What Powers Does Desmond Hart Have on DUNE: PROPHECY?

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As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for epic narratives like Dune, I can’t help but be intrigued by the enigma that is Desmond Hart in Dune: Prophecy. This guy isn’t just your run-of-the-mill soldier; he’s a survivor of Arrakis’ deadliest missions and a man who cheated death by being eaten by a sandworm. Now, that’s a story I’d pay good credits for in any space MMO!

On the desert planet Arrakis, it’s foretold that the Kwisatz Haderach will surpass any Bene Gesserit member who spent millennia crafting him. However, as depicted in “Dune: Prophecy”, ten thousand years prior to Paul Atreides’ rise, another man posed a grave threat to the Sisterhood. Why is Desmond Hart, an Imperium soldier and self-declared adversary of the witches, so menacing? His formidable power stems from the most valuable creature in the cosmos. And not even Valya Harkonnen can fully predict what he’s now capable of.

How Did Desmond Hart Gain His “Great Power” on Dune: Prophecy?

Desmond Hart was clearly an outstanding, special soldier even before his life-altering event on Arrakis. He survived a dozen missions to the deadly planet “when few last more than one.” But his last visit definitely should have killed him. After a surprise attack (secretly engineered by the Sisterhood to weaken the Emperor) Desmond found himself standing alone in the desert waiting for death at the hands of an arriving sandworm. As the Emperor saw on security footage, Shai-Hulud did eat Desmond. Yet, somehow, it didn’t kill him. Hart survived and emerged from the sand “reborn.”

In a transformation that could be literal or figurative, this individual received something far beyond a fresh outlook or life goal. It bestowed upon him an overwhelming, terrifying “great power.” In the opening scene of Dune: Prophecy, he employed his mind to incinerate young Pruwet Richese internally. Remarkably, he also annihilated Mother Kasha concurrently, despite her being situated halfway across the galaxy on a distinct planet.

In what manner could Desmond Hart employ telekinesis? It’s not an entirely novel ability across the cosmos. The Rossack Sorceresses, who were the forerunners of Raquella Berto-Anirul’s Sisterhood, possessed telekinetic abilities. However, Desmond Hart’s remarkable escape from a sandworm’s digestive system suggests that his own powers might hold crucial insights into their use.

What Did the Sandworm Do to Desmond Hart on Dune: Prophecy?

Sandworm secretions are responsible for the creation of spice melange, which can greatly enhance human abilities. Spice can extend life, grant psychotropic abilities, give some prescience, and the ability to see across time. Being inside a sandworm might have been equivalent to ingesting a lifetime (or more) of spice in a single moment, unlocking previously unimagined powers with Desmond Hart.

Young sandworms produce a substance known as the “Water of Life.” This liquid is typically lethal, but if consumed and transformed within one’s body, it becomes a powerful narcotic that grants an expanded level of consciousness. The Water of Life is significant in the Bene Gesserit order because it allows Reverend Mothers to tap into the collective memories of their predecessors. For instance, Lady Jessica and her son Paul, the first man to drink it, were transformed in “Dune.” This transformation unleashed their full potential, making Paul the Kwisatz Haderach.

Desmond Hart isn’t Muad’dib, but he has mental abilities similar to Paul Atreides, which makes him potentially harmful to the Sisterhood. These talents set him apart.

What Other Powers Does Desmond Hart Have on Dune: Prophecy?

In the second episode of “Dune: Prophecy”, Valya Harkonnen travelled to Salusa Secundus with the aim of securing a royal alliance between House Corrino and House Richese. However, instead she encountered an individual who had proven to be a significant obstacle in her life’s endeavors for the first and only time. When this proficient Truthsayer questioned Desmond Hart, Valya realized that he possessed some resistance to her powers.

At the end of the episode, what he did surpassed anything that had come before. After Desmond successfully persuaded the Emperor to exclude the Sisterhood from the royal palace, Valya employed her power of Voice, attempting to make Desmond take his own life as she had done with her sister Dorotea years ago. However, the plan backfired. Desmond resisted the Voice and even mocked Valya by making her believe that it was working, only to resist in the end.

Desmond Hart, the individual who miraculously lived through Shai-Hulud’s attempt to consume him, now possesses a unique ability to take lives with his thoughts. This newfound talent also grants him resistance against the Sisterhood’s most potent power. Furthermore, he harbors intense disdain towards Valya Harkonnen and her faction’s objectives.

It’s clear that Desmond Hart will not prevent the Sisterhood from growing stronger. Over ten millennia, this mysterious organization, known as the Bene Gesserit, will strive tirelessly to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. However, their mission is doomed to fail. Paul Atreides won’t guide humanity towards a brighter future; instead, he’ll lead them towards ruin and devastation. Could Desmond Hart’s influence or the Sisterhood’s reaction to it set the Sisterhood on a course for ultimate defeat? Might his powers, in some way, contribute to their eventual failure?

Maybe Desmond already knows. He might have even more powers than we realize.

Note from the Editor: The movie “Dune: Prophecy” is brought to you by Legendary Entertainment, which is also the parent company of TopMob, part of the Legendary Digital Networks family.

Mikey Walsh serves as a staff writer for TopMob, part of #TeamDesmondHart. He can be found on Bluesky under the handle @burgermike. Additionally, he’s often recognized when people are listing the Targaryen kings’ rankings.

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2024-11-25 06:33