The History of House Harkonnen | Dune Lore

An examination of the notable events in the history of House Harkonnen as well as what makes this Great House so relentless in their constant struggle for Imperial dominance. Spoiler warning as I will be covering the timeline of House Harkonnen leading up to and throughout Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2021 and the rest of Frank Herbert’s Dune saga.
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Thumbnail and final image art sourced from the Dune: Imperium Board Game by Dire Wolf Digital www.direwolfdigital.com/dune-...
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License for commercial use: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported "Share Alike" (CC BY-SA 3.0) License.
Information sources:
Frank Herbert’s Dune Novels
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Art Credits
(if I missed your credit or miscredited a photo please let me know via email at [e-mail])
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen By Ivelin
Vladimir Harkonnen by Lixin Yin
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen by Aurelien Police
Giedi Prime By Alex Tornberg
Geidi Prime Concept by Ruben Karamanites
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen by John Schoenherr
Baron Harkonnen by Boti Harko
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[@nightdevil6666]

"My desert, my Arrakis, my Dune" that scene sold the villain so damn well for me

[@AscendantStoic]

It really emphasized the Duke's possessiveness and greed, great performance by Stellan Skarsgård as usual.

[@smallhatshatethetruth7933]

which Dune though? There's many dunes on Arrakis lol

[@jaypazole4086]

He's a true villain in every sense of the word and I love that in the new movie they didn't make him this laughable over the top joke. In the books he's a brilliant tactician and a patient predator that has plans within plans

[@enigma9971]

@@AscendantStoic the Baron. Vladimir is a Baron, lower in rank than a Duke.

[@enigma9971]

The Harkonnens had rule of Arrakis for 80 years!

[@chancewilson1161]

“Bring in the floating fat man” one of my favorite lines from the OG movie…the Emperor had such contempt etched on his face and in his voice.

[@joestoen8681]

That was a classic line. Mine is when the space Guild commander told the Emperor that if the spice stops flowing he'd live the rest of his life in a pain amplifier.

[@michwis]

....the Baron

[@enigma9971]

I love the OG

[@evshrug]

The 80’s movie sure had a lot of grandiose camp and “Acting” flaws, but I did love many parts of it. The imaginative costume, memorable (and somewhat of an earworm) soundtrack, and - even if the movie as a whole seemed slow or dull - it was full of one-liners. “Bring in the floating fat man!” “The sleeper must awaken!” “Mood is something for cattle and lovemaking!” (How does mood apply to farming cattle??) “Walk without rhythm, and you won’t attract the worm.” (If you walk without rythmn, you never learn!) “Long live the fighters!” “The Spice must flow” (unique to this movie, and the RTS games based off it).

[@randomcenturion7264]

@@evshrug Mood applies to cattle as in "Mooed." Like the cows mooing.

[@iskandar4661]

From the word Harka which means ‘Ox’, Paulus Atreides died fighting a bull, a bull is a male bovine. It’s almost like the Atreides were destined to fight the Harkonens

[@Anfmethodjor]

You are GOOD!

[@evshrug]

Yes. If you accept the Brian Herbert books as canon, apparently the house leaders were good friends right up until the end of the Butlerian Jihad.

[@scottishadonis]

@@evshrug A lot happened over a few thousand years!

[@concept5631]

@@scottishadonis 👆👆

[@scottishadonis]

I’m aware that Paul atreides grandfather did die from fighting a bull, I’m not sure what you really mean by this? The Harkonens were around for thousands of years before that happened, so what are you on about?

[@dwatts995]

Loved the movie, it's nice being able to go to the cinema for what feels like an event, a feast for the eyes and ears. Haven't felt like this since LOTR was on at the cinema.

[@Atreus21]

Me too.

[@UNSCPILOT]

As someone who Adores sci-fi, I'm absolutely in love with Dune, and really hope to see other Sci-fi greats get adaptations with this level of love and skill

[@andrew-rn9ui]

People can hate on avatar all they want but that shit in Imax 3D was absolutely insane

[@env0x]

@@andrew-rn9ui avatar was good, just not much to it other than visuals. hoping the sequel in 2022 brings the story together a bit better

[@hayseanward]

Mad max fury road was up there too, but this film was so gosh damn good

[@JessWLStuart]

House Harkonnen seems to represent all the darker sides of human nature.

[@AsttoScott]

I got the impression he based it on Jews.

[@muddylikestacos]

Or Stalin.

