Dune: Difference between revisions

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The first two sequels, ''Dune Messiah'' and ''Children of Dune'', conclude Paul's story as he comes to realize that prescience is a trap - by seeing into the future, one dooms oneself to [[Prescience Is Predictable|live out that vision]]. In spite of Paul's best efforts to prevent it, the war he began on Arrakis has become an interstellar jihad that has sterilized entire planets and left him one of [[Hero With Bad Publicity|history's greatest murderers]].

As the remaining powers in the galaxy - the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit sisters who control religion in the galaxy, the Bene Tleilaxu masters of genetic engineering, and the children of the deposed emperor Shaddam, one of whom has been married to Paul for political reasons - begin to conspire against him, his visions grow darker. As the result of [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero|his late father's attempt to make Arrakis temperate and verdant]], the sandworms are dying - and with their extinction will come the end of the spice, economic collapse, and the extinction of the human race. In order to try and prevent this from happening, Paul wanders into the desert to die, and his son Leto II [[Biological Mashup|merges with several larvae]] of the soon-to-be-extinct [[Sand Worm|sandworms]] that produce the Spice, becoming one himself and making himself nearly immortal.

As the remaining powers in the galaxy - the Spacing Guild, the Bene Gesserit sisters who control religion in the galaxy, the Bene Tleilaxu masters of genetic engineering, and the children of the deposed emperor Shaddam, one of whom has been married to Paul for political reasons - begin to conspire against him, his visions grow darker. As the result of [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|his late father's attempt to make Arrakis temperate and verdant]], the sandworms are dying - and with their extinction will come the end of the spice, economic collapse, and the extinction of the human race. In order to try and prevent this from happening, Paul wanders into the desert to die, and his son Leto II [[Biological Mashup|merges with several larvae]] of the soon-to-be-extinct [[Sand Worm|sandworms]] that produce the Spice, becoming one himself and making himself nearly immortal.

''God Emperor of Dune'', the fourth novel in the series, picks up 3500 years later at the end of Leto's reign. Leto, now the last sandworm on Arrakis and [[God Emperor]] of all humanity, has prevented the collapse of civilization his father foresaw, but only by making himself into a tyrant beyond compare. Much of the novel takes place as a series of conversations between Leto, a clone of Paul's long-dead retainer Duncan Idaho, and Siona Atreides, the distant descendant of his sister Ghanima and a leader of the rebels seeking to overthrow him. Despite his best efforts to convince them that what he has done was necessary for the greater good, they decide the universe is better off without him, and manage to kill him at the novel's end.

''God Emperor of Dune'', the fourth novel in the series, picks up 3500 years later at the end of Leto's reign. Leto, now the last sandworm on Arrakis and [[God-Emperor]] of all humanity, has prevented the collapse of civilization his father foresaw, but only by making himself into a tyrant beyond compare. Much of the novel takes place as a series of conversations between Leto, a clone of Paul's long-dead retainer Duncan Idaho, and Siona Atreides, the distant descendant of his sister Ghanima and a leader of the rebels seeking to overthrow him. Despite his best efforts to convince them that what he has done was necessary for the greater good, they decide the universe is better off without him, and manage to kill him at the novel's end.

The final two novels by Frank Herbert, ''Heretics of Dune'' and ''Chapterhouse Dune'', occur 5000 years after that. After the dark ages brought on by Leto's death, there is no Empire anymore. The sandworms have returned to Arrakis, but after thousands of years of research spice has been synthesized in the laboratory, rendering it a backwater once more. The Bene Gesserit sisters, now the dominant power in the galaxy (and whose leaders are now descendants of Duncan and Siona), find themselves in a struggle for their very existence as the legacy of Leto's tyranny comes back to haunt them in the form of the "Honored Matres" - schismatic Bene Gesserits who fled the galaxy as a result of his persecution, and who in the absence of the spice produced an entirely new culture that relies on sex as a weapon and a tool of brainwashing. The sisters' hopes rest in an attempt to recreate Arrakis on their capital world of Chapterhouse and in a new clone of Duncan Idaho who might be a new Kwizatz Haderach, or something even ''more'' powerful and frightening. Herbert died before completing the final story in the "second trilogy" beginning with ''Heretics''.

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* [[Adipose Rex]]: Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is grotesquely obese, but counteracts this by wearing small anti-gravity devices that make him [[Acrofatic|as agile as a healthy young man]].

* [[Aerith and Bob]]: While the first book introduces many distinctly-European names, such as Paul, Jessica, Gurney, and Duncan (even Baron Harkonnen, whose first name is Vladimir), the names get far more exotic as the cast fills out throughout the series. Notable examples include Hasimir Fenring, Hwi Noree, many Fremen, and the Latin-European-Greek full names of the Bene Gesserit.

* [[Aesoptinum]] / [[Does This Remind You of Anything]] : The Spice. It's one of the few clear-cut allegories in the book - a precious resource absolutely vital to the economy, much like gold in past eras and oil today. To hammer the point home, Herbert even compared the CHOAM company (which oversees the Imperium's commerce, including spice procurement) in one interview to [[Real Life]] international trade organizations, including OPEC. As for the [[Aesop]] : [[Humans Are Bastards|Humans Are Greedy Bastards]] and will often do anything in order to collect as much spice as possible, including armed conflicts, espionage, assasinations, and a great variety of immoral acts, all out of blind wilfulness and greed. Thus, Paul (and later Leto II) act against humanity's immediate desires in order to save it from itself.

* [[Aesoptinum]] / [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]] : The Spice. It's one of the few clear-cut allegories in the book - a precious resource absolutely vital to the economy, much like gold in past eras and oil today. To hammer the point home, Herbert even compared the CHOAM company (which oversees the Imperium's commerce, including spice procurement) in one interview to [[Real Life]] international trade organizations, including OPEC. As for the [[Aesop]] : [[Humans Are Bastards|Humans Are Greedy Bastards]] and will often do anything in order to collect as much spice as possible, including armed conflicts, espionage, assasinations, and a great variety of immoral acts, all out of blind wilfulness and greed. Thus, Paul (and later Leto II) act against humanity's immediate desires in order to save it from itself.

* [[A Father to His Men]]: Lampshaded when Duke Leto Atreides risks his life and the priceless Spice to save his men; Liet-Kynes comments that a man such as that would inspire fanatical loyalty. It's implied that this is exactly why the Emperor wants him dead, because he fears Leto will use his popularity to depose him. There are further hints that this may be a mask designed expressly for the purpose, although it's explicitly contradicted by the prequels.

* [[A God Am I]]: When Paul fully awakens his potential as Kwisatz Haderach he becomes a messiah to peoples of thousands of worlds, only to be elevated to the status of god in the millennia following his death. His son, Leto II, grinds into the people of the universe that he is a god more for the sociological outcome rather than personal lust for power. After Paul's death, his status as a god is less widespread compared to his son's.

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* [[And I Must Scream]]: Leto II's awareness supposedly exists in each of the sandtrout and sandworms produced from his body. In his words, he is ''a pearl of awareness locked in an endless dream''. The {{spoiler|the Axlotl tanks}} of the Bene Tleilax are no better.

