After the battle for Arakeen, Paul faces the prospect of one on one combat to secure his victory. Who does he fight?

Who does Paul fight in the final duel after the battle for Arrakeen? Paul Atreides fights Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the Harkonnen heir, in a one-on-one knife duel.

The duel takes place after Paul’s forces defeat the Emperor’s troops and the Harkonnen army at Arrakeen. Feyd steps forward as the champion of House Harkonnen, creating a personal contest that can determine who controls the Imperium. Paul accepts because defeating Feyd strengthens his claim before the Emperor and the assembled political powers.

Feyd is a formidable fighter, trained in violence and accustomed to manipulating combat to his advantage. In the novel, he uses a poisoned blade and a concealed poison spur, making the fight more than a straightforward test of skill. Paul is wounded but ultimately kills him.

This combat is sometimes confused with Paul’s earlier duel against Jamis, a Fremen warrior who challenges him after Paul joins the desert community. Jamis is an earlier turning point; Feyd is Paul’s climactic opponent in the original novel.