Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' Results in Death for Several Major Characters (SPOILERS)

Spoiler alert: This article contains major spoilers for Dune.

On Dec. 12, 2022, several reports revealed that filming has officially wrapped for Dune: Part Two. The highly anticipated sequel, which adds acclaimed actors Florence Pugh and Austin Butler to an already star-studded ensemble, will explore the continuing journey of Duke Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he seeks revenge on those who destroyed his family.

"Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee," the official synopsis added. The upcoming epic continuation of Frank Herbert's bestselling novel is one of the most anticipated films of 2023, and with filming now concluded, its predecessor is garnering renewed interest.

For one, many are wondering: Who dies in Dune? Keep reading to find out.

The first character to meet their demise in Dune is Dr. Wellington Yueh (Chang Chen), the trusted physician for House Atreides. As it turns out, the villainous Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) took Dr. Yueh's wife prisoner and threatened her with torture and death unless her husband followed his commands.

He eventually goes against Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and allows Harkonnen and Sardaukar troops to invade Arrakeen and attack House Atreides. For all his efforts, Dr. Yueh dies at the hands of Baron, who confirms his wife is already dead.

Shortly after Dr. Yueh's death, Duke Leto is the next character to die. As the Harkonnen and Sardaukar troops cause chaos, Dr. Yueh captures the leader of House Atreides; he tells the Duke he made a deal to deliver him to Baron in exchange for freeing his wife. Just moments before dying, Dr. Yueh replaces one of the Duke's teeth with a poison gas capsule.

He eventually bites down on the tablet, releasing the gas and killing himself and everyone else in the room, including the Mentat of House Harkonnen, Piter De Vries (David Dastmalchian). Baron somehow managed to make it out of the room alive.

Later in the film, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) sacrifices himself to protect Paul, Lady Jessica, and Dr. Liet-Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) from a Sardaukar attack. Despite being severely outnumbered, the swordmaster of House Atreides impressively holds many of the enemies at bay while the trio escapes. Ugh — we miss him so much!

Although the trio seemingly avoids the invasion, one of the Sardaukar soldiers ends up following them and literally stabs Dr. Liet-Kynes in the back. She doesn't go out without a fight as she starts pounding on the ground to draw the sandworm's attention. In the end, the creature devours her and the Sardaukar warriors who attacked her.

The final death occurs at the very end of Dune, when Paul kills the Fremen warrior Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun) in a ritual duel to the death. The victory earns Paul the respect of the Fremen and sets up their alliance that will surely bring peace to Arrakis.

Dune is now streaming on HBO Max.