* [[Animal Assassin]]: In ''Children of Dune'', one daughter of the deposed Emperor develops a plot to assassinate Paul's children Leto II and Ghanima with conditioned Laza Tigers.

* [[Anti Magic]]: Due to Leto II breeding the Siona gene into humanity, a substantial portion of the human population (including all of the Bene Gesserit) cannot be seen within prescient visions, thereby preventing the prophet's trap.

* [[Anti-Magic]]: Due to Leto II breeding the Siona gene into humanity, a substantial portion of the human population (including all of the Bene Gesserit) cannot be seen within prescient visions, thereby preventing the prophet's trap.

* [[Anyone Can Die]]: {{spoiler|Paul, Chani, Alia, Leto, Leto II, Duncan Idaho [[Butt Monkey|several times]], Lucilla, Odrade...}}

* [[Arc Words]]: "The Golden Path" pretty much defines the entire series after the first book, and only becomes more and more powerful as you fully come to realize what it means.

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** "Plans within plans...wheels within wheels..."

* [[Author Existence Failure]]: Frank Herbert died in 1985, leaving the ''Dune'' series on an apparent massive cliffhanger. His son and Kevin J. Anderson continued the series to mixed critical and reader response.

* [[Back to Back Badasses]]: Sardaukar are trained to fight in formations of three so that they never have an exposed back.

* [[Back-to-Back Badasses]]: Sardaukar are trained to fight in formations of three so that they never have an exposed back.

* [[Badass]]: Paul. Baron Harkonnen. Leto Atreides. Gurney Halleck. Duncan Idaho. Liet Kynes. Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. And that's just the first book.

* [[Badass Abnormal]]: Paul primarily, and anyone with Mentat or Bene Gesserit training pretty much qualifies for this trope.

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* [[Blind Seer]]: After Paul loses his sight in an assassination attempt he substitutes his precient memory of the future instead. He literally knows exactly what's going to happen moment to moment and fits his actions seamlessly into that vision. Later, he chooses to "forget" his vision when overcome with grief over Chani's death, and loses it completely when Leto II takes the oracular reins from him in ''Children of Dune''.

* [[Body Horror]]: Leto II in demiworm form, Guild Steersmen mutated by spice, the {{spoiler|Axlotl tanks}}.

* [[~~Brainina~~ Jar]]: The prequels have brain-jar villains riding around in [[Humongous Mecha|giant war machines]] ([[Rule of Cool|just because they can]]), who cause the [[Robot War|Butlerian Jihad]] through poor programming of their [[AI Is a Crapshoot|computerized inside "man"]] and wind up as minions/slaves themselves. Besides the Titans ([[Humongous Mecha|giant war machines]] ), are the Cogitors, humans who gave up their bodies to spend millennia contemplating the mysteries of the universe. As a group they have declared themselves neutral in the war where humanity is being exterminated like rats.

* [[Brain In A Jar]]: The prequels have brain-jar villains riding around in [[Humongous Mecha|giant war machines]] ([[Rule of Cool|just because they can]]), who cause the [[Robot War|Butlerian Jihad]] through poor programming of their [[AI Is a Crapshoot|computerized inside "man"]] and wind up as minions/slaves themselves. Besides the Titans ([[Humongous Mecha|giant war machines]] ), are the Cogitors, humans who gave up their bodies to spend millennia contemplating the mysteries of the universe. As a group they have declared themselves neutral in the war where humanity is being exterminated like rats.

* [[Break the Cutie]]: A very disturbing example from ''House Harkonnen'' is the prolonged and violent forced prostitution (and eventual [[Kill the Cutie|murder]]) of Gurney Halleck's gentle younger sister Bheth. First she is kidnapped by the Harkonnens for trying to protect her brother. Then they cut out her larynx so she can't do more than scream wordlessly. Next she is subjected to 6 years (starting at age 17) of sadistic rape and torture by a recorded 4620 Harkonnan soldiers. Rabban finally kills her in retribution of Gurney's attempt on his life.

* [[Brother Sister Incest]]/[[Twincest]]:

* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]/[[Twincest]]:

** ''Children of Dune'', while treating incest as a theme, does not create such feelings Leto II and his sister Ghanima. Ghanima says "I will not bear your children, brother." to which Leto replies: "I love you, my sister, but that is not the way my thought tends." They do end up marrying each other, but it is nonsexual and actually meant to invoke pharaonic-archetypes of ancient Egypt.

** Paul and Alia have incestuous overtones in ''Dune Messiah''. At one point, Alia engages a sparring robot nude, before Paul stops her from killing herself. It's certainly not helped by the Bene Gesserit's clear intention to find a way of bargaining for a way to get Paul and his sister to produce an heir.

* [[Brother Sister Team]]: Leto II and Ghanima are twins, as well as pre-born. This makes them the only people capable of mutually understanding each other in the entire ''universe''. Paul and Alia to a lesser degree.

* [[Brother-Sister Team]]: Leto II and Ghanima are twins, as well as pre-born. This makes them the only people capable of mutually understanding each other in the entire ''universe''. Paul and Alia to a lesser degree.

* [[Bureaucratically Arranged Marriage]]: The Bene Gesserit arrange marriages for the members of their sisterhood.

* [[But for Me It Was Tuesday]]: In the Dune Encyclopedia, under "Atomics, they mentioned the first ever use of the weapons was by House Washington (the USA) in a "provincial conflict."

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** Also, while the Corrino Imperium appear to have tolerated many religions (after all, what were a bunch of non-violent monks on Lankiveil going to do?), Paul's fanatic followers demand that everyone worship Muad'Dib or die. When the Lankiveilian Zensunni monks refuse to build a giant statue of Muad'Dib, Paul orders them slaughtered and their temple burned to the ground.

** The novel ''Sisterhood of Dune'' reveals that the creation of the Orange Catholic Bible was hardly easy. The ecumenical council did not have the blessing of the Imperium and was just a bunch of scholars who thought they could logically compel fanatics into accepting a unified faith. The millions of people killed shortly after the publishing of the book prove them wrong. The members of the council are almost universally shunned and hunted by the Butlerian fanatics. While Emperor Julius Corrino initially offers them sanctuary in his palace on Salusa Secundus, when the leader of the council is caught [[Too Dumb to Live|sleeping with the Empress]], the entire council is publicly executed.

* [[Colour Coded for Your Convenience]]: The novels have the Harkonnens in blue, the Atreides in green (presumably referencing Islam), Reverend Mothers in black aba robes, and Spacing Guild representatives in grey, denoting their neutral status.

* [[Colour-Coded for Your Convenience]]: The novels have the Harkonnens in blue, the Atreides in green (presumably referencing Islam), Reverend Mothers in black aba robes, and Spacing Guild representatives in grey, denoting their neutral status.

* [[Combat Clairvoyance]]: The Kwisatz Haderach has the ability to (among other things) see into the future. Mentats can also see the future by way of "projecting" the possible outcomes of a given choice, but their role is not usually that of a military strategist.

* [[Compelling Voice]]: The Bene Gesserit have the Voice. Jessica uses this in the first novel to facilitate the escape of her and Paul, by making the guards kill each other. The fear of this prompts various defenses, including stationing deaf-mutes as guards for important people and, later, conditioning people to reflexively kill at the first sign of Voice being used. In the original novel, the Bene Gesserit have to study the target of the Voice in order to adjust their pitch accordingly.

