How Dune's Duncan Idaho Influenced Star Wars' Han Solo
Dune’s Duncan Idaho had a lot in common with Star Wars’ Han Solo, so much so that Jason Momoa compared the two when discussing his role. As it turned out, the reported similarities between Dune and Star Wars were as plentiful as the Empire’s stormtroopers/Imperium’s sardaukars. George Lucas never tried to hide his sources of inspiration but avoided discussing the similarities between Dune and Star Wars – however, it seems that Han Solo draws heavily on Frank Herbert's creation.
Though Lucas appears never to have confirmed his inspiration from the 1965 novel, the parallels between Dune and Star Wars were uncanny. The dessert planets Arrakis/ Tatooine and the Jedi mind tricks/Bene Gesserit voice were some of the more obvious ones. Additionally, both works share a young protagonist whose powers were the stories' linchpins. Given these connections, comparisons are inevitable.
In line with the many other character and narrative resemblances, Star Wars’ Han Solo appeared to be modeled after Dune’s Duncan Idaho. Both, for example, were antihero archetypes with heroic tendencies. Like Idaho, Solo was a womanizing rebel fighter and a top-notch pilot who was close friends with the story’s protagonist. It hardly seems coincidental that Jason Momoa compared his character Duncan Idaho to Han Solo; they were, after all, like two specks of spice, equally dangerous and addictive. However, it begged the question of why exactly Lucas avoided talking about the parallels between Star Wars and Dune.
One possible explanation for the divide between Lucas and Herbert was the latter’s initial reaction to Star Wars. When A New Hope was first released, Herbert famously said to a local newspaper: “I will try hard not to sue.” It has since been argued that the cat was already out of the bag and that no one would have cared if Lucas owned up to his inspiration from Dune. Instead, Lucas openly admitted taking inspiration from various other sources, including some that influenced Frank Herbert’s Dune. For instance, before Frank Herbert wrote Dune, Isaak Asimov’s Foundation Series was widely acknowledged as one of the most intricate and well-crafted space operas ever written. Both Dune and Star Wars had a lot in common with Asimov’s Foundation, and the shared influences didn’t stop there. Both Herbert and Lucas were also inspired by Lawrence of Arabia, which primarily took place in dessert-like environments.
Duncan Idaho and Han Solo might have sprung independently from the shared influences of Frank Herbert and George Lucas. Still, it seems unlikely that Lucas overlooked Dune completely when he made Star Wars. The common denominators were too many to deny. At the same time, the two franchises were distinctive enough to stand firm on their own feet. To what extent Duncan Idaho inspired Han Solo might never come to light. However, close analysis reveals that there are undoubtedly many similarities and differences between science fiction pillars like Foundation, Dune, and Star Wars.