Glossu Rabban

Glossu Rabban
Paul L. Smith in Dune (1984)
Date of birth	10,132 A.G.
Date of death	10,193 A.G.
Parents	Abulurd Harkonnen II Emmi Rabban
Siblings	Feyd-Rautha
Relatives	Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (uncle)
Affiliation	House Harkonnen
First appearance	Dune: House Atreides
Final appearance	Dune
Portrayals
Portrayed by	Paul L. Smith (1984 film) László I. Kish (2000 series)
László I. Kish in the Dune miniseries (2000)

Glossu Rabban is a fictional character in the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. Rabban was played by Paul L. Smith in David Lynch's 1984 film Dune, and by László I. Kish in the 2000 Dune miniseries.

Dune

The Appendix IV: The Almanak of en-Ashraf (Selected Excepts of the Noble Houses) in Dune states:

COUNT GLOSSU RABBAN (10,132--10,193) Glossu Rabban, Count of Lankiveil, was the eldest nephew of Vladimir Harkonnen. Glossu Rabban and Feyd-Rautha Rabban (who took the name Harkonnen when chosen for the Siridar-Baron's household) were legal sons of the Siridar Baron's youngest demibrother, Abulurd. Abulurd renounced the Harkonnen name and all rights to the title when given the subdistrict governorship of Rabban-Lankiveil. Rabban was a distaff name.^[1]

In the novel, Glossu Rabban is the older nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He is as cruel and sadistic as his uncle, but lacks his intelligence. The Baron tasks Rabban to rule the planet Arrakis for a time in the most brutal way possible, so that when his favored nephew Feyd-Rautha takes over, Feyd will be welcomed as a hero by the populace. After the Baron seizes the planet back from Atreides control, Rabban tells his uncle that the Harkonnens have woefully underestimated both the numbers and threat of the Fremen population there. Known as "the Beast Rabban" on Arrakis for his aggression and cruelty, his Fremen nickname is "Mudir Nahya", which translates as "Demon Ruler" or "King Cobra". Rabban is killed by the Fremen and the people of Arakeen when Paul "Muad'Dib" Atreides retakes Arrakis using Fremen forces.

Prequels

The Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson establishes that Rabban kills Duncan Idaho's parents and Gurney Halleck's sister. He earns his nickname "Beast" when he strangles his own father.^[2]

Adaptations

Rabban was played by Paul L. Smith in David Lynch's 1984 film Dune, and by László I. Kish in the Dune miniseries (2000). In the 2000 miniseries, the character is killed in the same manner as in the novel. In the 1984 film version, Rabban is beheaded by the Sardaukar when the Emperor Shaddam decides to eliminate the population of the planet.

References

External links

• Glossu Rabban at the Internet Movie Database