I’ve just finished Episode 3 of Dune Prophecy, and I wanted to get my thoughts out there before the next episode releases on Sunday. Obviously, the major question on everyone’s minds is who (or what) is the enigmatic Desmond Hart? Hart is really unlike anyone we’ve seen on screen in Dune universe before, possessing the ability to burn people (to death!!) with his mind (rip Pruwet Richese), possibly over vast distances. (I am not totally sold that it was Hart who killed Kasha, I’m thinking maybe there is another like him out there and they are in communication, but that is besides the point. The impact of Kasha’s death is real to Valya Harkonnen and the Sisterhood either way.) He also exhibits incredible control over this power as well, burning Richese’s father as a threat. Considering the seemingly short time span of him going missing on Arrakis and arrival on the planet Salusa Secundus, where he presumably got this ability, such quick mastery is impressive.
Theories
I’ve seen multiple theories, that Hart is a Face-Dancer, a ghola, or a failed Kwisatz Haderach, and it had me remembering something mentioned in Dune Messiah, an almost off-hand comment that took me off guard when I was first reading. In the beginning of Messiah, when the Face-Dancer Scytale is plotting with the Reverend Mother Monhiam, Guild Navigator Edric, and Princess Irulan to dethrone Paul Atreides, and Irulan is understandably having doubts. After all, how to you move against a man seen as a messiah among his people, who possesses the power of prescience, the long-planned Kwisatz Haderach? Scytale, however, mentions that it is possible, as the Bene Tleilax had gotten rid of their own, failed Kwisatz Haderach. This, as far as I know, is never mentioned again. Given the ambiguity around the subject, I think it is possible that Desmond Hart is that failed Kwisatz Haderach.
Why This Works
1. It Fits if Desmond Hart is a Ghola
When we first meet Desmond Hart in Episode 1-2, we learn that he has been Arrakis for 12 tours, and was the sole survivor of an rebel attack. He says to the Emperor that since the attack his eyes were opened, and faith had brought him to Salusa Secundus. When the Emperor Javicco Corrino reviews the footage towards the end of Episode 1, we see Hart, after the attack, fall to his knees and embrace being eaten by a giant Shai-Hulud. In theory, being eaten by a giant space sandworm means the end for the loyal soldier Desmond Hart. Somehow, he survived.
The popular theory is that Hart is a ghola, an artificial human grown from cells to replace one who has died. The theory proposes that the Bene Tleilax was able to procure Hart’s cells before his demise, and positioned the ghola in the Emperor’s court for their own purpose. The argument against is that Hart has retained his memories prior to being eaten by the Shai-Hulud, something ghola are unable to do (yet). However, there is another factor in this transformation of Hart that is being overlooked: the Shai-Hulud itself.
In Dune, Part One and Part Two we see both Lady Jessica and Paul take the Water of Life, which unlocks their other memory. The Water of Life is procured from a young Shai-Hulud as it is drowned underwater. The essence of the Shai-Hulud is transformative, as we see later with Leto Atreides II, Paul’s son, who eventually becomes a giant human-sandworm hybrid (Seen in God Emperor of Dune, don’t worry about it). It is possible that the Bene Tleilax replaced the old Desmond Hart with a ghola, either at some point before or after the rebel attack, and the nature of the Shai-Hulud allowed Desmond Hart to survive and retain his genetic memory. We also know that gholas can be a Kwisatz Haderach, as Duncan Idaho was revealed to be the final or ultimate Kwisatz Haderach in Sandworms of Dune.
(This may be irrelevant, but I think Travis Fimmel, who portrays Desmond Hart in Dune Prophecy, bears a certain resemblance to Jason Mamoa. It may be just me and my face-blindness, as both actors have similar hair lengths and beards, but I think this was done on purpose to physically reference Fimmel’s character to Mamoa’s Duncan Idaho, who will be a major character in the next movie.)
2. It Aligns With Actions of the Bene Tleilax
In Dune Messiah, it is revealed that Hayt, the ghola of Duncan Idaho who was gifted to Paul Atreides, was actually planted in the Emperor’s court for ulterior motives (surprising absolutely nobody, least of all Paul. Even he could see that coming ;).). Hayt has unlocked his genetic memory, as the Bene Tleilax planned, to manipulate Paul to accept a ghola of his dead love, etc., etc. The important part is that the Bene Tleilax have purportedly “long theorized” that there was a way to unlock a ghola’s genetic memory, and have finally achieved this goal with Hayt.
