Dune against. Star Wars: 14 Similarities Between The Two Franchises You Never Knew

Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet’s brand new entry âDuneâ is just as intriguing and ambiguous as the quicksand of a desert. However, fans couldn’t help but notice the parallels between the Dune movie and the legendary Star Wars franchise. Here are 14 similarities that you may or may not have noticed:
14. The setting: The two fictions take place on distant and unknown planets in a sci-fi context. But while the âStar Warsâ franchise follows a story set in the past, in a galaxy light years away, âDuneâ has a more futuristic feel.
13. The Stellar Scope: True to their character as space operas, both stories are primarily on a cosmic scale. However, while âStar Warsâ covers the endless expanse of the entire galaxy, âDuneâ remains focused on a handful of planets, particularly on the battlefield planet Arrakis.
12. Sandworms and Krayt Dragons: “Star Wars” is full of special alien characters and the sandworms from the movie “Dune” are similar. These beast-like reptiles are native to Tatooine. They are widely feared by the Jawas and even the mighty Tusken Raiders.
11. Droids and thinking machines
10. Hyperspace and Aliasing: In Star Wars, the automation of spaceships allows them to reach the speed of light and hollow out hyperspace. In “Dune”, this process is called “space folding”, which is achieved through the use of guild browsers.
9. Lightsabers and Cryo Knives: Just as lightsabers were the signature weapon of the Jedi, “Dune” uses cryo knives. Star Wars lightsabers are made from Force-sensitive kyber crystals, cryo knives are made from dead sand worm teeth.
8. The Stormtroopers and Sardaukar: The Stormtroopers, the paramilitary force, are generally the dominant part of “Star Wars” imagery. On a related note, âDuneâ also features a strong point of the name Sardaukar, who fanatically serves the Corrino Empire.
7. Emperor Palpatine and Emperor Shaddam IV: Darth Vader and the Harkonnen seem to be the main antagonists of their respective tales; they are not. But both have a dark and largely mysterious master watching over them.
6. The Jedi and the Fremen: While the Jedi were the guardians of the galaxy, the Fremen fell victim to the crass imperialism of the Harkonnen. The Fremen then finally opposed the invaders. However, much like Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Fremen supported the desert planet Arrakis, until the protagonist called them to action.
5. The Skywalkers and House Atreides: Star wars revolved around the Skywalkers and their struggle against the Sith. Likewise, the plot of Dune follows House Atreides in their fight against the Harkonnens.
4. The Strength and the Spice: Both stories describe a religious, cult-like culture centered around a particular source of energy. In Dune, the spice blend is that energy. The spice gives its user the almost metaphysical ability to see multiple futures.
3. Anakin and Paul: Although Paul and Luke, the protagonists, share many similarities, Luke’s father, Anakin, is also part of the mix. Paul’s heroic stature is very similar to that of Luke. Paul’s eternal mission is to spread peace and harmony while maintaining control of the Empire. This has extremely dangerous consequences. These desires and consequences bind him to Anakin.
2. Baron Harkonnen and Darth Vader: The antagonists of the individual stories make them precise and enjoyable epics. Darth Vader has a half-human-half-human robotic body that helps him breathe; Baron relies on “anti-gravity” suppressors. The two villains are infamous for their penchant for genocide, among other acts of ruthless brutality.
1. The Chosen One and Mahdi: The Star Wars prequels tell the story of Anakin Skywalker. He is “the chosen one”. Likewise, the Fremen company indoctrinates Paul. They believe he is the Mahdi, or, in layman’s terms, “The One who will lead us to Heaven”.
Are there any other similarities we haven’t noticed? Share it with other fans and wow them too!