The Complete Timeline of Dune: A Quick Guide

The Dune franchise covers an immense amount of time, over 30,000 years of “future history.” In general, fans have classified the timeline of Dune history into 6 distinct time periods. This article will contain a summary of each era.

A Short Reference Guide:

The Old Empire – only lightly referenced throughout the franchise

The Butlerian Jihad – Legends of Dune prequel trilogy & Great Schools of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

The Corrino-led Imperium – Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy & Heroes of Dune series by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

The Rise of The Atreides – Dune, Dune Messiah, and Children of Dune by Frank Herbert

The Reign and Fall of the God Emperor – God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert

The Return From the Scattering – Heretics of Dune, Chapterhouse : Dune by Frank Herbert, Hunters of Dune, Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson

The Old Empire and the beginning of humanity

The period starts at the beginning of human civilization on Earth. Many thousands of years later (it is not stated exactly when), humans stumble across a breakthrough that allows us to travel faster than light, leading to people colonizing many other worlds.

During this era, all colonized worlds were ruled by an Imperial government. This empire lasted for over a thousand years but over time became outdated and dependent on computer technology.

The Butlerian Jihad and the rise of machines

The Old Empire had grown lazy, stagnant, and entirely dependent on artificial intelligence programs. A group of extremist humans called the Titans take advantage of this situation by leading machines to dominate other humans, conquering world after world.

The Titans reign for a hundred years until they accidentally give too much power to a specific artificial intelligence program named Ominus, who overthrows his human handlers. After this uprising, computers/machines are in total control, enslaving all human life for 900 years. After being slaves for almost a millenia, humanity can survive no longer this way and the Butlerian Jihad is ignited (jihad = holy war). The ensuing war lasts for another hundred years but the humans finally destroy the machines. The incredible loss of life becomes a universal and generational lesson to never create a machine in “the likeness of a human mind.”

The jihad took place around 10,000 years before the events in the novel Dune.

The Corrino-led Imperium

The isolation of worlds after the Butlerian Jihad spawned many different societies.

A feudal empire was created and House Corrino rules unchallenged for thousands of years because of their elite military (called Sardaukar). Each House typically maintains its base of operations on its home planet. Some Houses are so powerful they can rule entire planetary systems. These Houses are called the Great Houses or Houses Major, including the Atreides and Harkonnens.

Eventually, the Houses band together to stifle House Corrino’s power and create CHOAM, a directorship controlling the empire’s currency. CHOAM has immense power because they manage all the money like a universal bank, essentially controlling the whole Imperium’s economy.

The Spacing Guild is an organization with a monopoly on space travel. Therefore, the Guild holds extreme influence. Their pilots, called Navigators, are mutated through their constant use of spice, which allows them to navigate instantaneous space flight successfully.

The Bene Gesserit is an all-female organization that attempts to further humanity’s progress and stability through subtle influences. All members (called sisters) have inhuman physical and mental abilities, allowing them to excel without thinking machines. The main elements of Bene Gesserit’s plan include an extensive breeding program and political manipulation.

Mentats are formed after the Butlerian Jihad as a replacement for machines. Essentially a group of human computers, they are trained to calculate complex equations. They frequently become political advisors to influential leaders since they can see connections between seemingly random events, which normal humans cannot.

The Bene Tleilax are a mutated race without morals. They specialize in producing genetically modified creatures out of tanks and trafficking body parts such as artificially-created eyes. With a tiny portion of one’s DNA, such as hair, the Tleilax can grow a new copy of the human and alter whatever features they desire. All other societies universally despise the Bene Tleilax because they constantly push the boundaries of how much genetic manipulation is acceptable.

Finally, the Ixians live on the planet Ix and specialize in creating the most advanced technology. Not much is known about them as they are very secretive. Ixians are inferred to worship their technology and secretly test the limits of the thinking machines they can create, even after the Butlerian Jihad.

SPOILER WARNING : DON’T READ PAST HERE IF YOU PLAN ON READING DUNE

The Rise of The Atreides

At this point is where the events of Dune take place. The Atreides are one of the most powerful Great Houses of the Imperium. The 81st Emperor of the House Corrino is ruling and fears that the Atreides will become powerful enough to overthrow House Corrino. The Emperor and House Harkonnen formed a secret alliance to destroy House Atreides.

Duke Leto Atreides is ordered to move the House’s operations to a desert planet called Arrakis. Upon arriving at the unfamiliar world, Duke Leto is betrayed as Corrino and Harkonnen forces attack and seem to annihilate House Atreides. The surviving members include the Duke’s concubine Jessica and teenage son Paul. The two are forced to flee into the desert, taking refuge with the native population called the Fremen.

Paul gains the Fremen’s confidence and leads them on humanity’s second jihad, intending to destroy all oppressive Houses. Paul and the Fremen reconquer Arrakis, leaving him in control of the spice. Since the drug is all-powerful and necessary to the Imperium, Paul quickly disposes of the Emperor and names himself the supreme ruler. His jihad goes on to conquer all of the known universe.

However, the cult built around Paul slows down as the other societies (House Corrino, Spacing Guild, Bene Gesserit, and Bene Tleilax) plot to dethrone Paul. His twin children, Leto II and Ghanima, are born into power.

The Reign and Fall of the God Emperor

At this point, humankind has had two weaknesses; being ruled by a single power and reliance on melange, or “spice.” Through visions of the future, Paul’s son Leto II sees that humankind will go extinct if something radical does not happen to change these factors.

Leto II merges with Arrakeen sandworm larvae to have a morphing sandworm exoskeleton. He is known as the God Emperor by his followers and “The Worm” by those who despise him. The sandworm body prolonged life, and Leto II ruled for 3,500 years.

The God Emperor controls with a tyrant’s fist. He kills all sandworms, allows only minimal use of spice, prohibits almost all space travel, and creates a religion with him as the god. His rule resembles an extreme dictatorship. Population drops significantly, and connections between worlds are cut off.

However, these things are necessary to fulfill Leto’s “Golden Path” to solve humanity’s previously explained weaknesses. During the multiple millennia of oppression, need for freedom and flight among all people builds up. After Leto II’s rule, no society will ever want to be controlled again. Also, no one relied on spice anymore since the God Emperor denied its use for 3,500 years.

When the time is right, Leto II plans his assassination, knowing that after he dies, there will be an explosion in repressed human creation. This is the “Golden Path” that Leto saw humanity needed to avoid extinction.

The Scattering and The Return

After Leto II died, each planet was cut off from its neighbors. An ensuing famine and “Dark Times” followed. Humanity had relied on the God Emperor for thousands of years, but now he was gone.

The chaos caused millions of people to risk uncharted space, expanding humanity’s reach. This final step in the “Golden Path” brought Leto II’s goal to fruition. The departure comes to be called “The Scattering” and saves humanity from extinction, as humans rely on nothing but themselves now (no ruler and no spice). Power is balanced between the Bene Gesserit, Bene Tleilax, and the Ixians, as there are no more organized Great Houses.

However, the balance is destroyed many years later by a sudden and massive influx of people returning from The Scattering. They seem desperate to escape an unknown enemy. The Bene Gesserit are forced to wage war with the Honored Matres, an opposing sisterhood created in the Scattering. Coming close to mutual destruction, the two sisterhoods are forced to combine power to prepare to fight this unseen enemy that chased humanity back from the Scattering.

(If you want a more in-depth timeline with hundreds of specific events, click here)

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