Dune is really a before-and-after event in sci-fi literature. The iconic Frank Herbert sci-fi novel debuted in 1965 and forever changed the way audiences saw the sci-fi genre by offering a bold, ruthless reinvention of the hero's journey. Dune redefined what a space opera could be on paper, with a protagonist who crossed every moral line and boundary on his way to avenge his father's death and subdue the galaxy.
However, it was the 1969 sequel, Dune Messiah, that truly showed us how brutal Paul could be. Actions speak louder than words, and the book has plenty of harrowing acts, that's for sure. However, there is a particular line where Paul draws a direct comparison between himself and one of history's most loathed, infamous leaders, which lets you know exactly the type of character he is. Whether the upcoming Dune: Part Three features the line or not remains to be seen, but it remains one of the clearest examples of Paul's moral descent into darkness and cruelty.
Dune Messiah takes place 12 years after the events of Dune, with Paul Atreides ruling as Padishah Emperor. Having assumed his place as the messiah of the Fremen, Paul launched a galactic war of conquest that resulted in the subjugation of most of the known universe. 61 billion people have died, and the Fremen have simply become too fanatical to control, much less stop. Still, Paul, guided by the visions that tell him the current path is the least catastrophic for humanity, presses on, attempting to secure his dynasty with his mistress, Chani.
Meanwhile, a plot to assassinate Paul forms, courtesy of the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the xenophobic society of the Tleilaxu. Reverend Mother Mohiam and Tleilaxu face dancer Scytale recruit Paul's unhappy wife, Irulan, to help in the plot, and gift him a ghola, a reanimated being in the form of Paul's youth mentor and friend, Duncan Idaho. Meanwhile, Paul foresees the death of his beloved Chani in childbirth, and constantly attempts to resist the Fremen's attempts at deifying him while trying to maintain their loyalty out of fear of their destructive abilities.
In Chapter 9 of Dune Messiah, Paul is with his advisors, Stilgar and Korva, going through a list of the atrocities his jihad has committed. He brings up both Genghis Khan and Hitler, drawing a direct similarity between himself and them by noting that they "killed the way I kill": by sending out legions of loyalists and fanatics rather than doing it themselves. He then notes that Genghis Khan and Hitler killed about 4 million and 6 million, respectively, numbers that don't particularly impress either Stilgar or Korva.
Indeed, Paul's "numbers" far surpass those of the two infamous leaders. "I've killed sixty-one billion, sterilized ninety planets, completely demoralized five hundred others," he declares rather matter-of-factly. He continues by saying he has wiped out the followers of forty religions, many of them going far back in history. The "statistics," as he calls them, are eye-opening in their brutality, showing just how uncontrolled and ruthless the Fremen have become.
The Commando-turned-priest Korba justifies the killings by calling the victims "unbelievers," but Paul pushes back at that statement, seeking neither forgiveness nor justification for the jihad's acts. Paul goes on to say that a hundred generations will need to pass to recover from Muad'Dib's Jihad, before declaring, "I find it hard to imagine that anyone will ever surpass it." He laughs, prompting his trusted advisor and the Fremen's leader, Stilgar, to question his amusement. Paul then delivers what might just be the most chilling line in the entire saga: "I am not amused. I merely had a sudden vision of the Emperor Hitler saying something similar. No doubt he did."
At face value, this particular quote is chilling enough. Hitler is one of history's most infamous, hated, and widely condemned leaders, the closest thing to a monster that a human being can be. For Paul to so openly and easily compare himself to him and actually dwarf him in terms of blood spilled is among the most blood-curdling moments in sci-fi literature. Indeed, there's no pride in his words: Paul is not gloating but rather stating a fact. His war has taken over the entire galaxy, leaving a level of unprecedented destruction in its wake.
Paul is also trying to make Stilgar and Korva understand just how much death has been caused in the Atreides' name, but lacking the context of who Hitler was, they can't. But we can. As readers with knowledge of World War II and the incredible loss of life suffered throughout the six-year conflict, we can put into perspective Paul's "statistics," and they're horrifying. The mere mention of the Nazi leader is a cause of disgust, so to see the purported hero of the story be so cavalier in comparing himself to him provokes a deep, visceral sense of shock and discomfort in us.
Of course, that is Herbert's intention. Dune is a story about the dangers of messianic figures, the inherent trappings of prophecy, and the absurdity of the "chosen one" trope — it's a dismantling of the hero's journey, with a protagonist who willingly descends into the depths of evil. You are supposed to feel uncomfortable while reading Paul's thoughts and actions. By bringing a very real, monstrous historical figure into the mix, Herbert adds real-life stakes to what would otherwise be an entirely imagined story. Suddenly, you not only know but understand the scale of Muad'Dib's Jihad's actions. Suddenly, you can no longer remain neutral, even as a reader.
It's a tremendously bold, ballsy choice on Herbert's part, one that makes Dune Messiah one of the darkest sci-fi books ever written. And it pays off. It makes Paul seem more like a monster, but it also makes his ultimate fate feel more earned and powerful. Famously, Paul allows himself to be physically and prophetically blinded, proving himself just a man before the Fremen rather than a prophet or god. Embracing Fremen tradition, he then walks into the sands of Arrakis as a mortal, ridding himself of the crushing expectation and blind faith placed upon him. Paul's journey is dark and deliberately antagonistic, but that's very much the point, and it's what makes the quote all the more powerful all these years later.
