provide so much extra information, but it also showcases even more about all of the characters in the film. It especially gives you much more insight into the complex protagonist of the first few books, Paul Atreides.
If you’ve seen both films, only the first one, or even if you haven't seen either, I highly recommend picking up the original “Dune” book. It is a challenging read, but it is worth it in the long run. And who knows, maybe after reading the books you will want to give the movies a watch.
Mia Ashby is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Do you agree? Tell Mia by emailing her at ma237419@ohio.edu.