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* [[Designer Babies]]: Everyone ''thinks'' this is how the Tleilaxu produce their various genetically modified human products...

* [[Determinator]]: Yueh, after getting dead. The poor fellow doesn't stay upright for ''long'', of course, but long enough to go out with some dignity.

* [[Deus Est Machina]]: The backstory suggests humanity once created machines so advanced that life became incredibly easy and comfortable. It is implied that humans (or at least a large number of [[Well Intentioned Extremist|fanatics]]) became so abhorred by their perceived over-reliance on intelligent machines (and advanced computer technology in general) that they initiated the Butlerian Jihad, a violent purge of all Artificial Intelligence and advanced computers. When the Jihad ended, it became a crime by religious and secular law to create advanced computers (the chief commandment resulting from this war is that "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of the human mind"), with all of their functions in calculation and space travel adopted by specialized humans (who arguably become a human form of this trope). The prequel novels which detail the Butlerian Jihad as a more straightforward [[Robot War]] against oppressive ruler [[A Is]] did, of course, piss off the fans most mightily.

* [[Deus Est Machina]]: The backstory suggests humanity once created machines so advanced that life became incredibly easy and comfortable. It is implied that humans (or at least a large number of [[Well-Intentioned Extremist|fanatics]]) became so abhorred by their perceived over-reliance on intelligent machines (and advanced computer technology in general) that they initiated the Butlerian Jihad, a violent purge of all Artificial Intelligence and advanced computers. When the Jihad ended, it became a crime by religious and secular law to create advanced computers (the chief commandment resulting from this war is that "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of the human mind"), with all of their functions in calculation and space travel adopted by specialized humans (who arguably become a human form of this trope). The prequel novels which detail the Butlerian Jihad as a more straightforward [[Robot War]] against oppressive ruler [[A Is]] did, of course, piss off the fans most mightily.

* [[Deus Sex Machina]]: In the final two books, an offshoot of the Bene Gesserit called the Honored Matre arise whom use sex as a form of hypnosis. Numerous galaxy-spanning, [[Xanatos Roulette|wheels within wheels]] plots are derailed when it is discovered that there is a man with the same power. And this man trains other men to use that power. Leading to a feud carried on mostly through ''sexual guerrilla warfare''.

* [[Did You Actually Believe]]: A heroic example, where Thufir Hawat (the Atreides mentat) betrays the Emperor and Harkonnens by refusing to kill Paul:

{{quote| "Did you think that I, who have given my life to the service of the Atreides, would give them less now?"}}

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything]]: A (nearly) orphaned young man, begins receiving visions, becomes an exile from a desert-based center of commerce and religion, marries a notably older widow, granting him status among his adopted tribe, becomes a powerful religious leader by uniting a nomadic people with a history of in-fighting, and eventually leads an army of the faithful to claim control of the city from which he was exiled by political rivals. After solidifying this base of military and mercantile power, the new religion sweeps across most of the known world (often violently, but with many civil reforms in their wake), eventually playing an essential role in discovering and then preserving caches of precious knowledge through a dark age of human history.

* [[Does This Remind You of Anything?]]: A (nearly) orphaned young man, begins receiving visions, becomes an exile from a desert-based center of commerce and religion, marries a notably older widow, granting him status among his adopted tribe, becomes a powerful religious leader by uniting a nomadic people with a history of in-fighting, and eventually leads an army of the faithful to claim control of the city from which he was exiled by political rivals. After solidifying this base of military and mercantile power, the new religion sweeps across most of the known world (often violently, but with many civil reforms in their wake), eventually playing an essential role in discovering and then preserving caches of precious knowledge through a dark age of human history.

** For those unfamiliar with early Islamic history, Paul parallels Muhammed (p.b.u.h.) in some rather obvious ways (but without being a heavy-handed expy by any means). The prevalence of Arabic phrases, and the similarity between "Muhammed" and "Muad'dib", isn't accidental.

* [[Doing It for The Art]]: ''Dune'' contains a sprawling universe adorned with myriad details and complicated histories, economics, and ecology. Frank Herbert loved to [[Shown Their Work|show his work]], as detailed below. It began as work for a newspaper article ("They Stopped the Moving Sands"), but he became so enthralled that it became a passionate epic. He never even got around to finishing that article.

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** Leto II actually becomes the God-Emperor of the Universe to continue a gigantic human breeding program personally.

** Dr. Kynes became leader of the Fremen because of his attempts to terraform the planet.

** The [[~~Brainina~~ Jar|cymek]] [[Humongous Mecha|titans]] from the prequels, who were philosopher kings and scientists, particularly ones that dealt with robotics, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence.

** The [[Brain In A Jar|cymek]] [[Humongous Mecha|titans]] from the prequels, who were philosopher kings and scientists, particularly ones that dealt with robotics, cybernetics, and artificial intelligence.

** Though not canon, the prequels state that one former Padishah Emperor, working under a false name, was an accomplished chemist that discovered the properties that made Spice so important. The original books state it was a chemist working ''for'' that emperor, so it all depends what you want to believe.

* [[The Emperor]]: The first book starts with Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, who is overthrown by Paul by the time the novel ends. Then {{spoiler|Leto II takes the throne as ''God''-Emperor after ousting his aunt Alia, whom was acting as regent}}.

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* [[Fix Fic]]: The end of ''Sandworms.''

* [[Flying Dutchman]]: The in-universe legend of Ampoliros: a starship whose crew experiences group psychosis and believes the human race has been wiped out by aliens. They elect to wander the galaxy, taking as many of the aliens with them as they can. The time dilation effect of near light speed travel makes them effectively immortal, every planet is hostile by definition, and any ship is a legitimate target. To make things worse, the men are sick of, and fatigued by, their endless voyage ("forever prepared, forever unready")... but in their minds at least, to stop would spell the end of the human race.

* [[Foe Tossing Charge]]: At the finale of ''Children of Dune'', Leto II fights his way through Alia's elite guards before smashing down the door to her chambers, his extreme strength (due to sandworm-based enhancements) allowing him to basically sweep them aside. Since he was dragging his sister along during all of this, it means his [[Foe Tossing Charge]] was ''one-handed''!

* [[Foe-Tossing Charge]]: At the finale of ''Children of Dune'', Leto II fights his way through Alia's elite guards before smashing down the door to her chambers, his extreme strength (due to sandworm-based enhancements) allowing him to basically sweep them aside. Since he was dragging his sister along during all of this, it means his [[Foe-Tossing Charge]] was ''one-handed''!

* [[Follow the Leader]]: The Bene Tleilax finally manage to create synthetic Spice in their tanks by ''Heretics of Dune''.

** As an out-of-universe example, [[Star Wars]] cloned ''Dune'' so well that it [[Trope Codifier|overshadows the source]] in popular culture.