[@SingingSealRiana]

well with exception for the true villain of the series, blind belive in one person, one leader, messiah or emperor

[@juhahaapala6835]

Yes

[@willderby536]

@@muddylikestacos He used the darker venal elements of man and used them as the template for the Harkonens

[@jasonworlock5113]

Glossu Rabban is by no means a 'book' smart or very interesting character but to me, it is worth noting that saw the Fremen for what they were. A powerful force that could challenge even the Sardaukar when no one else could see it, so he was 'street' smart because of his time on Arrakis.

[@BaronFeydRautha]

My brother was a "tank" brain.

[@theowels5773]

Nice way to look at it 👍👌

[@phillwheadon5940]

As a thought - all the houses were tangled in a web of destiny that the Bene Gesserit wove and wrangled. The Harkonnens were as much a tool the eyes of the Bene Gesserit as the other houses for teasing out traits and abilities towards bringing about their messiah.

[@jonathancox1231]

Yes I got that too but being human nature in full force the witches could only hope to control the hadaratz when he comes to full understanding of who and what he is, Paul is controlled only by his own soul

[@craigmckenzie5466]

It's funny to me how the Harkonnen's in the new Dune look just like the Spacing Guild in the original '84 Dune.

[@Wifgargfhaurh]

Personally i think they did the sardaukar right but should've made the harkonnens more interesting

[@bobfg3130]

You mean Harkonnens.

[@davegreen9155]

There is a 51 year old "Fan" somewhere in Vermont.... Trust me when I say "That person is having a blast" here....thank you😎 Lore is likened to experience and I am so EXCITED that LORE is still being EXPLORED As I feel FAR from being "Done" with DUNE "The sleeper MUST awaken"❤

[@tonywebb1403]

if you have never heard of quins ideas you should check it out he has a great series on all but one of the original dune books really well done stuff

[@dawngarrett3225]

61 and loving this cocmos

[@davegreen9155]

@@dawngarrett3225 Keep Up that Love ....its AWESOME❤

[@42Nightsyesterday]

You know this guy is legit to with his use of CAPS Love it

[@stevemcallister4965]

The revelation that Jessica was actually the Baron's daughter is one of my favorite twists in literature, and hit me like a gut punch when I read it the first time. Given the work's themes of historical inevitability and the vital importance of lineage and bloodline in influencing morality, it's a brilliant start to the subversion of the Atreides as melodramatic heroes and ushering in their much more complex role as antiheroes of humanity in the rest of the series.

[@petestaley7903]

Everyone's scared of the Golden Path. It takes,,,,. SomeTHING else.

[@toddbonny3708]

That's a rather fatalistic view. All Harkonens are evil so Paul had to be as well? The Harkonens served honorably in the Butlerian Jihad, while Vorian originally served the cymeks.

[@toddbonny3708]

Sorry but one is not doomed to be evil by their ancestors. Vorian Atreides served the cymeks, while two generations of Harkonens served honorably in the Butlerian Jihad.

[@kustomkure]

Ever heard of spoiler alerts?

[@toddbonny3708]

@@kustomkure On a 50+ year old book? Why are you here if you didn't know?

[@carcillian]

In a universe as vast and rich in lore as Dune the Baron and the Harkonnens stand out to me because there is no grey area at all. They are just vicious, single minded killers that will use and abuse every resource to achieve their goal. This was a vital lesson in the Dune books to never put someone on a pedestal. Paul was not the hero everyone painted him to be either. His jihad swept across the universe killing billions and he became just another tyrannical entity in a sense, definitely his son. I wonder how much the Harkonnen blood affected the Golden Path or if that was in Heberts thoughts at all about these characters? Either way the Baron is a wonderful villain and you can not help but root for his demise and Alia’s Gom Jabbar. It is very sad to me what happened to her, I loved her as a character, her life was beyond her control even before birth, horrifying. Lol in FF14 my character is named Rabban…😝

[@Krigarkaj]

The Sardaukar was the real good guys 😅

[@NATIK001]

Kinda fits the real world. Everyone, alive or dead, had dark sides. The heroes and great men of past and present all have prejudices and faults. We can work on on faults and work to do better and be better, but we are all imperfect beings. This principle doesn't work in reverse though. Though most people have some kind of goodness and decency in them, occasionally does truly despicable and evil men arise. Those that have no regard for anyone or anything and will sell out all principles of decency for their personal benefit. Harkonnens represent these people, the truly and thoroughly evil.

[@ericthompson3982]

All I know is that if I don't get to hear Josh Brolin say "Mood is for cattle and love play" I want my money back.

