Leto Atreides I/Featured

Duke Leto Atreides I (born 10,140, died 10,191) was the ruler of House Atreides, the father of Emperor Paul Atreides, and the grandfather of God-Emperor Leto Atreides II. He was also known as Leto the Just, due to his even-handed and compassionate leadership style.

Early Years
Born on Caladan to Duke Paulus Atreides and Lady Helena Atreides (nee Richese), Leto claimed Atreides, Richese and Corrino heritage: the former through his father, and the latter two through his mother. After a formal education on Ix, Leto returned to Caladan. He became Duke when his father was killed by a drugged Salusan bull during a bull-fighting event. Leto later discovered his mother's involvement in the incident and exiled her as punishment.

Life as Duke
After a failed relationship with the concubine Kailea Vernius, who bore Leto a son named Victor, Leto entered into a lasting relationship with a Bene Gesserit acolyte named Jessica who, after entering into the Atreides household, was bestowed the title of Lady. Jessica's instructions from the Bene Gesserit were to bear a daughter, so that when she reached maturity she would mate with the Harkonnen heir. The purpose of this was twofold, one reason obvious, the other, known only to the Bene Gesserit: to end the feud between the two Great Houses, and to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. Unfortunately for the Bene Gesserit, Jessica fell in love with Leto, and succumbed to his wishes to sire a son, Paul. Unfortunately for Leto, however, the same characteristics for which Jessica fell in love, would ultimately prove to be a liability.

Despite falling in love with Jessica himself, and despite the fact that she did indeed bear him his beloved son, Leto never married Jessica. However, his refusal to marry Jessica was not out of snobbery; Leto's refusal to marry was driven by his astute political insticts. Leto had developed a reputation among the other Great Houses and had become very popular in the Landsraad. While he remained single he ensured that House Atreides was open to political alliance with those other Houses. Given the intense hatred that existed between House Atreides and the House Harkonnen, to remain open and seem agreeable to alliance was considered a significant tactical advantage, as it enabled Leto to hedge his bets. This political acumen, while it won him many fans in the Imperium, also inspired the jealousy of the Emperor. He was deemed a threat by Shaddam Corrino IV, who decided to use the long established animosity between House Harkonnen and House Atreides to dispose of this troublesome Duke, and of House Atreides altogether.

Migration to Arrakis
"Here I am, here I remain!"

After almost two decades of rule on Caladan with the Lady Jessica, Leto was ordered by the Emperor to take over the planetary fief of Arrakis from House Harkonnen, and thus was required to move his House from Caladan to 'Dune'. Arrakis was a notoriously difficult planet to manage, but as the only source of the spice melange, it was also unimaginably important. Thus the role brought both jeopardy and the jealousy of Leto's fellow noblemen among the Great Houses. Thus, Leto leapt at the chance to increase his standing in the Landsraad, even though he knew it would also put his House in great peril. Leto committed all his resources to the venture, and it was said that to illustrate this point to his people and the people of Arrakis, that upon his arrival he planted a flag upon the battlements at Arrakeen and proclaimed: "Here I am, here I remain!"

Leto's resolve was strengthened by a letter the Emperor had sent him upon his Arrival on Arrakis. Addressed to his "Noble Duke", the letter outlined that Leto was given House Corrino's full support to introduce and uphold the rule of the Faufreluches. This letter served to illustrate Corrino duplicity, for at the same time, Shaddam IV was plotting Leto's demise.

During consolidation of his rule over Arrakis, Leto made a quick and positive impact on the people of Dune. His fairhandedness, political savvy, and personal charisma saw many in Arrakeen society, from the Fremen to the arisocratic Houses Minor, become supporters. However, only a short while into Leto's rule on Dune, the Emperor gave Baron Vladimir Harkonnen approval to invade and destroy House Atreides, even going so far as to provide some of his own Sardaukar in support. The Emperor's urgency in disposing of House Atreides was amplified by the fact that he had come to know that the Duke Leto had managed to develop a small force of soliders capable of rivalling the Emperor's Sardaukar. This had been accomplished through Leto's principal advisors and generals, namely Thufir Hawat, Duncan Idaho, and Gurney Halleck.

Death
During the invasion Leto was betrayed by his private Suk Doctor, Wellington Yueh, and turned over to the Harkonnens. Though Yueh had given Leto the chance to kill the Baron Harkonnen using a poisoned tooth embedded in the Duke's mouth, the scheme failed. Consequently Leto died during the assassination attempt, but the Baron Harkonnen survived.

Some years later, Leto's remains were recovered by his son Paul in Arrakeen. Paul laid his father's remains to rest in the Skull Tomb in the desert of Arrakis. The late Duke's legacy was felt in Paul's reign as Emperor, and also in the conception of a daughter Alia, carried by Jessica but only discovered after Leto's death.

Legacy
In some ways, Leto lived on in his son Paul and grandson Leto II, through their possession of Other Memory. It was also partially Leto's love for Duncan Idaho that saw Leto II maintain a series of Idaho gholas throughout his reign. During both Paul's and Leto II's reign, millions flocked to visit Leto I's shrine, since Atreides ancestry had taken on a religious mystique. More than this however, Leto came to symbolise all that was good about the Atreides bloodline, namely courage, integrity, loyalty, justice, and honour. Because of this some have postulated that had Leto survived his rule of Arrakis, he would have eventually commanded the same fanaticism of the Fremen with which they came to follow his son Paul. Indeed, some have taken this argument further and postulated that his popularity with those he ruled, combined with his popularity in the Landsraad, may have seen him eventually ascend to the Golden Lion Throne. Thus, the positive strength of character and many talents Leto was generally regarded to possess, and the possibilities of what might have been, illustrates the inherent tragedy of his story.

Behind the Scenes
The upbringing of Leto Atreides is only glazed over in Frank Herbert's original Dune novels. Some details, such as the nature of his father's death, are alluded to, but many others are elaborated on solely in the prequel novels by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. The plotline of House Vernius and Victor Atreides was meant to add depth to Leto I, one of the most beloved and tragic characters in the Dune Universe. However, the plot point of Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson that Leto maintained concubines while in love with Jessica, is inconsistent with the honourable characteristics bestowed upon him by Frank Herbert. The history of the character provided by The Dune Encyclopedia, while considered non-canon, is more consistent with this portrayal, and does not contradict any of Frank Herbert's work.

Leto Atreides was portrayed by German actor Jurgen Prochnow in the 1984 film adaptation of Dune. In the 2000 Dune Miniseries, He was portrayed by actor William Hurt.