Summary

• Paul is hesitant to accept his role as Lisan al Gaib, but Stilgar pushes him towards his destiny as Emperor.
• Stilgar plays a crucial role in spreading the Lisan al Gaib prophecy and aiding Paul in his rise to power.
• Despite initial denial, Paul's assimilation into Fremen culture and acceptance of his role as the messiah becomes inevitable.

In Dune: Part Two, the signs that Paul is Lisan al Gaib were planted by the religious order the Bene Gesserit, but Fremen religious fundamentalists like Stilgar were instrumental in paving the way for Paul to come to power. Stilgar is played by Javier Bardem, opposite Timothée Chalamet's Paul, and is his mentor and er among the Fremen. Although, at first, Paul hesitates to call himself the Lisan al Gaib, nothing stops Stilgar from spreading his message and pushing him toward what Stilgar believes is Arrakis' destiny.

Due to his heritage as the son of a Bene Gesserit, Paul is one of the many potential inheritors of the title and owes much to those who believed in the prophecy and spread his message so that he could rise to power as Emperor.

The Lisan al Gaib prophecy in Dune 2 is a legend spread by the Bene Gesserit to increase their influence on Arrakis so they could install one of their own as leader of the Fremen. Being the leader of the Fremen means having control of Spice, the most valuable resource in the Dune universe. Due to his heritage as the son of a Bene Gesserit, Paul is one of the many potential inheritors of the title and owes much to those who believed in the prophecy and spread his message so that he could rise to power as Emperor.

6 Paul Is The Son Of A Bene Gesserit From Another Planet

The definition of what Lisan al Gaib means

Paul's mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), is a Bene Gesserit, meaning she was trained in their ways and indoctrinated into their religious beliefs. She spends much of Paul's life preparing him because she believes he has the potential to be the Kwisatz Haderach. Only a son with a Bene Gesserit mother could handle the memories of both his male and female ancestors, and the Bene Gesserit spent years trying to produce him by crossing varied genetic lineages. It stands to reason that they would make his being a descendant of the religion part of the legend.

Lisan al Gaib means voice from the outer world, and so when Paul arrives on Arrakis from Caladan, a faraway planet, as the son of a Bene Gesserit, he's immediately hailed as the Messiah. Of course, this was only the first sign that Paul could be Lisan al Gaib, and when Stilgar first encounters him in Dune, he remains skeptical. It's only in Dune 2 that Stilgar is taken over by fanaticism and begins to look for the signs. Their first interaction only hints at the desperate hope for salvation that Stilgar harbors.

5 Lady Jessica Surviving The Water Of Life

The mother of Lisan al Gaib will survive the poison

Stilgar insists that Jessica become Reverend Mother of the Fremen religion, and to do this, she must drink the water of life and gain insight into the past and future of her ancestors. He knows that it's written the mother of Lisan al Gaib will become a Reverend Mother and stomach the poison. Although he pressures her to fulfill the prophecy, he is still unsure if she will survive until after it’s done. Stilgar is an interesting figure because he’s aware that belief and prophecy are rarely enough and that fate often requires a push to come true.

No man can survive drinking the water of life, and only a woman with Bene Gesserit training and resistance to the poison would have the physical ability to process the deadly water of the sandworms. Paul attempts to explain this to Stilgar and the Fremen, but it's too late, and Paul's denial only fan the flames of his reputation. After this, Lady Jessica goes on a spiritual journey in Dune 2, but not one in of the Fremen, one in conjunction with Stilgar's hopes to make Paul the Mahdi and then Emperor of the universe.

4 Chani's Desert Spring Tears Bringing Paul Back To Life

As foretold by the prophecy

Paul can drink the water of life in Dune 2, unlike other men, because of his position as a potential Kwisatz Haderach and his training in the Bene Gesserit ways. Chani (Zendaya) is staunchly against the Lisan al Gaib prophecy and tries to dissuade Paul from succumbing to the draw of power and using the Fremen for his own ends. When Paul drinks the water of life, he goes into a coma that's close to death, and Chani is distraught upon finding him, blaming Jessica for his fate. However, Jessica has plans much bigger than Chani realizes.

Though Chani refuses to help her, Jessica uses the voice to make Chani revive Paul with her tears mixed with the water of life. One of Chani's Fremen names means desert spring and part of the prophecy is that Lisan al Gaib will be brought back with desert spring tears. Stilgar and the other Fremen witness this, and at this point, Paul's position as messiah is all but cemented. It's clear to Chani that Jessica engineered this moment so the greatest number of people would witness Paul's resurrection.

3 Paul Denying That He's Lisan Al Gaib

His humility is a trait Stilgar associates with the Messiah

For the first half of Dune 2, Paul denies that he is the Messiah, even though he has spoken to his mother about the potential for power and revenge on the Harkonnens it would bring him. However, he is torn because, as he lives among the Fremen, he grows to love and respect their culture, and his love for Chani makes him doubt his intentions. While this is part of why he denies the signs of his being Lisan al Gaib, he's also aware that claiming he is the Mahdi and forcing the Fremen to follow him would never work.

His humility and rejection of power are a calculated move that will make the Fremen believe it was their idea to make him their leader. However, at the same time, Stilgar's actions are just as calculated because he spins Paul's every action as a sign and signals that their savior has arrived. At first, Stilgar's insistence that Paul is Lisan al Gaib, despite Paul's denial, is posed as a comical juxtaposition. However, this quickly changes, revealing how dangerous it is to only take religious fanaticism seriously once it's too late.

2 Paul Rides The Shai-Hulud

Riding sandworms is a critical part of Fremen culture

The sequence when Paul first rides a sandworm is one of the best scenes in Dune 2 because of how transfixing and religious the experience feels, even to the audience. The director, Denis Villeneuve, makes the moment seem transcendent and revolutionary, making the viewer consider the truth of the prophecy. Part of this is due to the sheer size of the worm Paul rides and the fact that the Shai-Hulud he rides is an enormous grandfather worm. Before Paul attempts his ride, Stilgar insists that he be careful and not take risks because of his pressure to succeed.

When Paul rides the worm, the Fremen scream and cheer, and Stilgar leads the chant of calling Paul Lisan al Gaib. After being transfixed by Paul's abilities and the fulfillment of another part of the prophecy, the other Fremen can't help but in, except Chani. Again, only Chani sees the dangers of recognizing an outsider as a false messiah. However, up until this point, Paul has carefully ingratiated himself with the Fremen, fighting alongside them, which softened them to the idea of him being Lisan al Gaib.

1 Paul Knows The Ways Of The Fremen

And he will know your ways as if born to them

In Paul's dreams and visions in Dune 2, he sees glimpses of the future and a life with the Fremen before he comes to Arrakis. Thanks to his visions, his Bene Gesserit training, and the information he studied before coming to Arrakis, Paul is prepared to assimilate into Fremen culture quickly. He is a clever student and picks up how best to represent himself as Lisan al Gaib and be considered Fremen. This is easily perceived as part of the prophecy, as Mahdi is supposed to understand and be part of the Fremen despite his origins on another planet.

Although Stilgar is one of the people training Paul and teaching him these ways, he takes every opportunity to praise how easily Paul picks up the language, abilities, and aspects of the Fremen's life. At first, Chani is thrilled that Paul wants to be a Fremen so they can be together. However, she is betrayed by his desire for power and Stilgar's religious sect by the end of Dune: Part Two. Throughout the film, Stilgar takes small parts of Paul's being and experience and elevates them to the level of religious symbol.