What does this have to do with Desmond Hart? Well, as stated before, most gholas, up until Hayt, have been unable to unlock their genetic memory. Hart’s ability to remember his life pre-Arrakis would normally smash the Desmond Hart=Ghola? theory into itty-bitty pieces. However, if an outside force like the Shai-Hulud somehow allowed Hart to retain his genetic memory, then perhaps the theory would still be viable. And, perhaps, the Tlielaxu, seeing their ghola that was supposed to carry out their will (we know they have no problem using gholas to manipulate others) now acting entirely independently, may very well be what inspired the reawakened memories theory in the first place. After all, this show takes place 10,000 years before Paul Atreides was even born, providing ample time for the concept of reawakened memories to be “long-theorized”.
(I just realized while writing this that “Hart” and “Hayt” are remarkably similar names, with only a letter’s difference. Another coincidence between Kimmel’s and Mamoa’s characters?)
3. It Sets Up the Next Movie
As of the day I am writing this, December 4, 2024, Denis Villeneuve and Legendary Pictures have already begun development on Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune Messiah. As I have stated many times in this post, major plot points in Dune Messiah hinges on the actions of Tleilaxu Face-Dancer Scytale and ghola Hayt/Duncan Idaho. In fact, there are parts of Messiah where we are able to see events from either Scytale’s or Hayt’s point of view. It would make sense for the studio to use Dune Prophecy to introduce it’s audience to the next movie’s major actors. Even though these are 10,000 years before ancestors of the movie’s characters, these groups are worth exploring alongside the Bene Gesserit. Ultimately, whether you read the books or watched the movie, Frank Herbert’s Dune Universe is not easy to understand, especially if one is just being introduced. Using Dune Prophecy could be a great way to not only hype up Dune fans for the next movie, but also prepare them for previously unmentioned terms and characters.
Why This Might Not Work
1. It’s Too Book-Specific
The conversation about the failed Tleilaxu Kwisatz Haderach barely lasts a page in the prologue of Dune Messiah. Although it happened to stick out in my head, it would be presumptive of me to assume that majority of Dune fans remember it as well. I also can’t see the studio digging through any and all minor details of the novels to find a perfect callback for their new series. It is more likely they decided to instead to create or their own lore or expand on what was previously established for Dune Prophecy.
2. It Conflicts with How the Bene Tleilax’s Kwisatz Haderach Died
In Dune Messiah, Reverend Mother Monhiam says that the Tleilaxu Kwisatz Haderach had killed itself under weight of all those experiences. Although suicide is not a decision made for the universal reasons, I don’t see Travis Kimmel’s Desmond Hart committing suicide. Hart has been so far pretty secure in his actions, not expressing any remorse or guilt for the lives he has taken. Every decision he has made seems to be carefully planned, and he clearly has a larger goal he is working towards. Hart also seems like he has already been “awakened”, so the risk of him being overwhelmed by the weight of his awakening seems small. This outcome doesn’t really seem in line with Desmond Hart’s character arc thus far.
3. It Overshadows the Bene Gesserit
“Sisterhood above all.” Dune Prophecy, ultimately, has been about the development of the Bene Gesserit into what it is in Paul Atreides’ time. It has also been marketed as such. I believe to introduce the Bene Tleilax and their early attempt at a Kwisatz Haderach would completely overtake the Bene Gesserit storyline. Furthermore, it would possibly result in a storyline that can not be resolved in the remaining three episodes. No second season has been announced, so this season’s plot is likely to be wrapped by the final episode.
Conclusion
Anyway, that is my theory on who or what is the character of Desmond Hart. As I was looking up online how to spell Tleilax, I saw a youtube video that also theorizes that Desmond Hart is the Tleilaxu Kwisatz Haderach, which would have been helpful to know before I wrote this whole thing during class. I also want to disclose that I cannot for the life of me find my Dune books, so everything I wrote was fact-checked by my recollection of it and what I could find online. Let me know your thoughts, if you have any! Thank you for reading!
AN: I was going to write a “index” of sorts explaining some of the terms and context needed to understand this post, but I wasn’t sure if I should. Please let me know if you think that is something I should include!
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