Following the recent epic chapter in the war for Arrakis supremacy, a new piece of Dune fan art showcases the various styles of the houses vying for power over the planet. Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking and influential sci-fi novel has served as both an inspiration to many other creatives’ worlds, as well as multiple adaptations of the tales he wrote for the big screen. The latest adaptations of Dune have been brought to life by Denis Villeneuve, with the second half of his adaptation of the original novel, Dune Part Two, becoming one of 2024’s most successful movies.

As viewers prepare to revisit Arakkis in Dune: Prophecy, artist D I O on X has brought together elements from multiple adaptions of Dune to reimagine the key players of the first novel’s conflicts.

In the artwork above, the artist has gathered the key members of each of the Great Houses in individual pieces focused solely on each faction at a time, showing their shared styles. D I O’s designs are an amalgamation of many depictions of the characters, not only sourcing inspiration from Villeneuve’s movies, but taking inspiration from David Lynch’s adaptation, notably Sting’s take on Feyd.

What Is The Difference Between Dune 1984 and Dune 2021’s Costuming?

Designed by Batman 1989 costume designer Bob Ringwood, Lynch’s 1984 Dune adaptation’s costumes were quickly developed ahead of every shoot, taking car hoses, body bags, and other assorted pieces to bring Herbert’s world to life. Having to contend with studio oversight and requests left the costume department having to adjust mere hours before a scene was filmed, which, while stressful, did lead to many now infamously iconic outfit choices, such as Feyd’s winged underwear. Despite the undertaking, great care was taken in creating a distinct aesthetic for each faction, from the Harkonnen’s industrialized outfits, to the tribal-inspired still suits.

In contrast, Villeneuve’s Dune was meticulously planned by designers Jacqueline West and Bob Morgan’s costumes were designed over a lengthy multi-year period ahead of cameras rolling among roughly 200 artists within the expansive confines of the director’s vision. Wanting to bring the mythical, almost medieval tones of Herbert’s world to screen, the designers looked back on medieval and Greek garb to craft each house’s style in a way that reflected their environment too. Each Dune costume was specifically envisioned to reflect their wearer’s life at the time, be they chained to duty or fighting to survive.

Despite their different creations, the designs behind Dune‘s many adaptations have not been short of creativity, be it due to hasty development or years of planning and consideration. For better and worse, Herbert’s franchise has created some of sci-fi’s most distinct outfits yet. As such, D I O’s artwork is a wonderful celebration of each Dune adaptation’s distinct styles, and it will be interesting to see if they continue to dive into this world as Villeneuve’s franchise continues to build.

Dune and Dune: Part Two are available to stream on Max.

Source: D I O/Twitter