Few villains possess the raw presence of Baron Harkonnen. From his rumbling basso to his imposing frame he casts a devouring shadow over all he surveys. Unlike House Atreides with golden hawks proudly emblazoned upon their breasts, House Harkonnen has no iconography to speak of, only the Baron himself. He is the consolidation of wealth, the lopsided nature of capitalism, endless stratification that only serves the elites. Extreme inevitability...

“Grave this on your memory, lad: A world is supported by four things [...] the learning of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous, and the valour of the brave. But all of these are as nothing [...] without a ruler who knows the art of ruling. Make that the science of your tradition!” -Gaius Helen Mohaim (Dune, Ch. 4)

It’s just not a Dune discussion until someone points out that Paul Atreides is the protagonist of Dune, but not the hero. So there, I’ve said it now. Fascism averted. With that out of the way, what exactly are we supposed to pull from Dune in order to not miss the point?