[@KiloPage777]

Haha he didn't but there are some other great lines

[@michaeldougherty6036]

No "Tried and Died" either. Honestly, they re-did almost all the dialog to give it a more natural, modern feel. Normally that would be heresy to me, but they did a respectful job of it. And if I'm being honest, Herbert's dialog was great in a Shakespearian sort of way; lofty and poetic. But it lacked the feel of natural human interaction. This new Dune movie is already highly obtuse by simple virtue of needing to cover so many disparate story threads at once, I think humanizing the dialog was a good way of making it more palatable for a larger audience while maintaining the integrity of the story.

[@robertsosna3557]

Love the history of the Harkonnens. Wish there was more about them. Especially Baron Harkonnen. He is my favorite villain!!!

[@twal3]

Oh man...and I thought I needed a flow chart to understand all the families and their complex relationships within Game of Thrones.

[@michaelh5564]

Deep Lore ASMR by: Nerd Cookies. It's always a high point in my day when I see a fresh lore vid from you, no matter the subject. Thank you for being you!

[@NerdCookies]

🥰🥰🥰

[@SummerYeti]

The soul of Harkonnen was sacrificed and injected into house Atreides by the spice witches who were unwittingly being guided by the future unborn worm emperor. The savagery and lack of empathy of the Harkonnen soul was the final component and catalyst that opened the door for Paul's son to walk the with the spice

[@michaeldougherty6036]

It's that sort of epic circular narrative that I think Star Wars was trying to go for, but fell well short of due to fractured creative planning. Weirdly, I think the only movie series that managed to pull it off so far as been Harry Potter. If Dune can stay creatively cohesive through the truly epic amount of movies needed to tell the whole story...well, one can hope.

[@crystalward1444]

@@michaeldougherty6036 you mean that Harry Potter and Tom Riddle were both related through the Perceval family? I'm hoping Tom's story gets more knit out with how it links to the Slytherin House. Star Wars is such a twisted mess now (in terms of the original characters) that I half expect the announcement of Palpatine's back story. Had JJ Abrams been thinking he could have brought in Emilia Clarke to help clean up Rey's parentage. Missed opportunity much? That said, it never was revealed how the worms came to Arrakis. That's likely to always be the silent mystery of Dune.

[@kreuzrittergottes9336]

@@crystalward1444 why cant the worms have evolved there?

[@georgea2538]

Not really, Duncan Idaho is also a Kwaistz Haderach.

[@marquistf1996]

How is it they were being guided? It didn't seem like it was circular in that way. Leto the second never mentioned anything like that.

[@billeickman]

I always wondered, are the Harkonnen seen as "normal" in the imperium? Just slightly more ambitious and ruthless as the other houses, but are most houses just as weird?

[@decaygrim8943]

I love how creators are explaining the dune universe. It’s so vast and Interesting

[@Marcelo83uk]

Bloody love this channel and the music... It's like sitting down listening to old stories out of a book by the fire :)

[@sardonictendencies8605]

If I remember correctly it might have been worth exploring that the Harkonnen that refused an Atreidis order was refusing an order to kill civilians as collateral damage vs the thinking machines. If anything it was an Atreidis being ruthless and a Harkonnen being compassionate that started their feud.

[@crystalward1444]

The Atreides never had clean hands. The first trailer for the new movie did imply that the house leaders had generations of failures in their history. Leto was the first of the Atreides to mend their ways. Jessica was both the old compassion and the manipulation of Harkonnen.

[@thegoodwin]

"Atreides being ruthless and a Harkonnen being compassionate". Talk about irony on how that switched around between the two families.

[@stuartmillington7080]

You're right, Harkonnen was shamed for doing the right thing.

[@melindam2776]

At the beginning...

[@salvadorlloret-farina8767]

thanks I was hping it would be something like that. The counterfactual pivot point.

[@tjtiger2183]

Loving the dune universe , you give it a summary in your videos. Great voice and really enjoy your vids.

[@NerdCookies]

Thank you!

[@ScaryBaldMan]

I love your videos - especially the Dune ones. I did want to add that, House Harkonnen is referenced in Heretics of Dune, when Miles Teg, Duncan, and Lucilla hide in a No-Globe once belonging to them. So there is evidence that the family name lived on in some form after the events of Dune.

[@terryh1451]

One of your best videos! Keep these lore videos coming. 🤩

[@dangallagher8034]

Very nicely done. Many thanks to all that produce these pieces.

[@Toquer88]

I prefer the ( Har-KOH-nen ) pronunciation. Sounds a bit more ominous. I presume you're saying it correctly though.

[@NerdCookies]

I like both pronunciations for different reasons

[@Toquer88]

@@NerdCookies Perfect. Maybe one for while we're repulsed by the Brutish Oxen. One for the discussion of them as a mostly oppressed population with a wild history. You still manage to teach me something every video. Thanks 😊

[@TheMadTube]

I grew up on the Lynch pronunciation. However, after learning Nordic languages, I now pronounce it the way stated here, based off the Finnish roots

[@timoteoserna]

There are recorded interviews with Frank Herbert where he uses the pronunciation used in this video. I go with the author’s intended pronunciation myself.

