Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, portrayed by Ian McNeice in the Sci-Fi Channel's Dune miniseries

The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a fictional character from the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the novel Dune, but is also a major character in the Prelude to Dune prequel series by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Download high resolution version (486x739, 46 KB)Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a still from the Dune miniseries. ... Download high resolution version (486x739, 46 KB)Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, a still from the Dune miniseries. ... McNeice as Vladimir Harkonnen in the Sci-Fi Channels Dune miniseries Ian McNeice (born October 2, 1950 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK) is an internationally known English television and movie actor. ... SCI FI (sometimes rendered Sci-Fi when part of a longer phrase) is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. ... Frank Herberts Dune was a three-part miniseries based on the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert. ... A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... The fictional Dune universe, or Duniverse, is the political, scientific, and social setting of author Frank Herberts six-book Dune series of science fiction novels. ... Frank Patrick Herbert (October 8, 1920 – February 11, 1986) was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. ... Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. ... Dune: House Atreides Dune: House Harkonnen Dune: House Corrino Prelude to Dune is a prequel trilogy of novels written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in Frank Herberts Dune universe. ... Brian Herbert (born 1947) is an American author. ... Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. ...

The Appendix IV: The Almanak en-Ashraf (Selected Excerpts of the Noble Houses) in Dune says of him (in part):

VLADIMIR HARKONNEN (10,110-10,193) Commonly referred to as Baron Harkonnen, his title is officially Siridar (planetary governor) Baron. Vladimir Harkonnen is the direct-line male descendant of the Bashar Abulurd Harkonnen who was banished for cowardice after the Battle of Corrin. The return of House Harkonnen to power generally is ascribed to adroit manipulation of the whale fur market and later consolidation with melange wealth from Arrakis. Two characters are named Abulurd Harkonnen in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... It has been suggested that Bridge of the Hrethgir be merged into this article or section. ... Emblem of House Harkonnen from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Harkonnen. ... Look up Melange in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Arrakis, (derived from the Arabic name ar-rāqiṣ, the dancer, originally a star-name for Mu Draconis) later Rakis (known colloquially as Dune) is a fictional desert planet featured in the Dune novels by Frank Herbert, where it is the home of the Fremen (Zensunni wanderers) and later, the...

Biography

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According to Herbert's novels, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was the son and heir of Dmitri Harkonnen and his wife Victoria . Harkonnen's father was the head of House Harkonnen and served as Siridar (planetary governor) and Baron of the planet Giedi Prime. Trained since youth as a possible successor, Vladimir Harkonnen was eventually chosen over his younger half-brother Abulurd (namesake of the original). Image File history File links Information_icon. ... Baron Dmitri Harkonnen is a fictional character in the science fiction series of Dune. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... Giedi Prime is the name of a fictional planet set in Frank Herberts Dune universe described in the Dune science fiction novels. ... Two characters are named Abulurd Harkonnen in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Abulurd eventually married into House Rabban and renounced the family name and his rights to the title. Under the name Abulurd Rabban he reigned as Count and governor of planet Lankiveil. Vladimir was uncle to his heirs: Glossu Rabban, nicknamed Beast Rabban, and Feyd-Rautha Rabban. He later adopted them back into House Harkonnen and the latter became his designated heir as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. A count is a nobleman in most European countries, equivalent in rank to a British earl, whose wife is also still a countess (for lack of an Anglo-Saxon term). ... In the Dune universe, Lankiveil is a planet ruled by House Harkonnen. ... Glossu Rabban, portrayed by Laslo Imre Kisch in the Dune miniseries Glossu Rabban (nickname The Beast) was a minor character in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. ... Feyd-Rautha portrayed by Matt Keeslar in the Dune miniseries Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a key character in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. ...

The Baron's most prominent political rival was his distant cousin Leto Atreides I, head of House Atreides and Duke of planet Caladan. The fact that the Duke's consort Lady Jessica was secretly the Baron's daughter was unknown by either. In year 10,176, his grandson Paul Atreides was born. Duke Leto Atreides, portrayed by William Hurt in the Dune miniseries Leto Atreides I is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Emblem of House Atreides from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Atreides. ... For other uses, see Duke (disambiguation). ... The eight planets and three dwarf planets of the Solar System. ... Caladan is a fictional planet in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Lady Jessica Atreides, portrayed by Saskia Reeves in the Dune miniseries Jessica Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... Paul Atreides, as portrayed by Kyle MacLachlan in David Lynchs Dune (1985), wielding the infamous Weirding Module. Paul Orestes Atreides is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, portrayed by Kenneth McMillan in Dune (1984)

