Dune: Prophecy‘s third episode went back decades to show why Raquella Berto-Anirul took young Valya Harkonnen under her personal tutelage. Valya only joined the Sisterhood in the first place, though, because her family forced her. They banished their daughter because she sought to restore their disgraced family name. She also sought revenge against the same man who branded them cowards, the “hero” who also murdered her brother. But who is Vorian Atreides and how did he set in motion a feud that would last 10,000 years? Dune: Prophecy only hinted at the true story behind the galaxy’s most infamous clash.
Who Is Vorian Atreides?
Vorian Atreides was born on Earth in 223 BG (roughly 250 years before Dune: Prophecy). He is the first member of the legendary family that bears his name, which was founded in Vorian’s honor. He was also a great hero and leading commander of the Butlerian Jihad, the war against the Thinking Machines. Vorian rose to his position despite being the son of a Titan, one of the cyborg tyrants that oppressed humanity.
The Great Machine Wars ended with the Battle of Corrin in 88 BG. (About 116 years before the present day timeline on Dune: Prophecy.) Vorian Atreides led humanity’s decisive victory over the machines, forever etching his name into the history books, a true giant in the galaxy’s history. He also ensured his best friend and fellow general in mankind’s army, Abulurd Harkonnen, would also be remembered for his actions at the Battle of Corrin. Only history would mark Abulurd a coward.
What Really Happened During the Battle of Corrin with Vorian Atreides and Abulurd Harkonnen?
More than a century of warfare had changed Vorian. He became more determined and single-minded. When he led the army to Corrin, last remaining outpost of the machines, he found the machines has placed two million human slaves in cargo pods around the planet. If the human fleet crossed “the Bridge of More than a century of warfare had changed Vorian. He became more determined and single-minded. When he led the army to Corrin, last remaining outpost of the machines, he found the machines has placed two million human slaves in cargo pods loaded with explosives around the planet. If the human fleet crossed the “Bridge of Hrethgir” all two million slaves would die.
Vorian didn’t care. He would stop at nothing to defeat the machines once and for all. But that callous disregard for human life horrified Abulurd Harkonnen, who tried to stop the coming genocide even after his friend and mentor stripped him of his rank and duties and had him jailed. Abulurd broke out and disabled the weapons of the entire fleet. The “Bridge of Hrethgir” did not explode (unknown to the humans a robot had disabled the explosives in the pods), but the lack of normal weapons led Vorian to use Pulse-Atomic weapons instead, resulting in a massive loss of human life anyway.
What Did Vorian Atreides Do to Abulurd Harkonnen After the Battle of Corrin?
History is written by the victors, and Vorian Atreides, great hero of the Battle of Corrin, wrote the story of what happened that day. He branded Abulurd Harkonnen a coward.
For his supposed treachery Abulurd was sentenced to death. But that wasn’t good enough for Vorian. He convinced Abulurd’s own brother, Faykan Butler—who adopted the name Corrino and became the first Padishah Emperor after the war—to instead exile Abulurd to the isolated planet Lankiveil. It was a world rich in snow and whale fur. Vorian also forced Abulurd to keep the now disgraced name Harkonnen so his ancestors would live with his shame. Vorian also promised his descendants would always hate and look down on any member of House Harkonnen.
The final insilt that proved to be truly unforgivable to Valya and Tula came almost 90 years later when Vorian killed their brother Griffin when the young Harkonnen went to confront Vorian about restoring their family’s name. (We won’t spoil exactly what happened during their confrontation because it might prove to be an important plot point on Dune: Prophecy.)
Valya’s long-standing rage at her family’s unfair plight boiled over after Griffin’s death, so her exiled her to learn under the Sisterhood, a group Valya couldn’t fully commit to until her sister Tula got revenge for their brother. Tula wooed Vorian’s great-great grandson Orry and killed him after murdering a score of other Atreides men. Tula then joined her Valya in the Sisterhood, where years later they came to rule it.
But even centuries after his birth the powerful sisters must still contend with Vorian Atreides.
How Is Vorian Atreides Still Alive During Dune: Prophecy?
When Vorian was a young man he was totally loyal to his millennia-old cyborg father. He also wished to one day become a cymek like his dad.. When Vorian was around 20 King Agamennon imbued his son with a life-extending treatment that dramatically slowed down Vorian’s natural aging process. (This procedure was mostly lost to time, but eventually humans would learn how to extend their lives via spice.)
One hundred years after his father’s treatment later—still a century before Dune: Prophecy—Vorian was said to look like he was only in his 30s. Despite being two hundred years older than Valya Harkonnen, Vorian will look younger if the two meet.
The question will be if her old rage at the great hero of House Atreides, the man who unfairly maligned her family and set off a feud we know will last 10,000 years, will be reborn if she comes face-to-face with Vorian. When Tula got their revenge Valya was finally able to fully commit to the Sisterhood she now leads. But just like Vorian, some grudges live for a very long time.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist with no relation to Vorian Atreides. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
