WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy.Max’s seriesDune: Prophecydropped a huge bombshell when one of its main characters made a small reference to humanity’s original home planet,“Old Earth”, in theDuneprequel’s episode 5. Set millennia in the future, the story ofDunetakes place on a variety of planetsthroughout the Known Universe, including Caladan, Giedi Prime, Kaitain, and, most notably, Arrakis. However, Old Earth is all but absent from the story, with hardly any ofthe characters in theDunefranchiseeven mentioning it or humanity’s time on the planet throughout the saga’s many stories.
While the narrative ofDunehas mainly been focused on humanity’s future outside of Earth,the books' multiple writers have built up a considerable history surrounding Earthand what’s become of the Big Blue Marble. So far, theDune: Prophecyseries and director Denis Villeneuve’s twoDunemovies have taken this source material and made a vague but overall faithful adaptation of its canon, including the world that humanity left behind.
The History Of Earth Is Complicated In Dune Canon
Dune’s Authors Changed Over The Years, Leading To Complex Lore
TheDunefranchise is the brainchild of author Frank Herbert,who had completed six novels for the series in his lifetime centered around Paul,which focus on the stories of Paul, his children, and the Bene Gesserit. It was during the franchise’s second novel,Dune Messiah, that Emperor Paul began exploring the history of Old Earth, comparing himself to leaders like Adolf Hitler and Genghis Khan as he tried to pave the way toward a better future following the holy war he unleashed on the Known Universe.
Though Brian Herbert carried on his father’s legacy for almost 40 years, theDunefranchise’s change in writers have led to differing accounts of the events in its timeline, including the fate of Old Earth and its history with the dreaded AI, the “thinking machines.”
However, Herbert’s son Brian took over writingtheDunebooksfollowing the former’s death in 1986, expanding the lore of the franchise with several prequels and sequels with co-author Kevin J. Anderson. Their combined effortsbrought the total number ofDunebooks to 23. One of their works, 2012’sSisterhood of Dune, actually became the main inspiration for Max’sDune: Prophecy. Though Brian Herbert carried on his father’s legacy for almost 40 years, theDunefranchise’s change in writers have led to differing accounts of the events in its timeline, including the fate of Old Earth and its history with the dreaded AI, the “thinking machines.”
Earth’s Role In The Machine War Explained
The People of Earth Paved The Way Towards Their Victory Over Machines
In theDunefranchise, Earth played a significant part in the ancient war between humanity and the “thinking machines” that had once conquered the Known Universe. Following a rebellion against the machines that took place on Earth, the humans rose up against their AI oppressors.This culminated in the latter’s destruction in the legendary conflict known as the Butlerian Jihad, or the Great Revolt, around 10,000 years before the events ofDune. As shown inepisode 1 ofDune: Prophecy, humanity has since grown fearful of these machines, forbidding them from ever existing again and replacing them with human computers, the Mentats.
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After the Butlerian Jihad, the Commission of Ecumenical Translators gathered on Old Earth to create the Orange Catholic Bible,a text that combined all the religious teachings throughout human history. However, by the time Paul Atreides becomes Emperor of the Known Universeat the end of the originalDunebook,knowledge of Old Earth had been all but lost. Only a select few know about humanity’s time during the Golden Age of Earth, while many others consider it to be just a myth.
Earth Was Nearly Destroyed After Being Hit By A Planetoid
The planet Earth faced more than its fair share of tragedies in the world ofDune.According toThe Dune Encyclopedia,Old Earth was struck by another planetoid thousands of years after humanity colonized the solar system. Though Old Earth was almost annihilated, humanity’s numbers had already grown far beyond the population of Earth as it explored the Known Universe and expanded its territories, ensuring its survival for ages to come.
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Following the disaster of Old Earth, the Imperium moved their seat of power from the planet to the asteroid Ceres. However, they didn’t leave Old Earth without returning to the ruined planet and recovering some surviving artifacts from human history, which they then scattered across the Known Universe. Once they had reseeded Old Earth with plant and animal life,the Imperium declared the planet becoming a natural park. Despite this, humanity eventually moved on from their homeworld since then, as they have continued to colonize other planets.
Do The Dune Movies & TV Prequel Show Reference Earth?
There Are Very Small Nods To Humanity’s Homeworld Throughout the Dune Franchise
In episode 5 ofDune: Prophecy,Emperor Javicco Corrino referred to Old Earth in his speech to his subjects. He said,“As far back as humanity’s time on Old Earth, those whose actions seek to destroy the social order have always warranted a swift response.“This is the first time that the prequel show or any of Denis Villeneuve’s twoDunemovies made any explicit reference to Earth. It is clear at this point in the franchise’s timeline that humanity still has knowledge of when they lived on the planet.
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Though knowledge of Old Earth will have all but vanished from human memory,Dune’s House Atreidesdisplays a strong link to the planet even 10,000 years after the Butlerian Jihad. Their illustrious family name is a clear reference to the mythical Greek hero Atreus. Also, in the world ofDune,their lineage is said to trace back to the figure’s son, King Agamemnon, adding to their illustrious legacy within the Imperium. Gurney Halleck is also seen reading from the Orange Catholic Bible in 2021’sDune: Part One,showing he is well-versed in human history and the teachings of Old Earth.
Overall, theDunefranchise has paid more attention to the story taking place after humanity left Old Earth. Despite this and the shift in writers following Frank Herbert’s death,the creatives who continue to build the franchise have taken great care in developingDune’s history. With stories likeDune: Prophecy, this sci-fi franchise explores how humanity moved on from Old Earth and how their past on the planet continues to impact them in the present as they live throughout the Known Universe.