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** In ''Dune Messiah'', the conclusion is hinted at in the second chapter, and by halfway through the novel, the protagonist has a prescient dream in which he foresees the entire rest of the story. The vision guides him even after his eyes get burned out by nuclear radiation. By twenty pages before the climax (a substantial portion of the just 200-page book) it's a definite [[Foregone Conclusion]], except for the [[Plot Twist]] in which Paul foresees only the birth of his daughter, and not her far more significant twin brother -- because he's the one who will ultimately take the reins of prophecy from Paul.

** ''God Emperor of Dune'' is written from the [[Framing Device]] of the titular Leto's unearthed memoirs. That he is dead and his reign ended is therefore known from the start, and the nature of his demise ("fragmented consciousness") is foreshadowed.

* [[Frickin Laser Beams]]: Only useful without [[Deflector Shields]], which are ubiquitous, so almost a subversion/aversion. (A lasgun shot hitting a shield is highly unpredictable, and can cause either a nuclear-level explosion or only destroy both shooter and shootee). Also, lasguns are presented unusually realistically for sci-fi (except for the universe-physics-specific shield bit). In Leto II's future, lasguns have come back into general use after he banned shields, leading to a massive arms race after {{spoiler|his death}}.

* [[Frickin' Laser Beams]]: Only useful without [[Deflector Shields]], which are ubiquitous, so almost a subversion/aversion. (A lasgun shot hitting a shield is highly unpredictable, and can cause either a nuclear-level explosion or only destroy both shooter and shootee). Also, lasguns are presented unusually realistically for sci-fi (except for the universe-physics-specific shield bit). In Leto II's future, lasguns have come back into general use after he banned shields, leading to a massive arms race after {{spoiler|his death}}.

* [[Future Imperfect]]: According to the pseudo-canon encyclopedia, House Atreides claims to have been founded by Atreus, the son of Agamemnon of [[Greek Mythology]], House Harkonnen claims descent from the Romanovs of tsarist Russia, Alexander the Great is considered to have been the first Galactic Emperor, and members of the "House Of Washington" (i.e., America) were the first historical users of atomic weapons. Averted in some cases, as the Bene Gesserit (and some Atreides) possess [[Genetic Memory]] telling them exactly who their ancestors were and covering the entire scope of human history. It's also mentioned that the origin of the planet Ix's name is obscure. Turns out it means [[Numbered Homeworld|"nine", from its position in its own solar system]].

* [[Gambit Pileup]]: Taken [[Up to Eleven|Up to twenty-two]]. [[Serial Escalation]] and back again, and then beyond again. For the list of who is manipulating who, just use everyone and everybody, respectively. As the simplest example: In the first book, the Harkonnen employ a [[Xanatos Gambit]] by losing Arrakis to the Atreides in order to come down on them like the fist of an angry god with the aid of the Emperor's Sardaukar. The Atreides ''know'' this is what the Harkonnens are trying to do, but are gambling on using the Fremen to fight back in a gambit of their own. It does not go well for the Atreides.

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* [[Give Me a Sword]]

* [[Global Currency]]: The Empire's official currency are Solari, but the Spice is universal gold.

* [[God Emperor]]: The series was [[Trope Codifier|a big influence]] on the more modern "Memetic Divinity" aspect.

* [[God-Emperor]]: The series was [[Trope Codifier|a big influence]] on the more modern "Memetic Divinity" aspect.

* [[Gossip Evolution]]: At one point in ''Dune'' Paul is with a force of Fremen warriors which is ambushed by several Imperial [[Super Soldier|Sardaukar]], which the Fremen decimate. Paul somberly notes that as his reputation as the Fremen's [[The Messiah|holy savior]] grows, the stories will say that he singlehandedly killed scores of Sardaukar, even though he didn't even draw his knife.

* [[Go Through Me]]: Subverted in a way in ''Dune'': After Chani dispatches a would-be challenger to her lover Paul/Muad'Dib, she says that fewer people will try to challenge him if they learn that first they have to go through (and suffer the possible disgrace of being killed by) his woman.

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* [[Happily Married]]: Count and Lady Fenring, even though he's an [[Evil Eunuch]].

** Leto and Jessica are also a happy couple, though politics prevent them from marrying.

* [[Half Human Hybrid]]: Leto II, sort of.

* [[Half-Human Hybrid]]: Leto II, sort of.

* [[Have a Gay Old Time]]: "To the east, the night grew a faggot of luminous gray"

* [[Heir Club for Men]]: Duke Leto's concubine Lady Jessica was supposed to have a daughter for the Bene Gesserit, but Leto wanted a son, and she went along with him, although it is not made clear if he wanted a son for reasons of getting an heir or just wanted a son because he wanted a male child. In Jessica's case, it was done for love and ended up saving the universe, so...

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== I-P ==

* [[I Am X Son of Y]]: Paul NEVER makes anyone forget that, before being Usul of the Fremen, before being Muad'dib, before being the awaited Mahdi, before being the Kwisatz Haderach, he is Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto Atreides. In fact, the closest thing Paul has to a [[Berserk Button|berserk button]] is someone belittling the memory of his father or the Atreides name.

* [[I Am X, Son of Y]]: Paul NEVER makes anyone forget that, before being Usul of the Fremen, before being Muad'dib, before being the awaited Mahdi, before being the Kwisatz Haderach, he is Paul Atreides, son of Duke Leto Atreides. In fact, the closest thing Paul has to a [[Berserk Button|berserk button]] is someone belittling the memory of his father or the Atreides name.

* [[Ice Cream Koan]]: The phrases of the Zensunni sect from ''Dune'' are said to intended to be [[Ice Cream Koan|Ice Cream Koans]], similar to Zen as mentioned above. Instead of providing enlightenment though bypassing rational thought and accepting paradox; they're intended to teach the student to recognize nonsense and obfuscation, regardless of how logically-constructed and reasonable it may appear, and to see through to the "true" underlying reality. Zen emphasizes acceptance of the irrational. The Zensunni philosophy underlying most schools of thought in ''Dune'' emphasizes the extremes of rationality and mental development (eg. the Mentat human computers, and Bene Gesserit observation techniques).

* [[Identical Grandson]]: The Atreides "look", which is so distinctive Miles Teg looks like his ancestor Duke Leto I, ''5,000'' years later.

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* [[Inconsistent Dub]]: In different Italian translations of the ''Dune'' saga, the Golden Path is translated sometimes to "Sentiero Dorato" and sometimes to "Via Aurea".

** The Turkish translations were particularly bad. While the first four books had decent translations, the last two were terrible despite the fact that the entire series was released by the same publisher. To put it in context, the books would sometimes keep certain terms (such as Axlotl Tanks) in their original English forms and sometimes use a translated term for it ''over the course of the same book!''. It was as if the translator was thinking "You know, I think I should have used a different term for Axlotl Tanks. Oh well. That's what I will do without editing the previous bits for cohesion".

* [[Insignificant Little Blue Planet]]: Humanity rules an Empire of a million worlds that stretches across the galaxy. Thing is, not one of those is Earth. According to ''The Machine Crusade'' (written after Frank had died, so possibly not canon), humanity [[Nuke Em|nuked earth]] [[Does This Remind You of Anything|in a first strike against the]] [[Robot War|thinking machines]]. In the main series, the majority of humanity has no idea where their race evolved.

