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House Harkonnen
In General
A major House of the Landsraad, with their capital on the heavily industrialized planet Giedi Prime. The historical enemies of House Atreides, they are infamous for their underhanded and sinister political tactics, fueled by ambition, malevolence, hatred and brutality. They are ruled by a Baron.
- Always Night: The planet Giedi Prime is fouled with pollution, preventing sunlight from piercing the cloud cover.
- Ambition Is Evil: All Harkonnen leadership seek power to one degree or another, and will use any means possible to see their ambitions realized. Due to their brutal Might Makes Right philosophy, a Harkonnen has to be ruthless and cutthroat to climb the social hierarchy, or risk being killed themselves by an equally ambitious rival.
- Arch-Enemy: With the Atreides, and the transfer of Arrakis is a scheme to kickstart their downfall.
- Armor Is Useless:
- Their pressure suits have armored parts, yet their assault to the Arrakeen palace is almost routed by the first line of Atreides soldiers, many of which are caught in the attack wearing only fatigues and dress uniforms.
- It doesn't help much against the Fremen either as seen in Part Two.
- Bad Boss: Most prominent in Part Two, where the heads of House Harkonnen show their cruelty towards their underlings.
- Rabban is shown to repeatedly kill his minions out of frustration over what he perceives as failures.
- The Baron kills two of his attendants out of anger over the Fremen repeatedly sabotaging spice harvesting, and by the end of the film he is so fed up with Rabban's inability to control the situation on Arrakis that he warns him that the next time he fails him will be the last.
- Feyd is shown killing underlings just to test out the sharpness of his weapons and at one point slits the throat of a Harkonnen soldier just for being mildly annoying.
- The Bad Guy Wins: With help from the Sardaukar, they take over Arrakis by the end of the first movie.
- Bald of Evil: In contrast to both prior adaptations which gave them flaming red hair (in the book, their hair was not described other than Rabban's brother being dark-haired and the Baron red), and likely based on their look in the cutscenes of Emperor: Battle for Dune, the antagonistic and amoral Baron Harkonnen and Rabban are completely bald, as are the Harkonnen troops and their personal attendants. This is in contrast to the heroic Atreides characters, who all have hair.
- Black Speech: The Harkonnen soldiers speak a harsh and guttural "battle language" among themselves. It isn't inhuman sounding like the Sardaukar's, and they're also heard speaking English.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: During an interview
, Denis Villeneuve stated they and their people operate under this.Denis Villeneuve: I think that the Harkonnen are trying to be as disconnected from nature as possible. Their world is an artificial, plastic world. I like to think that, for them, hair is vulgar, and to remove everything and become hairless is sexy for them. Some of my friends on the team and I used to say: If there’s a party, you want to be on Giedi Prime. That’s where the party is. - Bondage Is Bad: House Harkonnen has a subtle undercurrent of BDSM styling to their aesthetic in Part One, with black being their heraldic color, use of a lot of shiny rubbers and latex-like materials in their uniforms, and their homeworld Giedi Prime have a distinctly Giger-esque design language, all of which gets cranked up in Part Two as we see that their familial and governing politics are predicated on the giving and receiving of favors or punishments, Feyd-Rautha both being something of a Combat Sadomasochist as well as keeping a harem of cannibal concubines dressed in skin-tight black rubber, sealing the ascendancy of the next Baron of the House with a kiss that is eagerly returned, and Rabban favoring a multi-lash whip in combat. Naturally, House Harkonnen totally ignores Safe, Sane, and Consensual.
- The Caligula: The entire family is full of hedonistic, sadistic, genocidal slaving bastards.
- Dark Is Evil: Their planet Giedi Prime is a grim, colorless, shadowy world, and the rulers are not good people at all. Even their fireworks produce dark flashes somehow.
- The Dreaded: Subverted. They are fiercely described by Gurney Halleck as being "brutal" but who turn out to be pushovers when it comes to fighting, if the assault on Arrakeen is anything to go by. Unlike the Sardaukar.
- Evil Colonialist: The Fremen see them as intruders who came to their world to butcher them and plunder the spice. They're not wholly wrong.
- Evil Is Petty: During their invasion, the Harkonnens set fire to the date palms the Fremen have been caring for in the heart of Arrakeen. When asked about the Fremen after he takes back the planet, the Baron orders Rabban to kill them.
- Evil Wears Black: While members of House Atreides tend to wear an austere black or dark grey, members of House Harkonnen uniformly wear jet black, often with a glossy texture, that contrasts sharply with their pallid skin.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Originally, Frank Herbert modeled the Harkonnens after Those Wacky Nazis and Dirty Communists, and the surname Harkonnen, which he found in a phone book, was chosen because it sounded "Soviet"note . This is averted in the movie, as the Harkonnens are far more alien in aesthetics than any other faction, resembling more some kind of fictional sci-fi cyborg collective that any real culture. This goes as far as choosing them to use high step instead of German-Russian goosestep. That said, Part Two has the Harkonnens share some of the worst aspects of Ancient Rome, such as its rampant slavery, debauchery and fondness for Gladiator Games.
- Faceless Goons: Harkonnen soldiers, their pale skins unaccustomed to the punishing Arrakis sun, wear enclosed environmental suits that completely obscure their faces. It is also implied they rely on numbers more than skill.
- The Heavy: The Emperor is the one who orchestrates the downfall of House Atreides, but he remains in the background, leaving the Harkonnens as the primary antagonists to House Atreides.
- Hell-Bent for Leather: The Harkonnens are shown wearing black leather several times, and they are certainly portrayed as force to be reckon with throughout the movies.
- Jet Pack: The heavy armor Harkonnen soldiers use in the deep desert include repulsors, which seems quite useful in case of incoming sand worms.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After their victory in Part One, the Harkonnens spend the entirety of Part Two losing troops and resources to the Fremen, culminating in Paul leading his followers in destroying the Harkonnen leadership.
- No Brows: On top of being bald, the Harkonnens and their retainers and troops have no eyebrows either, giving the impression they're completely hairless. This adds to their alien vibe, and as with their unnaturally pale skin, is likely intended to reflect Giedi Prime's environment.
- Offscreen Villain Dark Matter: Averted. Upon his recuperation, Baron Vladimir lists off the basic costs of their coup, which doesn't even take into account the losses of personnel, fuel, and equipment during it. He notes that they'll have to work Arrakis hard to recuperate what they spent before they start generating profit again.
- Poisonous Person: The Fremen consider the water from the bodies of Harkonnen soldiers as too poisonous/polluted to drink, and instead use it for their cooling systems.
- Putting on the Reich: The second movie ramps up the Nazi imagery of the Harkonnen by showing more of their native planet of Giedi Prime. The way their society is organized, the way they dress and behave brings in mind the Third Reich.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: When transporting the captured Paul and Jessica into the desert, the three Harkonnen soldiers can be heard enthusiastically discussing their plans to have their way with the latter. Thankfully, Jessica and Paul are able to escape before this can happen, with Jessica brutally killing the trio for good measure.
- Standard Evil Empire Hierarchy:
- The Emperor: Baron Harkonnen.
- The Right Hand: na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
- The Guard: Rabban.
- The Oddball: Piter de Vries.
- The Man Behind the Man: Emperor Shaddam IV.
- We Have Reserves: Their rank-and-file are no match for the Atreides soldiers, let alone the likes of the Fremen and Sardaukar, but the Harkonnens have more than enough Cannon Fodder to spare.
- Wicked Wastefulness: The Harkonnens' water wastefulness for the sake of cruelty (aside from any other acts off-screen) is portrayed in this film by them having planted a big row of palm trees at the entrance of the palace that had to be watered daily with what the Fremen gardener says is enough water for five men (for each). When he hears this, Paul offers to get the trees cut down but the gardener declines saying that the trees are resilient like the Fremen and actually liked by the people (the fact the Harkonnens ordered him to do so under pain of death and he is still wary of the Atreides also factors). The Harkonnens make a point of setting the trees on fire when they massacre the Atreides.
Baron Vladimir
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
"I said I will not harm them, and I shall not. But Arrakis is Arrakis, and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. My Dune."
Played By: Stellan Skarsgård Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One | Dune: Part Two
"When is a gift not a gift? The Atreides voice is rising and the Emperor is a jealous man. A dangerous, jealous man."
