God emperor of Dune cover art
The Rebels were diverse movements, uprisings and revolts against the Imperiums ranging from armed revolutions and terrorism to subversions and sabotages.In retrospective Leto Atreides II also considered the Fremen and House Atreides rebels against the Corrino Empire during the Arrakis Revolt.
Rebellions during the reign of Paul Muad'Dib[]
Original Dune[]
With the ascension of Paul Atreides to the Golden Lion Throne, not all House Major of the Landsraad were willing to accept the succession or Muad'Dib's religion.The Great Houses deployed Mercenary armies to counter the Fremen Jihad. During these wars sixty-one billion people died, ninety planets were sterilized and forty religions wiped out as Paul Atreides later recapitulated.
With the continuing terraforming of Arrakis and the considerable changes of the original Fremen Culture to Galacto-Fremen culture due to the settlement of Fremen Veterans on many worlds and the refusal of many Veterans to return to Arrakis or the inconveniences of many former Fedaykin to arrange with the new situation a second revolt arose from the remaining desert tribes and some of these rebels seemed to have been supported from within the rows of Paul Muad'dibs confidants.In addition to the open conflicts the Spacing Guild, Bene Tleilax, Bene Gesserit and remnants of House Corrino were able to form an alliance against the Imperium.Apparently the Atreides Emperor lost his eyesight due to a Stone burner attack by one of these Rebel Groups.After Muad'dib's withdrawal to the deep desert rule passed over to his younger sister Alia Atreides and the rebel elements continued.
Rebellions during the reign of St. Alia[]
Original Dune[]
During Alia's reign the Fremen Rebellion continued, now identifying as the Maquis of the Inner Desert or Zarr Sadus and the Wildfire of rebellion spread out through the Empire.The Desert Tribes of Shuloch and the Gare Ruden region turned against Muad'dib's Religion and especially the Qizarate, fueled by agitators such as The Preacher and as Alia's reactions got more oppressive even former Imperial Minister Stilgar and members of the royal family as Ghanima Atreides and Irulan Corrino went over to the Rebels.
After a failed assassination Attempt on Paul Atreides' children by a Rebel faction led by Wensicia Corrino and remaining Sardaukar and Alia Atreides' death, Leto Atreides II took the Throne of the empire and united House Atreides with House Corrino via a Union of his sister Ghanima with Farad'n Corrino.
Rebellions during the reign of God Emperor Leto Atreides II[]
Rebels - Illustration by Klaus D. Schiemann
Original Dune[]
The long reign of God Emperor Leto was characterized by his politics of tolerance for Rebels, as he frequently used the rows of the rebellion to recruit rebel leaders as his personal attendants.Notable Imperial bureaucrats as Moneo Atreides, Siona Atreides and several Duncan Idaho Gholas had periodically been rebels against the Imperium.
Siona Atreides led a Rebel Cell on Arrakis which had contacts to other potential rebel Elements, notably the Tleilaxu, Spacing Guild, Bene Gesserit and Ixians and supplied these with informations, particularly the Stolen Journals, which enabled the Ixians to analyze Leto's persona and detect his weaknesses.
After a Group called Tleilaxu-Contact Element, consisting of rakisian Rebels and Tleilaxu Face Dancers,had tried to assassinate Leto's prospective bride Hwi Noree, the God Emperor was able to identify the former Ixian Ambassador Malky as the secret manipulator behind the Attacks and had him executed, short time after however Rebel leader Siona Atreides successfully achieved the Emperor's death before his Marriage, by manipulation of the Fish Speaker Nayla.
Collapse of the Imperium[]
Original Dune[]
After the death of the God Emperor the Imperium passed into the Hands of Siona Atreides and Duncan the Last and their descendants.The remaining Fish Speaker Worlds however were a shrinking realm, more dangerous than local uprisings to the imperium, proved the the return of former exiles from the uncharted regions of the universe, notably the Honored Matres, and the continuing infiltration of the Fish Speaker's ranks by Tleilaxu Face Dancers.Consequently the post-Famine Times Universe even saw the Bene Gesserit rise armies of their own and both factions, the Sisterhood and the Fish Speaker Remnant claimed to be rightful inheritors of the Atreides Empire.