In the second episode of Dune: Prophecy, Desmond Hart, played by Travis Fimmel, is established as one of the most fascinating characters. He is a soldier with mysterious powers who has not been featured in the Dune books and is exclusive to the HBO series.
Hart works for Emperor Javicco Corrino, played by Mark Strong, and strongly opposes the Sisterhood. In the premiere episode, he kills Pruwet Richese, the son of Duke Ferdinand Richese, played by Brendan Cowell, a military ally of the emperor.
In Dune: Prophecy episode 2, Two Wolves, Hart is presented in the court where Richese attacks him, avenging the death of his son. However, Hart uses his powers to burn the Duke’s skin from the inside.
While Richese begs for mercy, Hart continues to torture him. But Emperor Javicco stops Hart from killing him and lets him live in pain.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy. Reader discretion is advised.
Desmond Hart does not kill Duke Richese as he is stopped by Emperor Javicco in Dune: Prophecy episode 2
Emperor Javicco Corrino makes a smart political decision in Dune: Prophecy episode 2 and stops Desmond Hart from killing Duke Ferdinand Richese. Javicco wants to show his power and keep control over his enemies without making the situation worse.
Killing Ferdinand would create more problems than it would solve, so Javicco uses Hart to send a clear warning instead. At the same time, Hart is following the emperor’s orders for now and does exactly as he is told, sparing the life of Richese.
Ferdinand is an important noble with influence, and his death could make other nobles see Javicco as a cruel tyrant. This would push more people to join the groups already working against the emperor.
Instead, Javicco lets Hart use his terrifying ability to torture Ferdinand without killing him. Ferdinand lives to tell others about the emperor’s power, spreading fear instead of rebellion. This decision is also a way for Javicco to show off Hart’s powers.
Hart’s character has been mostly shrouded in mystery till now, and every episode of Dune: Prophecy reveals something new about what he is capable of. Since surviving a sandworm attack on Arrakis, Hart can make anyone's skin burn from the inside out and can control when it stops.
By using Hart in front of everyone, Javicco proves that he has a weapon unlike anything the nobles or even the Sisterhood have. This move helps Javicco make a statement: the emperor is stronger and more dangerous than ever.
Javicco needs the Richese family’s fleet of fighter ships to help control Arrakis, where spice is mined. Spice is the most important resource in the universe, and controlling it gives Javicco control over everything.
Killing Ferdinand would ruin any chance of making a deal with the Richese family, which could hurt the emperor’s power in the long run. Another reason Javicco spares Ferdinand is because he wants to test Hart’s loyalty.
Hart already admitted to killing Ferdinand’s son, Pruwet, claiming he did it out of loyalty to the Imperium. This made Javicco unsure about trusting Hart at first. But Javicco also realizes that Hart’s powers can be useful.
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By showing what Hart can do in the throne room, Javicco controls the situation and shows other nobles the consequences of crossing him. It also gives Javicco more time to figure out if Hart is truly loyal to him or is a threat. Hence, Hart tortures the Duke but decides not to kill him on the orders of Emperor Javicco.
Dune: Prophecy airs new episodes on HBO and Max on Sundays.
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