The head of House Harkonnen, who conspires with Emperor Shaddam IV to destroy the Atreides.- Adaptation Personality Change: Rather than being polite and affected as in the book, this version of him is scarily solemn, wasting few words and generally carrying himself with a somber dignity in all his scenes.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed, but still visible. In the book, where he was officially 400 pounds of pure fat, the Baron was obese to the point of not being able to walk without help, and had a bloated face with almost buried eyes. In the film, aside from looking much lighter than that, he is portrayed as less of a morbid obese and more of a powerfully built, broad-shouldered man who only happens to be really fat too, with Stellan Skarsgård's elegant features to complete it. His character design now makes it look like he could walk perfectly if he wanted and only uses his repulsors because he prefers to levitate around.
- Adaptational Badass: The novel version is constantly thrown around by events, playing a perfunctory role in the Emperor's machinations and only surviving to Leto's attempt on his life by dumb luck, and this is best shown when he's reduced to submission by the Emperor's arrival. His film version, in contrast, is almost always much more in control of everything: he survives the attempt thanks to his personal gear and quick thinking, kills personally Yueh in a impressive way suggesting he is not a total Non-Action Guy, and when the Emperor arrives in Arrakis, even if their encounter transpires the same way, the Baron at least has the will and influence to gather the noble houses in response and turn them against Shaddam. Notably, he also claims to have a plan to plant a Harkonnen on the imperial throne, which, assuming he was not simply talking off his arse, he would clearly have a non-zero chance to achieve in this version.
- Adaptational Dumbass: Downplayed. He's much less incompetent than the literary Baron, but he lacks his novel counterpart's streak of Genre Savvy. Notably The Baron accepts Rabban's statement that Paul and Jessica died from flying into a sandstorm, whereas his book counterpart flew into a rage when presented with this claim, knowing that it's premature to believe they're dead if the Harkonnens Never Found the Body. Additionally, in the book Piter and the Baron develop the plan to bring the downfall of House Atreides. While the Emperor aided and supported him, it was largely The Baron's scheme. In the movie, The Baron is depicted as a junior, albeit extremely willing, partner in The Emperor's ploy.
- Adaptational Intelligence: In the novels, the Baron was a cunning planner and quite dangerous, but he was quite firmly a Smug Snake who was easily manipulated and was constantly thrown for a loop whenever something interfered with his plans. While ultimately proven to be a Big Bad Wannabe, Villeneuve's Baron is much more adaptable and intelligent, as well as being a very competent Chessmaster.
- Adaptational Jerkass:
- In the books, the Baron was a thoroughly repugnant figure, but he was quite jolly and urbane, and put on an effort to be charming. The film Baron is still superficially polite, but he's much more stern and cold, lacking his literary counterpart's pretensions of civility. In the novel, the Baron also never intended to wipe out the Fremen and instead just wanted to use them as a work force; here, he intends to wipe them all out.
- The novels depicted the Baron as being a vocal proponent of Pragmatic Villainy which meant he restrained himself and his nephews from violence that didn't serve them in some way and refused to kill his own men as long as they were useful even if they angered him. He also balked at wiping out the Fremen entirely, simply wanting to use them as workers and entirely willing to reward them for cooperating with his regime (albeit out of self-serving reasons). Here, his nephews gleefully kill their underlings with no disapproval from the Baron and he's willing to kill off all the Fremen until it proves unfeasible, indicating that nothing reins him in here.
- In the book, Feyd-Rautha arranges to fight an undrugged Atreides soldier in the arena for reasons of his own, with the Baron being horrified at the personal risk this places Feyd-Rautha in. The adaptation has the Baron responsible for the fight, apparently putting Feyd-Rautha at risk of death as a test of character, without Feyd-Rautha being aware in advance.
- Adaptational Karma: While he does get chastised by the Emperor as in the books for failing to properly deal with the Fremen, Shaddam IV takes it a step further by ordering one of the Sardaukar to destroy the Baron's breathing device and anti-gravity suspensor, leaving the Baron lying on the ground helpless.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Downplayed. Although he's still a repugnant and vicious character, his personality change in the film makes him less prone to gloat in his evil, instead looking contemplative and straightforward, and unlike in the novel, he is never seen verbally mistreating his clansmen (although he does seem to allow his underlings to do virtually whatever they want to them). The book character's fondness for men and boys has also been either reduced to subtext (his stripping of Leto, his bath attendant wearing see-through clothing, and him kissing Feyd-Rautha during his coronation) or removed entirely. Also, because Feyd makes no attempt to assassinate him, he doesn't order his nephew to kill his concubines as punishment.
- Adaptational Seriousness: The literary Baron was quite Laughably Evil to the point of being the novel's comic relief, with only his extreme evil balancing out the levity he brought. In the films, he's much more serious and stoic; where in the novels he was an almost pathetic figure, here he's quite dignified and always commands the utmost respect.
- Adaptational Sexuality: Implied; the fact that he fathered Jessica isn't treated as out-of-character for the Baron, suggesting that this version of the character is a Depraved Bisexual, rather than a Depraved Homosexual. Unlike the novel's Baron, he keeps female conucbines.
- Adipose Rex: He rules a Great House, and he's enormously fat.
- Alas, Poor Villain: For as evil as he is, the Baron's death is shown in a pitiable light. He's left crippled on the stairs to the Emperor's throne, and vainly tries to crawl up them to get to the throne he so coveted before Paul coldly executes him.
- Animal Motif: The thick, mud-like liquid he bathes in to heal from Leto's poison, combined with his extreme weight, hairlessness, and grey-tinged skin causes him to resemble a hippo or elephant.
- Archnemesis Dad: He is revealed to be the biological father of Jessica, which not only makes him an Archnemesis Dad to Jessica but also makes him an Archnemesis Father-in-Law and Archnemesis Grandfather to Leto and Paul respectively. However, he doesn't seem to be aware of this fact, and he doesn't really get to process this revelation when Paul acknowledges him as his grandfather because the latter kills him seconds later.
- Always a Bigger Fish: The Baron was the Big Bad of the first film whilst his nephew Rabban was The Dragon. Come Part Two and it is quickly revealed how powerless and weak he is compared to the even bigger Big Bad that is the Emperor who not so subtly flexes the gulf of power between him and the Baron.
- Bald of Evil: He's bald, and quite the sadistic bastard.
- Beauty Inversion: It took eight hours of make-up to turn Stellan Skarsgard, who is handsome and has an average body type, into the bald, ugly and monstrously obese Harkonnen.
- Beware the Quiet Ones: He's soft-spoken and quiet, but the Baron is a very dangerous man and a cunning planner.
- Big Bad: He is the principal villain of the first film. Pun aside.
- Big Bad Wannabe: By the end of Part Two, the Baron is left all but helpless against the Emperor, who was himself little more than a pawn to Reverend Mother Mohiam; his failure to appease Shaddam sees the Baron humiliated before the Emperor and helpless to defend himself when Paul arrives to kill him.
- Body Horror. Hard to see at first, but the repulsors are actually implanted into his back. The rest of his body, while less modified, is not much less unsettling.
- Character Tic: Often rubs his skull.
- Character Exaggeration: This incarnation of the Baron takes his characterization as a cunning, amorally pragmatic schemer and runs with it at the expense of his quirkier personality in the books.
- The Chessmaster: The Baron has clearly been manipulating everyone (the Emperor, Dr. Yueh...etc) for years, if not decades in a grand attempt to gain more power for himself and his house. He calls the other Great Houses in desperation claiming that the the Emperor and his Sardaukar troops invaded Arrakis.
- Colonel Kurtz Copy: Strongly evokes Marlon Brando's character in Apocalypse Now, being a bald, stout leader with a pensive aura all over him who is often framed in shadows, additionally being much colder and quieter than he was in the books. There is even a shot where he rubs his scalp that is filmed in the same way as when Kurtz did it, which seems to replace the Baron's canonical Character Tic of touching his head. The costume department confirmed in interviews that Villeneuve compared his vision for the Baron to Brando's Kurtz.
- Cold Ham: Despite having a visibly larger-than-life presence due to being an Obviously Evil floating fat man, Vladimir carries with him a quiet, direct manner of speaking that contrasts with his more theatrical appearance.
- Cool Chair: Uses a hovering chair to move around in the second movie.
- The Corruption: Both Paul and Jessica undergo profound personality changes after taking the Water of Life, and both of them admit to learning their relationship to him after taking the water, implying that the Water's effect of awakening them to their Harkonnen descent is what turns them ruthless and manipulative. It's even lampshaded by Paul declaring that they are Harkonnens, and to survive they will have to be Harkonnens.
