All 6 Houses & Factions In Dune 2 Explained

Dune: Part Two adapts the second half of Frank Herbert’s iconic Dune novel, and there are six major houses and political factions to know before seeing the film. Herbert’s Dune universe is vastly expansive, hence why it can be difficult to sort through all the major houses and factions that play a role in the story. The first Dune movie introduces several key players, but even so, their history and importance are not fully explained during the movie.

With Dune 2 bringing even more major houses and factions into the fold, it becomes especially important to comprehend how each of them fits into Dune‘s intricately layered world. With Dune 2‘s release date being delayed into 2024, there is ample time for fans to acquaint themselves with the aspects of Herbert’s universe that are not fully or explicitly explained in the first movie. Understanding the six major houses and factions that will play a part in the story can make watching Dune 2 more enjoyable and much easier to digest.

Related: Dune 2 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning Character

6 House Atreides

Home Planet: Caladan

House Atreides makes up the core of Dune‘s story, and though this powerful house is nearly destroyed by House Harkonnen and the Sardaukar in Dune, Paul Atreides survives the genocide and is poised to return his house to glory in Dune: Part Two. House Atreides originally comes from the planet of Caladan, which is lush with greenery and well-known for its lack of industrial pollution. House Atreides is widely beloved by the people of Caladan and the majority of people in its planetary fiefdom. The Atreides claim to be descended from the Greeks on ancient Earth, even suggesting they are related to several notable members of ancient Greek mythology.

House Atreides was powerful for generations before the events in Dune, but Leto Atreides I turned it into one of the most respected and influential houses in the Padishah Empire. Their success and growing influence caused Emperor Shaddam to hate House Atreides, seeing them as the biggest rivals to his power. This is why the Emperor went into league with House Harkonnen and helped exterminate the Atreides on Arrakis in Dune. In Dune 2, it will be up to Paul and his Fremen allies to avenge Leto and return the Atreides to prominence.

5 House Harkonnen

Home Planet: Giedi Prime

House Harkonnen comes from the heavily industrialized planet of Giedi Prime, and they are the ancient rivals of House Atreides. The Harkonnens are thought to be descended from the country of Finland on ancient Earth, and they spent many years as a minor house until their rise to influence under the father of Dune‘s Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. The Harkonnens established an effective form of governance based on fear, becoming rich through brutal economic tactics that ignore commonly accepted ethical standards.

House Harkonnen’s Baron Vladimir also has an interesting connection to House Atreides, which could have a significant impact on Dune 2. House Harkonnen ruled the planet of Arrakis with an iron fist before joining the Emperor’s plot to destroy House Atreides, and after accomplishing this, the Harkonnens went back to controlling the all-important spice-rich planet. House Harkonnen’s position on Arrakis makes them extremely powerful because of the importance of spice, and the Baron plans to usurp the Padishah Emperor and establish his own dynasty in Dune 2.

4 House Corrino

Home Planets: Kaitain, Salusa Secundus

House Corrino is the ruling family of the Imperium in Dune, and they have ruled the Empire for a millennium by the time of the events in Herbert’s first Dune novel. House Corrino became the head of the Empire after the Battle of Corrin, and established an Imperial residence on the planet of Kaitain. Their original homeworld is Salusa Secundus, which is turned into a prison world and training ground for the Sardaukar after the Corrinos’ move to Kaitain. The Sardaukar are the most formidable military force in the known universe, and they are the heart of House Corrino’s power.

It’s said that it would take the combined force of all the Great Houses of the Landsraad to overpower the Sardaukar, but Paul Atreides and the Fremen may seek to disprove that theory in Dune 2. House Corrino’s current ruler in Dune is Emperor Shaddam IV, whose jealousy and fear of House Atreides convinces him to lend the Sardaukar to House Harkonnen in order to wipe out the Atreides. House Corrino will face its greatest challenge yet in Dune 2 when Paul Atreides and the Fremen emerge from hiding and fight for control of the all-important planet of Arrakis.

Related: Dune 2 Will Struggle To Adapt 1 Important Paul Scene From The Books

3 House Fenring

Home Planet: Kaitain

House Fenring is a close ally to the Imperial House of Corrino, and though it has no home planet of its own, it also remains close to the Imperial House. House Fenring is based on Kaitain in Dune, taking advantage of its close connections to House Corrino to make Kaitain its base of operations. House Fenring also briefly rules on Caladan after the death of Leto Atreides.

House Fenring’s current leader is Count Hasimir Fenring, who is a close adviser and friend to Emperor Shaddam IV. Hasimir and his wife, Lady Margot Fenring, are shrewd political maneuverers who will play an important role in Dune 2.Hasimir is a skilled assassin, and Lady Margot is an important member of the Bene Gesserit, and they will be intricately involved in the political machinations of House Corrino and House Harkonnen in Dune 2.

2 The Bene Gesserit

Headquarters: Wallach IX

The Bene Gesserit Order is an organization of all female spies, nuns, theologians, and scientists who use a variety of secretive methods to inch toward their goal of elevating humanity through the creation of a messiah known as the Kwistatz Haderach. The Bene Gesserit combined political scheming, genetic engineering, and religious engineering to pave the way for the Kwisatz Haderach. Also known as The Sisterhood, the Bene Gesserit are thousands of years old and their influence on the development of humanity across the galaxy is profound to a level where they could easily shape significant parts of Dune 2’s narrative.

They are trained to maximize mental and physical human potential, leading them to have incredibly sharp senses and becoming capable of making computer-like calculations in their heads. The Bene Gesserit training makes its members something close to evolutional superiors among the human race. They are capable of controlling their body chemistry and consciously affecting processes in the body that most people have no control over. The Bene Gesserit are led by the Reverend Mother Superior, who has supreme control over the order, and their headquarters are on the planet of Wallach IX.

1 The Spacing Guild

Headquarters: Junction

The Spacing Guild is one of the most powerful entities in the Empire, and their monopoly on space travel and international banking makes them incredibly powerful. The Spacing Guild uses the spice melange to allow its Navigators to see paths through the stars, allowing for interstellar travel. They are a critical leg of the Empire and beholden to no house or order because of their control of interstellar travel. All the major houses and other factions are reliant on them, which leaves them the freedom to do almost anything.

The Guild’s Navigators are trained at a school on a planet referred to as Junction, and the amount of spice these Navigators consume eventually forces them to live in tanks full of melange vapor. The Spacing Guild will play a critical role in Dune: Part Two, as they agree to lower the cost of space travel temporarily to help Emperor Shaddam IV bolster his army before the Battle of Arrakis. The Guild’s only real weakness is its reliance on spice for maintaining its monopoly on interstellar travel, which is notable considering spice can only be found on Arrakis.