[@Mariini]

Harkonnen is "englished" version of what would be Härkönen in Finnish. But since its difficult for English speakers to say our ä and ö so the easier to pronounce "Harkonnen." 🇫🇮

[@Paganscot]

Love your channel. Your Dune & B.S.G. videos are top class, keep them coming please.

[@Witchatwork]

Wonderful!! I need this tutorial to truly start understanding the full story of Dune

[@Jared_Wignall]

I always enjoy these Dune videos. Keep up the great work!

[@pbonney]

If you read the prequels written by Frank’s son, Brian you learn a lot of interesting things about the Harkonnens. The Atriedes and Harkonnens were not always at odds and were close friends. A rift formed due an event that led to many years of resentment.

[@jonathancox1231]

Yes and the end is with an atreides coward be betraying the real in hero , a harkonnen

[@almightybunny3320]

Härkönen is actually common surname in Finland.

[@misterangel8486]

Amazing video, as always. Thx Nerdcookies👌😎🍪

[@byronlee8745]

The Baron Harkonnen is probably one of the best villains in science fiction!

[@jerrysstories711]

"The Duke will die before these eyes. And he'll know, he'll know... that it is, I, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who encompasses his doom!" Of course, he meant 'comprises', but we'll give him a pass.

[@terryh1451]

Dude! That was favorable line.

[@Dularr]

It's an old definition. Not used today.

[@Sidragrosm]

"Oh..! Need you more proof of what Heaven's Choice is..?! Atreides is dead! And Harkonnen, *LIVES!* "

[@jerrysstories711]

@Intergalactic Dust Bunny Yes, encompass is a real word, but he's committing a common misusage. wikidiff.com/encompass/comprise

[@42Nightsyesterday]

@@jerrysstories711 your link doesn’t prove anything. Both are still applicable

[@brianbanek4163]

I appreciate you've filled in some details missing in the children of dune mini series i.e. what house Harkonnen was up to in the years following the baron's death

[@adamdtournay]

Thanks for being such a Dune nerd. I appreciate and enjoy your videos. 😊

[@iphatbass]

I like how you used Leto's and Vladimir's portrait from Dune Imperium game

[@universalparadoxes2081]

I love your insightful content and your voice. Its a winning combination.

[@rickcramer3393]

The main problem with "Dune" is fully recognizing the role of the sandworms. One: someone in ages past seeded Arrakis with sandtrout that inevitably led to the desert world. Two: are the worms conscious and if so are they intelligent? Three: is everything that happens in Herbert's universe, including the creation of Leto II, planned by the worms or is everything in this godless universe just nothing more than a succession of episodes? These are the clues to the secret of the God Emperor.

[@andrew-rn9ui]

Too bad we never got a last book

[@cephalonbob15]

@@andrew-rn9ui we have, by herbert’s son, brian and in that book well trilogy, omnius sends a million ship strong fleet to eradicate humans along with the new and improved omnius scourge. everyone gets pushed back and back and makes a final stand at chapterhouse. all the face dancers die by genetic kill switch and norma appears and kills omnius by taking him into an other plane of existence or something. then they fight, humans also most win but not really and we they are about to killed , duncan idaho shows up as the ultimate chosen on e and the new machine ever mind

[@jonathancox1231]

Marty and Daniel seeded arrakis with the worms, they are frank and his wife

[@themis828]

This narrator voice.. omg! So nice to listen to. Great video. Thank you for your time in making it!

[@Sizifus]

Love these chill lore videos

[@HunterZolomon]

You and Quinn are the go to channels for Dune info. Your narration and voice are perfect. Thanks for all the work you put into this, great clip!

[@petestaley7903]

I remember having these conversations back in the '80s. So looking forward to D.V. Dune. You have clearly done your research, or, like me with discworld, just KNOW this stuff. Either, Or. You've gained a Sub. Good work.

[@paulh2468]

Great stuff, Elaine. I see no problem with covering off material from Brian Herbert. I'd think the ghoula of Frank is ok with what his son has done. It also looks like Denis is making a fair number of changes as well, out of necessity. I'm confident the second half will be made, as it's being written now. I plan to see it in IMAX.