- Crazy-Prepared: Even when having Leto stripped naked at his mercy, the Baron still puts up his personal shield before approaching him. This ends up saving his life.
- Creepy Monotone: His raspy voice lacks any intonation.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Severed from his anti-grav devices and humiliated by the Emperor, all Baron Harkonnen can do in his final moments is pathetically and ineffectually crawl toward his throne. Then Paul Atreides comes in, drops the bomb that the Baron is in fact his grandfather—a particular bit of ignominious irony the Baron's literary counterpart never found about—before he sticks a knife in the Baron's throat and holds it there until Harkonnen drowns in his own blood, which takes at least 15 seconds. Ultimately, his corpse is unceremoniously tossed into the desert so he can be eaten by ants.
- Cyborg: His anti-gravity device appears to be embedded in his spine.
- Dark Lord on Life Support: After barely surviving his poisoning by Leto Atreides, Part Two has the Baron now hooked up to several life support machines to maintain his body’s vitals. When the Emperor has the system disabled, the Baron struggles to breathe and can't even stand under his own power, and despite his past displays of strength, he's totally helpless when Paul arrives to kill him.
- Decomposite Character: He takes the name and role of the literary Baron, but his dark sense of humor and his Faux Affably Evil demeanor are transplanted to Feyd.
- Disappeared Dad: It's unclear what happened, but he seemingly abandoned Jessica as a baby to the Bene Gesserit and completely forgot about her existence after.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Due to the lack of Alia (who is still in Jessica's womb in the whole second movie), the Baron isn't poisoned by Alia's gom jabbar needle but but the Emperor has him stripped of his life-support technology, after which he is stabbed by Paul.
- Disc-One Final Boss: In Part Two. After Paul kills him, his nephew Feyd-Rautha and Emperor Shaddam IV remain as the threats for the Atreides to overcome.
- Depraved Homosexual: An Implied Trope, as opposed to it being explicit like in the book. In Part One While humiliating his archnemesis Leto Atreides, he has him stripped naked for his own amusement and seems to enjoy the sight. In Part Two he kills two of his attendants offscreen while naked, and later kisses Feyd Rautha on the mouth when granting him Arrakis. His fathering of Jessica, while a plot twist, is not considered out of character, as mentioned above with Adaptational Sexuality.
- Desecrating the Dead: After he is slain by Paul, the Fremen leave his body to the desert to be eaten by insects.
- Enemy Eats Your Lunch: The first thing he does in the Duke's palace? Treat himself to a large meal in front of the captive Leto, with the food coming from the plundered Atreides kitchen.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Subverted. He only views Feyd and Rabban as henchmen, and is quick to endanger them if it serves his plan. He does demonstrate some affection for Feyd, but of the incestuous variety. However, after drinking the Water of Life, Paul has a vision of the Baron tenderly playing with a baby Jessica, implying he once had the capacity for unconditional love.
- Evil Is Bigger: Compared to his enemy the Duke, the Baron is huge.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: The Baron speaks in a low, harsh growl, making him sound as much like a monster as his actions show him to be.
- Exact Words: He's fond of Loophole Abuse when it comes to some life-sparing obligations he's bound to.
- Says he won't harm Paul and Jessica. He never made any promises for the desert, though, so he orders his men to drop them in the desert where they'll be exposed to the harsh elements and likely die.
- He assures Dr. Yueh that he'll be able to join his wife, only to kill him a moment later, implying that she's already been murdered.
- Face Death with Dignity: Downplayed. His death is mostly pathetic and he's obviously panicked when Shaddam cripples him, but as Paul prepares to kill him Vladimir remains stoic and composed.
- Fan Disservice: His gross, obese body is naked twice in the film for the viewing pleasure of the audience, the first bathing in a sauna, the second relaxing in a tub of presumably healing oils and tar-like slime.
- Fat Bastard: Very overweight and immensely evil. He's so heavy that he favors an anti-gravity harness in order to float around rather than walking.
- Faux Affably Evil: The Baron is sterner than his more urbane literary counterpart, but he's still rather polite with his underlings and enemies alike. It does nothing to disguise how evil he is, and any amiability he expresses comes with a sinister undercurrent.
- Genre Savvy: When he gloats to a paralyzed Leto and his enemy murmurs something, he immediately flicks on his shield, not letting his guard down despite his enemy being paralyzed and nude. Unfortunately, a shield is mostly worthless against poison gas.
- Gonk: The most grotesque-looking character in the film by far, but oddly still more dignified and menacing than other versions of the character, including the original.
- Greed: All he cares about is his Spice profits, and if the Fremen are in the way? He'll casually order total planetary genocide.Baron Harkonnen: But Arrakis is Arrakis, and the desert takes the weak. My desert. My Arrakis. My Dune.
- Gruesome Grandparent: His family tree is a plot point in the second film; the Baron is Paul's maternal grandfather and he tries to kill him multiple times, albeit without any cognisance that he's Jessica's father or Paul's grandfather.
- Humiliation Conga: Got a brief one near the end. The Baron was forced to kneel and be belittled by the Emperor for his failures, before the Emperor orders a Sardaukar to sever him from his life support and crawl on his feet. This public humiliation continues after his already embarrassing death of being publicly knifed by his grandson on the stairs, as Paul orders the Fremen to unceremoniously dump his body in the desert to be ripped apart by ants and forgotten.
- Jabba Table Manners: Not to a great extent, but he still burps once and eats noisily in front of Leto.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After managing to cheat death in Part One, the Baron gets everything that's coming to him in Part Two, as Paul's ascension dashes every one of the Baron's schemes and ambitions to pieces and leaves the man himself dying at the point of his grandson's crysknife.
- Karmic Death: In the first film, after Duke Leto was rendered helpless, the Baron gloated over his nemesis and mocked the presumed deaths of his family. The Baron meets his end when Paul, Leto's son, finds him rendered helpless, and the Baron doesn't even get Leto's defiant last breath before Paul kills him and leaves his remains for the desert to claim.
- Kick the Dog:
- After Dr. Yueh betrayed House Atreides to save his beloved wife, the Baron coldly murders him and is implied to have done the same to Yueh's wife beforehand.
- Simply besting Duke Leto isn't enough for the Baron; after the attack on Arrakeen, the Baron has Leto stripped naked and rubs in the supposed deaths of Jessica and Paul to twist the knife. Not killing Leto immediately ends up backfiring painfully for the Baron.
- Lack of Empathy: During an interview, his actor Stellan Skarsgård explicitly described him as lacking empathy.Stellan Skarsgård: No, I have to understand him as much as he understands himself. I understand Harkonnen because he doesn't have empathy. I mean, in that sense, he's a monster. But he has rationality behind his actions; he's a realpolitik [thinker]. It's like any corporate leader.
- Large and in Charge: It's difficult to measure how tall he is compared to his underlings, as he usually floats around and wears long robes, but the Baron is clearly a big, burly man (his actor Stellan Skarsgard is 6'3", about the same height as Dave Bautista, who plays the main enforcer Rabban), and his excess of meat only makes him even more physically imposing for his rank.
- Meaningless Villain Victory: Ironically, he succeeds in getting a Harkonnen on the throne as he wanted. It's just that said Harkonnen is his hated rival Leto's son, meaning his family line has been subsumed by that of his hated enemy's, to say nothing of the fact that he killed both Vladimir and his preferred heir Feyd-Rautha to get there.
- Missing Steps Plan: Baron Harkonnen claims to intend to leverage his knowledge of the Emperor's complicity in the destruction of House Atreides to put Feyd-Rautha on the Imperial Throne, but never gives specifics on how he would achieve such a thing, and all and the available options are highly dangerous to the Harkonnens themselvesnote
- Mysterious Past: In contrast to the novel, most of the Baron's past and motivations are left mysterious. It eventually becomes clear he's motivated by his ambition to have his family ascend the ranks, but even then everything else about him is never explained.
- Naked First Impression: The first time we see him, he is naked in a sauna.
- Not Quite Flight: His suspensors in his spine allow him to move around by floating. The way he actually moves with it is done up in a way to make him seem more menacing.
- Not So Stoic:
- When Leto releases the poison gas in his tooth, the Baron goes visibly Oh, Crap! and rapidly escapes to the farthest, highest corner of the ceiling he can find to remove himself from the threat. He is still clinging to that spot when his servants unseal the room the next morning, and is moaning in pain, fear or both.
