How does Dune: Part Two set up Dune: Messiah? Ending explained

Dune: Part Two finally graced the big screens last Friday, March 1, after facing a long delay, and it didn't disappoint. Fans and critics alike have been claiming the film to be Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi masterpiece as it tells the story of Frank Herbert's first Dune novel successfully while setting up things that we can expect in the future as well.

Dune: Part Two focuses on Paul joining the Fremen to fight against the Harkonnens and seek revenge against them for destroying his family. At the same time, the film also sees him finally fulfill the prophecy of him becoming the messiah and leading the Fremen while setting up a future power struggle with Denis Villeneuve confirming that he would love to adapt Dune: Messiah.

---

How does Dune: Part Two end?

Dune: Part Two is all about Paul Atreides embracing his destiny even though he doesn't want to. However, when he is forced to do so, he drinks the Water of Life and goes into a deep coma and is awakened when Chani mixes her tears with the water too and makes him drink it. Now, being able to know the past and the future and becoming the Lisan Al Gaib (the chosen one), Paul leads the Fremen to attack the forces of the Emperor and the Harkonnens.

Overpowering them with the help of the Atreides' atomic weapons and sandworms, Paul finally confronts the Emperor and kills Baron Harkonnen. He later asks for the Emperor's daughter - Irulan's - hand in marriage and challenges him to a duel with the latter choosing Feyd-Rautha as his champion. The duo then began their fight with Paul emerging victorious and killing Feyd. The young Atreides would then go to kill the Emperor, but Irula stopped him saying that she will willingly spare his life if he lets her father live.

Much to Chani's disappointment, Atreides agreed to it, and with the other houses disagreeing with him, he ordered the Fremen to attack their ships in the sky. The film then ended with a disappointed Chani summoning a sandworm to get away from Paul.

---

How does Dune: Part Two set up Dune: Messiah?

With Paul now being the Emperor and having visions of the "holy war" throughout the film, we can expect a third Dune to deal with that. Denis Villeneuve has already confirmed that if a third Dune is greenlit, then we can expect it to adapt to Dune: Messiah, and Dune: Part Two has already laid down the seeds of it.

There are a couple of changes made over here such as Chani defecting from Paul after him agreeing to marry Irulan and how his sister Alia (portrayed by Anya-Taylor Joy in a vision) communicates through Jessica since she is still in her womb, but enough bread crumbs are laid out here for Dune: Messiah to be fully adapted.

Considering that Dune: Part Two begins just as Paul's "holy war" is about to begin, there is a good chance that we will be able to see the aftermath of it considering that Messiah takes place 12 years after the first novel ends. The novel sees Paul ruling the universe from Arrakis and sees him go down a dark path as the cost of his holy war catches up to him. However, it still may be a while before we get to see Dune: Part Three.

Dune: Part Two is playing in cinemas right now.