Summary

• Atomics are the ultimate weapon on Dune, but strict rules limit their use against humans for fear of planetary obliteration.
• The reluctance to use atomics in the Atreides-Harkonnens conflict hints at ethical concerns and severe consequences for breaking the Great Convention.
• Atomics in Dune serve as a metaphor for contemporary nuclear anxiety, adding depth to the story's exploration of imperialism and self-destruction.

Dune: Part Two touches on the complex relationship between the Great Houses of the Landsraad and their most powerful weapons, yet the movie never really resolves why neither the Atreides nor Harkonnens use them on each other. One of the most crucial moments in the movie comes with Gurney Halleck's revelation that he knows where the Atreides' atomics are kept. But, despite having access to this firepower, Paul is reluctant to engage in a direct attack with his new arsenal. Thanks to the original Dune novel, there is a good explanation behind this apparent discrepancy in the story.

The technology of Dune is one of the most interesting aspects of Frank Herbert's original book series. Despite being set in the future, much of the gadgetry is simultaneously highly advanced and surprisingly retrograde – owing to the complete lack of computers following the historic Butlerian Jihad. This means that many weapons, such as swords and crysknives, seem more feudal than futuristic. Atomics are no exception, being the novel's name for nuclear weapons, and bringing a distinctly 20th-century feel to the story. It's this connection that offers a partial explanation as to why the Atreides and Harkonnens are so reluctant to use them.

Atomics Are The Most Powerful Weapons In Dune

Frank Herbert's Dune novels explain that atomics are a weapon of last resort available to all of the Great Houses. ed down as heirlooms (as explained in Dune: Part Two), the weapons are so powerful that they have the potential to completely destroy entire planets. In Dune Messiah, for instance, Paul explains that "any Family in my Empire could so deploy its atomics as to destroy the planetary bases of fifty or more other Families." This highlights the deadly destructive potential of the weaponry.

The impact of using atomics is also explored in Dune: Part Two. Paul Atreides' visions, which mainly focus on the consequences of his holy war, also provide a glimpse into what could happen if he used the atomics to attack the Harkonnens. It is suggested that Paul's reticence around using the weapons is more to do with keeping Chani alive than any other ethical considerations. This, however, does not explain why the Harkonnens are unwilling to use their atomics on the Fremen, or provide a full picture of Paul's thought process behind not using his own weapons to attack the Harkonnens.

Why Atomics Are So Frowned Upon In Dune

Because atomics are so potentially devastating, the world of Dune has very clear restrictions on their use. Following the war against the thinking machines in the Butlerian Jihad, the so-called "Great Convention" was adopted, banning the use of atomics against human beings. As a result, there is an explicit embargo on both the Atreides and Harkonnens using atomic weapons on each other.

The consequences for either side disobeying the Great Convention are incredibly severe. In the original Dune novel, Paul explains: "The language of the Great Convention is clear enough: Use of atomics against humans shall be cause for planetary obliteration." This means that, even though he has access to his family's arsenal, if Paul were to use the weapons against the Harkonnens, Arrakis itself would likely be destroyed by the other Great Houses. Although the Harkonnen and Atreides war is an extremely violent conflict, this does not justify the use of the two Houses' most powerful weapons.

When Atomics Are Used In Dune

Although it is forbidden for the Harkonnens and Atreides to use their atomics on each other, the weapons are still used throughout the franchise. The most notable example in Dune: Part Two comes during the attack on Arrakeen, where Paul uses his atomics to blast a hole in the mountain range that protects the city. This allows the Fremen to attack the assembled Harkonnen and Sardaukar forces, riding on the backs of the giant sandworms that previously had been unable to penetrate the city. Because Paul did not use the weapons directly on fellow humans, he was able to circumvent the Convention and carry out his plan.

While the exact nature of Denis Villeneuve's proposed Dune 3 adaptation is unknown, it is likely that the movie will feature a second example of atomic usage in the series. However, unlike Paul's Arrakeen plan, this will involve a direct attack on humans – potentially breaking the Great Convention. In Dune Messiah, Paul is nearly assassinated by a stone burner – a type of small atomic device that renders anyone who survives its blast blind.

Stone burners are a controversial topic in Dune, since some characters believe that they do break the Great Convention. They are also potentially devastating, having the capacity to melt through to a planet's core if configured incorrectly. However, since they are categorized as conventional weapons that only use an atomic fuel source, they are generally regarded to be within the law, and therefore not warrant retaliation from the other Houses. Considering the key role this nuance plays in Dune Messiah, Dune 3 will almost certainly have to explore atomics in even greater detail.

Atomics Are An Important Dune Metaphor

The role of atomics is not just a key part of Dune's narrative. The weapons also help tie Dune to the contemporary nuclear anxiety that dominated public consciousness when Herbert was writing his original book. Written in 1965, Dune comes from a historical context dominated by major events like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the escalating arms race. It is therefore understandable that Herbert would be somewhat preoccupied with these concerns when he was coming up with his story.

Just as in real life, the Great Houses' nuclear arsenals help create a paranoid atmosphere of mutually assured destruction. As a result, the inclusion of atomics allows the novel (and subsequent Dune movies) to serve as a metaphor for the Cold War – as well as exploring ideas of imperialism, prophecy, and religion. The backdrop of banned atomics not only makes the world more relatable, but also helps the story make a wider point about humanity's potential for self-destruction. Given that this is an increasingly pertinent theme as the novels progress, it's clear that there's more to atomics than the brief glimpse seen in Dune: Part Two.