Dune is one of the most popular science fiction novels of all time, and, with its recent and upcoming film adaptations, its status as one of the most popular science fiction franchises ever is likely to be cemented more and more in the coming years. The storytelling in these books is excellent. Though they have their flaws,the entire serieshas been immensely influential throughout the science fiction genre in the decades since their release, with traces of their spiritualism, epic scope, and bleak social commentary manifesting throughout the genre.
We’ve previously madelists of various pieces of merchandisewith which you can celebrate this excellent franchise, and, today, we’re here to zoom in on one particular form of merchandise, the t-shirt. Here are some of the best shirts with which Dune fans may display their love for this franchise on their very person.
Dune Movie White Logo T-Shirt
Sometimes you don’t need to overcomplicate things
This shirt is as simple as can be, just the logo for the Dune movie, which is also the name of the franchise, in white, with the background color being customizable.
Let’s start simple. This shirt features the logo for the new set of Dune movies, which is just the name of the franchise rendered in a unique font. That’s it. The shirt in the image above is black, but the design actually comes in thirteen different colors, including vibrant shades of blue, red, and pink. Though some of these colors are quite light, nearly all of them manage to pair well with the white text.
For sure, there’s less going on here than some of the other designs that will feature on this list, but sometimes, less is more, and a simple design is all you need.
Dune Part Two Muad’Dib Desert Mouse Line Art T-Shirt
He’s kinda cute, isn’t he?
This lighter t-shirt features not only the Dune logo, as in the item above, but also a sketch of the humble yet critically important Maud’Dib mouse.
Amazing how much anguish such a humble little creature ultimately unleashed on the galaxy. The name Maud’Dib is heavily featured throughout the series. It’s one of the several (perhaps too many, to be honest) names of the main character, chosen almost arbitrarily based on an animal he’d seen and happened to think was neat. Those unfamiliar with the Dune franchise won’t know what this creature has to do with it, but it’s a delightful reference for those in the know.
Like the item above, this one comes in several different colors, this time mostly lighter ones, that go well with the black design. Once again, almost all of them manage to pair well with the design.
Dune Big Worm Logo T-Shirt
It’s real big
Featuring one of the coolest and most iconic elements of the Dune franchise, this shirt features the mighty sandworm in an image that highlights its size and power.
Sandworms are one of the most iconic elements of the Dune franchise, and this shirt does a great job of capturing why. The small human figures (which are supposed to be Paul and Jessica) do a great job of conveying the scale of this creature, and the awe and terror that comes from comprehending that scale. Some might be disappointed that only a portion of its mouth, and none of its body, is visible, but the way this image is presented enhances the sense of the creature’s size, as if it’s so large that it barely fits inside the image.
Dune Part Two Arrakis Mountains The Desert Is Not Kind Shot T-Shirt
Several elements from the series are present here
This t-shirt’s design manages to be surprisingly rich and complex while remaining elegant and simple. There are quite a few interesting details to enjoy about this one.
Though this design appears simple, it’s actually complex in a very interesting way. There are about five elements featured on this shirt. The series logo, the quote “the desert is not kind,” another desert mouse, the name of the titular desert planet, and, of course, the depiction of the planet’s titular dunes.
The most interesting detail is to be found in the planet’s sun, which is stylized to look like a sandworm’s toothy maw. This visually captures how both of those elements play a huge role in making this planet dangerous. The unbearable dryness and heat of the sun mix together with the enormity and fierceness of its native fauna.
Dune House Atreides Symbol T-Shirt
There is no call we do not answer. There is no faith that we betray
Another relatively simple design, this shirt features the sigil of House Atreides, the noble line from which the protagonist comes.
One of the key functions of merch is toconvey your affinityfor the different factions within a franchise’s universe. This is especially true for franchises that heavily feature conflict between well-defined organizations like governments, schools, militaries, or, as in this case, noble houses. Whether your feelings of admiration toward this great house are sincere or ironic, this shirt is a great way to convey them.
Like most of the other shirts on this list, this design comes in several colors, though they are essentially just different shades of gray. Some might be disappointed by this, but the fact that the design features a few different colors means it’d be hard to make it pair well with a wide variety of different hues.
Dune Harkonnen Emblem T-Shirt
You can’t deny, it looks pretty cool
In contrast to the item above, this shirt features the emblem of the villainous house Harkonnen, the antagonists of the first book and both parts of its film adaptation.
Of course, there isn’t just one house to show your allegiance to, though we certainly hope any enthusiasm you feel for these guys is the ironic kind. The archrivals of House Atreides and the primary villains of the first Dune novel and the films that adapt it, the depraved leaders of House Harkonnen may not be the most complicated villains, but no one can deny that they fulfill their function in the story perfectly, and their emblem looks really, really cool.
Though this shirt comes in fewer colors than many of the above, there’s something to be said for how well-selected those colors are. The red variant pairs extremely well with the emblem itself, to the pout that it just might be the single best-looking item on this list.
Dune (2021) House Sigils T-Shirt
It’s got three of ‘em
For those who don’t want to choose just one emblem, this shirt features simplified versions of both of the symbols above, along with the circular emblem associated with the Fremen.
For those who don’t want to express preference for any one house, this shirt features the emblems of both of the factions celebrated by the designs above, and, in addition, displays the symbol representing the Fremen, another important faction from the story. The symbols are smaller so they can all fit, but they’re still discernable. While many of the other designs on this list have some color options that work better than others, this shirt legitimately looks good in all six of the colors it comes in. Yes, the light-grey emblems even look good on the white background. In fact, that design might be the best one.
On top of all of that, there’s something on the back of the shirt, too. Nothing too complicated, just one of the most famous quotes from the series, “Fear is the Mind Killer,” but it leaves this item with quite a bit going for it.
Dune Fear is the Mind-Killer Atreides T-Shirt
The entire litany against fear is sadly too long to put here
Something of a fusion of two of the above items, this stylish shirt features both the house Atreides emblem and the Fear Is The Mind Killer slogan, two well-known elements of the series.
Do you like the series motto from the last shirt? Did you like the House Atreides logo from the couple shirts back? Well, then, you’ll probably like this shirt, which has both. (It also has the film logo from earlier on the back, in case you still thought it was missing something). The pairing of the Atreides emblem and the litany against fear is not arbitrary.
Though the litany is not specific to House Atreides in the lore of this series, there is a strong argument to be made that characters from this house do the best job implementing its lessons, which is what makes them both the good guys and victorious (in the first book, mind you).
FAQ
Are any of these shirts vintage?
Nope. All of them are from 2021 or later, which is why many of them specifically reference elements from the recent film adaptations. Genuinely vintage t-shirts are, by definition, not made anymore, and we here at TheGamer only recommend products that can be bought unused.
What is the highest quality material for t-shirts?
This depends on what the shirt is for, but, for general everyday use, cotton is generally regarded as superior to artificial materials like polyester. The material composition of the shirts on this list actually depends on what color you get them in. Some of them are 100% cotton, while others are a mix of cotton and polyester. Each shirt’s Amazon page contains a list revealing what its various colors are made of.
