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| “ | The Duke is becoming more popular in the Lansraad. He could threaten me. | „ |
| ~ Shaddam IV (Dune, 1984) |
| “ | Deal with this prophet. Send assassins. | „ |
| ~ Shaddam IV (Dune: Part Two, 2024) |
| “ | Do you know why I killed him? Because he was a man who believed in the rules of the heart. But the heart is not meant to rule. In other words...your father was a weak man. | „ |
| ~ Shaddam IV revealing the real reason he killed Paul's father (Dune: Part Two, 2024) |
Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV is the overarching antagonist of the Dune franchise. He was the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe who ruled in the years prior to the Fremen uprising on Arrakis and the rise of Paul Atreides.
It soon transpired that he grew fearful and jealous of Duke Leto Atreides for his popularity amongst the other members of the great houses of the Lansraad, and so he conspired with the Harkonnens to destroy House Atreides.
He was portrayed by the late José Ferrer - who also portrayed Ben Haramed in The Little Drummed Boy and Dr. Marshall Cahill in Columbo - in the 1984 film and by Giancarlo Giannini - who also portrayed Rinaldo Pazzi in the 2001 film Hannibal - in the 2000 Sci-Fi Channel (now SyFy) miniseries. In the 2024 film Dune: Part Two, he was portrayed by Christopher Walken, who also played Max Zorin in A View to a Kill, Bradford Whitewood Sr. in At Close Range, Frank White in King of New York, Max Shreck in Batman Returns, Vincenzo Coccotti in True Romance, Gabriel in The Prophecy series, Mr. Smith in Nick of Time, Hickey in Last Man Standing, Colonel Cutter in Antz, the Headless Horseman in Sleepy Hollow, Reed Thimple in The Country Bears, Salvatore Maggio in Kangaroo Jack, Cornelius Hatcher in The Rundown, Master Feng in Balls of Fury and King Louie in the 2016 The Jungle Book live-action remake.
Personality[]
Shaddam Corrino was a grandiose and regal ruler with a ruthless streak. He obtained the throne by poisoning his own father with the help of Hasimir Fenrig, and this combined with the interference of the Bene Gesserit and the lack of legitimate sons produced by his wife to ensure the future of his house likely led to his increased paranoia of his own position.
Shaddam was fearful towards those who he believed were threats to him. After hearing of the possibility Duke Leto's fighting men training a force of fighting men that could one day match the Emperor's Sardaukar, he conspired with Baron Vladimir Harkonnen to eliminate House Atreides.
Biography[]
Emperor Shaddam IV. - Character artwork by turkish artist and illustrator Korkut Oeztekin.
Shaddam felt threatened by his cousin, Duke Leto Atreides, who led the House of Atreides on Caladan. A just and honorable man, Leto was loved by his people and was popular amongst the other great houses of the Landsraad, which was the council composed of the leaders of the great houses. Under the tutelage of Thufir Hawat, Gurney Halleck, and Duncan Idaho, an Atreides army was formed to rival the Sardaukar. Additionally, the Spacing Guild was very nervous about Paul Atreides and (in the 1984 film) sent the Guild Navigator Edric to Shaddam to tell him the guild wanted Paul killed, feeling that he was a threat to spice production.
In the year 10,191 A.G. (23,352 A.D.), the Emperor pressured Leto to give up his fiefdom on Caladan and take over spice mining and operations on Arrakis, a harsh desert world that was the only known source of spice. Conspiring with House Harkonnen, the traditional rivals of the Atreides, the Emperor had his Sardaukar troops assist in a Harkonnen attack on Arrakis, which resulted in the death of Leto and the near destruction of the Atreides army.
What neither the Emperor nor his one-time partner Baron Vladimir Harkonnen counted on was Leto's concubine, Jessica, or their son Paul escaping and joining with the Fremen natives of Arrakis. Under Paul's leadership, the Fremen staged an uprising that all but stopped spice production on Arrakis.
Outraged by the situation, the Guild traveled to Kaitain and demanded the Emperor restore spice production. The Emperor ordered 50 legions of troops to go to Arrakis with the intent of committing genocide—the systematic and total destruction of all life on Arrakis. In the conflict that followed, the Sardaukar proved to be no match for the Fremen. Baron Harkonnen died at the hands of Leto's daughter Alia, and the Emperor and his daughter Irulan were taken prisoner by the Fremen.
After defeating Feyd-Rautha in their duel, Paul explained to the Emperor that he would take Irulan as his wife claimed the Emperor's throne for himself. In the end, all his power was taken from him, and so Shaddam IV spent the rest of his days in exile on Corrino's prison planet, Salusa Secundus.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Despite holding the title of "Emperor of the Known Universe," thus technically being the bigger bad compared to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, he doesn't have as large of a role as the latter.
- In the unproduced film adaptation directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, Shaddam IV was originally set to be portrayed by the legendary Spanish artist, Salvador Dalí, who accepted the role after Jodorowsky agreed to pay a large sum of money in spite of Shaddam IV's lack of screen time in the film.
External Link[]
- Shaddam Corrino IV on the Dune Wiki
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 Villains
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House Harkonnen House Corrino House Atreides Honored Matres Others | ||