Dune 2: What is the Water of Life?

Denis Villeneuve continued his expansion of Frank Herbert’s novels in Part Two, with lots of heady concepts to boot. Here’s everything you need to know about the Water of Life in Dune 2.

Dune 2 continues the central storyline of the first novel, exploring Paul Atreides’ relationship with the Fremen and the prophecy. Herbert’s Dune books blur the line between fantasy and sci-fi, mixed with a web of ancient stories.

To the Fremen on Arrakis, Shai-Hulud is feared and respected as a primitive species. Known also as the sandworm, it’s a crucial aspect of Fremen culture. The worms aren’t just deadly, and a form of travel, they’re also vital to accessing a powerful force.

Throughout the huge Dune 2 runtime, the Water of Life is revealed to be a sacred chemical concoction of great importance to the Bene Gesserit, Reverend Mothers, and Paul’s destiny. Here’s a breakdown of what the Water of Life is and why it’s important. Spoilers ahead.

What is the Water of Life?

The Water of Life is a poison derived from young sandworm bile, taken at the moment of its death by drowning. It’s used in rituals to unlock ancestral memories when a Bene Gesserit becomes a Reverend Mother.

The liquid is similar in color to the eyes of the Fremen, who have become acclimated to Spice on Arrakis. Like the Spice, the Water of Life is only found there because it comes from the native sandworms. It doesn’t occur naturally and has to be manually extracted.

Trained Fremen nurture and raise young sandworms to extract it. The only way to get the Water of Life is by drowning the sandworm (the actual one, not that awful Dune 2 popcorn bucket) and using a special device to collect the bile as it dies.

What does the Water of Life do?

The Water of Life traditionally lets Reverend Mothers access the memories of female ancestors. For Paul, it unlocks male and female genetic memories and grants insight into possible futures.

In Dune 2, Lady Jessica becomes a Reverend Mother after surviving the Water of Life. Its powers also caused her fetus, Paul’s sister, to gain an awareness well beyond what is natural. So, she travels to the south to learn how it’s extracted. The handler controls the sandworm and kills it in a pool of water. She then uses a rod-like tool, forcing it into the sandworm’s mouth to extract the bile.

The Fremen believed that only trained Bene Gesserit could survive its toxins by manipulating the body’s chemistry to render the Water harmless. It’s the final act of becoming a Reverend Mother and unlocks generations of genetic memories.

Historically, it was only ingested by women. The Water of Life is usually fatal to men and the untrained. In the Dune Part Two ending, Paul is the exception because he ingested it and survived, gaining both male and female genetic memories. The Water of Life is vital for any new movies in the universe, as its power allows Paul to transcend space and time and see the future. His survival gave credence to the Fremen’s prophecy of him being their messiah.

The Water is complicated, like everything else in one of the best movies of the year. We wouldn’t have it any other way. And with the Dune 3 release date to look forward to, the implications of Paul’s ascension are only beginning.