Summary

  • Paul's visions lead him into a deadly confrontation with Jamis, challenging the reliability of his powers in Dune.
  • Killing Jamis not only secures Paul's survival but also elevates him and Jessica among the Fremen.
  • Dune 2 explores the duality of Paul's visions and the high price he may have to pay to fulfill his destiny.

Jamis in Dune appears several times in visions as a friend to Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), but when Paul meets him at the end of the movie, he ends up killing him. 2021's Dune explores Paul's developing powers of prescience as he gains the ability to see the future after prolonged exposure to the valuable drug native to Arrakis, Spice Melange. While some of the visions turn out to be accurate, such as his mother's pregnancy and the death of Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), his vision of the Fremen, Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun) is misleading.

Jamis is seen in several visions acting as a friend and mentor to Paul. However, upon meeting Jamis in reality, Paul is faced with hostility and is forced to fight him in single combat. Paul also sees a vision of him dying in this duel, however, both visions turn out to be wrong as Jamis is killed by Paul. The surprising outcome brings into question Paul's powers in Dune, how reliable they are, and what his visions really mean.

Dune is available to stream on Netflix and Max.

Related
Dune: Part Three - Possible Title, Director Plans & Everything We Know
After the explosive ending of Dune 2, Dune 3 could cap off Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy by focusing on the events of the novel Dune: Messiah.

What Do Paul's Visions Mean In Dune?

Jamis' Death Suggests Paul Has A Choice To Follow His Visions

Paul killing Jamis can also be seen more metaphorically as Paul killing the boy he is and becoming the man...

Paul's vision of Jamis in Dune currently predicts that these two will meet despite Paul never having seen Jamis before. However, the future the visions predict is different from how reality eventually unfolds. In a claim for power, Jamis challenges Lady Jessica after she overpowers Fremen leader, Stilgar (Javier Bardem) However, Jessica is a Bene Gesserit sister and cannot be challenged under Fremen law. Jamis calls for her champion, and Paul must accept.

Jamis forces Paul into a position of kill or be killed. He has to protect his mother and his own life. During the duel, Paul quickly gains the upper hand and demands Jamis to yield. However, Stilgar points out, "There is no yielding under the amtal rule. Only death is the test of it." Although Paul has no choice but to kill Jamis, the action also forces Paul to develop in a way that fulfills his prophecy as Dune's chosen one, or, the Kwizatz Haderach.

In a vision before the duel, a voice tells Paul, "Atreides must die for Kwizatz Haderach to rise... When you take a life, you take your own." Paul killing Jamis can also be seen more metaphorically as Paul killing the boy he is and becoming the man he needs to be to fulfill his destiny as a leader among the Fremen. By the end of Dune, Paul realizes how essential it is that he kills the man who could have become his friend.

Related
11 Biggest Ways Paul Atreides Is Different In Dune 1984 & 2021 Movies
Paul Atreides was played by Kyle MacLachlan in the 1984 version of Dune, and Timothée Chalamet in the 2021 remake, with key character differences.

Paul Killing Jamis Also Elevates Him & Jessica Among The Fremen

The Death Of Jamis Was Essential For Paul's Survival

Paul and Jamis fight in Dune

Paul also secures his life as well as Jessica's by killing his potential friend. While they aren't immediately killed, Stilgar mentions that the fates of Paul and Jessica will be decided once they reach Sietch Tabr, a community where many of Dune's Fremen originate from. However, killing Jamis allows them to become accepted among the Fremen, which is essential if Paul wishes to reclaim Arrakis, destroy the Harkonnens, and avenge his father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac). As Stilgar tells him after the fight is over:

"You're one of us now. A life for a life."

Killing Jamis also reveals to Paul that his visions of the future are not always certain and that they can be altered. This is important to Paul, as he now knows that his galactic genocide is not inevitable. Having to kill a potential friend is a sad reality, but in killing Jamis, Paul finds a new sense of freedom. Paul's first kill is a difficult experience, but he smiles at the end of Dune as he now realizes the future is still within his control.

This sets up Dune: Part Two as it reveals the reality behind some of Paul's most significant visions. The sequel picks up just after the end of Dune as Paul and his mother are welcomed into Fremen society, which is a step in achieving the vision Paul has of leading the Fremen army.

However, the role of this powerful leader who instigates a war does not sit easily with Paul and the sequel will explore the duality of his visions. There is the intriguing question of whether Paul must become a tyrant in order to lead or if his victory can be achieved in another way than what is seen in his visions in Dune. The outcome of that will set up where Paul's story will go in the planned Dune 3.

Dune
PG-13
Where to Watch

*Availability in US

  • stream
  • rent
  • buy

Dune the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name. A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Director
Denis Villeneuve
Release Date
October 22, 2021
Cast
Dave Bautista , Rebecca Ferguson , Sharon Duncan-Brewster , Jason Momoa , David Dastmalchian , Stephen McKinley Henderson , Stellan Skarsgård , Charlotte Rampling , Chang Chen , Oscar Isaac , Zendaya , Javier Bardem , Timothee Chalamet , Josh Brolin
Runtime
155 minutes
Studio(s)
Legendary Pictures
Writers
Frank Herbert , Eric Roth , Denis Villeneuve , Jon Spaihts