‘Dune’: Here’s Why Leto Became a Worm, and Will the Same Happen to Paul?

Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ is one of the greatest sci-fi masterpieces ever written, partly due to the highly philosophical themes merging with prophecies and destinies. The two most important figures in ‘Dune’ are certainly Paul and Leto II. Both have carried the difficult weight of their lineage and had the burden of seeing into the future, and both had a difficult choice in front of them. Leto chose to fulfill his destiny to the fullest while Paul rejected it. Here’s why Leto became a worm, and his father did not.

Golden Path, Sandworms, and Humanity’s survival

If you’re not all that familiar with ‘Dune’ universe, it probably seems pretty bizarre as there is talk of one of the most important characters turning into a worm. Well, it’s true but it wasn’t a decision made on a whim or anything, in fact, it was needed for humanity to survive.

Humanity was on the path of self-destruction and it needed Kwisatz Haderach or a messiah to put them back onto the Golden Path. It was prophesized that Kwisatz Haderach would be a male Bene Gesserit with access to the memories of both male and female ancestors. Their prescient abilities would allow them to see into the future and transcend what humans are ordinarily capable of doing. This is why a long-running breeding program was installed, but ultimately Paul’s mother interrupted the plans. Paul still turned out to be Kwisatz Haderach and his destiny was to set humanity onto the Golden Path.

The Golden Path is the right combination of decisions that would ensure that humans will survive the coming ages, and since making those decisions required the individual to see the future and all possible outcomes, you can see how someone designed to have access to past, present and future decisions might be a perfect candidate to lead the humanity toward that Golden Path. Paul was Kwisatz Haderach and his son Leto was as well but only Leto fulfilled his role as Kwisatz Haderach by making an unspeakable sacrifice.

Leto turned into a worm because he had to

Leto set humanity on the Golden Path and ensured that it won’t stagnate but to do that several things had to be put into motion. He had to assume all and ultimate power he did that through restriction of Spice production, leading to stockpiling and terraforming on Arrakis. This killed the worms and limited space travel. Leto II’s death released sandtrout, restarting the worm-spice cycle.

This expanded human domains, ensuring humanity’s survival, and taught people not to rely blindly on leaders. Leto’s breeding program aimed to free humanity from prescient vision, led by Siona Atreides. This gene prevented people from being hunted and manipulated by prescience, including Guild Navigators and Bene Gesserit creations.

Leto sacrificed himself and turned into a worm because it would allow him to live longer than humans could, he lived for more than 3500 years and this was crucial to ensure that the rules he put in place would stay in place and that humanity’s survival would be safeguarded. One of the most common problems with ruling, in general, is that you either don’t see the results of your hard work or you don’t have enough time to enforce your rules to the fullest, and especially today in the West, it’s notable that one government tends to reverse the rules set by the prior government, with Leto living hundreds of human lifespans, he could ensure that this won’t happen and this is the simplest I can explain it to you without recapping the entire books.

Why didn’t Paul turn into a worm if he was Kwisatz Haderach?

Well, we’ve already kind of explained, that Paul was never planned he was an accident. Bene Gesserit planned for Kwisatz Haderach to be born a generation later, this is why Paul was never THE Kwisatz Haderach, his son Leto was.

Paul never had what it takes to see the Golden Path fulfilled fully, he was too hung up on his emotions and the drive to live a simpler life. He was also oftentimes led by his own vengeance and dark motives. Seeing his father killed left deep wounds on his psyche that oftentimes held him back from realizing his true potential. So no, Paul never turned into a worm and he never will, he was afraid. Paul feared the Golden Path, which would dissolve his humanity into a sandworm. He confessed to his son that his desire to stay human and the fear of loneliness stopped him from embracing it. He regretted not fulfilling his duty but admired his son who took on the burden to restore humanity at the expense of his own identity.

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