At the start of Frank Herbert’s Dune series, the Imperial Sardaukar are the most feared fighting
force in the known universe. These soldier fanatics serve to protect the authority held
by the 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam the 4th of House Corrino. In a previous video I’ve
discussed where these fighters come from and why they are so feared. But In this video I’d
like to talk about the role the Sardaukar have in the outworking of Frank Herbert’s
Dune and what ultimately happens to these warriors as the saga unfolds. Spoiler warning
as I will be discussing major events occurring throughout the first few books of the series.
While Frank Herbert’s first book primarily focuses on the rivalry and activities of the Houses
Harkonnen and Atreides, the Emperor and his forces are a major influence on the outworking of events.
When Dune begins the Emperor has already set in motion a plan to secretly eliminate the
Duke Leto Atreides as a perceived threat to his rule. This is due to the Duke’s
growing influence and popularity among the other Great Houses in the Imperium.
Instead of relying purely on the positive effects of fair and charismatic leadership, under the
tutelage of some of the best minds and warriors in the known universe, House Atreides had also built
their infantry into a force which rivaled the combat skill and prowess of Imperial Sardaukar.
This led to the Emperor’s forging of an unholy alliance with the Atreides’ bitter enemy
the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as a trap was set for Leto on Arrakis to eliminate
him as a threat to their power. To ensure the success of this trap, Shaddam loaned some of
his mighty Sardaukar in order to strengthen the Harkonnen military in their assault.
Initially this plan appeared to work as House Atreides’ short reign on Arrakis
under Duke Leto came to a swift end during the attack, with the Atreides losing many of
their soldiers in combat against the overwhelming volume of enemy forces.
It was later revealed that after the death of the Atreides Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, the Sardaukar
saw fit to preserve Idaho's corpse which was used by the Bene Tleilax geneticists in the production
of a ghola from the swordmaster’s dead tissue. This ghola would possess a treasure trove of
military and combat knowledge which the Sardaukar intended to use to enhance their own skills.
The ferocity with which the Sardaukar fought was due, in large part to religious fervor
but also the intense training they underwent in the hellish environment on the planet, Salusa
Secundus. Unbeknownst to many in the Imperium however, the fremen, who were forged by the even
deadlier jewel of the universe, Arrakis, proved themselves to be far more formidable combatants.
Without the assistance of the Fremen, the remaining members of House Atreides would stand
no chance of survival on this deadly planet, let alone be able to effectively strike back
against their enemies. Even the Fremen themselves who saw the Harkonnens as weak and ineffective,
respected the skill and fighting prowess which made the Sardaukar formidable opponents.
While the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen was quick to dismiss the fremen as a credible threat,
the Sardaukar almost immediately recognized their capabilities and the danger they posed
to the emperor’s hegemony. After the Duke’s son, Paul and his mother, the Bene Gesserit,
Lady Jessica escaped into the desert, they were able to find a place among the fremen,
setting the stage for Paul’s conquest against the Sardaukar.
As their leader, Paul shared his knowledge of the Bene Gesserit weirding way with the Fremen forces
transforming them from a formidable army to an unstoppable force. When Paul came face to
face with a Sardaukar Captain, he used the Bene Gesserit technique called the Voice,
forcing the Captain to surrender, an act viewed as a humiliation by the Sardaukar.
The Emperor travelled to Arrakis with 5 legions of troops for protection but even still this force
would be no match for the Fremen. In recognition of the Fremen’s collective ferocity, Shaddam
noted that after sending out five Sardaukar troop carriers with a light attack force,
they barely got away with 1 carrier and 3 prisoners as they were overwhelmed and
forced to retreat by a group of fremen composed of women, children and old men.
After Paul led the Fremen forces in a final assault and subsequent victory over the Sardaukar,
he then married the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, facilitating his ascension to the throne.
The Emperor Paul then allowed the members of House Corrino to live in exile on Salusa Secundus,
and put into motion a plan to restore the ecology of the hellish planet.
While this was a political maneuver in which Paul could demonstrate respect for Shaddam,
it was also intended to eliminate the environment that previously served
as a training ground which forged the Sardaukar into such hardened warriors.
After the fall of House Corrino, the former emperor was allowed to maintain
one imperial standard legion of men as a police force on Salusa Secundus. It was here that the
House produced the birth of his grandson, Farad’n Corrino, who was Shaddam’s first male heir.
Farad’n was the son of the Emperor’s daughter Wensicia Corrino, who herself had formulated
a plan to restore their House to power and to reestablish the might of the Sardaukar.
In line with this, Farad’n saw to it that the Sardaukar maintained strict discipline,
ensuring that these soldiers remained at their best. However, Farad’n was also secretly attracted
to the idea of giving up these plans in favor of his preferred personal pursuits including
historical research and learning the manifest duties to continue his rule on Salusa Secundus.
After Wensicia's efforts failed, Farad'n agreed to surrender his Sardaukar to the new Emperor,
Paul’s son Leto II, and thereafter he became the concubine to the Emperor’s sister Ghanima.
Subsequently, the power of the Sardaukar would be further diminished.
Leto’s rise to tyranny as the God Emperor saw much upheaval as he sought to secure his iron grip
on the Imperium. Leto II continued to maintain a ghola copy of Duncan Idaho at his side throughout
his reign and later it was revealed that one of these gholas had rallied the remnants of
the Sardaukar in a failed revolt against the God Emperor. During his reign, Leto would come
to view the Fremen and Sardaukar as unsuitable to his needs. So in order to enforce his will,
from their descendants he created a fanatical all-female army called fish speakers.
Leto believed that male dominated military forces such as the Sardaukar would only remain loyal to
the army itself, and as such without the existence of an external enemy, they would eventually turn
against the civilian population. In contrast, the God Emperor posited that an all-female
army was more inclined to remain loyal to their leader regardless of the geopolitical
or military environment. This was an essential quality that Leto relied upon to ensure that his
forces would remain devoted to him throughout the thousands of years of his enforced peace.
In time, however, the Fish Speakers would go on to see their own decline after the
death of the God Emperor and the subsequent scattering and famine times that ensued.
But I’m curious to know what you think of the fate of the Sardaukar.
Are there any lessons to be learned from the rise and fall of these warrior fanatics?
When comparing the Sardaukar to the Fish Speakers that would replace them, do you think there is
any truth in what Frank Herbert was suggesting about the differences between the male and female
psyche? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. I hope you enjoyed this video.
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and lore. Thank you all so much for your support and as always have a very nerdy day.