Desmond Hart is Dune: Prophecy’s biggest mystery; how did he get his powers, why does he hate the Sisterhood, is he a Ghola? Well, Episode 5 finally gives us some answers.
Believe it or not, there’s only one episode of Dune: Prophecy left. There have been some big reveals; for example, after going through the Agony, Tula managed to keep Lila alive, and Raquella has been secretly communicating through her.
Last week, Theodosia was revealed to be a Face Dancer, a shapeshifter created by the elusive and dangerous Bene Tleilax.
However, until now, Desmond Hart has been a tricky puzzle to solve. We know he survived a Shai-Halud attack on Arrakis, and he wants to scrub away the Sisterhood from the Imperium. Episode 5 gives us some clarity, as well as making him a surprisingly pivotal figure in Dune’s history.
Desmond Hart is the first Bashar of the Sardaukar
To honor his loyal, violent service to the Emperor, Desmond Hart is given a new military post: the first Bashar of a new regiment, the Sardaukar.
Cast your mind back to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies. We saw an army being trained on Salusa Secundus (which looks a lot different compared to Dune: Prophecy), a perennially rainy and dark planet with brutal (and perfect) conditions to foster a ruthless aptitude for killing.
They have exceptional combat abilities, renowned and feared across the Imperium and matched only by some of the fiercest Fremen. They were a crucial asset in maintaining House Corrino’s authority, and in Dune, the Harkonnens enlisted them to wipe out House Atreides on Arrakis.
They are, in their own words, “the Emperor’s blades… those who stand against us fall.”
Dune: Prophecy Episode 5 reveals the earliest form of the Sardaukar, with Desmond Hart as their first leader, known as a Bashar. Their armor looks a bit different: instead of the grey armor and helmets we see in the Dune films, they wear blue and black suits with face masks (they look a bit like Mortal Kombat fighters).
“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. The rebel plot to attack the Landsraad was a grave threat to us all,” Javicco explains.
“If it were not for the actions of one good and loyal subject, today’s ceremony would have been a funeral. Now, more than ever, we need to defend our values with ferocity and pride. That is why I have assembled a new, elite regiment, and I charge you, Desmond Hart, as my new Bashar.”
Desmond Hart’s mother was a Sister who abandoned him
We’ve always known that Desmond Hart wants to eradicate the Sisterhood from the Imperium, but Episode 5 reveals an unexpected personal connection: his mother was a Sister.
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At the end of the episode, Javicco makes Constantine the new commander of his fleet on Arrakis, angering Natalya. She leaves to see Desmond, who narrowly escaped death after the explosion in Zimia.
She hates the Sisterhood for taking everything away from her, and she wants to know what they did to Desmond to make him so angry.
“The woman who gave birth to me sent me away to live among scavengers, who left me fighting for scraps just to survive. She was a Sister.”
Desmond Hart… may be Tula’s son
After Episode 5, it really seems like Desmond Hart is the son of Tula… and Orry Atreides, whom she murdered in an act of revenge for Griffin’s death at the hands of Vorian.
In Episode 3, a flashback showed Tula ingratiating herself with a nomadic Atreides clan. While she undoubtedly loved Orry, she killed him and his entire family… because Valya told her to.
Now here’s the interesting bit. Orry and Tula had sex the night before his death, and until now, that seemed like an inconsequential scene. However, Tula clearly craves being a mother; after all, she’s cared for Lila like she was her own daughter.
She also had a conversation with Lila about why the Sisterhood separates mothers from their children at birth: “It prevents bonds one might hold above the Sisterhood; that way we’re all equals to one another.”
According to the Atreides family tree (mapped out by Flashmac2010), Tula and Orry had a child together. They’ve never been named, and given there’s precedent for Sisters losing their children, Desmond makes sense.
This theory is bolstered by the end of Episode 5, too. Valya sends Tula a genetic sample of Desmond so she can check his ancestry against the breeding index, and it reveals he’s the son of an Atreides and a Harkonnen. We don’t see their names, but Tula gets emotional, suggesting he’s her son.
Until next week, find out why Denis Villeneuve will never direct a Star Wars movie, read more about the book Dune: Prophecy is based on, and check out our list of the best TV shows of 2024.