[@Nazuna500]

I wanna see it in IMAX too. But I'll have to see it with my headache meds already taken. A regular theater nearly put me outta commission last night.😅🤣

[@SImrobert2001]

I think he would be fine with -some- of the stuff, but not with others. Liked, Frank deliberately said that Earth was gone, lost to the sands of time, with the Bene Gesserit researching humanity through genetic memory. (Which ties into the kwisrach haderach.) This lends the universe an air of mystery as to what has happened. ITs like us looking at 21thousand years into the past. ITs a complete mystery, and we will never know, and that is intriguing. What Brian has done is go through and explain the dune universe in the prequels. The way Earth was destroyed was finally revealed to the audience, what the Bulterian Jihad was. The Atreides, and Harkonnen had their houses explained, that sort of thing. Its even to the point of contradicting his father's work, like journals from Arakkis colonists speaking of life on Earth. Its hard to do if it was nuked into oblivion 10 thousand years ago. The problem is, it destroys the mystery of the universe. We know EXACTLY where House Atreidescame from, but the way they came about has NOTHING to do with their in universe reputation for strategists. In fact, they share qualities with present day House Harkonnen, throwing their men with no care. Harkonnen is nearly the opposite, showing a wonderful tactical advantage, even sharing it with House Atreides, only to wind up starting the house fued. Like, there is a bit of creative license to that, but in universe, it doesn't make sense. There's no reason for the houses to develop the way they did with the setup Brian had given us. Narratively, there needs to be a reason for a sudden complete ideological shift, and Brian hasn't given us that, likely to put it in another book. (Assuming he hasn't already) Then there's the idea that he's adding to it. Like, The Baron Harkonnen was already a decrepit human being. But, Brian took that and said "You know how Jessica is the baron's daughter, Well, NOW she's a product of rape, and the Bene Gesserit knew he wanted to do this, so they are bad, to, right?" At that point, I am personally like "Dude, you REALLY did not need to go there. The baron is already pedophilic, and you seem to delight in a life long trauma that you aren't going to show the slightest respect to." Brian's stuff is filled with "Plot says this!" and i'm not sure Frank would approve of those parts of his writing. Nor of the parts where he tinkers with the original work "just because."

[@Khannoah]

Great Video, your detail is fantastic

[@choasfrost]

This is so chill. I love it.

[@cidklutch]

Keep it up, love all of the content

[@gretchenfitzgibbons5703]

Another fantastic lore video. A+ and learn so much

[@slyaspie4934]

Brilliant love these Dune lore videos

[@TrueBagPipeRock]

Valya H was my favorite. Great Character. House H was my least favorite of the three prequel books, but everyone I know likes it the most. What great writing that Lady Jessica turns out to be his daughter.

[@cedriceric9730]

Valya is an animal I've just completed mentats and just starting navigators

[@mysteriouslunar9779]

Valya is my favorite too. She had her dark and unreasonable side, and didn't listen to the Other Memory when it very correctly told her that the legacy she created in the Sisterhood would easily overshadow one hero of the war. On the other hand, she herself was right when she taught the Sisterhood to harness their bodies as well as their minds and fully further their potential as humans through great control and fighting prowess. She truly revered Raquella but at the same time, recognized that some of the founder's softer stances would not pull the Sisterhood through the millennia intact. The Dune universe is not a kind place, and while the Bene Gesserit are kinda jerks, they're still the ones Leto II placed the Golden Path baton with for a reason.

[@timoteoserna]

I’m confused about your description of the Atreides/Harkonnen rift. According to the Dune prequels, Vorian Atreides spent over a century trying to (first) exonerate Abulurd and clear his name, and then anonymously gave the Harkonnen family the money they used to reestablish their house. It wasn’t until much later when Tula Harkonnen killed Orry Atreides by Valya’s order that Vorian’s attitude toward them changed. The history between the families is way more complicated than you present in the video.

[@joesmeegle2991]

Thank you.... someone who read the series.....

[@jamieforbes3661]

Is see you've read the whole prequel series. Excellent books all of them but to cover the entire series in some reasonable detail it would require a 3 hour movie for each book of the ENTIRE SERIES!

[@timoteoserna]

I agree. However there is a vast difference between simplification and oversimplification. As you can see in my original comment, it didn’t take 3 hours to give a brief “historical” synopsis to provide context.

[@Primenumber19]

@@jamieforbes3661 the Kevin j Anderson crap is fan fiction. She got it right.

[@craigjones7343]

The only canonical Dune books are the original 6 by Frank Herbert and the Encyclopedia. Kevin J Anderson books are just an interesting alternate interpretation but not canon. Every true Dune fans know this.

[@yogi511268]

Love these videos!

[@linadecaseleycarloss5838]

Outstanding commentary!

[@steve809]

The prelude to dune trilogy is a must read for dune fans who want to know more about the three important houses, House Harkonnen is a great read along with House Atreides andHouse Corrino. Great vids, very informative.

