Where Chani Goes At The End Of Dune 2 & What It Means For Dune 3

The ending of Dune: Part Two left many questions unanswered and caused viewers to wonder where Chani was going on the sandworm and what it means for Dune 3. Throughout Dune: Part Two, Chani tells Paul Atreides that she will love him as long as he doesn't change. Paul did change, though, after drinking the Water of Life and because of the visions and dreams Paul had. In the end, Paul chooses to begin his holy war, but Chani can't go along with it any longer, especially after Paul betrays her by taking the hand of Princess Irulan in marriage.

Paul's demands for the right to marry Princess Irulan as part of his plan to become Emperor. That decision only widened the rift between Paul and Chani, and she left him and his Fremen followers by riding a sandworm away from the capital city of Arrakeen. That series of events was a crucial departure from Frank Herbert's books, however, so the next parts of Chani's story in the movies remain uncertain. While there aren't book details to tell where she's heading, the movie left clues about her possible and set up Villeneuve's take on Dune Messiah.

What Happens To Chani In Dune 2

Chani Is Betrayed By Paul After Guiding Him Throughout The Film

Chani, played by Zendaya, is first introduced in Dune (2021) as a mysterious subject in Paul's visions. He encounters Chani and the Fremen at the end of the first film and integrates into their society for a large part of the second movie. Chani eventually becomes a romantic interest for Paul and the two appear to be falling in love as Paul ascends the ranks of the Fremen as the Lisan al Gaib. Chani is one of Paul's biggest supporters who also guides him in the ways of the Fremen.

Throughout Dune: Part Two, Chani is right by Paul's side as he becomes celebrated by the Fremen as Muad'Dib. At the end of Dune: Part Two, Chani is betrayed by Paul's decision to marry Princess Irulan after he defeats Feyd-Rautha and demands himself to be acknowledged as the new Emperor. Although it is clear that Paul has true feelings for Chani and is supportive of all she has done for him, Paul's inner Harkonnen is revealed and his lust for power is firmly established.

Taking Irulan's hand in marriage is a strategic play for Paul to ensure his reign as the newly self-appointed Emperor. Paul's betrayal of Chani will have lasting effects in Dune 3 and beyond.

Chani Is Likely Returning To The Fremen's South Sietch

Feyd-rautha Destroyed The Northern Sietch

dun

Chani never believed in the Lisan al Gaib prophecy, and she disagreed with many parts of the Fremen religion. Though she had her problems with Paul's new role as a messiah figure to the Fremen, the most likely place she went would have brought her into the heart of that fanaticism. Chani likely went back to the Southern Sietch, despite its religious fervor, since Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen destroyed the Northern Sietch. She probably did this mainly to escape Paul's direct influence, as even though he had followers in the South, she could avoid his leadership and maintain her independence there.

Chani Leaving On A Sandworm In Dune 2 Sets Up A Different Dune 3 Role

Chani And Paul's Relationship Will Be Forever Strained

Chani played a big role in Dune Messiah, and she'll likely be just as important in Dune 3. Her character can't have the same arc anymore, though, as in the book she stayed with Paul. After the ending of Dune: Part Two, Paul and Chani's relationship will never be the same, and that change could have drastic effects. Without Chani's influence, Paul would be even further removed from his original motivations, which could lead him to commit to his holy war even further.

Even if Chani ends up returning to Paul's side as she did in the books, her relationship with him will forever be strained. Chani's ending in Dune: Part Two may have strayed from her storyline in the books, but it worked perfectly for the movie. Her decision to leave on the sandworm came from a place of deep pain, and the betrayal she felt at Paul's actions became the most emotional part of the story's ending.

It also serves to make Dune 3 even more intriguing and anticipated. While it seems likely that Chani went to the Southern Sietch, there is simply no way to tell what happened to her in Dune: Part Two at this point, and only Dune 3 can provide definitive answers.

What Happens To Chani In The Dune Books

Paul Is Much More Transparent With Chani In The Original Novel

Chani was rightfully furious at Paul at the end of Dune: Part Two, although Paul's betrayal in the original novel was much less of a backstabbing moment and more of a mature and purely political power play, which Chani understood. Paul tells Chani at the end of the Dune book his true intentions, reminding her that even though Irulan would be his wife for strategic purposes, his heart belongs to Chani.

Every Dune Book

Paul swears to Chani that Irulan will not bear any of his children and that he will never treat her with affection, since she is a political placeholder. The Dune book ends on a more profound, uplifting note about Paul's feelings for Chani. Dune: Messiah, the second book of the Dune book series and the foundation for Dune 3, takes place twelve years after the events of Dune. During that time, Paul remained loyal to Chani and his promise that only she would have his heart and bear his children.

As the Emperor's wife, and a highborn trained by the Bene Gesserit, Irulan works in the shadows to try and prevent Chani from having Paul's children and eventual heirs by secretly giving her contraceptives. Chani resorts to a completely holistic and ancient Fremen diet to boost her chances of fertility in future installments of Dune.

Could Chani Be The True Hero Of Dune?

Chani's View Of Paul Is Essential To The Future Of The Franchise

While Dune: Part Two is still very much the story of Paul Atreides, the way the movie uses Chani makes her seem more like the hero of the sequel and could hint at further plans for the character in the future. Seeing Paul prove himself to the Fremen people and get revenge on those who betrayed his father is a rousing conclusion to the epic story. However, the perspective from which Denis Villeneuve tells the story is essential for predicting what comes next.

Had Dune simply been told from Paul's perspective, it would have been easy to see him as a clear heroic figure. However, Villeneuve shows so much of his ascension to power through the eyes of Chani who regards him with concern and fear. The scene of Paul riding the worm for the first time is a key example. It is a triumphant moment with Chani initially filled with pride and relief that he accomplished it. However, those emotions turn to worry as she sees how the rest of the Fremen are reacting, seeing it as proof of his godliness.

The more of this story that Villeneuve tells, the more it becomes apparent that it is building to a story about Paul's height of power becoming too dangerous and becoming the very thing he fought to bring down. The fact that the movies are making Chani the one character who seems to recognize the path that Paul is on suggests that she will take on the hero role of the franchise while Paul slips deeper into the corruption of power. Having Chani leave at the end of Dune: Part Two could hint at her forming a plan to stop Paul in Dune: Part Three.