Harkonnen was contacted by Shaddam Corrino IV, 81st Emperor of House Corrino with the proposal of an alliance against the Duke. He was content in accepting, although uncertain of the Emperor's motivation. Image File history File linksMetadata McMillan_as_Harkonnen. ... Image File history File linksMetadata McMillan_as_Harkonnen. ... Kenneth McMillan may refer to: Kenneth G. McMillan - a Republican politician from Illinois. ... Dune is a 1984 science fiction film directed by David Lynch, based on the 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, portrayed by José Ferrer in Dune (1984) Shaddam Corrino IV is a character in the fictional Dune universe of Frank Herbert. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... Emperor Frederick Corrino IV, played by Adrian Sparks, seated on the Golden Lion Throne (as seen in the computer game Dune 2000 by Westwood Studios) For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Corrino. ...

By Imperial order, Leto was forced to surrender Caladan to the Empire under rulership of Count Hasimir Fenring and instead receive Arrakis, the only known source of the spice melange. He complied, well aware of the hidden motives behind the command. Harkonnen and the Emperor had been stock-piling large hordes of spice for several decades in anticipation for a shortage in production that would coincide with the Atreides takeover of Arrakis. Harkonnen had also been stockpiling spice to pay the massive amount of Solaris required to transport the joint Harkonnen-Sardaukar invasion forces to Arrakis. His stockpiles were destroyed by a small raiding force sent by Duke Leto to Geidi Prime. Hasimir Fenring is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... The Sardaukar were a fictional army from Frank Herberts Dune universe, as depicted in the Dune series of science fiction novels. ...

Shortly after this, a much larger invasion force arrived on Arrakis, consisting of both Sardaukar and Harkonnen forces. The Sardaukar were disguised in Harkonnen uniforms, so that outsiders would not recognize the hand of the Emperor in destroying Duke Leto. The Duke had not yet had time to establish a solid presence on Arrakis, and soon most of the Duke's army was slain. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

Harkonnen had arranged for the Duke to be taken prisoner by the trusted Suk doctor Wellington Yueh, Leto's own physician. Yueh followed orders, but had personal reasons to hate Harkonnen; the latter provided the captive Leto with a fake tooth filled with poisonous gas. Biting down on it would kill Leto, but also allow him to kill those around him. Harkonnen survived Yueh's assassination attempt, but his twisted Mentat Piter De Vries did not. De Vries was replaced with Thufir Hawat, Mentat to the deceased Duke, under duress. Harkonnen apparently convinced Hawat that they could join forces against the Emperor. In Frank Herberts Dune universe, the Suk School produces the universes most competent, trusted doctors. ... Dr. Wellington Yueh, portrayed by Robert Russell in the Dune miniseries - Baron Vladimir Harkonnen Dr. Wellington Yueh is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... The Doctor by Samuel Luke Fildes This article is about the term physician, one type of doctor; for other uses of the word doctor see Doctor. ... The skull and crossbones symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ... Assassin and Targeted killing redirect here. ... A Mentat is a profession or discipline called human computers in Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... Piter De Vries is a fictional character from Frank Herberts Dune science fiction series. ... Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Freddie Jones in the 1984 movie Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Jan Vlasák in the Dune miniseries Thufir Hawat is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Over the following two years, Harkonnen learned that both of his nephews were conspiring against him to obtain the Baron's throne. He let them continue to do so, reasoning that they had to somehow learn to organize a conspiracy. As punishment for a failed assassination attempt against him, Harkonnen forced Feyd-Rautha to single-handedly slaughter all the female slaves who served as his lovers, while the Baron watched. He explained that Feyd-Rautha had to learn the price of failure. In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... An intimate relationship is a interpersonal relationship where there is a great deal of physical or emotional intimacy. ...

Eventually, the Fremen of Arrakis won a series of victories against Beast Rabban and to capture most of the territory of the planet, which threatened to disrupt the trade of the spice. The Emperor decided to take control of the situation and arrived on Arrakis along with five legions of Sardaukar forces. Vladimir and Feyd-Rautha escorted him with a vastly larger Harkonnen army, made up mostly of conscripts but also containing seasoned Harkonnen troops. Spoiler warning: The Fremen are a group of people in the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert. ...

