Duneisn’t the easiest franchise to jump into. The books and films contain dozens of key characters, multiple critical factions, and millennia of in-universe history. Fans will either bounce off of those dense concepts or immerse themselves so thoroughly that it alters their brain chemistry. Fixating on the less well-known characters can be a great way to explore a new universe. Take Jamis, for example. He isn’t around especially long, but his impact resonates throughout theDuneuniverse far beyond his death.
Denis Villeneuve’s two-partadaptation of Frank Herbert’sDuneisn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close. The films cut out a lot of material from the original text, but most of those edits are cleverly planned and intelligently executed. Hardcore fans would do well with aLord of the Rings-esque special edition cut that packs in a few additional scenes. One of the most notable omissions probably should have appeared in the first act ofDune: Part Two. Villeneuve cut out Jamis' funeral.
Who was Jamis inDune?
Jamis isone of the Fremenwho live on Arrakis. He lives in Sietch Tabr, under the watchful eye of his leader, Stilgar. His community celebrates him as an extremely capable warrior and raider. Jamis earned respect for his skills as a fighter, but he also harbored an unhealthy rage that often hindered his progress. He won his wife, Harah, after challenging her first husband to a duel to the death. The proud warrior raised his new stepson and fathered a son with Harah. Jamis' life changed when the Sietch encountered the outsiders, Paul and Jessica. Stilgar summed up his unique disposition like this:
There’s too much violence in Jamis for him ever to make a good leader.
Jamis and Paul Atreides
Jamis' story found a bitter endwhen he met Paul Atreides. Paul, the son of a Bene Gesserit sister and the ideal candidate to be the legendary Kwisatz Haderach, saw Jamis long before they met. Paul experienced prophetic dreams of his future on Arrakis, but his predictions came in many forms. Paul sees possible paths as they unfold ahead of him. This allowed him to experience multiple realities of his potential relationship with Jamis. The 2021 film makes this concept slightly more explicit. Jamis challenges Lady Jessica Atreides to a duel, citing the Amtal Rule. This forces Paul to face Jamis in a knifefight. Jamis' Fremen skill allows him to put up an impressive fight, but he’s no match for Paul. The young duke dispatches Jamis, buying himselfand his mom aticket into Sietch Tabr. In the film, this is where Jamis' story ends, but his legacy lives on in the book.
Paul, Jessica, and the Fremen of Sietch Tabr hold a traditional funeral for Jamis. In the process, they drainJamis' corpse of its waterand give it to Paul. Paul also receives Jamis' home, some of his possessions, and his wife. Paul is legally married to Harah, and the adaptations rarely bring it up. During the funeral, Paul sheds tears for his fallen foe. This moment holds multiple meanings. From one perspective, Paul mourns the loss of Jamis. Through his prescience, he’s seen the alternate possible futures in which they become friends. Jamis could have been his mentor or his brother. Paul cries for the loss of what might have been. The alternative reading is that Paul knows Fremen traditions, prompting him to exploit their grief. The Fremen are taught never to waste water, including that of their bodies. Giving water to the dead is a mark of overwhelming respect and understanding. It marked Paul as an observant member of the community, earning him more than his new name. Paul may have beenmanipulating his new flock, but the idea that he felt genuine loss after killing Jamis is still entirely reasonable.
Was Jamis a mentor to Paul?
In Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation,Paul’s dreams depict Jamisas a potential mentor figure. He offers excellent guidance, partially providing the basis for Paul’s philosophy. However, the timeline that Paul experienced, the one in which he kills Jamis in a duel, still features Jamis living up to his promise. Alternate Jamis assured Paul he’d teach him the ways of the Fremen and introduce him to the desert. By forcing him to fight his way into the Sietch, he partially achieved that goal. Jamis' words of wisdom remain critical to the plot:
The mystery of life isn’t a problem to solve, but a reality to experience. A process that cannot be understood by stopping it. We must move with the flow of the process. We must join it. We must flow with it.
Jamis is a fascinating presence inDune. He isn’t around long, but Paul sees a lifetime of potentialities in his death. The simplest interpretation of the duel seesPaul use his advanced trainingand chosen one mythology to kill a needlessly impulsive member of his potential followers. A deeper look reveals a lot of complex nuance and a world of lost potential.
