Dmitri Harkonnen

Baron Dmitri Harkonnen is a fictional character in the science fiction series of "Dune". He is the father of both the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and Count Abulurd Harkonnen II of Lankiveil. He is also the great-grandfather of Muad'Dib.

As of being a Baron Harkonnen, Dmitri was a direct male line-descendant to Abulurd Harkonnen I, who had been banished from the League of Nobles after the Battle of Corrin for alleged cowardice. Different from his descendants, Baron Dmitri was not a very ruthless man, and left the Atreides in peace during his years of power. It was during Baron Dmitri's reign that House Harkonnen grew in status into one of the most important Noble Houses, and was rewarded with the governorship of the most important planet of the Imperium, Arrakis, by the Padishah Emperor Elrood Corrino IX.

Dmitri had at least two wives. His first wife was Victoria, who bore Dmitri the son Vladimir. Their marriage ended with a bitter divorce, but Vladimir still became Dmitri's successor. Dmitri later married a woman named Daphne. Their first child was named Marotin Harkonnen, but the boy showed to be mentally retarded. Nonetheless, Marotin was raised and cared for by his parents until he died at age 28 of natural causes. The second son of Daphne and Dmitri was named Abulurd, after the original Abulurd Harkonnen. Abulurd became his father's favorite, and he spent much more time with him than with his heir Vladimir.

Victoria might have been responsible for Vladimir becoming the ruthless man portrayed in "Dune", although later revelations would imply that he had always been sociopathic his entire life as far back as early childhood.