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Gurney Halleck is the Warmaster of House Atreides, and he also serves as Paul’s combat instructor. Unlike Duncan Idaho, who takes an artistic approach to fighting, Gurney’s style is solely practical. His training proves crucial when the Duke Leto is killed and Paul must protect himself amongst Fremen and defend himself against Harkonnen enemies such as Feyd-Rautha.  

Despite Dune’s futuristic setting, Gurney is reminiscent of a classical warrior, as he is both a soldier as well as a troubadour – a lyric poet. Gurney often has a song or verse for any situation, bringing a romantic and contemplative tone even to high-stress circumstances. From time to time, this quirk casts Gurney in the role of comedic relief, but it more commonly makes him a purveyor of wisdom and meaning. He often provides melancholic, reflective verses when singing, and his words carry emotional resonance.  

The tough and resilient Gurney manages to survive the Harkonnen attack on House Atreides and becomes a smuggler, finally reuniting with Paul later in the novel. By this point, Paul has already gained a reputation amongst the Fremen as a messiah figure, and Gurney is surprised to discover that the mysterious “Muad’Dib” is in fact his former lord. Because Gurney has not been primed like Stilgar and the other Fremen to see Paul as a prophet, he is more skeptical of Paul’s new role. He’s still unwaveringly loyal to Paul and House Atreides, but he has some misgivings about Paul’s behavior. When Paul shows little concern for the deaths of his people as the Fremen prepare to attack the Harkonnens and the Emperor, Gurney realizes that Paul is noticeably crueler and less humane than the Duke Leto, who did his best to value human life above all.

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