Dune: Prophecy viewers have been developing theories about how the HBO prequel series set thousands of generations before Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) will set up the events of the films.
The wildly popular science fiction blockbusters, released in 2021 and 2024, follow Paul’s quest to lead the oppressed desert planet Arrakis after learning he’s the Kwisatz Haderach, a powerful being created by a prescient sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit.
Now fans of the hit franchise have been taken back to 10,000 years before Paul is born to discover the origins of the Bene Gesserit and an insidious plot to infiltrate the Imperium.
In the first episode, an enigmatic newcomer named Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel) claims Imperial insurgents were responsible for slaughtering his entire regiment on Arrakis, and not the native Fremen people.
After arriving on Salusa Secundus for the wedding of Pruwet Richese (Charlie Hodson-Prior) and Princess Ynez (Sarah-Sofie Boussnina), Desmond uses a “great power” to simultaneously murder both Pruwet and Kasha Jinjo (Jihae) by burning them from the inside.
Dune Prophecy theory links key character to Paul Atreides (Image: WARNER BROS)
Fans are now convinced this telekinetic ability to kill from a distance will somehow be used by the Bene Gesserit to develop the test of the Pain Box, a tortuous device Paul faces at the start of the first Dune film.
One viewer took to with the theory, not only suggesting that Desmond is some form of AI but also that his abilities are a precursor to the box.
“Look, I am in the ‘he’s a robot’ camp, and I don’t know if this is somewhere else on here, but can we all agree that when this shakes out, whatever power he has will be co-opted by the Bene Gesserit to be whatever powers the box from the gom jabbar test?” they wrote.
“‘Pain through nerve induction’ and corpses ‘burned from the inside’ are pretty close.
Can the Bene Gesserit control Desmond’s powers? (Image: HBO)
“That’s what it looked like at the end of the first episode anyway. Not a huge thing, but thoughts?”
Another theory took things one step further, asserting that Desmond himself, along with his seemingly supernatural abilities, will be the direct inspiration for the Bene Gesserit’s millenia-long scheme to breed the Kwisatz Haderach.
“I believe Desmond represents a force they haven’t encountered before,” they said.
Desmond resists Valya’s Voice at the end of episode two (Image: HBO)
“As the show progresses, his power and abilities will push the newly formed Bene Gesserit to adopt a definitive objective.
“They will decide that creating a more powerful, selectively bred, and rigorously trained male—the true Kwisatz Haderach—is their ultimate goal.”
Desmond has already proven he can resist the power of Valya Harkonnen’s (Emily Watson) Voice, but does he have more nefarious tricks up his sleeve?
Dune: Prophecy continues Sundays on HBO and the following Monday on Sky and NOW.