[@craigphillips001]

Great series! Keep it going.

[@BeppyTurnip]

Trying to get my DUNE research done before the movie comes out. Such an interesting universe. Thanks ✌✌

[@josephlamonica4167]

Elaine The best voice on KZbin. Will you cover anything with the Foundations tv show coming in Sept, since your a great lore master of galactic empires?

[@NerdCookies]

I've done 1 foundation video. Would love to do more!

[@Dzugoslav]

Yep, I believe important character as Xavier Hatkonnen needs to be mentioned too. Give this house more tragic and sympathetic perspective.

[@mark261166]

After the sneak attack the Harkonnens launched on the Atreides during their fiefdom of Arrakis. The way Thufir Howat was treated was nothing less than constant torture. Yet another thought provoking Video you have posted.

[@shanenolan8252]

Thanks guys. Great art

[@smark4985]

Wow learned some fascinating background I didn’t know.

[@wxwxsrg]

Take ot with a grain of salt an consider it demi-canon as allot of the background was written by Frank Herbert's son and another writer based on his outlines but with a lot of creative freedom. Not bad. Not good but different. I would still recommend their books as good reading though.

[@warrenjm9]

Read the books! It's all there.

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Great vid as ever.

[@Trey-Farmhand-Suit]

Dune needs to become a huge sparkling franchise. We need to see more of the universe

[@mr.martins3737]

agreed, let's just hope the "woke" don't get their hand on it

[@campbell4show]

@@mr.martins3737 They did, Liet-Kynes was Gender-Race swapped and Denis Villeneuve is a raging feminist that pushed to have a lot more lead female representation even though there was a good amount already in the books... it's not too bad though, I think it gets a slight pass.

[@essanance]

I love your videos and your very soothing voice

[@adammenzell1522]

I have a question for someone who's read the prequel stories. WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILER. The original harkonnen "Xavier Harkonnen" was portrayed as a prominent and highly respected military commander. I understand he had his name tarnished, but just how did his house go from such a highly regarded position to the twistedly incredibly cruel?

[@user-vg9gi9bv1x]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely

[@mysteryminx2619]

THANK YOU for pronouncing this name correctly.! Frank pulled it from the San Francisco phone book, The Bay Area is full of Finnish families. He did the same thing with 'Atreides'.

[@NerdCookies]

Lol thanks! I get so many comments telling me I'm getting it wrong but yes I take my pronunciations primarily from Frank and the audiobooks

[@tHeWasTeDYouTh]

I cant wait for Dune part 2 in 2023 so we can see Feyd

[@wk8219]

Although I am not a fan of Brian Herbert’s expanded universe there are occasionally details I like from that collection, in this case it is a nod to David Lynch’s version of the Baron Harkonnen. In Lynch’s Dune the Baron’s face is covered with pustules that his private physician attends to frequently. Brian Herbert’s explanation of this is the Bene Gesserit who conceived the Lady Jessica purposely gave the Baron a sexually transmitted disease for his brutality (The rest of the details surrounding the expanded universe’s version of those events is on several narrative levels a good example of why I am not a fan if BH’s work). As always, thank you for the in-depth look into the world of Dune.

[@redxsage]

Very well told. Thank you.

[@MrCicatrix13]

Thank you for doing such a thorough job. Especially liked this one due to my dislike of the baron!

[@kaustubhdatta8162]

What an amazing research!

[@micstonemic696stone]

I love this saga and 1984 film and with the new film upcoming It has been facinating learning about the extended Dune universe as I've not read the books did you watch the alternative redux film ? I understand the story so much better with your videos thank you. NERD !

[@EricGentile]

This content is amazing.

[@thedoneeye]

Truly enjoying your series on the upcoming Dune movie! Don't know if you're aware of it but back in 1984 National Lampoon published a parody titled 'Doon.' Written by Ellis Weiner (son of Oscar Myer) it took place on the planet Arruckus populated by the nomadic sweatsuit wearing Freedmenmen. Arruckus, the only planet known to have the precious mind altering substance known as *beer.*

[@blueplanetcreature5049]

Love it! 💘

[@thegoodwin]

Lol

[@danyael777]

That would be Germany for me^^

[@thedoneeye]

@@danyael777 Ha ha ha ha!!!! Well said sir, well said!

[@moviesnips]

Abulurd Rabban (the half-brother of Baron Vladimir) was the polar opposite of his half-brother and was gentle and kind (Rabban's and Feyd's dad).

[@durwinpocha2488]

you have the sweetest voice, thanks.

[@salvadorlloret-farina8767]

Thank you so much for your videos.