- In Part Two, the normally composed Baron is on the defensive when Emperor Shaddam IV is criticizing him for his failure to control Arrakis, and he subsequently doubles down in terror and pain when he's stripped of his antigravity harness. When he's at Paul's mercy, Vladimir can only gape in horror as the vengeful heir of House Atreides acknowledges their familial heritage shortly before finishing him off.
- Oh, Crap!: He visibly composes this expression when Duke Leto busts open the poisonous gas on him.
- Parental Favoritism: He clearly favors his youngest nephew, Feyd, and frequently gives him praise for his competency. He's pretty indifferent to Rabban at first, but when Rabban continues to screw up in handling spice production on Arrakis, the Baron makes clear his intention to severely punish him if he continues to embarrass their family name.
- Pet the Dog: The flashback of him being presented with his infant daughter Jessica shows a surprisingly tender side to him, hinting he may have once had the capacity to unconditionally love a family member.
- Properly Paranoid: When gloating to an anesthetized Leto that his reign and house are over, Leto murmurs something. The Baron is suddenly alert and activates a shield before leaning in and asking him to repeat what he said. Unfortunately for everyone else, it was the kind of weapon that was indiscriminate and that a shield couldn't defend against. The Baron manages to survive anyways by going up into a corner of the ceiling until the morning.
- Sadist: Notably downplayed in comparison to the novel and other adaptations, but he still shows signs of being one. He takes quite a bit of pleasure in mocking a defenseless Leto and stripping him naked, and brutally murders Yueh once he's outlived his usefulness. However, he never reached his literary counterpart's level of cruelty and pointless sadism.
- Secret Test of Character: A dark example. In an interview, Stellan Skarsgård stated the Baron didn't drug Lanville so he could see if Feyd has what it takes to succeed him after Rabban has proved to be a disappointment.Stellan Skarsgård: I risk Feyd-Rautha's life because I have to see if he can take it. Is he really the tough guy that I need? And he is.
- Smoking Is Cool: He is seen several time smoking from a hookah to relax.
- Smug Snake: The Baron is leagues more competent than his literary counterpart, but he's ultimately still this. He fails to realize the Fremen inhabit the southern reaches of Arrakis, and his plans to overthrow the Emperor quickly fall apart the second Shaddam even vaguely suspects the Baron could be plotting against him.
- The Social Darwinist: Implied. He makes sure Lanville isn't drugged so that he can see if Feyd-Rautha has what it takes to succeed him, indicating he values a person's intelligence and their capacity for violence as equally beneficial qualities.
- The Sociopath: In a noticeably different way than his novel counterpart. The Baron has no empathy whatsoever, but he's more of a coldly rational manipulator than his pointlessly sadistic literary counterpart. He certainly takes some joy in his enemies suffering, but mostly he comes across as bored when inflicting violence, and thinks nothing of threatening his own family member's lives.
- The Spock: The Baron operates on ambition and logic rather than empathy or emotion.
- The Starscream: The Baron's ultimate goal is for his house to usurp the Corrinos by installing Feyd-Rautha on the Imperial throne through marriage to Irulan, intending to use Shaddam's complicity in the destruction of the Atreides as blackmail to accomplish this.
- The Stoic: The Baron is always seen calm and collected, never raising his voice, not even in dire situations. Even his ultimate freakout in the second film is rather subdued.
- Stout Strength: The Baron is hideously obese, but he's strong enough to slice a man's head clean off with one motion. As Dr. Yueh can confirm.
- Undignified Death: After being left unable to stand by a Sardaukar, the Baron is helpless on his back when Paul finishes him off, and afterward, he orders that Vladimir's body be tossed into the desert, where ants begin eating the lifeless tyrant.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Though the Baron had the opposite of pure intentions when he called the Great Houses to Arrakis as an insurance policy against the Emperor, they arrive too late to save his life and the ensuing nuclear standoff directly leads to Paul's holy war.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Paul's vision shows him tenderly playing with a baby Jessica, hinting he was once capable of sincere love, before becoming who he is now. It's all the more notable considering how willing he is to risk Feyd and Rabban's lives, and even threaten to kill them himself.
- Vicariously Ambitious: As his entry under The Starscream shows, the Baron realizes that he himself will never sit on the Golden Lion Throne, but he can at least ensure that a Harkonnen will claim it, scheming to secure the throne for Feyd-Rautha. That said, when he's left helpless during the Final Battle, the Baron does make some effort to climb to the throne amidst the chaos, only to die like an animal mere feet away from it.
- Villain with Good Publicity: He's regarded as a benevolent leader by his people. This could not be further from the truth.
- Villainous Incest: He has a quasi-incestuous relationship with Feyd, and kisses him rather lustfully before his nephew leaves for Arrakis.
- Villainous Glutton: The Baron is quite overweight and gorges himself on Leto's food after taking the Arrakeen palace. Fittingly, once the Baron is dead, the wildlife of Arrakis make quite a feast of his remains.
Rabban
Glossu "Beast" Rabban
"Rest? REST? KILL... THEM... ALL! KILL... THEM... ALL! RATS!"
Played By: Dave Bautista Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One | Dune: Part Two
"How can the Emperor TAKE EVERYTHING we've built, and give it to that Duke?! HOW?!?"
The older nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and the main enforcer of his will.- Adaptational Attractiveness: Even under heavy makeup, the tall and musclebound Dave Bautista is still much easier on the eyes than the short, ugly and rotund figure that Rabban is described as in the book.
- Adaptational Dumbass: While not an outright Dumb Muscle like in previous adaptations, Rabban's few moments of genuine insight and intelligence from the book are still mostly omitted. The second film also gives him an almost darkly comical hair-trigger temper, and places him in situations where his lack of wits gets him humiliated, with a poignant example being the fight where he tries to face the Atreides weaponmaster while solely armed with an inkvine slavery whip and is consequently killed in an instant.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: He's present right in the film's prologue, in a flashback narrated by Chani, while in the novel he didn't appear until well after the Harkonnen attack.
- Adaptational Jerkass: To an extent. In the original novel, most of Rabban's crimes were Offstage Villainy and during his brief appearance, he came off as a Punch-Clock Villain carrying out the Baron's orders to save his own neck. It wasn't until Brian Herbert's novels that he became a much more monstrous figure. Here, he's depicted as extremely violent and actively racist towards the Fremen.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: In the books, he had Gurney's sister raped and it's indicated he frequently raped his slaves. Here, there's no such indication Rabban has inflicted any kind of sexual violence on anyone.
- Advertised Extra: At least in the first movie, for how much publicity Rabban gets, he only has 4 appearances. Two very short ones with no dialogue, and two where he has conversations with his uncle. He has a much more prominent role in Part Two.
- Arch-Enemy: To Gurney Halleck. Rabban is the one who personally murdered his family and disfigured him. It's fittingly Gurney who slays Rabban at the end of Part Two.
- Ax-Crazy: Rabban is both extremely insecure and very easy to anger, which means he's quite prone to violently lashing out and murdering his own men during his numerous temper tantrums.
- Bad Boss: Rabban does not treat his minions well at all, starting from Part Two. He beats one man to death by slamming his head against a console and snaps the neck of an ornithopter pilot for losing sight of the Fremen. It's no wonder his underlings are left Stress Vomiting.
- Bald of Evil: He's bald, like his Fat Bastard of an uncle and the rest of the Harkonnen.
- A Beast in Name and Nature: Rabban is often referred to as "The Beast Rabban", a name he easily shows that he deserves through his temperament and brutality. And like a stereotypical beast, if he's up against a threat he can't easily dominate, he'll run for the nearest hole.
- Big Ego, Hidden Depths: He's ultimately an insecure coward, and Rabban masks this by lashing out and behaving like an arrogant, raging brute.
- The Bully: For all his status and authority, this is what Rabban boils down to, a feckless thug who uses brute force to abuse those weaker than him, and who will turn and run with his tail between his legs when faced with an actual threat. When faced with an actual threat in Gurney, he turns out to be a Paper Tiger who lasts about all of five seconds before dying.
- Butt-Monkey: He spends most of the second film being threatened by the Baron and Feyd, being outwitted by Paul and the Fremen, and gets done in with minimal effort from Gurney.
- The Brute: Especially emphasized in this adaptation, as he loses what little displays of surprising intelligence he had in the novel.
- Composite Character: Minor example. Since Feyd-Rautha doesn't appear in the first film, Rabban takes his place in scenes with the Baron, which also gives Rabban an Adaptational Early Appearance. However Feyd appears in the second film, and still fills his main role in the story.