* [[Insignificant Little Blue Planet]]: Humanity rules an Empire of a million worlds that stretches across the galaxy. Thing is, not one of those is Earth. According to ''The Machine Crusade'' (written after Frank had died, so possibly not canon), humanity [[Nuke'Em|nuked earth]] [[Does This Remind You of Anything?|in a first strike against the]] [[Robot War|thinking machines]]. In the main series, the majority of humanity has no idea where their race evolved.

* [[Instant Oracle Just Add Water]]: The Guild Navigators adapted to life in a spice-filled environment which granted them precognition and the ability to navigate at FTL speeds. They spend most of their lives inside of zero gravity tubes filled with spice laden air rather than a tub of water, but same concept.

* [[Instant Oracle, Just Add Water]]: The Guild Navigators adapted to life in a spice-filled environment which granted them precognition and the ability to navigate at FTL speeds. They spend most of their lives inside of zero gravity tubes filled with spice laden air rather than a tub of water, but same concept.

* [[In the Blood]]: Apparently all Harkonnens are born evil and all Atreides are born good. Then Paul merges the bloodlines...

** Subverted by the possibly non-canonic prequels. Even Feyd-Rautha had potential to be good, had he been allowed to be raised by his parents instead of taken by his older brother to be raised by the Baron. Xavier Harkonnen is a noble warrior and good friend to Vorian Atreides. It was only after the Harkonnen/Atreides schism that the "evil" Harkonnen started being born.

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* [[Lonely At the Top]]: Both Paul and his son Leto II at the height of their power have no one to truly understand them. For Paul, his love Chani, dies in childbirth and for Leto II {{spoiler|Hwi Noree. Leto and her both die before their wedding}}.

* [[Loophole Abuse]]: The Great Convention forbids the use of nuclear weaponry by any Great House. ''On People.'' Paul uses them against an inanimate topological feature... [[Magnificent Bastard|to his immediate tactical benefit.]]

* [[Luke I Am Your Father]]: A twofer, actually. Baron Harkonnen is father to Jessica and grandfather to Paul. This becomes a [[Chekhov's Gun]] in ''Children of Dune'', when his genetic memory-self possesses Alia.

* [[Luke, I Am Your Father]]: A twofer, actually. Baron Harkonnen is father to Jessica and grandfather to Paul. This becomes a [[Chekhov's Gun]] in ''Children of Dune'', when his genetic memory-self possesses Alia.

* [[Mad Lib Thriller Title]]: ''Dune...'' or ''...of Dune''

* [[Mad Scientist]]:

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* [[Mind Probe]]: Many, many variations, including the Ixian Probe, its successor the T-Probe, and the abilities of Face Dancers to take a memory imprint of their victims even after death. They are so common by the time of ''Heretics of Dune'', in fact, that anyone with secret knowledge takes a special drug named "shere" that is designed to foil mental probes.

** Shere doesn't work with post-God-Emperor Face Dancers: the only way to stop '''them''' memory-printing you is to destroy your own head before you are captured.

* [[Mind Rape]]: In the Bulterian Jihad Trilogy the cymeks take brains from their human bodies (literal mind rape?), stick them in [[~~Brainina~~ Jar|jars]] and turn the "thoughtrode" settings to make the minds feel pain. And then they are [[A Fate Worse Than Death|left on a shelf]] in their own little [[I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream|silent]] hell ... for centuries.

* [[Mind Rape]]: In the Bulterian Jihad Trilogy the cymeks take brains from their human bodies (literal mind rape?), stick them in [[Brain In A Jar|jars]] and turn the "thoughtrode" settings to make the minds feel pain. And then they are [[A Fate Worse Than Death|left on a shelf]] in their own little [[I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream|silent]] hell ... for centuries.

* [[Mix and Match Critters]]: One of the Bene Tleilax' most popular exports are sligs, hybridized pigs and slugs. The combination supposedly makes for tender, succulent meat. Goes well with Caladanian wine.

* [[Mobile Factory]]: Harvester factories move across the desert refining spice from sand.

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* [[New Powers As the Plot Demands]]: Miles Teg's exposure to a [[Mind Probe|T-Probe]] gives him {{spoiler|[[Super Speed]]}} just in time to save his life, though the T-Probe was meant to ''kill'' him.

* [[Noble Savage]]: The Fremen, backed up by a number of quotes in the [[Encyclopedia Exposita]], are intentionally set up to be perceived this way. Even their essential cruelty is explained as the cold necessity of survival in a harsh environment, combined with a carefully nurtured desire for revenge against their oppressors. This is reinforced by the decline of the Fremen culture in later novels; as they lose touch with the desert and become "civilized", their power and nobility decline.

** Depending on your perspective, the Fremen could be a deconstruction of the Noble Savage trope. Their society is characterized by senseless internal violence, such as duels, inheretance of women by duel victors, and [[Klingon Promotion|succession through killing]]. When Paul assumes the role of Emperor, the Fremen descend on recalcitrant planets, [[Rape Pillage and Burn|slaughtering and ravaging]] the inhabitants. This from a people who lamented their own unjust oppression for centuries.

** Depending on your perspective, the Fremen could be a deconstruction of the Noble Savage trope. Their society is characterized by senseless internal violence, such as duels, inheretance of women by duel victors, and [[Klingon Promotion|succession through killing]]. When Paul assumes the role of Emperor, the Fremen descend on recalcitrant planets, [[Rape, Pillage and Burn|slaughtering and ravaging]] the inhabitants. This from a people who lamented their own unjust oppression for centuries.

* [[No Blood for Phlebotinum]]: The Atreides and Harkonnens end their millennia-long feud over the control of Arrakis, though there were many subtexts.

* [[Nobody Here but Us Birds]]: Played straight in ''Dune''. The Fremen use bird calls to communicate with each other: "Jessica heard... the distant bird calls that Stilgar had said were the signals of his watchmen."

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* [[No One Could Survive That]]: Paul and Jessica are able to escape their Harkonnen pursuers by piloting an aircraft into a Coriolis storm, a massive sandstorm with winds over 400 kph. Everyone agrees (with good reason) that they are "certainly dead", which turns out to be a huge mistake.

** Made more ironic when the Baron chews out his lieutenant for being so [[Genre Blind]] while his private thoughts reveal that he fully believes it too.

* [[No Plans No Prototype No Backup]]: Happens very blatantly in one of the Prelude to Dune books: a genius inventor invents a no-room, and Baron Harkonnen kills him so nobody else can find out. It later blows up.

* [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup]]: Happens very blatantly in one of the Prelude to Dune books: a genius inventor invents a no-room, and Baron Harkonnen kills him so nobody else can find out. It later blows up.

** He also creates the first no-ship (although, it doesn't protect against prescience). This no-ship is later lost due to Rabban's stupidity to the Bene Gesserit, who study it and then destroy it to prevent such technology from being misused.

** Subverted. The scientist ''had'' plans hidden in his own no-chamber aboard a space station. They are discovered by his fellow scientists who try to recreate the no-field. Unfortunately, the station is raided by the Sardaukar and destroyed with atomics.