[@NerdCookies]

Thanks for watching!

[@Tgruss]

You have a lovely voice! I really enjoyed your video. Thank you!

[@AlmostEthical]

The Baron was the son of Sauron, the father of Palpatine, Voldemort and Ramsay Bolton, and Pinhead's godfather

[@duskymoor9]

Cute.

[@davidsatterwhite5812]

This condense version of House Harkonnen gives a new perspective on the Dune mythos . Now I am going to Reread the whole Dune novel .

[@germany456]

great explation, never knew about these facts

[@paulfryman9411]

Such a fascinating book!

[@TheRoomforImprovement]

Stellan Skarsgard was damn near flawless as the baron.

[@jalexandr55]

Very nice historic- break down of House Harkonnen! Sub'd

[@exposingproxystalkingorgan4164]

Every noble house would want to become the new Imperial Dynasty. The only difference is their variation in ruthlessness. They would each backstab each other to become Emperor.

[@ethos5639]

All is fair in love and war. Love for your family combined with the dream to have them ascend to the greatest heights compels many in fiction and reality to commit atrocious actions.

[@exposingproxystalkingorgan4164]

@@ethos5639 I'm supposed to be clan descended from an ancient Imperial Dynasty. My ancestors did some nasty things to win civil wars to become emperors, and even more ruthless stuff to remain Emperor. Some of them were good rulers and others were insane like Roman Emperors Caligula, Nero, Commodus, Domitian kind of bat shit crazy.

[@ethos5639]

@@exposingproxystalkingorgan4164 I think that if you go back far enough in everyone’s lineage you’ll find powerful ancestors that have committed some bad deeds. Personally I’ve been able to trace my DNA all the way back to Pedro de Heredia and John Smith. Both of them undoubtedly committed horrible actions against the indigenous populations of the Americas. Most black people in America also have greatness and in their lineage. A lot of the people who would become slaves were simply rivals with ruthless clans that would sell the captured people to the white merchants after a conflict in order to gain more control in an area. Hell even the richest man in antiquity Musa Keita was black. The biggest issue is simply maintaining that power as modern statistics show us that most of the wealth and power acquired by a family is completely gone within 3 generations. The more you treat wealth as infinite the more finite it becomes.

[@raysmith1630]

I've been away too long. I missed the wonderful aroma of fresh baked nerd cookies! Well yes, Vladimir Harkonnen had his moments but all in all he wasn't such a bad guy.. hahaha.

[@dr.sommercamp3435]

The double 30mm machinecannons "Harkonnen II" are pretty cool, though! 😉

[@James77721]

Love me some fresh baked nerd cookies! Great video. Love your work. What would the 'one who can be many places' be like had he been the spawn of Alia and Feyd Rautha?!?

[@NerdCookies]

Thank you! Interesting question to think about 🤔. I love "what if"s

[@jonathanbarker1016]

You did a great job on this video .And learned somethings of "Dune " .And Baron Harkonnen history as well .Since yet read the book on it ,but did see the classic movie "Dune" on the big screen when first came out ,and I watched the mini-series back in the early 2000 on tv .So bought the movie once ,but lost unrest in it a long time ago ,but then then bought mini-series cause it was closer to the book .So my point is like it a lot .And can't wait to see the new one on the big screen .I hope if Coivd does screw it up ! But yet read the book which bought some time ago .But hard to get into something you know the ending to it .

[@LostInTheFarmersMarket]

I love the video. It leads to a question; Baron Harkonen had a set of mysterious diseases which caused all that bloating and the scarring and such. Any idea what it was?

[@zerobaseone_HelloZB1_3rdAlbum]

Those heartplugs in the OG movie will be forever etched in my 9 year pld mind....

[@MirageX123]

I think their devastator and tank are so good.

[@eponymous_graphics]

Great videos. What kind of language was spoken on Gidi Prime ? In the 1981 version, the scientist / doctor for Vladimir karonnen would speak in riddles while at the same time, moving his hand in different formations for each word spoken. Very interesting. Be nice to know more, or if this was a director's decision, or straight from the book. Very helpful backstories on the Dune Universe; Frank Herbert would be proud. Thanks again.

[@MrSirwolf2001]

I think that you mean Piter de Vries the twisted mentat. It is most notable when he is telling the Harkonen guards to dispose of Paul and Jessica in the deep desert. One thing that was left out of the movie, but is in the book, is that the thopter pilot was deaf, so that Jessica could not influence him using "the voice".

