The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (/ˈhɑːrkoʊnən/ or /hɑːrˈkoʊnən/) is a fictional character from the Dune franchise created by Frank Herbert. He is primarily featured in the 1965 novel Dune and is also a prominent character in the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy (1999–2001) by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson.