Leto Atreides I/XD

Leto Atreides I aka Leto the Just (10140 AG - 10191 AG), born in planet Caladan, only son of the Old Duke Paulus Atreides and Lady Helena (born Richese). Therefore, he claimed Atreides heritage from his father, and Richese and Corrino through his mother.

With his first concubine, Kailea Vernius, he was father of Victor Atreides, deceased at 6 years old.

With his Bene Gesserit concubine, Lady Jessica, he was father of Emperor Paul Atreides and Regent Alia. Grandfather of Leto Atreides II, the God-Emperor, and Ghanima.

Twentieth Duke of House Atreides and ruler of Caladan. He was well known because his even-handed and compassionate leadership style.

Early Years
Paulus educated Leto with methods which Helena disagreed; he made him worked with villagers (had spent a month working in the pundi rice fields) and socialized with citizens and commoners.

When he was 14 years old he was sent for a formal education on Ix, where he became friend of Rhombur and Kailea, sons of the reigning House Vernius. There he underwent hours of high-tech physical and mental training, with added time for tours to the technological facilities and instruction in business philosophy. To complete his physical training, every third morning, the friends worked out on the automated training floor under master Zhaz.

It was the growing astuteness of Leto that caused him to observe the growing discontent of the lowest class of Ixian workers, the suboids. Leto observed while walking incognito amongst them, their growing discontent with Ixian flirtations with producing robotic items which might break the law on Thinking Machines. This malcontent boiled over when the suboids were prompted into revolution during the Tleilaxu invasion of Ix at the start of Project Amal. Leto, Kailea, and Rhombur, almost losing their lives, managed to escape from the planet.

Short time after, Leto became Duke when his father was killed by a Salusan bull during a bull-fighting event.

The First Years
Leto was known for his steady hand, and for always speaking his mind when it came to the truth. Despite being in office for only a short time, Leto insisted on testifying on behalf of House Vernius in front of the Landsraad. His staunch defense of the deposed House, caught the attention of many noblemen, who were intrigued by the young man's honesty.

On the return trip home to Caladan from Kaitain, Leto was caught in a Harkonnen ambush. They used their a new secret technological device, a no-ship, to destroy a Tleilaxu vessel inside the Guild Heighliner, making it appear that the Atreides vessel had done the deed. Once accused, Leto protesting his innocence, and demanded a Trial by Forfeiture in front of the Landsraad.

Leto traveled to Kaitain again to face his Tleilaxu accusers in front of the entire Imperium. Unbeknownst to him, the Bene Gesserit had delivered to then Crown Prince Shaddam Corrino IV a forged note supoposedly from Leto himself. In that note Leto appears to have knowledge of House Corrino's Project Amal. Actuality, Leto knew nothing, nor the Shaddam's growing fear of the Leto "spilling the beans".

As Leto faced the entire congress of nobility, watching with fear as the Lansraad was just about to pronounce judgment against him. The Crown Prince strode to the podium and announced to the entire assemblage that he wanted to start his reign with the "noble House Ateides" intact, and that Leto's reputation was impeccable. Shaddam gave his personal knife, what has come to be known as the Emperor's Blade, as a gift to Leto, and encouraged the Landsraad to confirm Leto's innocence, which they did, much to the dismay of the Tleilaxu and Harkonnen.

Return to Caladan
Leto returned to Caladan, exonerated and innocent, but with Kailea and Rhombus Vernius still exiled and dishonored. Leto felt pity for the beautiful Kailea, and decided gave her, his sincere desire to have children falling in love with her. After a year, she conceived a child, Victor Atreides. Leto loved Victor as any father would, but due to the disadvantage that House Vernius was in Empire-wide, refused to make him his ducal heir.

Over the years this situation caused bitterness to Kailea, and letting herself manipulate by her Lady-in-waiting Chiara, began plotting against Leto. She believed that if Leto died, then House Atreides could be claimed by Victor, with herself as Regent. Kailea and Chiara arranged to obtain a bomb and planted it aboard the skyclipper airship that Leto would use to peruse and visit the planet's Western Continent. As results of the explosion, Victor was killed, Rhombur horribly maimed, and Leto survived relatively unscathed.

Kailea, after she realized that Chiara was a Harkonnen spy, killed her and committed suicide by jumping off the balcony of Castle Caladan.

Marriages and family
After the failed relationship with Kailea, Leto entered into a lasting relationship with a Bene Gesserit acolyte named Jessica. After entering into the Atreides household, she was bestowed with the title of Lady. Jessica's instructions from the Bene Gesserit were to bear a daughter, so when she reached maturity, 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. Despite falling in love with Jessica himself, Leto never married Jessica. His refusal to marry Jessica was driven by his astute political insticts; he 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.

War of Assassins
Until Paul was twelve, the shadow of hatred grew between House Moritani and House Ecaz. Leto saw this as an opportunity of an alliance and decided to marry Archuduke Armand Ecaz's daughter, Ilesa Ecaz, as a way of furthering himself in the Imperial congress. Tensions rose between Jessica and Leto, especially when Paul accompanied him to the Ecaz homeworld to the betrothal ceremony of Leto and Ilesa.

Caladan was excited about the prospect of the Duke marrying. Cala City was decked out in full display, as nobility from off-world arrived for the ceremony. As Ilesa was being presented down the aisle by her father, the Archduke, hexagonal and sharp flying daggers self-activated. Leto emerged unscathed from the vicious attack; but Ilesa and her personal bodyguard, Rivvy Dinari, lost their lives. The attack was carried out by Hundro Moritani, leader of House Moritani, self-exiled on planet Grumman; this event started the War of Assassins of 10,187 AG.

Truly grieved by Ilesa's death, Leto was even more dedicated to defeating House Moritani, and pledged the full might of the Atreides family against the Moritani. As Leto with Armand Ecaz re-inforcements attacked Grumman, it seemed evident that Ritka, the planet capital, would soon fall. The Emperor Shaddam himself, acting as "peacemaker", arrived with Sardaukar troops in tow to end the War and enforce the cease-fire. Rabban Harkonnen was there too, as incognito member of his House.

Hundro announced to the entire delegation that House Moritani descended from disgraced House Tantor, whom blown up Salusa Secundus almost 10,000 years earlier. He then told that he was going to kill himself, and all nobles and armies present, with the atomics stockpiled by his House. However, the Viscount's bodyguard, Hiih Resser, had decided to disobey Hundro, and had never set the charges to the detonators on the nuclear devices.

Aftermath
Leto returned to Caladan with Paul even more decided not to marry, looked towards opening up other venues of unity within the Imperium. Given the intense hatred that existed between House Atreides and the House Harkonnen, to remain open and seem agreeable to an 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 aristocratic 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 soldiers 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 - although his twisted mentat Piter de Vries was killed by the poison.

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 the Prelude to Dune novels that Leto maintained concubines while in love with Jessica; and his attempted nuptials to Ilesa Ecaz in Paul of Dune, are inconsistent with the honourable characteristics bestowed upon him by Frank Herbert.
 * Leto Atreides was portrayed by German actor Jurgen Prochnow in the 1984 film adaptation of Dune.
 * In the 2000 Frank Herbert's Dune miniseries, Leto was portrayed by actor William Hurt.
 * Oscar Isaac portrays duke Leto in the 2021 film adaptation Dune.

Appearances

 * Dune - First appearance
 * Dune: House Atreides
 * Dune: House Harkonnen
 * Dune: House Corrino
 * Paul of Dune
 * The Winds of Dune