Frank Herbert's to Dune's sandworms, Fremen, Harkonnens, Atreides, and Bene-Gesserit Reverend Mothers.
What sets Dune apart from other sci-fi epics of its ilk is its focus on the human elements and character factions within the universe. Instead of building a futuristic fantasy world on androids, aliens, and lasers, Dune illustrates a future rich in mind-altering substances, religious fanaticism, corrupt governments, and colonial conquest. In this imagined future, humankind has had to survive without computers, forcing human minds to evolve. Simultaneously, the expansion of society into vast stretches of space led to corporate and political structures that closely echo those of the real world.
Dune, as a movie, has a reputation for being famously difficult to adapt. The sheer size of the universe and the complexity of its inner workings pose a challenge for anyone unfamiliar with the books. Even one of Hollywood's most legendary and enigmatic directors, David Lynch, had trouble introducing audiences to the Dune universe. The character factions that inhabit Dune are dense. For those who won't have time to read the book before October, here's a brief explainer of all the important factions.
The Bene-Gesserit
Women dominate the world of Dune, and none more than the Bene-Gesserit. The Bene-Gesserit is an order of powerful women who seek to control the universe through their intricate breeding system. Lady Jessica, played by Rebecca Ferguson in the 2021 film, is a powerful member of the order and mother to Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides. They can choose the sex of their children, are skilled in all areas of martial arts, can essentially read minds, and use the power of “voice” to command others to do their bidding. They control the lineages of every house in the galaxy and are the architects of individual religions on each planet.
The Landsraad
Politics are a complex and intricate game in Dune. The Landsraad is the governing body that represents all the great houses in the Imperium. Houses, similar to Game of Thrones, are land-owning and wealthy families that rule planets throughout the Galaxy. The Landsraad council meets to discuss issues of intergalactic trade and formal declarations of conflict. There are three houses that are important to the story of Dune: House Atreides on the planet Arrakis, the protagonists, House Harkonnen, their mortal enemies, and House Corrino, the Imperial Emperor. The Landsraad system is built to keep corruption in check, but Dune illustrates that human beings always find a way.
The Spacing Guild
While the Landsraad controls the land, the Spacing Guild and its Guild Navigators control outer space. All trade and transportation between planets are run through the corporate entity, making the guild as powerful as any of the houses, the Emperor or the Landsraad. Navigating the galaxy takes a great deal of skill that only the guild’s Navigators possess, giving them exclusive access to light-speed travel. Their monopoly on trade, banking, and transport is an ever-present force to be reckoned with throughout the galaxy.
Mentats, Suk Doctors, and Sardaukar
Described as “human computers,” Mentats have the ability to assess information at superhuman speed and compute the most beneficial outcome. Thufir Hawat, played by Stephen McKinley Henderson in the movie, is the resident Mentat for House Atreides. House Atreides also employs a Suk Doctor amongst their ranks in Doctor Yueh, who will be played by Chen Yang. Suk Doctors are highly advanced medical physicians with unique conditioning that prevents them from taking human life or betraying those they serve. The Sardaukar are an elite fighting force created and wielded by the Emperor. The Emperor has his own prison planet, Selusa Secundus, where he creates an army of supersoldiers that have never been beaten by any other fighting force in the galaxy. All of these factions and more will be in Denis Villeneuve's Dune.
