Dune: Prophecy is the first spin-off in the Dune cinematic universe, following the politics of the Bene Gesserit almost 10,000 years before the birth of their Kwisatz Haderach, Paul Atreides. The series picks up with an arranged marriage between the ruling House Corrino and their powerful ally House Richese, organized by the Bene Gesserit as part of their long-running plan to get a member of their sisterhood on the throne. However, Dune: Prophecy has a large ensemble of characters, each with their own unique motives and schemes.

One of the show’s most interesting characters is Desmond Hart, a member of House Corrino’s military who was stationed on Arrakis when a group of rebels attacked their spice harvesters. Despite being presumed dead, Hart returns in the first episode of Dune: Prophecy claiming to have been attacked by one of the planet’s immense sandworms and living to tell the tale. Desmond Hart surviving the worm attack seems unlikely, but one popular fan theory seems to explain how the mysterious character got the powers that he attributes to Shai Hulud.

Desmond Hart Shouldn't Have Been Able To Survive The Sandworm

He Would Be One Of The First Humans To Do So

At least among the ruling of the Great Houses, surviving a sandworm attack on Arrakis is believed to be impossible. They’re huge creatures that can swallow entire harvesters whole, so one human shouldn’t pose any challenge at all. But the fact remains that Hart was definitely attacked (as proven by his hologram at the end of episode one), and he’s still alive to tell Emperor Javicco about the encounter. This makes Desmond Hart’s character extremely important, not least because of the powers that he seems to have developed following the attack.

It’s known that Fremen have discovered ways to ride the worms at seemingly control them at the time of the Atreides’ stewardship of the planet in the Dune books and movies, but it’s unclear whether they had developed this technology at the time of Dune: Prophecy. But it’s certainly unlikely, given humanity’s recent war against “thinking machines” and the total dismissal of all technology throughout the universe. This makes Hart’s achievement even more impressive, as he likely didn’t have the help of Fremen technology.

Desmond Hart Dying & Being Replaced By A Ghola Makes More Sense

This Theory Gives Reason For Hart's Superhuman Powers

It's been speculated that Desmond Hart didn’t actually survive the sandworm attack at all. Instead, the soldier may have been killed on Arrakis and revived by somebody off-world as a ghola, a zombie-like creature with unique powers that can be controlled by its creator. These creatures have appeared multiple times throughout the Dune books, and they’ve always been extremely powerful weapons when placed into the wrong hands.

Thematically, it would make complete sense for Desmond Hart to be a ghola. Dune: Prophecy has dedicated lots of time to exploring the dynamics between humans and machines, and a ghola is essentially the best of both worlds. It’s a technological copy of a human likeness, with an artificial intelligence that replaces the original form’s memories. Based on the show’s themes so far, and the lurking threat of war between humans and machines, the inclusion of a ghola seems very likely - and Hart is clearly the best candidate.

Evidence Desmond Hart Is A Ghola In Dune: Prophecy

The Show Has Dropped Several Hints To This Theory

One of the biggest pieces of evidence so far that points towards Hart being a ghola is his ability to resist the Bene Gesserit voice at the end of episode two. Even the Mother Superior was shocked that her abilities didn’t work against him - and rightly so, as she’s among the most powerful of the Bene Gesserit order. There has to be some logical explanation for Hart’s ability to resist the voice, and revealing him to be part-machine would certainly fix this problem.

He was unusually interested in Pruwet Richese’s “thinking machine” in episode one - and he was the only character strong or fast enough to kill the machine before it caused any more trouble.

Additionally, Hart’s fascination with technology seems to suggest that there’s more to the character than meets the eye. He was unusually interested in Pruwet Richese’s “thinking machine” in episode one - and he was the only character strong or fast enough to kill the machine before it caused any more trouble. These powers, alongside his simultaneous murder of Lord Pruwet and Sister Kasha, suggest that he’s much more than any ordinary human. Travis Fimmel’s performance is also intentionally very awkward and mysterious, which could hint towards him being an artificial intelligence.

What Desmond Being A Ghola Means For Dune: Prophecy

The Reveal Could Have Some Major Implications For The Show

If Desmond Hart is revealed to be a ghola, this could completely change the trajectory of Dune: Prophecy’s story. It would add another layer of political intrigue to the already mounting drama of the Bene Gesserit order, and if this reveal comes sooner rather than later, the show would presumably spend the remaining episodes solving the mystery of who Hart’s creator is. One potential theory is that Hart is being controlled by the gang of rebels led by Keiran Atreides, as revealed at the end of Dune: Prophecy episode two.

The twist reveal that Keiran Atreides is an anti-Imperium insurgent hints towards some future conflict between House Corrino and the rebels, and Desmond Hart could be a crucial ally in the battle. It’s already clear that the rebels have undercover agents within House Corrino, and Desmond could be another example of this - except as a ghola, he’s much more powerful. The Bene Gesserit would also have a hand in this conflict, which may explain why Desmond felt compelled to eliminate Kasha.

Dune: Prophecy Could Be Setting Up A Duncan Idaho Twist For Dune 3

The Character Undergoes A Similar Twist In Dune: Messiah

Ultimately, the inclusion of a ghola in Dune: Prophecy would be a perfect way of introducing the concept to audiences before it becomes even more important in Dune: Messiah. Presuming Villeneuve’s third movie sticks closely to Frank Herbert’s sequel novel, the film will reintroduce House Atreides’ loyal soldier Duncan Idaho as a ghola, created by the Bene Tleilax in order to infiltrate the Imperium and murder Emperor Paul Atreides.

Duncan Idaho returns as a Bene Tleilax ghola named Hayt as part of a plot to assassinate Paul Atreides in Dune: Messiah.

Duncan’s return in Dune: Messiah is one of the film’s most promising aspects, but he won’t be the same character that was seen in the first film. Duncan’s ghola lacks all the memories that made him Paul’s closest friend during their time on Caladan, and it’s this complex dynamic between Emperor Paul and Duncan’s ghola that drives much of the emotional storytelling forward in the Dune sequel. Therefore, it would be a smart idea if Dune: Prophecy manages to introduce this concept first, in a less high-stakes environment, to get audiences ready for Duncan’s inevitable return.