The Butlerian Jihad is part of the core of the Dune series. For the first time, it has been brought onto the screen through HBO's prequel series, Dune: Prophecy. In the first episode "The Hidden Hand," it appears briefly, but flashbacks to this crucial event help set the tone for the series.
It looks into humanity's fight against the "thinking machines" and what happened afterward. This flashback sets roots in the techno-political ideologies that define the universe 10,000 years before the main events of Denis Villeneuve's Dune.
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Much more significantly than a nod to fans, the Butlerian Jihad flashback is a bridge to narratives about the rise of the Bene Gesserit, the origins of the Mentats, and the early conflicts that molded the power structures of the Great Houses.
Showrunner Alison Schapker says to Variety that this is a very important moment:
“It imagines a worst-case scenario where the artificial intelligence eventually subjugates people and requires a massive war that almost pushes people to the brink of extinction.”
Here's a closer look at the Butlerian Jihad as presented in Dune: Prophecy, with a likely follow-up discussion.
The Butlerian Jihad was about humanity vs. machines
The Butlerian Jihad, presented in Dune: Prophecy, is not the same as Frank Herbert's view of how humans hate artificial intelligence. On the contrary, it deals with Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's story of a great war between humans and smart machines.
It depicts a struggle that reminds one more of the Terminator movie, in which massive, intelligent constructs rule and humans strive to regain independence.
More visual contrasts occur between the series' first episode's scenes of towering, destructive machines and the more primitive post-war society that appears later. This story unfolds the ache of being superseded by machines, as well as the great cultural change that led to the ban of AI.
It's pointed out that the Jihad ended not only with AI being defeated but also with the creation of human computers, who were taught how to take over machine jobs requiring logic and precision.
Manion Butler is after whom the war is named. The first martyr connects the Corrino, Atreides, and Harkonnen families.
How does Dune: Prophecy expand the lore of the Butlerian Jihad?
The Jihad flashbacks are short but affect the story of Dune: Prophecy. People still fear AI a lot. At Princess Ynez Corrino's wedding, her young groom, a prince from House Richese, surprises everybody by showing a robotic toy—an illegal thinking machine.
This little act of resistance puts the royal visitors in a panic, and everyone remembers the deep cuts of cultural trauma. Desmond Hart, a soldier with a grudge against the Bene Gesserit, makes the decisive moves.
He starts by destroying the robot; then he tries to kill the young prince using fire that seems to be telepathic.
Valya and Tula Harkonnen are played by Emily Watson and Olivia Williams, who share views of society still affected by the Jihad.
To Variety, Williams said:
"If you look back at any war over land and power and family feuds, where does it start? It’s human nature in whatever generation, 10,000 or 20,000 years from now. Sadly, people don’t forget."
Will we see more of the Jihad on Dune: Prophecy?
The series mainly discusses the Bene Gesserit and their fighting for power. The Butlerian Jihad gives good chances for more stories. Flashbacks would explain more, but there is a higher chance of a different prequel for this important war.
As @TheJustintendo tweeted:
“The Butlerian Jihad? Dude I'm so ready for this.”
Alison Schapker intimated that there might be more discoveries as she noted in the same Variety interview that she has read the books and has always been fascinated not only by the magnitude of the Butlerian Jihad but also by the possibilities it could have on the narrative flow of Dune.
Dune: Prophecy is currently available on Max.
Memories of the Butlerian Jihad are in Episode 1, and new episodes are out every week.
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