[@eponymous_graphics]

@@MrSirwolf2001 very well described; it IS the scene where he described the disposal of jessica and Paul that his hand gestures accompany his word very intricately ... i did not know he was a mentat. Very well done. Thank you. I would like see more of the indigenous languages explored, but often times it takes a speech / phonetics degree more than a lyricist to pull it off ("Post labial plostive" is all i remember from my intro classes at UCI .. and i was invited by the professor to pursue that career, instead I'm an unemployed English major ! bah dum psht ... well, done drummer.perfect timing). There was an umbrella method to breaking up the parts of a word that most definitely apply to the creation of a "new" language, if not a fictious one (such as Klingon). However, in the movie, looks like everyone speaks American -english ... "nah mean ?" (from the parody scream, see one of the wayans brother break down speak to its most casual .. actually brilientaly done and any students of how languages operate would do well to see it). Great example of what exorcists look for when "speaking" language .. anyone can speak Latin, only a person from Pre common era can speak latin coloquially, with abreviations, puns and the like). If it doesn't sound regiounal .. "it ain't your grandma your talking too !" (as in pointing to a quji board and saying "i'm speaking to my grandma" .. anyone can sound like your grandma, but only you know which is the real ... i went off on tangetnts there but it's been a weird day since this morning "I seemed to have changed may times since then" (alice in wonderland, the cartoon at least.) Thanks for sharing.

[@MrSirwolf2001]

@@eponymous_graphics Much of the "universal language" of Dune does come from current sources. Fremen, Jihad, Padishah, Gollum, Missionaria Protectiva, Zen-Sunni, etc. Frank Herbert then gave each group their own background related sub culture and language. I agree that it can be confusing to say the least. Much like Romanic languages being built off of Latin, and Latin and Greek words being many of the root words for our current vocabulary today. Thufir Hawat is a Mentat and Piter de Vries is a "Twisted" Mentat. Dune Lore has a pretty good explanation of what a twisted mentat is and how they are made. Frank Herbert is a world building genius.

[@eponymous_graphics]

@@MrSirwolf2001 I agree ! Should be include in the Sci Fi Five: Asimov, Bradberry, Heinlein, Arthur clarke and one more i think of him later. I've notice many of the words and phrases, if not philosophy (coming savior and all) is from Hebrew and Islamic text, heck Padishaw emporer is should a cool name, i thought of using it as a tag name for graffitti, but i used "Kreb" instead (see Kreb cycle in botony). Jihad and other words are definitely arabic, which is interesting as it gives the idea that the arabic labuage (spoken by jesus, and in a book where word is a force energy, at least in Lynch adaptation) it's interesting that the same language lives on with man ... perhaps unfolding for a familiar language to be spoken by the (quizack's cataract ... in Japan, Rincoln Conterrental .. bah dum psht !). I.e. this is why paul can don and doff the DUne Suit "as if he already knew how it works." I assume the familiarity of the arabic labuage would help in this same manner. Hey, good now Frank Herbert sons has some say in his father's universe; i hope some of it shines in the new 2021 theatrical film !

[@austins8533]

I subbed because the last time I commented you liked it within seconds. Also great content. And your voice🤗

[@NerdCookies]

Thanks for the support and kind words 🥰

[@austins8533]

😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@db8542]

I have just found your channel. Its great 😀

[@NerdCookies]

Thanks!

[@dkoz8321]

According to prequel novels of Butlerian Jihad, Machine Crusade, and Battle Of Corrin, Xavier Harkonnen was a brave and honorable man . A fierce and loyal warrior in service to his commanding officer, Vorian Attreides. Vorian was scheming and ruthless, self justified by desire to defeat OMNIUS's Thinking Machine Empire. I like flipping of personalities trope. Becouse there exists a backstory of conversion of good to evil and vice versa. Like Skywalker saga.

[@damonellis8883]

Can't wait sooooo looking 4ward 2 the the films 1 of my favourite scfi films. Remember FEAR is THE MIND KILLER

[@badbadmanly903]

I really appreciate these intelligent videos. Much better than expected. I tried to explain to my son, how transformative the original Dune was for me as a teenager reading it. By far the most interesting and enjoyable book I had read to that time. Before cable tv, the internet, cgi, etc….just a teenage imagination. Which certainly made the movie with Kyle McL and Sting a disappointment, even though it might’ve been good if you never read the book. Looking forward to watching the new one. Again, thanks!

[@alexconilias6857]

just watched the movie I hope there will be a part 2

[@xaviermontesdeoca2440]

I'm pretty new to Dune and I don't know if this question has being explained, if the spice was the most important resource in the universe, Why did the emperor not had direct control over Arrakis?

[@FellVoice]

Are the Harkonnen all physical brutes, the seem to be the Orcs of the setting.

[@rygalindo]

Vlad is probably the most clever person in the story.