- Defiant to the End: Despite Rabban's displays of cowardice, to his credit, he goes out fighting, even if Gurney makes short work of him. It isn't much, but it's still a better end than his uncle got from Paul.
- Dehumanization: In his very first appearance in Part Two, he refers to the Fremens as "rats" and bashes the head of one of his underlings for correcting him and suggesting he needs some rest, while screaming to kill those rats already.
- Dirty Coward: Rabban swears to kill Muad'Dib and leads an assault force into the desert, but panics and flees the instant he sees his adversary stalking towards him while the Fremen make mincemeat of his troops. He again tries to run away during the final battle, although when Gurney comes to challenge him, Rabban does stand and fight, albeit not for that long. Presumably he didn't think he could get away if he ran. Dave Bautista discussed it during an interview, stating that Rabban at his core is a coward and that his actions all stem from that.
- Disappointing Older Sibling: Despite being the Baron's eldest nephew, he is viewed as this. Vladimir has displaced Rabban as his heir after his numerous failures and Feyd takes special pleasure in humiliating his brother when the two reunite.
- The Dragon: He was in charge of the Harkonnen occupation of Arrakis before their withdrawal and leads the assault on the Atreides forces. He loses this role to Feyd in Part Two, after the Baron becomes fed up with his inability to deal with the Fremen.
- Dragon Their Feet: He outlives the Baron by attempting to get out of dodge as soon as Paul and the Fremen descend upon the Imperial stronghold. He doesn't get past Arrakeen before Gurney catches up to him and settles his grudge with a knife to the Beast's throat.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: According to Dave Bautista, Rabban is the only Harkonnen to feel some affection for his family - or at least the Baron, and sincerely wants their unconditional love. The fact he never gets it means he constantly lashes out at the people around him and fuels his brutality.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Dave Bautista's trademark deep, gruff voice fits the hulking, brutish Rabban like a glove.
- Face Death with Dignity: Despite spending most of his screentime as a Dirty Coward with little appetite for direct physical confrontation, he reacts to being cornered by Gurney and the Fremen while mostly unarmed by drawing his ceremonial whip and roaring a challenge. Gurney swiftly cuts him down in a Curb-Stomp Battle, but he gets points for effort.
- Fatal Flaw: Rabban's cowardice and insecurity are ultimately what hinder him the most and makes him into a General Failure.
- General Failure: Rabban is more reliant on brute force than strategy or any sort of forward thinking, at one point ordering his gunships to fire at a random mesa in a fit of petulant rage.
- Hidden Depths: In the films, he never shows anything but hostility towards Feyd and tries to attack him for taking over Rabban's position as governor of Arrakkis. However, Dave Bautista has stated that Rabban is ultimately motivated by earning the love of his family, implying deep down he really does have some affection for Feyd and wants him to return it.
- Hot-Blooded: Has quite a temper, screaming his frustration that the Emperor has taken Arrakis away from them and given it "To. That. DUKE!". After the Harkonnen takeover, he personally executes Atreides prisoners for no other reason but his passionate loathing of them. Part Two has him go completely berserk and kill his own subordinates when they aren't killing Fremen as effectively as he wants them to.
- Humiliation Conga: He can't catch a break in Part Two. He fails to prevent the spice production from halting due to constant Fremen attacks, tries to confront Muad'Dib himself only to flee with his tail between his legs, and gets demoted by his uncle as a result. Then, when Feyd-Rautha comes to replace him, he finds himself kicked to the floor and forced to kiss his foot so his life will be spared. Gurney eventually puts him out of his misery in the Final Battle.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Remains untouched throughout the first part, and Paul never faces him either, but Gurney takes him down within seconds of engaging him in the second.
- Karmic Death: Rabban murdered Gurney Halleck's family and left him with a scar to remember him by. It's fittingly Gurney who stops Rabban from escaping and ends the Beast's life.
- Kick the Dog: With the conquest of Arrakeen mostly complete, a brief scene shows Rabban brutally beheading a line of kneeling, defenseless Atreides POWs one after the other.
- Large and in Charge: Rabban is a hulking brute, built like a tank, and he's a major commander in his uncle's army.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He's not too bright and fairly incompetent, but he's still dangerous by brute force alone and the protagonists regard him as a serious threat for his sheer brutality.
- Paper Tiger: While Rabban is very intimidating in both appearance and demeanor, Part Two proves that unless his targets are helpless or taken by surprise, he's all but useless in a fight. He flees in cowardice from Paul, is laid out and humiliated by Feyd, and is killed by Gurney in a few swift moves during the final battle.
- Practically Different Generations: Implied as Dave Bautistia is over two decades older than Aaron Butler who plays Rabban's brother Feyd.
- Psychopathic Manchild: Rabban has a very childlike temperament, frequently throwing tantrums and, at least to begin with, showing a naïve understanding of the politics surrounding Arrakis being given to the Atreides. He's also an incredibly violent Bad Boss, not to mention batshit insane.
- Sadist: Maybe not as much of one as his brother, but it's still clear that Rabban enjoys being a violent war criminal.
- Starter Villain: Rabban and his forces are the biggest direct threat to the protagonists in the second film's first act, before the far more dangerous Feyd takes over his position and escalates things.
- Suddenly Shouting: "How can the Emperor TAKE EVERYTHING WE BUILT AND GIVE IT TO THAT DUKE?" in reaction to the Harkonnens being ordered to hand over Arrakis to House Atreides.
- Tragic Villain: Downplayed. Rabban is a bad man and a brutal tyrant with a Hair-Trigger Temper, and an accessory to two genocides, but he's ultimately motivated by trying to earn the love of people incapable of doing so and who constantly abuse him, making him somewhat sympathetic.
- Unskilled, but Strong: For all his size and strength, although he surely knows how to break a neck with his hands, Rabban doesn't seem to have fighting skills to speak of, immediately fleeing when directly confronted by Muad'Dib and almost being killed by a random Fremen during his retreat. Rabban doesn't fare any better in any other altercation, with Feyd-Rautha and Gurney Halleck dealing out a Curb-Stomp Battle on separate occasions.
- Villainous Breakdown: Spends most of Part Two having an ongoing breakdown over his fall from grace due to Muad'Dib, beating his minions to death and snapping their necks for failing to find the Fremen hiding in the desert. He ultimately dies ignominiously at the hands of Gurney Halleck.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Rabban desperately wants the approval and love of his family. He never gets it, both due to his incompetence and because his two living relatives are sociopaths incapable of unconditional love. The best he gets from the Baron is a death threat.
- Whip of Dominance: Carries an inkvine whip, apparently as a badge of his authority as the governor of Arrakis. He can fight with it, but it's treated realistically as a not-terribly-effective Emergency Weapon that he prefers not to use much.
- You Have Failed Me: He's on the receiving end of a non-lethal example. For his inability to quell the Fremen rebellion and get spice production back on track, he's fired from his position as governor of Arrakis and the mantle is handed over to Feyd instead.
Feyd-Rautha
Na-Baron Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
"You fought well, Atreides..."
Played By: Austin Butler Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part Two
"Feed him to my pets. They're hungry, they didn't get to eat anything on the journey here."
The younger and favorite nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and the Baron's heir.- Adaptational Late Appearance: Feyd-Rautha first appeared in the second chapter of the novel along with his uncle; this version of the character only appears in the second part of a two-film adaptation.
- Adaptational Badass:
- This version of Feyd doesn't use any of the dirty tricks his book counterpart relied upon, even taking on the un-drugged Atreides gladiator without having to fall back on a paralyzing trigger word. His climactic duel against Paul is much more evenly matched than in the book, and the poison and hidden blade that Feyd used in the book are absent, making it a contest of pure skill that Feyd almost wins.
- Notably, this version of Feyd is subjected to the gom jabbar and successfully passes, something that never happens in the novel and would seem pretty improbable given that he lacks Paul's Bene Gesserit training, the only thing that allowed Paul to survive his own test. This also means the filmic Feyd passed solely thanks to his natural mental resources, giving credence to the Bene Gesserit's notion that he could have fathered the Kwisatz Haderach had Jessica followed their instructions to have a daughter.
- Upon assuming governorship of Dune, he also quickly crushes the Fremen resistance to the point where Paul feels forced to become the Kwisatz Haderach, something he never had the chance to do in the novel.
