Dune fans can’t get enough of manga legend’s unfinished adaptation

Now that Dune 2 is in cinemas, images of a partial manga adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel have resurfaced, prompting us to once again wish for a full version.

Dune has been approached many times across multiple mediums over the years. Before Denis Villeneuve’s pair of sci-fi blockbusters, there was Alejandro Jodorowsky’s legendarily bloated attempt, and David Lynch’s bizarre ’80s film starring Kyle MacLachlan.

A couple of TV series have emerged, but not a proper anime show, sadly. We’ve yet to get a full anime or manga version, but some illustrations show how close we got with Shotaro Ishinomori, the creator of the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai franchises.

As the pictures make the rounds, we can only dream of what could’ve been.

Dune manga from Kamen Rider creator looks amazing

On X, formerly Twitter, a user shared some pieces Shotaro contributed to a Japanese printing of Dune. He made a set of covers, as well as a number of other pictures depicting certain scenes and characters, most prominently featuring Paul Atreides.

Shotaro’s vision lands close to ’80s anime shows such as Gundam and Legend of Galactic Heroes, featuring Paul looking like a young cadet, talking to an ominously tall Bene Gesserit. Arrakis is still just a desert, with one sandworm making their way onto one of the covers.

They’re a neat bit of pop culture history, where two giants of genre storytelling briefly crossed over. No doubt, Shotaro could’ve made an enchanting version of Dune if given the space to do so, but that’s all up to our imaginations now. Naturally, actual copies of these volumes can run a pretty penny among collectors, so if you every spot any in a thrift store, make sure to grab them.

Dune 2 is in cinemas now. Our guides to where was Dune 2 filmed and the best way to watch Dune 2 will make sure your life is full of Spice. We have a list of the best anime movies as well, if you’re keen for more of that.