Harkonnen was shocked to learn that Paul Atreides led the Fremen. The imperial forces fell prey to a surprise attack by the Fremen. Part of the Fremen/Atreides strategy was to wait until a sandstorm shorted out the force field shields of the Harkonnen/Imperial transport ships, disable them with projectile weapons, and then attack with a vast assault force, using Sandworms under cover of the severe weather to break the enemy lines. The Sardaukar and Harkonnen forces were trapped on the planet, astonished at the Sandworm mounts and vast numbers of their attackers, and their past ruthlessness gave them little hope of quarter from the enraged Fremen.

Beast Rabban died in the initial part of the battle. The Harkonnen army was massacred to the last man and almost all the 300,000 Imperial Sardaukar died. Harkonnen himself was poisoned by Paul's young sister Alia Atreides, his own granddaughter, and died at the age of 83. Paul then killed Feyd-Rauthan in a duel. The death of the three men and the massacre ended the House Harkonnen as a galactic power. Since grandson Paul subsequently was named emperor, however, Harkonnen's descendants would long reign as the Imperial House Atreides. Alia Atreides, portayed by Daniela Amavia in the Children of Dune miniseries. ...

Alia was born with her ancestral memories in the womb, a circumstance the Bene Gesserit call abomination, because in their experience it is inevitable that the individual will become possessed by one of their ancestors. Alia fell victim to this prediction and initially shared control of her body with Harkonnen, gradually falling under his power. At the end of Children of Dune Alia committed suicide, in part because she realized that Harkonnen's consciousness had surpassed her abilities to contain him. The Bene Gesserit (as seen in the prologue of Dune) The Bene Gesserit (from Latin or Arabic: see the origin of the name) are a key social, religious and political force in Frank Herberts science fiction universe of Dune. ... Abomination, in the context of the Dune series written by Frank Herbert, refers to one who aquires full concience as a fetus as a result of being exposed to the spice agony, gaining to all their ancestral memories before birth. ... Children of Dune Children of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert, third in a series of six novels set in the Dune universe. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ... Consciousness is a quality of the mind generally regarded to comprise qualities such as subjectivity, self-awareness, sentience, sapience, and the ability to perceive the relationship between oneself and ones environment. ...

Character traits

Vladimir Harkonnen from The Dune Encyclopedia

Vladimir never married; his homosexuality, implied by his preference for teenage boys and young men as partners, was something of an open secret. He did, however, twice copulate with Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother, Gaius Helen Mohiam. Blackmailed into supporting their elaborate and covert breeding program, the Baron was forced to father an offspring which was to be raised on the Bene Gesserit homeworld of Wallach IX. Mohiam used this opportunity to exact retribution upon the Baron for his violent treatment of her during the second sexual encounter, by infecting him with a disease which resulted in his later obesity. Ironically, this child would later become the Lady Jessica. Image File history File links Siridar-Baron_Vladimir_Harkonnen. ... Image File history File links Siridar-Baron_Vladimir_Harkonnen. ... The Dune Encyclopedia was published in 1984 - its only edition. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual and romantic attraction between two individuals of the same sex. ... A Reverend Mother is a fictional character appearing in the novel Dune, being a Bene Gesserit woman who has finished her training. ... Gaius Helen Mohiam is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ... For other uses, see Blackmail (disambiguation). ...

Vladimir was a skillful, if ruthless, politician with an apparent talent for manipulating people and events towards his chosen ends. During his reign the House Harkonnen progressively gained in both wealth and power. His major sources of wealth were his dominance in the whale fur market and his control of the melange-producing planet Arrakis. The Baron was able to finance elaborate political schemes that further added to his power. For several years he was assisted by the sadistic Mentat Piter De Vries. Much of his success at political maneuvering was due to a ruse that he was rash and overtly brutal, using such overtures to mask his subtler primary plots. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Finance studies and addresses the ways in which individuals, businesses, and organizations raise, allocate, and use monetary resources over time, taking into account the risks entailed in their projects. ... Flogging demonstration at Folsom Street Fair 2004. ... A Mentat is a profession or discipline called human computers in Frank Herberts fictional Dune universe. ... Piter De Vries is a fictional character from Frank Herberts Dune science fiction series. ...

