What is the true “prophecy” of DUNE: PROPHECY?

What is the “prophecy” of Dune: Prophecy refer to? Before the first episode of the series, the answer seemed obvious and easy. The prequel series takes place 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. This distant era marked the beginnings of the Brotherhood which implemented a grand plan to bring about the super-being of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel. But, rightly considering the nature of the prophecy, dark visions, conflicting goals, fearsome power, and foreknowledge of what awaits the galaxy make the true meaning of the series’ title less clear.

Raquella Berto-Anirul, heroine of the wars against thinking machines, founded the Brotherhood which would become the Bene Gesserit. She wanted her group to help “rule the future.” To bring about a “transformation”, she launched a secret breeding program through royal unions with the aim of creating “better leaders” that the Brotherhood would control. We know that this plan, pursued at all costs by Valya Harkonnen, will ultimately focus on achieving the Kwisatz Haderach. Again, Dune: ProphecyThe first episode of raised serious questions about whether its own title referred specifically to this project.

On her deathbed, Mother Raquella had a disturbing vision of the future. “It’s happening,” she said, seeing red dust, a sandworm on Arrakis devouring buildings from other planets, blood, fire and lights – maybe eyes? maybe the lights of a spaceship? – among the stars. “Tiran-Arafel,” she called this grim warning. His most devoted supporters called it a “settling of scores,” a “sacred judgment brought about by a tyrant.” This unimaginable darkness could completely destroy the Brotherhood and all of humanity.

Raquella trusted Valya to make sure her vision didn’t come true. The dying Mother Superior made Valya her successor. “It is you who will see the fire and know the truth,” she told Valya. By the end of the episode, that burn became quite literal.

Reverend Mother Kasha guided the group’s choice to rule the Corrino Empire, Princess Ynez, from her childhood. She was also instrumental in pushing Ynez to agree to marry the young boy Richese, whom the Emperor was willing to leave due to his vulnerability on Arrakis. (A position he finds himself in because the Brotherhood is weakening its forces on the vital planet full of spice mix.) A few days before their pledge ceremony, however, Kasha had a nightmarish vision of his own. She saw Ynez wearing a dress of blood, herself and the princess being swallowed by a sandworm, a rotten grenade representing a rotten marital union, and the same lights in space that Raquella had seen on her deathbed. The episode didn’t explore the full meaning of Kasha’s horrific vision, but it did validate her fears.

Desmond Hart sees the Brotherhood as it is. Thinking machines may be outlawed, but “witches” control humanity like machines once did. And more than anyone alive, he might be able to stop the Brotherhood. On Arrakis, during an attack provoked by the Brotherhood, a sandworm ate him. Only, somehow, he survived. And when he is “reborn” from the sands of Arrakis, he emerges with a fearsome ability and a sacred purpose. Using only his mind, he burned the young Richese boy alive from the inside out. As he did, across the galaxy on Wallach IX. Kasha suffered the same fate.

When Valya found the dying woman, Kasha said that she had her own vision, which she called “the burning truth”, the one that Raquella had spoken of.

What does all this mean? Is Desmond Hart the burning truth Raquella is warning about? Was the sandworm imbibing the water of life inside the sandworm – as Paul Atreides one day did – long before anyone knew what the liquid could do? If that were the case, could Desmond create or even be “the tyrant” who could bring about holy judgment? Or will he be the one to try to stop this catastrophic prophecy? He prevented a marriage that Kasha herself considered ruinous for everyone involved.

Or does the name of the series refer to Kasha’s warning to Valya that the Brotherhood’s plan to create a Supreme Leader could “bring about exactly what they seek to prevent?” We know it will happen. Ten thousand years later, billions will die because the Kwisatz Haderach created by the Bene Gesserit will launch a holy war against the galaxy.

Even if Dune: ProphecyThe title is as obvious as we thought before the first episode and it does refer to Kwisatz Haderach, it’s not that simple. Even those who put humanity on the path to Paul Atreides do not yet know exactly what prophecy they should fear.

Editor’s Note: Dune: Prophecy is a Legendary Entertainment production. Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also wherever someone ranks the Targaryen kings.