Dune: Do Paul Atreides And Chani End Up Together In The Books?

This article contains spoilers for "Dune Messiah"

Just like Denis Villeneuve's film adaptations, Frank Herbert's "Dune" has love at its center. Well, love and spice, and giant sandworms, and revolution, and zealous faith, and prophecy ... but love is right in there. In the first part of the book, Lady Jessica's relationship with Duke Leto Atreides is the core of the story — a relationship that, while built on true love and respect, is doomed to fail. In the back half of the book, the romantic focus shifts to Paul and Chani, though the ending of "Dune" leaves their story somewhat uncertain.

As in the movie version, Paul announces that he will marry Princess Irulan at the end of the first novel, cementing himself as Emperor through a political marriage. In the films, this is a complete shock to Chani, and "Dune: Part Two" ends with her walking out of Arrakeen and calling a sandworm because she can't abide Paul's apparent new obsession with power. In the book, Chani knows about this part of the plan and supports Paul in it. It's also worth noting, though, that in Herbert's original version, she has a bit less agency and is not a Fedaykin warrior.

In Herbert's "Dune Messiah," it's revealed that while Paul does marry Irulan to take the throne, he never consummates their marriage, nor does he show her any form of affection. He keeps Chani with him as his life partner, and they live for many years in this somewhat odd arrangement. However, things don't exactly end for them with a happily-ever-after.

Though Paul and Chani live together for many years after the end of "Dune," they're unable to have a child together once Paul becomes emperor. In the first novel, Chani actually gives birth to Paul's son, whom they name Leto II, while the two are living in the desert fighting the Harkonnens. The child is tragically killed in an attack shortly afterward. Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two" completely cuts Leto II out of the story due to the film's truncated timeline.

"Dune Messiah" reveals that Chani hasn't been able to conceive another child since Leto II because Irulan — still hoping to secure the Atreides bloodline for the Bene Gesserit by compelling Paul to have a baby with her — has been slipping a contraceptive into her food for years. Paul allows this to happen because he sees visions of Chani dying in childbirth and is afraid to lose her.

Ultimately, Chani does get pregnant and gives birth to twins at the end of "Dune Messiah" — another boy named Leto II and a girl named Ghanima. The effort proves too much, however, and she dies just as Paul had foreseen. Devastated that his vanity and arrogance ultimately still caused the love of his life's death, Paul steps away from his role as emperor and walks into the desert.

If you only read Frank Herbert's six "Dune" novels, then the end of "Dune Messiah" is also the end of Paul and Chani's story. However, many more books have since been written by Herbert's son Brian and prolific sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson, filling in gaps both before and after the original saga.

These various "Dune" prequels and sequels are treated a bit contentiously within the fandom. Some readers enjoy their additional worldbuilding, while others decry them as second-rate, non-canon additions that were completely unnecessary. Regardless, they add some interesting details to the larger story, and in the final novel chronologically, 2007's "Sandworms of Dune," Paul and Chani get a more permanent happily-ever-after set thousands of years later in the "Dune" timeline ... sort of.

Both characters come back as gholas in the book, the strange clones seen throughout the series. Once the big bad is defeated (it's a long story), they finally get a bit of peace in the epilogue, reaffirming their love for each other thousands of years after the first novel's events. While it's nice to know that in one version of the story, these two characters actually get a happy ending, it isn't universally beloved. The fact that both characters come back as gholas has been criticized by many readers as a cheap bit of fan service, so if you choose to dive into the Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson "Dune" novels for yourself, just know that your mileage may vary.

Denis Villeneuve has said that he's interested in making a "Dune Messiah" movie. It would be a bit tricky, as the second novel is a lot more cerebral and less straightforward in its narrative (if you can imagine such a thing), but given how successful the last two movies have been, the odds we'll see "Dune 3" get made seem good. Since Paul and Chani end "Dune: Part Two" on very different terms than they do in the book, there's a chance that Villeneuve could take their story in a new direction with a third film. However, he probably wouldn't push things too far off the path of the source material.

Villeneuve has emphasized repeatedly that he's a huge fan of Herbert's "Dune" novels, and Paul and Chani's story in "Messiah" is essential for setting up everything that happens after. Paul also has a line in "Dune: Part Two" where he says that he's foreseen Chani forgiving him for his power grab and proposal to Irulan. It seems that in the film version, she just takes a bit longer to come around.

Because of how different Chani is in the movies, there would inevitably be some differences in a "Dune Messiah" movie. However, it seems unlikely that her story would end any differently. Such is the risk when you fall in love with a dark messiah.