In Dune, the Bene Gesserit have a significant influence on the universe. Their sole purpose is to ensure the survival of humanity. They aim to achieve this by ensuring the birth of the Kwisatz Haderach.
Why is the Kwisatz Haderach so important? Over 10,000 years before the events of Dune, the Butlerian Jihad took place. This was a war of humanity against thinking machines. It resulted in great losses, particularly regarding the knowledge from the time before. Only 2 groups still possess this knowledge: The Bene Gesserit and the spacers’ guild.
The goal of the Bene Gesserit, a purely female order, is to guide humanity into a rightful future. The key figure in this endeavor is supposed to be the Kwisatz Haderach, a male Bene Gesserit. To this end, a centuries-long breeding program was initiated.
A figure intended to save humanity
How is the Kwisatz Haderach supposed to appear? After the great war against the machines, the Bene Gesserit sought to ensure the continuation of humanity. To achieve this, they want to have the knowledge of their ancestors. With Spice, the Bene Gesserit can already access these memories. However, this is only possible with female ancestors.
The Kwisatz Haderach is a male Bene Gesserit who, through his genetic material, can access the memories of both male and female ancestors and thus foresee the future to guide humanity on the right path to survival.
According to the wishes of the Bene Gesserit, the Kwisatz Haderach would thus become the reverend mother, Mentat, and Guild Navigator all at once.
Not every man can simply become a Bene Gesserit, which is why a breeding program was initiated that lasted over 10,000 years. The plan was for Jessica Atreides to give birth to a daughter of Leto Atreides, who would then have a child with a Harkonnen. This child was supposed to be the Kwisatz Haderach.
Thus, the conflict between House Harkonnen and House Atreides was supposed to end, and the Bene Gesserit would have a ruler of humanity that they could control. This alone is actually impossible, as such a being cannot be controlled. However, the plan was foiled because Jessica did not give birth to a girl.
Paul was the unplanned Kwisatz Haderach
Paul was born, and the goal that had been planned for over 10,000 years changed. The Bene Gesserit have the ability to define the gender of the child they give birth to. Contrary to their purpose, Jessica chose to have a boy, Paul Atreides.
As later revealed, including in the films, Paul has the ability to see into the future and into the memories of the past. He is the Kwisatz Haderach. However, for the Bene Gesserit, there is a problem: Paul despises the order because they are partly responsible for his father’s death, and his mother sowed doubts about the Bene Gesserit.
Paul could see the past and the future and thus also the Golden Path for humanity, but he struggled with this and could not decide how humanity should proceed.
Significantly more radical was his later son, Leto the Second, who also had the abilities of a Kwisatz Haderach. Leto the Second had a vision for the Golden Path that he pursued totalitarianly.
He transformed into a worm-man, ruled as a tyrant for 3,500 years as God-Emperor, and terraformed the planet Arrakis into a utopia. Additionally, he minimized the influence and control of the Bene Gesserit.
The story of Paul Atreides is just a small part of the universe of Dune. Millennia before and millennia after are relevant to understand many prophecies. The Fremen are also older and more important than one might think after watching the films: A people in Dune had to flee because they did not want to fight – Over 10,000 years later, they free the universe
