Gurney Halleck
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Gurney Halleck is a fictional soldier in the Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. He is a major character in Dune and Children of Dune.
Gurney Halleck was a ruthless, noble and romantic warrior of enormous talent. He was the most loyal of friends to those he loved, and to those he hated there were few enemies more terrifying. He was a talented minstrel who was skilled in the use of the baliset. His jawline bears a scar from an inkvine whip wound inflicted by Beast Rabban in the Harkonnen slave pits. In a fight against Gurney with sword or knife few opponents lasted more than a few seconds. Gurney was also skilled at various other weapons, and astonished Fremen later saw that he taught himself to ride sandworms as they did.
Gurney Halleck did not indulge in melange addiction or other methods to prolong human life. He had been a loyal friend to Duke Leto Atreides and his concubine Jessica. Many years after the death of Duke Leto, Gurney Halleck became the lover of Lady Jessica, though the two of them kept their relationship out of the public eye so as to avoid scandal.
Lady Jessica, who knew him so well, recalled in him an epigram written on the wall of a Muslim palace in the country of Spain, which once existed on the Old Earth. She called him Gurney The Valorous from that Islamic ode:
"There are four pillars which support the world...the wisdom of the wise, the justice of the great, the prayers of the righteous and the valor of the brave."
Halleck is Paul Atreides' weapons teacher, as well as a skilled musician. He is a chief officer of Duke Leto Atreides, who manages to survive the fall of House Atreides at Arrakis. In the years after the attack, he falls in with the melange smugglers, eventually becoming a powerful figure. His smugglers fall for a Fremen trap - a fake hoard of spice - and are almost killed before Paul, now Fremen leader Muad'Dib, recognizes him. Halleck later becomes Jessica Atreides' loyal chief officer after nearly killing her, mistakingly believing she betrayed Duke Leto Atreides.
Gurney Halleck has more recently been explored in the Dune prequels written by Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert's son, and Kevin J. Anderson.
According to the prequels, Gurney Halleck originated on Giedi Prime, a world ruled by House Harkonnen. After an incident with the local militia and the murder of his sister, he escaped Giedi Prime and met up with the rogue House of Vernius. Eventually, after a string of conflicts and the death of Dominic Vernius, Gurney Halleck arrived at Caladan seeking the exile Prince Rhombur Vernius. After reclaiming the planet Ix for the House Vernius, Halleck served House Atreides, eventually becoming Paul Atreides' weapons teacher.
It is rumoured that Halleck, along with other former main characters, will be making a return in the Hunters/Sandworms of Dune books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson.
Portrayal in other media
In David Lynch's film version of Dune, he was portrayed by Patrick Stewart, while in the Sci Fi Channel mini-series, the role was played by P. H. Moriarty.
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