The Imperial House Corrino was once the most deadliest and grandest Major House found within the Dune universe, and for many thousands of years the official seat of the Imperium. The official residence of the Imperial House Corrino was the planet Kaitain and the exiled ancestral planet Salusa Secundus.
Origins ==References and notes
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House Corrino are thought to have originated from the descendants of Octa Butler and Xavier Harkonnen.
Their descendants initially continued the heritage of the Butler name. After the negative reputation bestowed on Xavier Harkonnen following his involvement in the death of Grand Patriarch Iblis Ginjo, most of their descendants abandoned the Harkonnen name and took the name Butler. The notable exception to this trend was Abulurd Harkonnen, whose actions at the Battle of Corrin further exacerbated the Harkonnen name.
Following the Battle of Corrin and the destruction of Omnius Prime, the Butler family adopted the name Corrino as a blatant reminder of their involvement in the war against and defeat of the Thinking Machines. The events after the Battle of Corrin also saw the newly formed House Corrino capture rulership of the new Imperium.
Rule
Over the subsequent millenia, the Imperial House Corrino maintained a firm grip on the Empire.
House Corrino's rule was defined as absolute while one of its members sat on the Golden Lion Throne. Moreover, House Corrino maintained a large vote in the Landsraad Council, larger than any other Great House.
During their Imperial rule, House Corrino maintained arguably the most powerful army in the known universe - the Sardaukar. Through their superior abilities the Corrinos were capable of crushing any military opposition. It was said that the only way the Corrino Sardaukar could be defeated would be through the combined forces of all the Great Houses of the Landsraad.
Downfall of the Corrino Empire
Complacency and corruption eventually weakening the Sardaukar. That, combined with ill-judged decisions by Shaddam Corrino IV and the scheming of the Bene Gesserit, eventually saw other Great Houses, particularly House Atreides, acquire significant respect and credibility in the Imperium.
In an attempt to discredit House Atreides and retain their hegemony, the Imperial House Corrino under the leadership of Shaddam IV, devised a plan to dispose of their potential rival by ordering them to take over the planetary fief of Arrakis, and then disposing of them through their hated rival House Harkonnen, via an audacious invasion of the planet.
Initially the plan looked to have succeeded. Duke Leto Atreides I was killed, and his family abandonned in the deep desert. However, a gradual uprising by the native Fremen, led by the mysterious Muad'Dib caught both House Corrino and House Harkonnen off-guard.
After the Arrakis Revolt, House Corrino was forced to relinquish the Golden Lion Throne, after thousands of years of rule, to the Atreides. The Corrinos witnessed the legitimization of Atreides rule through Paul Atreides' marriage to Shaddam's daughter Princess Irulan Corrino. Shaddam IV and the remainder of his family were then sent into effective exile on the harsh planet Salusa Secundus, where one of Shaddam's five daughters, Wensicia Corrino plotted the Great House's re-emergence.
Failed Re-emergence
However, Wensicia's plans were also foiled by the Atreides, and her son, Prince Farad'n Corrino became the official concubine of his step-cousin, the Crown Princess Ghanima Atreides. In addition to providing the Atreides offspringthat were needed for Leto II's Golden Path, he also acted as his official scribe.
This spelled the effective end of House Corrino. Although their bloodline survived, inextricably mixed with the descendants of Paul Atreides, as a Great House the Corrinos ceased to be.
Behind the Scenes
Frank Herbert did not provide detail on the origins of House Corrino in his original Dune novels. Specific details are given in the Legends of Dune prequel novels written by his son, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. These stories provide a comprehensive narration of the rise of the House Corrino, although they are not considered canon by some Dune fans.