- Adaptational Jerkass: This adaptation has Feyd kill off slaves and underlings on a whim, while the original novel only had him kill his concubines, which even then was a punishment imposed on him by the Baron for an assassination attempt. The film also establishes that Feyd murdered his own mother, who was never mentioned at all in the book, and adds a confrontation with Rabban, where he beats, humiliates, and threatens his older brother.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Feyd is still very much a psychotic despot-to-be, but the film's Adaptational Badass treatment makes him much more of an honorable warrior than the original Combat Pragmatist from the book. His attempts to assassinate the Baron are also omitted, with him reacting to his own assassination attempt with the disgust of someone who considers himself over treachery, and it's stated Feyd intends to inherit his uncle's titles legitimately. Margot outright notes that he values honor and this is a lever they can use to control him.
- Adaptation Personality Change: In the novel, Feyd was a skilled warrior and quite intelligent, but he was more of a charming schemer and a playboy than a fighter. In the films, Feyd is depicted as an almost feral Noble Demon who takes great joy in violence, and is a much more hands-on opponent. He's also much more violent and unpredictable, prone to killing even his own subjects at random where his literary counterpart only did so at the Baron's behest.
- Adaptational Sympathy: Zig-Zagged. On one hand, in the novels, Feyd was depicted in a somewhat sympathetic light as the product of the Baron's abuse — with the prequels revealing he had been stolen from his loving parents — and it was noted that he could easily have turned out like Paul had he not been corrupted by the Baron. Here, he murdered his own mother and is implied to have been a sociopath from the get-go. But on the other hand here he's depicted as far more troubled and insecure than his book counterpart, which we see when Margot seduces him, and his disappointment at his uncle's attempt on his life, with a subtle implication that the brash fierce persona is a facade he has to maintain.
- Adaptational Ugliness: In the book, Feyd-Rautha is young, handsome and athletic in great contrast to his brutish-looking brother and morbidly obese uncle. He's deliberately groomed by the Baron to look different so that he can all the better win hearts and minds to the Harkonnen leadership on Dune. While he still fits that description in this version and Margot is impressed with his physicality, he's also a creepy, hairless, black-mouthed albino.
- Adaptational Wimp: Zig-zagged. The film's Feyd is clearly superior to the book's Feyd as a warrior, but the reader never quite gets a look at Feyd's inner world in the novel, so it's reasonable to assume he's just as confident and worldly as he looks. Meanwhile, the film depicts him surprisingly vulnerable in this field, showing him disappointed and angry at his uncle's attempt on his life, and later insecure and almost disturbed at Margot's advances. Her report on him to Mohiam explicitly state she is drawing on his insecurities to manipulate him.
- Always Someone Better: Feyd is this to his older brother, Rabban. Whereas Rabban is a hot-headed thug who's a coward at heart, Feyd is a highly skilled warrior who embraces a challenge and is a more effective military commander. To put things into perspective, Feyd annihilated the northern Fremen and got spice production back on track within a few days of being appointed governor of Arrakis, while his brother wasted resources and manpower trying to do the same his entire tenure. It's no wonder the Baron favored Feyd and appointed him as his heir.
- Ambiguously Bi: While Feyd demonstrates plenty of attraction to women, sleeping with Lady Margot and keeping an entourage of cannibalistic concubines, he notably returns a kiss from his uncle with one of his own, and some of the looks he gives Paul could be interpreted as lustful.
- And Your Little Dog, Too!: Like in the novel, Feyd attempts to provoke Paul during their duel by threatening Chani after picking up on their connection."She's your pet? Any special attention for the pet?"
- Animal Motifs: His tendency to snarl and bark during combat gives him a primal quality not unlike a rabid dog, not to mention how often he bares his blackened teeth. Gurney outright calls Feyd an "animal", a description that is even more appropriate here than in the original book.
- Antagonistic Governor: He takes over Rabban's position as governor of Arrakis and quickly brings the Fremen resistance to its knees.
- Anti-Villain: Downplayed. He's firmly a bad man and violently unhinged, but Feyd has a sense of honor and sincere respect for his enemies, as well as his own twisted sense of morals that both the Baron and Rabban lack.
- Ax-Crazy: More subdued about it than his brother, but still there. He lives for battle and has no qualms about gruesome murder. When the Atreides soldier, Lanville, has his dagger inches away from his face, Feyd laughs like a madman because the thrill of dying excites him.
- Badass Cape: He is the only Harkonnen shown to sport a black cape with his armour, making him stand out as some sort of Black Knight.
- Bad Boss: Even more so than his brother and uncle. While Vladimir and Rabban have also harmed and killed their underlings, they usually do so during moments of extreme anger or when their minions have disappointed them. In stark contrast, Feyd casually murders servants and advisors with little to no provocation, simply because he feels like it or because his concubines haven't eaten in a while.
- Betrayal by Inaction: When Paul prepares to kill the Baron, Feyd doesn't lift a finger or say a word to even try and save his uncle's life, merely watching Paul kill him with a vaguely admiring expression.
- Big Brother Bully: Inverted. After replacing Rabban as Planetary Governor of Arrakis, Feyd demands that his older brother kiss his foot, knocks him to the ground when he violently refuses, then forces him to comply at knifepoint, all while snarling that Rabban humiliated their family.
- Big Entrance: Feyd has quite the entrance when he enters the fighting arena. Everyone in their seats are cheering up for him. Margot Fenring mentions to her Bene Gesserit sisters that is all for show.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: When he is about to duel Paul, he returns the customary Fremen salute (though his tone implies he doesn't really know or care about the 'custom' aspect of it and simply returns the salute mockingly).Paul: May thy knife chip and shatter.
Feyd: May thy knife chip and shatter. - Blood Knight: Feyd loves fighting and killing, and his idea of a birthday celebration is fighting in the arenas of Giedi Prime. When his three opponents are the last of the Atreides soldiers taken during the attack on Arrakis, he is clearly bored while killing the first two because he knows that they have been drugged and easy kills provide him no satisfaction. But when he realizes that the third one is not drugged, he relishes the challenge and even congratulates the man for giving him a good fight after stabbing him.
- Blue-and-Orange Morality: He's described as a sociopath, but Feyd seems more to follow a strange moral code based around social darwinism. He's happy to kill anyone he deems as weak, but he expresses sincere empathy and respect to those on his level, as well as showing no regard for his own life and viewing himself as just as expendable. He comforts Lanville after fatally wounding him in a manner that suggests he's genuinely compassionate towards him, and sincerely compliments Paul for fatally wounding him.
- Casual Kink: It isn't depicted onscreennote , but Lady Margot reports that Feyd derives sexual satisfaction from receiving pain and humiliation, a quality that, unlike his sadistic tendencies, isn't treated as one of Feyd's moral failings.
- Clashing Cousins: As Paul reveals before their duel, he and Feyd are cousins (first cousins once removed, to be specific). Feyd finds the revelation mildly interesting before noting that Paul wouldn't be the first relative he'd killed.
- Combat Pragmatist: In single combat, Feyd likes to keep things fair and square. When he assumes command of the Harkonnen forces on Arrakis, however, his go-to tactics involve Death from Above, More Dakka, and Kill It with Fire from as far away as possible. Quite understandable since, every time Harkonnens engaged the Fremen in direct combat, they got their behinds soundly whooped.
- Combat Sadomasochist: In battle, Feyd is a snarling maniac who revels in having an equal opponent. Even when his enemies injure or threaten to get the better of him, Feyd has a wide smile on his face, finding as much of a thrill in facing pain and death himself as he does in inflicting both on others. He goes so far as to deactivate and remove his shield while fighting Lanville, giving his opponent a better chance at victory, just for the sheer visceral thrill of facing mortal danger.
- Composite Character: He adopts the literary Baron's dark sense of humor and Faux Affably Evil personality, as well as the literary Feyd's role in the story.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Takes down the much bigger Rabban in two moves when the latter attacks him, and it actually looks convincing.
- Depraved Bisexual: While primarily interested in women, he kisses his uncle, and it's implied he's attracted to Paul thanks to his violence and skill in combat.
- The Dragon: Succeeds Rabban as the Baron's right-hand after the former's repeated failure to quell the Fremen uprising on Arrakis, and is much more capable and efficient. After the Baron's death, Feyd steps up at the last minute to serve as Emperor Shaddam's champion against Paul and his final obstacle to the Golden Lion throne.
- Dragon Ascendant: Feyd succeeds his uncle as head of House Harkonnen, following the Baron's death at Paul's hands in the climax of Part Two. His ascendancy is short-lived, however, as Feyd himself is killed by Paul in a final duel to decide the Imperial throne.
