The devious Harkonenns rank among the most powerful of Dune's various factions. Their epic feud with House Atreides serves as the background for much of the drama of Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), as their brutal attack on the forces of Duke Leto Atreides forces the young Paul Atreides to confront his destiny among the Fremen of Arrakis. However, as Denis Villeneuve's second installment makes clear, Houses Atreides and Harkonnen may have more in common than they think.