- Note: Only the 2021 film series version of Jessica Atreides was upvoted as a Magnificent Baddie, so the information in this page must only pertain to these films.
| “ | You must drink the Water of Life. And your mind, it's gonna open and you will see. You will see. The beauty and the horror. | „ |
| ~ Jessica having Paul become the Kwisatz Haderach |
Jessica Atreides is one of the two deuteragonists of the 2021 Dune series (alongside Chani). She is the mother of Paul Atreides and Alia Atreides and the concubine of Duke Leto Atreides of Caladan. When House Atreides was stationed in the desert planet Arrakis for the sake of being slaughtered by the brutal Harkonnens, Jessica escaped with her son Paul to take refuge with the Fremen while pregnant with Alia. Upon drinking the Water of Life to replace the Fremen's Reverend Mother, she has noticeably become more sinister to push Paul into becoming the Kwisatz Haderach.
She is portrayed by Rebecca Ferguson.
What Makes Her Magnificent?[]
- Despite her descent into evil, her motivations is to keep her son Paul safe from harm and then impose a vision of peace on the galaxy, being much less evil than the envious Emperor Shaddam IV and the ruthless, unforgiving Baron Harkonnen.
- When captured by the Harkonnens, bound and gagged to ensure she doesn't use the Voice, she had already prepared for such a scenario, communicating with Paul using sign language she trained him in to guide him into using the Voice properly for the first time to free herself and have their captors kill each other.
- Upon becoming the Reverend Mother, she begins by targeting the weak-minded non-believers of Paul, convincing them to see him as the Lisan Al-Gaib, slowly converting more to be fanatical devotees to him.
- Is Paul's chief advisor to successfully thwart many of the Harkonnen's attacks, using this to cultivate a legend surrounding him and convert more of the Fremen to be radical fanatics.
- For the final step of her plan, she convinces Paul and the Fremen to let the former drink the Water of Life, using Chani to make Paul survive, setting up the stage for Paul to finally rally all the Fremen to be his loyal army.
- Ultimately, Paul's success in dismantling House Harkonnen and usurping the Emperor is all because Jessica laid the groundwork to undo the deep manipulations imposed by Reverend Mother Mohiam and the Benne Gesserit, forcefull thrusting Paul into becoming their prophesized Kwisatz Haderach to have their manipulations blow up in their faces now that their prophecy is now out of their control, brushing the order that raised her for her family.
What Makes Her a Baddie?[]
- Is the primary corrupter of her son to become a vicious warlord and radicalize the Fremen for a war she knows will kill billions across the galaxy.
- Forcefully brainwashes people to believe in Paul using the Voice.
- In order to make Paul the Kwisatz Haderach, she repeatedly puts his life in jeopardy for numerous "sink or swim" tests so that his survival guarantees his ascension.
External Links[]
- Jessica Atreides at the Dune wiki