- Dragon-in-Chief: He's much more competent and dangerous than both the Baron and Rabban, even going as far as to deliver a Curb-Stomp Battle to the latter when being threatened by him. He later becomes this for Saddam after his uncle and brother kick the bucket. Since the Emperor is an elderly man, Feyd fights Paul in his stead and his defeat marks the end of Saddam's reign.
- Dragon Their Feet: He outlasts the Baron in the climax, facing Paul as Shaddam's champion to decide the throne.
- Establishing Character Moment: Feyd is introduced casually murdering two of his attendants to test a new knife (which he then complains about to the one survivor), then fighting in a gladiatorial arena where he revels in the combat, especially when up against an opponent who can provide a challenge, which sees Feyd deactivate his shield and smile crazily as he faces actual mortal danger before winning the fight and praising his opponent for a fight well-fought, which demonstrates Feyd's bloodthirsty sadism, his love of battle, and his twisted, but nonetheless present sense of honor.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He disdains fighting unfairly, if only because his ego can't handle a win he hasn't earned.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: While he quickly clocks that Paul and Chani are involved, Feyd, a product of his "use and abuse" society, refers to Chani as a "pet" (which is no doubt how he sees his own concubines) rather than entertaining the idea that Paul genuinely loves her. When he has the upper hand in their duel, Feyd heavily implies that he will take Chani for himself after finishing off Paul, which inadvertently gives the latter a Heroic Second Wind to defeat and kill Feyd.
- Evil Counterpart: To Paul, being another Bene Gesserit "prospect" (and, at least in the book, the intended father of the Kwisatz Haderach). Like Paul, Feyd is a highly-skilled fighter, a capable tactician, and has his eyes on the Emperor's throne.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: The brutish Feyd-Rautha has a noticeable rasp in his voice like his uncle.
- Evil Virtues: Lady Margot describes him as cruel and sociopathic, but also driven by honour. One can say many things about him, but he respects warrior customs and is far from a coward. This is in notable contrast to the book's version, who didn't hesitate to cheat if he thought he was going to lose.
- Fair-Play Villain: Values honor in battle to the point that he literally roars and barks at an arena attendant that attempts to intervene during his fight against Lanville.
- Fan Disservice: Feyd is introduced wearing nothing but a pair of jeans. He is muscled and handsome by comparison with other Harkonnens. He then kills two of his own underlings to test the sharpness of a blade.
- Faux Affably Evil: Tends to be very polite and cheerful, but will kill without provocation or warning, even his own servants.
- Final Boss: For Part Two; with Rabban and the Baron dead and the Emperor and his party as captives, Feyd is the only thing standing between Paul and the Imperium's throne. His death marks the end of the reign of Shaddam IV, and the beginning of the reign of Paul Muad'dib.
- Genius Bruiser: Is as skilled a fighter as Paul Atreides himself and, once he takes over as Planetary Governor of Arrakis, quickly puts an end to the northern Fremen's rebellion by launching surgical artillery strikes on their sietches.
- Giggling Villain: He audibly laughs in a mischievous, sincere way while grappling with Lanville, out of the sheer joy he feels at the challenge.
- Graceful Loser: Upon realizing that Paul had managed to fatally stab him, Feyd merely congratulates his opponent for a duel well fought before succumbing to his wounds.
- The Heavy: He becomes this for Part Two once he's put in charge of Arrakis, proving to be far more competent and dangerous than Rabban before him, with his tactics ultimately forcing Paul to go in a much darker direction and fully embrace his prophesized role as a Dark Messiah in order to stop him. He's also the Final Boss Paul faces in the film.
- I Am a Humanitarian: Not Feyd himself, at least not explicitly, but he strongly implies that his concubines only eat human flesh and go hungry if he doesn't kill anyone in a while.
- In Love with Your Carnage: Once he finally meets Paul, he's clearly enamored with his ruthlessness and looks positively ecstatic when he watches Paul coldly execute the Baron.
- Kick the Dog: His habit of murdering his slaves and subordinates aside, Feyd also personally executes Shishakli by burning her alive with a flamethrower for "pleasure".
- Kinslaying Is a Special Kind of Evil: Feyd's past act of matricide is used to further display his violently psychotic nature, and while preparing to duel Paul, Feyd casually notes that his cousin wouldn't be the first relative he'd killed.
- Knight of Cerebus: For much of the film, Part Two feels like a dramatic, but still traditionally heroic struggle of underdogs Paul and the Fremen against the unambiguously evil Harkonnens. Once Feyd gets involved in the conflict on Arrakis, however, his brutal tactics force Paul to resort to darker methods to defeat his enemies, and the full horror and tragedy of Paul's story comes to the forefront.
- Kubrick Stare: Introduced giving one of these.
- Laughably Evil: Quite a bit of dark humor is mined from just how much of a lunatic Feyd is, and from his own morbidly sardonic jokes. For instance, after Paul reveals that they're both cousins.Feyd: Cousin? [casually shrugs] Well, you would not be the first relative I've killed.
- Man Hug: A villain example, but when killing Lanville, Feyd warmly hugs and caresses him before gently laying him down and complimeting his fighting skills. It shows that he genuinely does respect warriors willing to fight him to the death and that he is sincere in it.
- Matricide: According to the Bene Gesserit, he murdered his own mother. Reverend Mother Mohiam cites this as a reason why Feyd would respond better to a lover than a maternal figure.
- Monster Fangirl: Feyd keeps a harem of concubines who are every bit as psychotic as he is; they stain their teeth black to match his, giggle like schoolgirls while watching a shirtless Feyd slaughter his attendants, and it's stated that he feeds them the remains of his victims.
- Mr. Fanservice: Downplayed; Feyd's looks are as creepy and off-putting, and his actions as brutal and reprehensible, as any Harkonnen, but he's introduced shirtless, showing off his lean and muscular body, much to the appreciation of his harem. If nothing else, Feyd is a much prettier sight than his grossly obese uncle.
- Mythology Gag: Promotional interviews describe him as a "psychotic Mick Jagger"; Jagger was intended to be cast as Feyd-Rautha in Alejandro Jodorowsky's planned adaptation.
- No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction: Being a full-fledged Blood Knight, Feyd relishes a good fight when he finds one. Notably, when he cuts down the first two Atreides soldiers, who'd been drugged prior to the fight, Feyd does so casually with an almost bored expression on his face. When he gets to Lanville and realizes he isn't drugged and can actually give him a fight, Feyd is notably ecstatic and savors every second of it, even discarding his shield to make the fight more fair and barking at the guards to back off when they try to assist him.
- Noble Demon: Deconstructed, this version of Feyd shares many of Paul's laudable qualities including his determination, courage, and martial discipline. However, Feyd also shows how these traits, while admirable and present, aren't enough to overpower or excuse a person's reprehensible aspects by themselves.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Before seducing Feyd, Lady Margot subjects him to gom jabbar, the same test that Reverend Mother Mohiam put Paul through in the first film, during which the latter was shown to be in complete agony. When reporting to the Bene Gesserit after the fact, Margot reveals that Feyd passed without any issue, even suggesting that he may have enjoyed the pain that it inflicted on him.
- Only Sane by Comparison: Feyd is an absolute lunatic by any regard, but he's the most on-the-ball of the Harkonnens. Rabban is an incompetent fool, and while the Baron is no slouch, he's a Smug Snake who ultimately can't back up his ambitions. Feyd by contrast is dangerously competent and proves the most pragmatic out of them, proving willing to serve the Bene Gesserit so long as he gets the throne.
- Pet the Dog: He's not above fighting fairly, and sincerely compliments Lanville for putting up a good fight and comforts the dying man after killing him.
- Plot Parallel: Feyd is seen by Reverend Mother Mohiam as the answer to Paul. Through the sequel, his plot is somewhat similar to Paul. He is the youngest nephew of Baron Vladimir, a charismatic warrior prince and an efficient leader, expected to inherit Arrakis and is in the middle of a conspiration to install him as Emperor. He has his own manipulative Bene Gesserit in lady Margot Fenring, mirroring Paul's connection to Jessica. The film's climax showcases their similar, yet contrasting styles in an even-matched duel, which ends with Feyd's demise.