The Baron Harkonnen was known for his creativity. This showed itself in the war against the Duke Leto, when the Harkonnen soldiers fought the Atreides at one point with old-fashioned explosive artillery. While artillery and firearms were generally worthless against the Holtzman shields that were commonplace in the Empire, shields were not used on Arrakis and the Baron calculated that the Atreides soldiers would retreat to caves. The artillery sealed them in, causing the Atreides soldiers to die by the thousands of suffocation and starvation. This tactic greatly reduced Harkonnen and Sardaukar casualties. It is not known if the Baron had studied the ancient history of humankind, but the Baron's reintroduction of a weapon that was obsolete since the days of Old Earth helped him achieve a crushing victory. Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... A firearm is a kinetic energy weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced by action of the rapid confined burning of a propellant. ... The Holtzman effect is a fictional scientific phenomenon in the Dune universe, created by Frank Herbert. ...

The Baron frequently displayed his prowess at controlling and manipulating people for his own means through their weaknesses and innate qualities, such as drug addiction (in the case of the Mentat Piter De Vries, who was addicted to the spice melange) or dependency upon an antidote for a latent poison (in the case of Thufir Hawat). This manipulation extended to his cunning political decisions, such as his choice to place Rabban as a ruthless tyrant as ruler of Arrakis so that the planet's inhabitants would look upon Feyd-Rautha's assumption of power as a salvation. Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Freddie Jones in the 1984 movie Thufir Hawat, portrayed by Jan Vlasák in the Dune miniseries Thufir Hawat is a fictional character in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. ...

Appearance

Frank Herbert's representation of the Baron Harkonnen portrays him as an imposing, powerful man. His eyes are described as "spider-like" and his voice a deep, rumbling basso with a style of dress often including a flowing robe and a collection of rings adorning large hands. The original explanation for his excessive weight was simply attributed to overindulgence. This was later retconned by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson in their first prequel trilogy, explaining that the Baron was once an exceedingly handsome young man, possessing a near-perfect physique. In this version, his bodily deterioration is said to be the result of a rare disease caused by Jessica's mother, a Bene Gesserit named Gaius Helen Mohiam, in punishment for the Baron's actions leading to her pregnancy. After which, his physique began to slowly atrophy into the obese one. In Dune: House Harkonnen, he at first walked with the assistance of a cane, then relied on belt-mounted suspensors to retain mobility. To conceal this debilitation, Vladimir put on the pretence that his obesity was due to intentional overindulgence. He tried to force Mohiam to reveal the means to reverse the disease, but doesn't succeed, for the affliction was uncurable. In all instances, he displays extreme intelligence and carries an air of ruthless cruelty. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Brian Herbert (born 1947) is an American author. ... Kevin J. Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. ... House Harkonnen is the second book in a prequel trilogy to the Dune series, set before the events of Frank Herberts original works. ...

In adaptations

In David Lynch's 1984 film, he was played by Kenneth McMillan. In this characterization, he was gortesquely overweight and covered in large, black pustules which required constant draining and treatment. This version of the character is more overtly unstable than in the novel, screaming and laughing incoherently at any given moment and even drinking the blood of a servant after removing a "heart plug." Lynch's interpretation was inspired by Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt, who had appeared in Return of the Jedi the year before. Kenneth McMillan may refer to: Kenneth G. McMillan - a Republican politician from Illinois. ... This article is about the series. ... Jabba the Hutt is a fictional character in George Lucass science fiction saga Star Wars. ... Movie poster Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, is a science fiction film that debuted in 1983, and re-released with changes in 1997 and 2004. ...

The latest incarnation of this character appeared in a 2000 miniseries produced by the Sci-Fi Channel, played by British actor Ian McNeice. This version of the character is lighter and campier in tone; while he still takes sadistic enjoyment in the suffering of others, he is portrayed as an effeminate, pompous blowhard. He tends to speak in iambic pentameter at the close of each scene. SCI FI (sometimes rendered Sci-Fi when part of a longer phrase) is an American cable television channel, launched on September 24, 1992, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal programming. ... McNeice as Vladimir Harkonnen in the Sci-Fi Channels Dune miniseries Ian McNeice (born October 2, 1950 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK) is an internationally known English television and movie actor. ... Look up sadism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Iambic pentameter is a meter in poetry. ...

Baron Dmitri Harkonnen is a fictional character in the science fiction series of Dune. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... Emblem of House Harkonnen from Emperor: Battle for Dune For the novel of the same name, see Dune: House Harkonnen. ... Feyd-Rautha portrayed by Matt Keeslar in the Dune miniseries Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a key character in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. ...

External links

• Timeline of the Dune universe