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* [[Numbered Homeworld]]: The planet Ix (pronounced as spelled) developed from millennia of language-development to the point that the original prefix was lost, and Ix came to be pronounced as a word rather than as "IX", or 9 in Roman numerals.

* [[Not So Different]]: The most obvious example is Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. A more poignant example occurs at the end of the first book between Paul Atreides and Hasimir Fenring.

* [[Nuke Em]]: Under the "Great Convention", the rules of house warfare in ''Dune'', the use of nuclear weapons ("atomics") against humans is grounds for [[Earthshattering Kaboom|planetary annihilation]]. Of course it helps in the context of the novel that humanity's eggs are in many, many baskets. In the climax, Paul blows a hole in the Shield Wall with one, arguing he is targeting a terrain feature, not people. Gurney Halleck notes that that's a rather fine point; Paul's response is that the Guild ships in orbit will take any point to avoid having to destroy Arrakis.

* [[Nuke'Em]]: Under the "Great Convention", the rules of house warfare in ''Dune'', the use of nuclear weapons ("atomics") against humans is grounds for [[Earthshattering Kaboom|planetary annihilation]]. Of course it helps in the context of the novel that humanity's eggs are in many, many baskets. In the climax, Paul blows a hole in the Shield Wall with one, arguing he is targeting a terrain feature, not people. Gurney Halleck notes that that's a rather fine point; Paul's response is that the Guild ships in orbit will take any point to avoid having to destroy Arrakis.

** Why are they kept? For mutual deterrence and for use against hostile aliens (though the exact phraseology is "other intelligence", and given what happens in the prequels, this intelligence {{spoiler|need not be organic}}).

* [[The Obi Wan]]: Thufir Hawat.

* [[The Obi-Wan]]: Thufir Hawat.

* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: Count Hasimir Fenring definitely counts as one of those. 'Umm-ah-hm-mm-mm', indeed! He completely loses the affect/speech impediment when in private conversation about the Emperor's orders with the Baron.

** It should be noted that in other books he does this on purpose, both to annoy people around him and to communicate secretly with his wife, who is a Bene Gesserit.

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** Let's not forget the massive inversion at the end of ''Chapterhouse: Dune'', where the key plot point is the concept that every atrocity ever committed by humanity is inherited by its descendants, and the Bene Gesserit, as a direct consequence of [[Genetic Memory]], {{spoiler|have taken it upon themselves to expiate those sins.}}

* [[Once an Episode]]: The Litany Against Fear, which is recited in its entirely at least once in every one of the original books (not all the prequels and sequels, though).

* [[One Gender Race]]: The Tleilaxu (all male). Exactly how this is achieved is eventually revealed with significant [[Squick]].

* [[One-Gender Race]]: The Tleilaxu (all male). Exactly how this is achieved is eventually revealed with significant [[Squick]].

* [[One Product Planet]]: Perhaps the [[Trope Codifier]], with the major worlds known for producing a major product. Dune itself is the only source of Spice, Giedi Prime a Factory world, Ix and Richese are Science worlds, Telixau as a Underworld (selling taboo technology), Caladan is a Farm world, Kaitain is the Capital, Salusa Secundus is ostensibly a Penal colony but really a Military world. Tupile is a Service world, providing protection for exiled families.

* [[Only the Knowledgable May Pass]]: Lady Jessica is able to gain acceptance among the Fremen by using phrases planted in their culture by the Missionaria Protectiva (which manipulates religious beliefs to benefit the Bene Gesserit).

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** Other changes that might be considered a [[Retcon]] within the first 3 books included the appearance of Guild Navigators (at the end of ''Dune'', they were perfectly normal-looking humans except for the blue-within-blue eyes that they hid behind contact lenses), and the factors that make a child "pre-born" ("No no no, Alia wasn't pre-born because she downloaded the dying Reverend Mother's memories while she was still in the womb, she was pre-born because her mom was addicted to the Spice!")

** The Butlerian Jihad. Originally, a reference to Samuel Butler and his ''Darwin among the Machines''. Retconned - possibly unintentionally - by Brian Herbert to refer to the death of one "Manion Butler" instead.

* [[Rewarded As a Traitor Deserves]]: Dr. Wellington Yueh betrays the House Atreides for the sake of freeing [[I Have Your Wife|his wife]] from Harkonnen [[Cold Blooded Torture|tortures]]. Yueh is an interesting case in that he walks into it with his eyes mostly open -- he strongly suspects that Wanna has been [[Released to Elsewhere]] and is betraying everyone just to make ''sure''. He knows he'll only be killed for his troubles once he's [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|outlived his usefulness]], and he does everything in his power to help House Atreides survive his betrayal. Hell, he even sets up a trap of his own to kill Baron Harkonnen in retaliation, and it almost succeeds.

* [[Rewarded As a Traitor Deserves]]: Dr. Wellington Yueh betrays the House Atreides for the sake of freeing [[I Have Your Wife|his wife]] from Harkonnen [[Cold-Blooded Torture|tortures]]. Yueh is an interesting case in that he walks into it with his eyes mostly open -- he strongly suspects that Wanna has been [[Released to Elsewhere]] and is betraying everyone just to make ''sure''. He knows he'll only be killed for his troubles once he's [[You Have Outlived Your Usefulness|outlived his usefulness]], and he does everything in his power to help House Atreides survive his betrayal. Hell, he even sets up a trap of his own to kill Baron Harkonnen in retaliation, and it almost succeeds.

{{quote| "You think... you have defeated me? You think I did not know... what I bought... for my Wanna?"}}

** Poor old Wellington kinda gets the short end of the stick in the universe; despite his best-of-intentions betrayal, in subsequent books it is made clear that history remembers him as ''[[Finding Judas|worse than Judas]]'' and for thousands of years his name serves as a byword for unconscionable treachery.

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** An important point of the early novels is that those that see the future can't see each other, or those directly involved with them. Much of the second novel involves a conspiracy that is kept from Paul by a Guild Navigator's own scrying. However, Leto II's foresight is so ungodly powerful that it doesn't have this problem... which is part of why he works to create things that CAN overcome his vision (and he'll only know he's done it when it kills him).

* [[Second Hand Storytelling]]: Interesting scenes or important plot points, such as the initial journey to the planet Arrakis in a spaceship of the mysterious Navigators Guild or Paul Atreides drinking the lethal Water of Life, are either touched on only fleetingly or narrated by characters in retrospect, several weeks later. The chapter simply ends and cuts away from the action about to unfold to a different scene in the next chapter, with characters sitting around their camp fire and telling each other what happened.

* [[Self Fulfilling Prophecy]]: ''Dune'' takes this trope quite literally. "True" prophets (Paul Atreides and his descendants) don't predict the future so much as create it, locking themselves (and everyone else) into an inescapable destiny. It takes {{spoiler|Leto II}} almost four thousand years to break humanity free from the consequences of this.

* [[Self-Fulfilling Prophecy]]: ''Dune'' takes this trope quite literally. "True" prophets (Paul Atreides and his descendants) don't predict the future so much as create it, locking themselves (and everyone else) into an inescapable destiny. It takes {{spoiler|Leto II}} almost four thousand years to break humanity free from the consequences of this.

