As the main character in Frank Herbert’s Dune saga, Paul Atreides is now widely recognized as one of the most influential protagonists in literature. But what is it that makes the so-called Lisan al Gaib so special, to begin with?
Herbert intended Paul to be a subversion of the Chosen One trope. Where in other contemporary stories you would have humble yet courageous halflings with the fate of the world on their shoulders, or younglings prophesied to bring balance to the cosmic force of the entire universe, Paul Atreides is a flawed, yet relatable young man thrust into an intricate web of political and ideological manipulation, haunted by the vision of a future he can’t quite trust nor ignore altogether.
It is not a mysterious higher being that bestows Paul with his unusual abilities. The abilities do not make him omnipotent or even prescient as many believe. In fact, if not for a delicate twist of fate, another character with another name — perhaps even female, as was originally intended — might have inherited the mantle of the Kwisatz Haderach, and the fate of the world would never have been the same.
So what are these abilities, and how is Paul Atreides special?
Paul Atreides’ abilities, explained
The Bene Gesserit’s carefully maintained breeding program, which took 10,000 years to perfect, was to result in the birth of the being known as the Kwisatz Haderach; a person with the ability to access the genetic memories of both his male and female ancestors, and thus bridge the gap between time and space. The Bene Gesserit initially intended this being to be a woman born of Lady Jessica and a member of House Harkonnen, which would not only mend the rift between the two great houses of Atreides and Harkonnen, but also give the Bene Gesserit a puppet to put on the Golden Lion Throne. Lady Jessica disobeyed her sisters, however, and gave birth to a boy, sired by Lord Leto Atreides.Â
From an early age, the Bene Gesserit confirmed that Paul was indeed the Kwisatz Haderach, and could access the memories of the ancestors. Paul’s exposure to the Arrakis spice further strengthened this ability and allowed him to peer into the future and see the Jihad that would kill billions of people in his name.
Apart from that, Paul is a figure of religion and prophecy, though most of these were planted by the Bene Gesserit’s Missionaria Protectiva wing, a group of women tasked with sowing superstition among primitive cultures to control them when the time comes. The prophecy of the Fremen, which refers to the savior known as Lisan al Gaib, is one such attempt by the Bene Gesserit. In the Dune timeline, Paul leans into this superstitious zealotry to wage his war against House Harkonnen, becoming the leader of the entire Fremen and training them in the art of the Bene Gesserit to create his elite regiment of warriors known as the Fedaykin.
Paul is also trained in the Weirding Way of the Bene Gesserit, which allows him to strike at adversaries with unimaginable speed. This Weirding Way is what he teaches the Fremen and turns them into the perfect weapons against the Emperor’s elite Sardaukar force.
Paul is also trained in the use of the Voice, which is a power that compels your listener to do as you bid. He first uses the Voice to compel a Harkonnen soldier to remove the gag from Lady Jessica’s mouth, thus allowing her to use her refined skills and save them from their captors.
It’s the combination of all these skills that turns Paul Atreides into a powerful figure of legend who goes on to supplant a galactic padishah and bring down an empire. When it comes down to it, though, the argument could be made that Paul isn’t special at all, and it’s only a specific set of circumstances — most of which out of his own control — that put him in the position to change the fate of the universe. Even Paul admits, deep down, that his abilities are a curse unto themselves, and too much prescience will only get in the way of seeing the truth.
That’s the sole reason he chooses to leave the Golden Path, but that, as they say, is a story for another time, especially since it takes us into spoiler territory for the now all too probable Dune: Part Three.
