How Dune Influenced Star Wars (It’s Crazy)

Dune was published in 1965 and the first Star Wars movie was released 12 years later in 1977. Due to this time differntial, the similarities below can only mean that Dune influenced Star Wars, and not the other way around.

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Common Aspects

The rise of Paul Atreides in Dune is eerily similar to the development of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Both are seen as underdog heroes and make sense of mysterious powers throughout their struggle to reach their destiny. Also, each are descended from prominent villains (I won’t say who in case you impossibly don’t know by now).

First, they both live on harsh, desert worlds. Paul’s new home Arrakis has two moons while Luke’s native Tatooine has two suns. Each planet has a lack of water, inhabitants struggling to survive, dangerous sand animals, and uses “sandcrawler” vehicles to ride across the desert.

Secondly, both franchises focus on an oppressive empire. Dune has the Galactic Padishah Empire, or Imperium, while Star Wars has the Galactic Empire (even the names are almost identical). The rulers of the evil empires (Emperor Shaddam IV and Emperor Palpatine) both exploit others from behind the scenes while using an evil general to carry out their wishes (Baron Harkonnen and Darth Vader). The military of each empire are also similar. The stormtroopers of Star Wars and the Emperor’s Sardaukar of Dune are both superior fighting forces used to put down rebels.

Third, both Paul Atreides and Luke Skywalker are attempting to destroy these evil superpowers by leading a guerrilla war. Luke in Star Wars served as a commander of the Rebel Alliance while Paul leads the native Fremen on a bloody jihad in Dune.

Finally, both the Bene Gesserit and the Jedi are quasi-religious organizations that use prophecies and display unique physical / mental capabilities (superior fighting, visions of the future, voice control, etc). Paul Atreides and Luke Skywalker become the most powerful of all through using these powers.

Other Similarities

Princess Alia and Princess Leia are sisters to Paul and Luke (don’t neglect to notice the similarity between names). Both pairs of siblings have a special mental connection to one another, including the ability to sense each other’s presence + call out to each other through their minds.

In Dune, there was a failed assassination attempt against Paul’s life where the killer let a hunter-seeker (tiny drone) into Paul’s bedroom. In Star Wars, there was a failed assassination attempt against Padme Adimala where the assassin used poisonous worms that a tiny drone brought into her bedroom. Both machines were controlled by an operator nearby.

Conclusion

It’s safe to say George Lucas was heavily influenced by Dune when he was dreaming up the Star Wars universe. However, this is not to say Star Wars is a straight copycat of Dune; despite the amount of similarities, there are many differences between the two. Star Wars is an adventure-packed space opera whereas Dune is a deep exploration of political and philosophical ideas.

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