* [[Send in The Clones]]: {{spoiler|Duncan Idaho dies in the first novel, only to return over and over again first as a ghola, then as a ghola-clone. ''God-Emperor of Dune'' even has several Duncan gholas throughout the story, though all but one were played with through flashbacks and mentions}}.

* [[The Shill]]: Kevin J. Anderson does this, and quite publicly. His site, aptly named the "KJA Special Forces", asks members to post blogs, links, discussions, and reviews on online stores such as Amazon in support of both him and his work. Doing so can land you "points", and in exchange for those points you can "earn" prizes and money. Enough points can even earn you a [[Shout Out]] in a future ''Dune'' book.

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** There are at least two to [[Poul Anderson]]: an appendix to ''Dune'' mentions a biography of Alia written by "Pander Oulson"; and in ''God Emperor of Dune'', Leto II asks Hwi Noree if she's familiar with the philosophy of Noah Arkwright<ref>a [[Meaningful Name]], when you consider that "-wright" means "maker" or "builder."</ref>, a philosopher/explorer mentioned (but apparently never actually appearing) in several of Anderson's stories.

* [[Shown Their Work]]: With regards to the ecology of Dune, as well as the Arabic-based Fremen language, which are the two most well-researched aspects of the entire first book and possibly series. The later history and philosophy, both real and imagined, are near-equally amazing. It's also one of the few series that does not completely screw up Judaism.

* [[Significant Monogram]]: The Emperor's personal guard of fanatically-loyal elite soldiers are trained and raised on a planet called '''S'''alusa '''S'''ecundus. [[~~Godwins~~ Law]], anyone?

* [[Significant Monogram]]: The Emperor's personal guard of fanatically-loyal elite soldiers are trained and raised on a planet called '''S'''alusa '''S'''ecundus. [[Godwin's Law]], anyone?

* [[Silent Scapegoat]]: Leto II. Even the Bene Gesserit, thousands of years after Leto sacrifices himself, don't realize what it was he was trying to accomplish.

* [[Single Biome Planet]]: [[Justified Trope|Justified]], as Dune became a desert planet thanks to the sandworms/sandtrout species basically [[Terraform|terraforming]] it.

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* [[Standard Sci Fi History]]: The background history of the Imperium tends to follow this trend. The Buterlian Jihad serves the role of World War III by resetting the political and technological situation. The Corrino-led Imperium serves as the First Empire, and the Paul/Leto II regimes as the Second Empire. It's one of the few examples in which the Second Empire follows up the first without an Interregnum. There is an Interregnum (referred to as "The Scattering"), but it occurs only after the collapse of the Second Empire.

* [[Starfish Aliens]]: The sandworms, which are gigantic (as in up-to-half-kilometer-long) wormlike creatures that live in the desert. They also have a larval form, which begin as microbial "sand plankton" that serve as food to the adults, and grow into a small roughly diamond-shaped form called sandtrout AKA "Little Makers". The sandtrout are later revealed to seal away all the water on the planet, which is highly toxic to the adult form, and secrete the precursors to the addictive and [[Psychic Powers]]-granting Spice, which triggers their transformation into the sandworm "Makers".

** They also inhale carbon dioxide and breathe out fresh oxygen, working as a substitute for the nearly non-existant plantlife on Arrakis. This also [[Justified Trope|justifies]] why such a [[Single Biome Planet]] can have a breathable atmosphere. The byproducts of the worms are suspiciously Terran-friendly indeed. Various characters [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshade this]] occasionally, even suggesting the idea that sandworms may be in fact [[Lost Technology|Lost]][[Organic Technology]] for terraforming planets ([[Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke|created]] [[No Plans No Prototype No Backup|a long time ago]] by humans, presumably).

** They also inhale carbon dioxide and breathe out fresh oxygen, working as a substitute for the nearly non-existant plantlife on Arrakis. This also [[Justified Trope|justifies]] why such a [[Single Biome Planet]] can have a breathable atmosphere. The byproducts of the worms are suspiciously Terran-friendly indeed. Various characters [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshade this]] occasionally, even suggesting the idea that sandworms may be in fact [[Lost Technology|Lost]][[Organic Technology]] for terraforming planets ([[Genetic Engineering Is the New Nuke|created]] [[No Plans, No Prototype, No Backup|a long time ago]] by humans, presumably).

* [[Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome]]: Chani. Though she dies relatively late in ''Dune Messiah''.

* [[Super Detailed Fight Narration]]

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* [[We Will Use Manual Labor in The Future]]: Justified in that after the Butlerian Jihad, complex autonomous machines are forbidden for millennia. Even regular old calculators are replaced by (highly-paid) people known as Mentats.

** Their justification for slavery in the prequels is flimsy at best. They primarily enslave Zensunnis and Zenshiites, as they claim their ancestors refused to fight the Thinking Machines.

* [[What Is This Thing You Call Love]]: The Bene Gesserit Question Book in ''Dune: House Harkonnen'':

* [[What Is This Thing You Call Love?]]: The Bene Gesserit Question Book in ''Dune: House Harkonnen'':

{{quote| What is this Love that so many speak of with such apparent familiarity? Do they truly comprehend how unattainable it is? Are there not as many definitions of Love as there are stars in the universe?}}

* [[Wise Beyond Their Years]]: Paul is described as this in the first book, justified due to the intensive training he was given as heir to House Atreides. The pre-born, due to awakened genetic memory in the womb, never develop a personality of their own and are entirely intelligent even before birth.

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* [[A Storm Is Coming]]: "A storm is coming... our storm." -- ''Dune'' (1984 Version).

* [[Badass Abnormal]]: Leto II in the ''Children of Dune'' miniseries. [[Hyper Awareness|Bene]] [[Super Speed|Gesserit]] [[Flash Step|training]] and [[Compelling Voice|Voice]], preternatural [[Genetic Memory|experience, intelligence, and confidence]], {{spoiler|and eventually the ability to survive unprotected in an Arrakis sandstorm and command worms.}} Basically everything you would expect as a precursor to {{spoiler|becoming God-Emperor}}.

* [[Beam Me Up Scotty]]: Several quotes from the original film are widely assumed to be from the novel:

* [[Beam Me Up, Scotty]]: Several quotes from the original film are widely assumed to be from the novel:

{{quote| It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.<br />

It is by the juice of sapho that thoughts acquire speed, <br />

the lips acquire stains, the stains become a warning. <br />

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. }}

* [[Big Ol Eyebrows]]: Thufir Hawat and Piter deVries in the '84 Lynch film have big bushy eyebrows, possibly to denote them as Mentats.

* [[Big Ol' Eyebrows]]: Thufir Hawat and Piter deVries in the '84 Lynch film have big bushy eyebrows, possibly to denote them as Mentats.

* [[Black and White Morality]]: [[Lighter and Softer|In contrast with the books]], the movies and video games set in the ''Dune'' universe tend to depict the Atreides and the Fremen as the unambiguously good guys, and the Harkonnen and the Corrino as the bad guys.

* [[Blasphemous Boast]]: "Usul, we have wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen."

* [[The Board Game]]: The 1979 ''Dune'' board game, designed by Eon and published by Avalon Hill, is widely considered a classic. That didn't stop them from allowing Parker Brothers to make yet another ''Dune'' game in 1984, which hardly anyone cares about.

