Dune and Its Debt to the Concept of the “Savior”

Subject Areas : Main Subject

Received: 2025-06-04 Accepted : 2025-06-23 Published : 2025-07-13

Keywords: Dune, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Savior, Distortion.,

Abstract :

Dune is a landmark work in the science fiction genre, narrating the struggles among noble houses across unknown galaxies as they battle for power and survival. The film’s complex storytelling, deep symbolism, and incorporation of diverse cultural and religious elements create fertile ground for various interpretations ـ especially regarding religious parallels and distortions. Focusing on apocalyptic themes and the role of religion in shaping future societies, Dune raises significant questions about faith, power, and the future of humanity through the lens of the “savior” figure. This article explores how Dune reflects and reframes elements of the three major monotheistic religions ـ Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ـ through mirroring, fantasy, and adapted terminology. The study reveals that the film refracts certain spiritual and moral dimensions of these faiths into narratives of political ambition and power-seeking. It attempts to shift the religious concept of the “savior” away from justice and spirituality toward a willful, self-serving pragmatism. In doing so, Dune intertwines religious motifs with worldly ambition, suggesting an intentional desacralization of core religious concepts.

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