Lead Them To Paradise

Editor's Note: This entry contains spoilers for Dune; read at your own caution.

About

Lead Them To Paradise is a quote said by Dune main character Paul Atreides, who is considered the Lisan al-Gaib for the Fremen, a native tribe from the desert planet Arrakis. The prophecy says that "Mahdi," an offworlder, will come and "lead them to paradise," which is later uttered by Paul (Timothée Chalamet) in the Dune Part Two film released in February 2024. The quote became a popular catchphrase around March 2024, often referencing Dune Part Two events or any subject related to Dune's universe.

Origin

According to the Dune novel Wiki Fandom,^[1] the "lead them to paradise" line is mentioned as part of the "Mahdi" term, which is the name used by the Fremen to describe their savior in their messianic legend. The term equated roughly to "The one who will lead us to paradise."

In Denis Villeneuve's 2024 Dune Part Two movie, the line is uttered in the final scene by the main character Paul Atreides, whom the Fremen believe is their Messiah or Lisan al-Gaib, as he released the desert planet Arrakis from the Imperium after defeating Padishah Emperor and House Harkonnen.

On March 1st, 2024, YouTube^[2] user @TheBrokenLeaf uploaded a fan edit video (shown below) of the moment Paul says the "lead them to paradise" quote, which amassed over 4,200 views and 80 likes in six days.

Spread

The earliest memetic mention of the "lead them to paradise" catchphrase was uploaded on February 28th, 2024, by X^[3] user @asteIlar, who posted a GIF from the Oppenheimer film paired with the caption "me supporting paul atreides thru out dune 1 & 2 just to hear him saying 'lead them to paradise' AT THE VERY LAST SCENE." The post (shown below) amassed more than 4,000 views and 26 likes in a week.

On March 5th, 2024, TikTok^[4] user @ericatthedisco posted a comedy skit showing how other characters reacted to Paul Atreides saying "lead them to paradise." The video (shown below, left) received roughly 16,000 plays and 1,000 likes in a day. On March 2nd, TikTok^[5] user @therealevanmaggit posted a video of a man giving a speech paired with the overlay text "Paul Atreides at the end of Dune Part Two." The post (shown below, right) garnered more than 10,000 plays and 280 likes in five days.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References