* [[Brother Sister Incest]]/[[Twincest]]: The ''Children of Dune'' miniseries has strong incestuous overtones between Leto II and his sister Ghanima.

* [[Brother-Sister Incest]]/[[Twincest]]: The ''Children of Dune'' miniseries has strong incestuous overtones between Leto II and his sister Ghanima.

* [[By the Lights of Their Eyes]]: The miniseries visualized the Eyes of the Ibad as glowing. This was toned down in the ''Children of Dune'' sequel.

* [[Canon Foreigner]]: House Ordos, mentioned once in the semi-canon Dune Encyclopaedia, was picked by Westwood Studios to become the third faction in their ''Dune'' series of games. In contrast to Atreides being noble and Harkonnen being evil, the Ordos were made mysterious, insidious, and rumoured to experiment with forbidden technology.

* [[Character Tics]]: Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the ''Dune'' miniseries had a distinctive habit of rubbing his right temple when he was frustrated. Later on, Paul Atreides does this himself, demonstrating the family connection between the two. In ''Children of Dune'', we see Alia performing the gesture when she hears the Baron's voice in her head.

* [[Colour Coded for Your Convenience]]: The Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries portrays the Harkonnens in red, the Imperial Corrinos are purple and gold (likely a reference to the purple togas worn by Roman emperors), the Atreides primarily in tan and white, Fremen in brown and dark orange, and Spacing Guild members in black.

* [[Colour-Coded for Your Convenience]]: The Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries portrays the Harkonnens in red, the Imperial Corrinos are purple and gold (likely a reference to the purple togas worn by Roman emperors), the Atreides primarily in tan and white, Fremen in brown and dark orange, and Spacing Guild members in black.

* [[Compelling Voice]]: In the film and the mini-series, the Voice is clearly heard as the [[Voice of the Legion]]. In the film, it can be heard playing over and over in the target's mind, forcing him to comply.

* [[Cool and Unusual Punishment]]: In the 1984 film, Thufir Hawat is required to milk a cat for the antidote to the poison he has been administered by the Harkonnens.

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* [[Dead Star Walking]]: William Hurt gets top billing as Duke Leto Atreides in Sci Fi Channel's Dune Miniseries, despite his character getting killed at the end of part one (of three). Susan Sarandon as Wensicia does as well in the sequel, though they did elevate her character more from the books.

* [[Death Wail]]: Inverted in the 2000 film, where {{spoiler|Rabban}} does this when he realises that ''he'' is about to become the metaphorical ex beloved ally.

* [[Deleted Scene]]: Several scenes were cut from the theatrical release of the 1984 film and later restored to the extended versions, which is part of why they're so much longer. Of these, one of the most significant is the death of Thufir Hawat, a powerful scene in which Paul separates Thufir from the captured Harkonnen and offers him his life, only for Thufir to commit suicide rather than kill Paul. This omission creates something of a [[What Happened to The Mouse]] moment in the original cut, as Thufir--one of the film's more important characters--can clearly be seen standing among the prisoners (between the Emperor and Gaius Mohiam) in one shot, and simply vanishes in the next; his disappearance is never explained.

* [[Deleted Scene]]: Several scenes were cut from the theatrical release of the 1984 film and later restored to the extended versions, which is part of why they're so much longer. Of these, one of the most significant is the death of Thufir Hawat, a powerful scene in which Paul separates Thufir from the captured Harkonnen and offers him his life, only for Thufir to commit suicide rather than kill Paul. This omission creates something of a [[What Happened to The Mouse?]] moment in the original cut, as Thufir--one of the film's more important characters--can clearly be seen standing among the prisoners (between the Emperor and Gaius Mohiam) in one shot, and simply vanishes in the next; his disappearance is never explained.

* [[Did You Actually Believe]]: The '84 film has a heroic example, where Thufir Hawat (the Atreides mentat) betrays the Emperor and Harkonnens by refusing to kill Paul:

{{quote| '''Thufir Hawat''': [He turns to Feyd and the Emperor]... Did you actually believe, even for a moment, that I would fail my Duke ''twice''? [He commits suicide]}}

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* [[Mr. Fanservice]]: Feyd's utterly gratuitous speedo scene in the film. Sting's running five miles a day really paid off.

* [[Nice Hat]]: In the [[Sci Fi Channel]]'s production of ''[[Dune]]'' there were several [[Nice Hat|Nice Hats]], mostly notably the Bene Gesserit, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ghm.jpg seen here] (the hat is the thing extending back from her head).

* [[Nice Job Breaking It Hero]]: The final scene of the 1984 film shows Paul using his incredible psychic powers as the Kwisatz Haderach to make it rain on Arrakis for the first time in eons. However, the film omits a key plot point from the novel: water is highly toxic to sandworms, which are the source of the spice. In the novel, Paul instead blackmails the Spacing Guild into surrendering to him; he threatens to pour the Water of Life into a pre-spice mass, which would cause an extinction chain reaction that would destroy all spice production forever and throw the galaxy into a new dark age. Had Paul actually made it rain in the novel, it would have obliterated the life cycle on Arrakis, having the same net effect; in fact, it isn't until ''Children of Dune'' that the disruption of the ecological balance by the terraforming effort is fully explored. The film completely ignores this.

* [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero]]: The final scene of the 1984 film shows Paul using his incredible psychic powers as the Kwisatz Haderach to make it rain on Arrakis for the first time in eons. However, the film omits a key plot point from the novel: water is highly toxic to sandworms, which are the source of the spice. In the novel, Paul instead blackmails the Spacing Guild into surrendering to him; he threatens to pour the Water of Life into a pre-spice mass, which would cause an extinction chain reaction that would destroy all spice production forever and throw the galaxy into a new dark age. Had Paul actually made it rain in the novel, it would have obliterated the life cycle on Arrakis, having the same net effect; in fact, it isn't until ''Children of Dune'' that the disruption of the ecological balance by the terraforming effort is fully explored. The film completely ignores this.

* [[Non Actor Vehicle]]: [[The Movie]] by [[David Lynch]], with Sting.

* [[Notable Original Music]]: Brian Eno and Toto's score for the David Lynch film.

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* [[Opening Monologue]]: "A beginning is a very delicate time. Know then that it is the year ten-thousand, one-ninety-one..." Narration was used to insane levels in the 1984 Dune movie, although being Dune it needed it, and Irulan narrates the book anyway.

* [[People of Hair Color]]: In the movie, nearly all of the Harkonnens have orange hair.

* [[Pimped Out Dress]]: The 1984 movie has dresses based on renaissance gowns.

* [[Pimped-Out Dress]]: The 1984 movie has dresses based on renaissance gowns.

* [[Precious Puppy]]: In the book, there is no mention of a specific dog, but the 1984 film showed several pugs (owned by the Atreides and Corrinos).

* [[Psychic Nosebleed]]: The 80s movie version of Dune has a scene in which several Bene Gesserit cry blood when Paul drinks the Water of Life. Although the movie doesn't make it clear, those who read the books will know that {{spoiler|all of them are his relatives}}, and the identity of two of them makes guessing the significance of the third reasonably easy.

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