What happened to House Harkonnen after the Baron’s death?

The first two Dunes novels, which are currently two thirds of the way through adapted into a film trilogy, are often seen as a tragic condemnation of hero worship. Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the last few films) starts out likeable, but by the time he becomes emperor of the universe, the reader/viewer has to wonder if he’s up to the job. This whole jihad/holy war thing he’s waging sure gets us in trouble, especially in “Dune: The Messiah” when the Book of Paul mentions in passing that his regime killed far more people than Hitler ever did. I, for one, think killing sixty billion people is wrong, and you can quote me on that.

But the Dune series wouldn’t be nearly as interesting if Paul were an outright bad guy, so the common claim that Dune is a clear critique of the savior narrative doesn’t make sense. I would argue that the series is more of a reflection on the Saviors than a condemnation of them. This is most clear from the fact that House Harkonnen (the main villains of the first book) are truly horrible, and Paul is doing the galaxy a favor by destroying them. The Harkonnens are depicted as not just evil, but truly grotesque; their mere existence is depressing, to the point that Dune: Part Two depicts their planet as completely devoid of color.

When Baron Vladimir Harkanen (Stellan Skarsgård) is killed by Alia in the book and Paul in the movies, it’s one of the few distinct moments where the audience is allowed to cheer for the Atreides siblings without worrying about any moral complications. When Paul kills his cousin Feyd-Rauta Harkonnen (Austin Butler) in that final duel, it’s hard to complain either; Fade-Routha was many, but he was not warm and fluffy. Although Paul and the rest of House Atreides seemed unconcerned about killing any of the other Harkannen, these two major deaths seemed to put an end to the Harkannen as major players in the series. They are not seen in the flesh in Dune: Messiah, and when we do hear about them, it means that the family has learned to behave themselves among the universe’s new Atrid regime.

There is one complication, however, that was revealed when Jessica went through the Spice Ritual and drank the Water of Life: Baron Harkanen is an inescapable part of the Atreides bloodline.

Jessica is a member of the Bene Gesserit, a mysterious, powerful sisterhood founded thousands of years before the story begins. There’s a lot going on with the Bene Gesserit witches, but it’s important to know that they’ve spent generations trying to breed a Kwisatz Haderachsomeone with the right genetic combination to make him the most powerful man in the universe.

They must have believed that some of these genes must come from the Harkanens, so Jessica’s mother Bene Gesserit (unnamed in the main series) seduced the baron and used his seed to give birth to Jessica. In standard Bene Gesserit protocol, Jessica’s parentage was hidden from all but the most senior members of the Bene Gesserit.

In retrospect, we should have known that Jessica’s father was a baron; whenever a character’s origin is unknown to them at the beginning of the story, it’s a pretty good sign that a big dramatic reveal is in store. Jessica learns that her father is the villain in this story, much like Luke Skywalker learned about his father Darth Vader, but it’s even worse because in the Dune universe, a person’s consciousness can live on in the minds of their descendants. Sure, there are force ghosts in Star Wars, but the ego-memories in Dune can do far more damage. That’s why even though Baron Harkannen has been dead for twelve years since Dune: The Messiah, he can still cause trouble through Jessica’s daughter, Alia…

The idea of ​​accessing the memories and consciousness of all your ancestors is fascinating, and one that Frank Herbert was more than happy to explore in Children of the Dune (Book 3) and The God Emperor (Book 4). It delves into the awkwardness of having your child know every private moment you’ve ever had. He also argues that having the wisdom of your dead ancestors to draw on is good for a leader, but there is also a risk in letting one of your bad ancestors take the wheel. This is exactly what happens to poor Alia, who takes too much spice and accidentally gives the Baron’s mind too much control.

As much as Aliya tries to resist the baron, the guy just doesn’t leave her mind. In Children of the Dune, she is almost completely under his spell, turning into a vengeful tyrant towards the rest of her family. It’s a tragic fate for Aaliyah, who was always suspected of being an “abomination” due to the strange circumstances of her birth, and who finally became one in her later years. The bigger irony for Alia is that she killed the baron (at least in the books). The baron’s consciousness was what drove her to kill her, much like the baron’s posthumous revenge. The Atreides may have de-clawed the Harkanen in their real world, but in their minds the Harkanen are still there to wreak havoc.

After Alia’s Children of the Dune arc, the baron still resides in her nephew Leto II, but luckily Leto has figured out how to stay in control of his mind. It helps for Leto II that he was born a few years after the Baron’s death. Harkonnen’s subtle presence in their minds struck a chord with Jessica, Paul, and Alia because they all had experience with the boy in real life, but as time goes on, the further away his consciousness seems to be in the Atreides’ minds. A bad guy being your father is a big deal; a bad guy who is only one of the eight great-grandfathers and great-grandfathers is easier to fight. The Harkonnens may have continued to torment the Atreides for years after the Baron’s death, but thankfully they don’t seem to have done much damage after Alia. As it turns out, Leto II is capable of dealing more than enough damage on its own.