What happened to Paul Atreides’ home planet Caladan?

This message contains spoilers for Frank Herbert’s Dune series of novels.

The lush greenery and oceanic beauty of Caladan become our point of entry into the rich, expansive world of Dunes, with Paul Atreides’ home planet acting as a frame of reference for the worlds to come. Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” saga depicts this ecological prosperity in vivid colorsthe beautiful planet is synonymous with the Atreides regime and the booming economy that accompanies it. The Atreides legacy is strong and spans over 10,000 years until Duke Leto Atreides I was asked to give up his fiefdom over the planet and go to Arrakis in 10191 AG (After the Guild). This capture of the desert planet by House Harkonnen changes the trajectory of the Atreides legacy, leaving the fate of Caladan up in the air.

As Frank Herbert’s novel Dune progresses (complexly exploring Paul’s relationship with the Freemans on Arrakis), it’s no wonder the focus shifts completely away from Cullodan. The oceanic planet is meant to represent a cocoon of security that Paul must shed in order to accept his new duty to the Atreides, while his core identity undergoes radical changes during his time with the Freemen. An intricate thread of twisted visions and prophecies sets Paul and the Freemen on a path of no return, with the paradise of Caladan feeling far removed from the struggle for survival of what Arrakis has to offer. In any case, the abundance of water in Caladan, which is in short supply on a desert planet, becomes an important milestone in Paul’s personal interpretation of paradise (which he aims to create in the sequel Dune Messiah).

Let’s follow the events that affected the fate of Caladan after the Atreides left their home planet in hopes of observing a strange world full of sand and spices.

After the Atreides officially moved to Arrakis, leaving their loyal citizens behind, Count Hasimir Fenring was given the name Siridar-Absentius and was to serve as temporary ruler until further instructions from the Emperor Padishah. A Mentat political tactician of House Karin, Fenring was known primarily for his brute force, and his close ties to Emperor Shaddam IV influenced the decision to hand Caladan over to him. As the Emperor’s true intentions become clear when the Atreides are betrayed and nearly destroyed, it’s implied that Fenring helped facilitate the seismic shift to some extent. Although his involvement was not direct, his hold over Caladan, however temporary, allowed him to steer events in favor of the ascendant emperor.

As the mystery surrounding the Kwisatz Haderach gradually unravels in the books, we learn that several individuals were part of the Bene Gesserit’s breeding program, which tirelessly concocted the circumstances to produce such a unique heir. Despite being an unsuccessful candidate, Fenring focused his efforts on honing his hidden abilities, which made him invisible in Paul’s mystical visions. Although Fenring was loyal to the Emperor to a fault, helping him avoid the suspicions of the Landsraad (the governing body of all the Great Houses) after the Atreides coup, he refused the Emperor’s order to kill Paul in 10193 AG. As a result, Fenrig was deposed as temporary ruler of Caladan and exiled to the prison planet of Salus Secunda until his death.

While Caladan’s future may have been different after Fenring’s departure, when the Emperor sent someone else to rule in his place, no one in the Known Universe anticipated one life-changing event: the Arrakis Rebellion.

Paul’s revival as Mu’ad’Dib began a guerilla war against the Emperor and his allied forces, leading to a significant decrease in spice melange production for the Harkannen, who also suffered massive losses of their own men. Matters escalated into the Battle of Arakin, where Paul and the Freemen overwhelmed the Emperor’s Sardaukar with bombs and sandworms (!), marking the end of the long-standing desert war. A new era had dawned for the Atreides, which also meant the return of Caladan to their rule. Paul, trusting his friend and mentor Gurney Halleck, gave him the fiefdom of the planet so Halleck could rule in his absence. Meanwhile, Paul took the mantle of emperor, becoming the new ruler of the known universe (which, if you haven’t already guessed, is an unprecedented amount of power).

Over 5,000 years later, after the death of the god-emperor Leto Atreides II, a famine struck the Imperium, forcing the inhabitants to flee and seek out uncharted planets in hopes of finding natural resources. This event has historically been called the Dispersion, marking a period of unimaginable chaos and upheaval. However, at the same time, the discovery of new habitable spaces and the establishment of new colonies led to significant developments as the boundaries of the known universe continued to expand. Fast forward 1,500 years, and some of the people who migrated have returned to the Imperium, infusing the existing culture with new ways of thinking and being.

During this time, Caladan was renamed Den and eventually became the headquarters of the dreaded Quisatz Haderach Company, which is too convoluted to delve into. Caladan Castle was rebuilt from the ground up (after its destruction) and a new bloodline was created to carry on the complex and intertwined legacy of the Houses of Atreides and Harkanen. Paul’s memory lives on in Culloden, perhaps more deeply than he would like.