- Powerful People Are Subs: Feyd is a powerful figure in every sense of the term. On a personal level he is a superb close quarters fighter and a competent strategist. On a wider sense, as the chosen heir of one of most powerful and rich families in the galaxy and a pretendent to the throne of an Empire encompassing said galaxy, he wields considerable influence. He is also a sadistic murderer and a Blood Knight whose servants are terrified of because he has a habit of murdering them on a whim. However according to Lady Margot, his sexual preferences lie in receiving pain and humiliation and he is portrayed as being rather submissive from what little the audience see of their tryst.
- Practically Different Generations: While we don't get explicit ages for either of them, Rabban and Feyd seem to have a wide gap between them for brothers.note
- Pretty Boy: Similar to his cousin, Paul, Feyd is slender and gracious. The physical similarity to Paul is even bigger when he is put beside his Fat Bastard uncle and Hunk-looking older brother.
- Put the "Laughter" in "Slaughter": While grappling with Lanville for control of the blade that will kill one of them, Feyd begins laughing in pure delight.
- Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: Implied. When Feyd has the upper hand in his duel with Paul, he claims that he will be sure to give "special attention" to Chani, making it clear that he intends to take her as his prize whether she likes it or not. Paul is not happy about this.
- Red Right Hand: In addition to the Bald of Evil and albinistic traits shared among all Harkonnen, Feyd and his cannibalistic harem have had their teeth painted black. This makes him particularly unsettling to look at, especially when he's baring them in the heat of battle.
- Remember the New Guy?: Part One does not show or mention Feyd-Rautha at all, and makes no indication that Baron Vladimir has any heirs or significant relatives besides Rabban. When he finally appears in Part Two, it's established that Feyd has always been a well-renowned figure in the Harkonnen family, and has been a crucial player in both the Baron and the Reverend Mother's respective plans the entire time.
- Sadist: In addition to his enjoyment of giving and receiving pain in battle, Feyd clearly revels in inflicting pain under any circumstances, taking satisfaction in humiliating his brother Rabban and describing burning Shishakli alive as "pleasure".
- Scary Teeth: Feyd's teeth are stained black, which make him look even more inhuman when he roars and snarls his way through combat.
- Screaming Warrior: In combat, Feyd punctuates just about every strike by grunting and snarling.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Feyd is everything his older brother Rabban is not, proving valiant, cunning, and ruthlessly effective in battle, as well as having a sense of respect for his enemies and having their uncle's favor. Pretty much the only thing the brothers have in common are their sadism and callous disregard for the lives of their own minions,
- The Sociopath: Margot outright calls him one and with good reason. He casually murders two of his slave girls simply to test the edge of a new blade, then proceeds to complain it's not quite perfect. Unlike the rest of his family, he does show a twisted sense of empathy, comforting Lanville after fatally wounding him out of sincere respect.
- Sequel Adaptation Iconic Villain: A fairly iconic character of the novel, he's been saved for Part Two (though the two parts still adapt the first novel anyway).
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Feyd keeps a soft-spoken and calm tone of his voice even when he maims, tortures and kills. Is even more jarring when he sounds just like his uncle when he speaks.
- The Starscream: Subverted. Unlike in the books, he doesn't attempt to assassinate his uncle just so that he can quickly become Baron of House Harkonnen. He does threaten to drown his uncle in his own bathing pool when he confronts him for rigging his fight with the last of the enslaved Atreides troops, but that's as far as it goes. Then again, Feyd doesn't do anything to stop a Sardaukar from crippling his uncle, nor does he seem particularly broken up when Paul kills the Baron in front of the Imperial court.
- The Stoic: Except for very few moments, Feyd is very calm and collected. Even when Paul enters the imperial outpost him and others hid in, he is the only one shown not losing his cool at all, while his uncle is shown scared of what's happening.
- The Strategist: First thing he does after becoming the new governor of Arrakis is to attack Sietch Tabr itself, killing most of its inhabitants with surgical artillery strikes and not relying on infantry patrols and gunships like his older brother did. His attack becomes the first significant victory for the Harkonnens in months.
- Token Good Teammate: Downplayed. Feyd is a murderous lunatic, but he's the only Harkonnen with any sign of morals or empathy. He comforts Lanville after fatally wounding him in a moment of oddly sincere kindness, is sincerely committed to his ideals of honor, and compliments Paul after he fatally wounds Feyd.
- Too Kinky to Torture: After seducing Feyd and subjecting him to the gom jabbar test, Lady Margot tells Mohiam that he finds pleasure in pain, implying that Feyd passed the test because he literally got off on it.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: When he takes control of Arrakis, Feyd's first act is to launch a full scale assault on the Freman's northern Sietches to quell their rebellion, injuring and killing many and forcing the others to evacuate to the South. This unknowingly prompts Paul to finally embrace his role as Lisan-al-Gaib to gain the support of the southern Fremen, setting in motion the events that will eventually lead to a mass jihad that Paul's visions idicate will devastate the Imperium.
- Unwitting Pawn: Once it becomes clear that controlling Paul Atreides will be impossible, the Bene Gesserit focus their attentions on Feyd, intending for him to kill Paul and serve as their puppet. Lady Margot seduces Feyd with ease, quickly impregnates herself with his daughter, and reports that controlling him won't be an issue.
- Villainous Incest: Implied. Feyd kisses his uncle on the mouth when the Baron appoints him as the new governor of Arrakis, and he seems to harbor some lustful feelings toward Paul even after discovering that they're in fact cousins.
- Villainous Valor: For all his savagery, Feyd understands and appreciates honor, enjoys a fair fight (and takes it badly if anything happens to make the fight unfair), and isn't above showing grace to his enemies, even if they've just killed him.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Feyd is highly admired by the people of Giedi Prime, with his victories in the arena and his assignment to govern Arrakis being met with loud cheers and adulation from the crowds. Baron Vladimir also plots to exploit and invoke this with Feyd's ruling of Arrakis, allowing Rabban's governance to end in disaster so that his younger brother would be seen as a savior in comparison.
- Weak-Willed: Downplayed; Feyd is defiant enough towards his uncle that he threatens the Baron's life over a presumed assassination attempt, but Lady Margot bends him to her will with next to no effort, quickly seducing him to the point that she has Feyd literally on his knees before her. She later reports that Feyd would, in fact, be much easier to control than Paul Atreides ever would be.
- Worthy Opponent: Considers Lanville (the only Atreides gladiator that wasn't drugged) to be one after a particularly hard-fought battle. Feyd extends this courtesy to Paul after being fatally stabbed by the latter.
- Xenomorph Xerox: An unusual example, but Feyd's bald head, black chitonous armour, black teeth and animalistic ferosity make him very xenomorph like, especially in the environment of the H.R. Giger inspired Giedi Prime. He's like if the alien from Alien could talk and reason like a person.
Piter de Vries
Piter de Vries
"My Lord, you gave your word to the witch, and she sees too much."
Played By: David Dastmalchian Other Languages
Appearances: Dune: Part One
The mentat of House Harkonnen.
- Adaptation Personality Change: He's a subdued, quiet servant instead of a mentally unstable fast talker as in the novel.
- Composite Character: He has more in common with Edric O than the books' Piter de Vries, both in terms of his appearance and personality
- Cruel and Unusual Death: He perishes when Duke Leto Atreides unleashes the Deadly Gas from his fake tooth trying to kill Baron Vladimir. The gas appears to have corroded his skin and dissolved his eyeballs.
- Deadpan Snarker: His clarification to Rabban clearly has a subtle condescending tone at his inability to grasp the whole plan.
- Demoted to Extra: Downplayed. Piter wasn't a prominent character in the novel to begin with, but his 2021 version is reduced to an extra who has very few lines and whose name isn't pronounced once. In this version, Yueh isn't killed by him but by the Baron. That being said, one of his important scenes in this movie is an event which happened completely offscreen in the book (the hiring of the Sardaukar).
- Dissonant Serenity: He is right next to many of the film's freakiest elements, including the ferocious Sardaukar, but he never bats an eye. If anything, it seems like only the Baron's discussions manage to get him to express surprise.
- Mouth of Sauron: He represents House Harkonnen when going to seek Sardaukar reinforcements on Salusa Secundus.
- No Name Given: Despite his relative importance to the plot, including his Adaptation Expansion on Salusa Secundus, Piter's name is never mentioned in the first film.
- Prophet Eyes: Can be seen very briefly doing this, like fellow Mentat Thufir Hawat, when Rabban arrives on Giedi Prime and at the end of his talk to the Bashar.
- The Stoic: He doesn't show much emotion for most of the film, even when in the same room with a volatile Rabban or face to face with the dreaded Sardaukar. His composure only falters as he's being fatally poisoned.
