PLUS

Dune

Characters

Dune Stilgar Character Analysis

Save

Characters Dune Stilgar Character Analysis

Stilgar is an esteemed Fremen who becomes the leader of his tribe after Liet-Kynes’ death. He’s a respected, practical leader who puts the lives of his tribe above all others, but does not act with unwarranted cruelty. Life in the desert is difficult, but he maintains a sense of humor and relative kindness toward others. Like many Fremen, Stilgar sees outsiders as worthy or unworthy of trust based on what skills or uses they might bring to the tribe.

Arrakis is a tough planet, and the Fremen don’t have the resources to care for those who might struggle to survive. This initially leads him to be unwilling to allow Jessica to join the Fremen, assuming that, in her pregnant state, she would be a burden on the tribe. However, once she demonstrates her “weirding” abilities, he quickly corrects himself and becomes one of Paul and Jessica’s most devoted mentors, helping each of them learn the ways of the Fremen and adjust to their new lives.

Stilgar, like many of the Fremen, is deeply religious and believes in the Bene Gesserit mythology that has been planted on Arrakis. As Jessica and Paul purposely feed into the myths, Stilgar becomes increasingly convinced that Paul is the prophesied Lisan al-Gaib. By the end of the novel, Stilgar believes that Paul is the Lisan al-Gaib and that he should be the leader of the Fremen, and accepts his demotion to Paul’s second-in-command. This position switch is uncomfortable, as it not only throws Paul’s unquestioned authority and power into stark relief, but also exposes the loneliness of Paul’s present and future circumstances. Stilgar’s transformation from a friend and mentor to a follower indicates that Paul, whose individual identity has been replaced with a mythological one, will not enjoy true, equal companionship in his new prophet-like role.