Star Wars and Dune: The Fusion Of Two Worlds
New Star Wars projects are in preproduction, and Disney+ The Acolyte will be released on June 4, 2024. Meanwhile, Dune 2 smashed the box office with over $700 million and is now available on VOD platforms in the UK and the US.
It’s way too evident in the visual presentation and the thematic storytelling of Star Wars that the Dune universe inspires it.
Once, Herbert famously said, “I will try hard not to sue," in an interview after the release of ‘A New Hope.’
Even after the years of the release, he never expressed any bitterness toward the questions about the similarities between the Star Wars and Dune Universes before he died in 1986.
The story of a young boy on a harsh desert planet with mystic powers, supernatural abilities, and similar enemies revealed many connections between Frank Herbert's classic novel Dune, published in 1965, and Star Wars: A New Hope.
The Deserted World Ecos the Similarities
Although many planets lie in the respective franchises' movies, much of the action is on deserted planets. Both franchises' sagas took place in gigantic galaxies, where intergalactic travel is a routine life of the warriors.
There’s more; not only does the sandy world of both sagas echo the similarities.
- The view from the surface: On both dusty planets, the most noticeable similarities are two celestial bodies: suns on Tatooine and moons on Arrakis.
- Spiritual abilities: Both the leading characters possess supernatural abilities that communicate with them: Luke has Force power, and Paul has the power of the Voice.
- The path: Luke and Paul’s destiny was prophesied long before their birth. Both of their futures were forecasted to become heroes of their respective empires and bring balance.
- Descendants of the main villain: Another striking similarity is that both the leads are the descendants of the saga's villains: Luke is the son of Darth Vader, and Paul is the grandson of antagonist Baron Harkonnen.
- The Imperial Trops: The Freman from Dune and the Rebel Alliance from Star Wars fight against the same imperial armies, Sardaukar and the Stormtroopers. Both play a major role in destroying tyrannical rulers.
- The princesses of both sagas: Luke’s sister, Princess Leia, whose name sounds much like Paul’s sister, Princess Alia.
If closely examined and analyzed, the saga can have more similarities than what it actually reveals. However, Star Wars has firmly stood the test of time and breathed its individuality on a global level.
