"Why Does the Baron Float in Dune?" (How Much Does He Weigh?)

BY Christina B. Cockrell

      BARON VLADIMIR

It's impossible to miss Baron Vladimir Harkonnen's primary mode of transportation when watching Dune, so why does he float? Baron Harkonnen, played by Stellan Skarsgrd, is the dishonest and brutal antagonist of Denis Villeneuve's Dune. He was once given the authority to rule over Arrakis by the Padishah Emperor of Dune. This Baron is the rotund head of House Harkonnen, just like his literary counterpart.

Baron Harkonnen floats in Dune, but how and why? Baron Vladimir Harkonnen has adopted the usage of suspensor belts that cancel gravity because he cannot maintain his own weight. The precise weight of the Baron is never stated in the film. However, the first volume of Frank Herbert's Dune trilogy contains one hint. Herbert suggests that the Baron weighs at least this much, which translates to around 434 pounds in weight: "He might weigh two hundred Standard kilograms in truth, but his feet would carry no more than fifty of them."

Baron Harkonnen does not float in the books. Although it is reported that he needs suspensors, walking has been verified at least twice. The Baron's legs are only ever mentioned as having to support fifty kilograms of weight, and an early scene describes his bouncing walk, which is obviously impossible if he floated. If so, why does Baron Harkonnen float in Villeneuve's Dune if this is the case? It should be noted that the Baron does float in both the adaptations of Dune by Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch, therefore Villeneuve's Baron is more of a homage to these previous cinematic works than the original Dune text.