Dune (デューン )? is the true leader of the Desert Apostles in Heartcatch Pretty Cure!. He had fought against several generations of Pretty Cure before facing Cure Flower 50 years prior to the season's events.
Bio[]
Appearance[]
Dune appears as an ageless young man with medium short dark green hair, wearing a white rimmed collar garment with black clothes inside, and also dull green wraps around his legs. He has bluish green eyes that also change into dark orangish brown. When unleashing his powers, he ages and his hair lengthens, which causes his eye color to change.
He is usually seen with a peculiar pink creature with brownish yellow eyes, which wraps his body when he becomes stronger in power. His clothes apparently become tattered in his final form.
Personality[]
Despite his feeble-looking exterior, Dune is a cruel and manipulative person, capable of using cunning tactics to persuade people to join his side, and never hesitates to destroy anything and anyone he deems as worthless. His hatred-filled personality is likely a direct result of his traumatic childhood. However, he finally gets to understand what happiness is, thanks to the Cures, before he dies.
Relationships[]
- Sabaku: Sabaku is Dune's right hand who dealing with the Cures while he is still restoring his energy after his final battle with Cure Flower. Sabaku is fearful of Dune and has warned his minions that if they fail Dune will make them pay dearly. Dune later coldly kills Sabaku for his insubordination.
- Hanasaki Kaoruko / Cure Flower: Was the last Pretty Cure to face Dune in battle. The fight was so intense that Cure Flower had to push her power levels to the max with the aid of the Heartcatch Mirage that she lost her ability to become a Pretty Cure, but she succeeded in causing Dune to retreat for another 50 years. She is also able to sense that Dune is returning.
Etymology[]
Dune refers to mounds or ridges of sand or other loose sediment which are formed by the wind, particularly winds from the sea coast or in a desert.
History[]
Preseason[]
Dune was an unwanted child who had lost his birth mother by his father who was the previous Desert King. His father met another woman and married her, hence she became his step-mother. Dune's father wanted to kill him so Dune escaped with his nanny, but sadly his nanny died while shielding a 7-year-old Dune from him. 2 years after the death of his nanny, a then 9-year-old Dune tried to make contract with a devil in order to obtain infinity power with one condition, which was to kill his father. With his step-mother and his step-brother, he succeeded in his killing and finally he obtained the infinity power as he had wished and also inherited the status as the Desert King.
Battle Against Cure Flower[]
In the past, Dune has fought against many generations of Pretty Cure, though it is not said whether he defeated them or not. What is told by Kaoruko, however, is that they fought several times before Cure Flower used the Heartcatch Mirage, sacrificing her position as Pretty Cure to end the battle in a draw. However, Dune saw it as a defeat, and fell into deep sleep to restore his power. In his absence, he allowed Sabaku and his minions battle the later generation of Pretty Cure, Cure Moonlight.HPC32
Giving Orders[]
During his return at the awakening of the third fairy, he gives new orders to Sabaku from his private asteroid, heading to Earth to eradicate the Cures.HPC20 Later noticing that Pretty Cure are getting stronger day by day, he gives Sabaku three Dark Bracelets to power up the three minions.HPC31
Arriving at Earth[]
Dune arrived at Earth and sent a Desert Seed down to Earth which quickly turned into a Desert Devil. The Desert Devil was defeated by the Pretty Cures with the aid of the newly aquired powers, the Super Silhouette. At Christmas Dune returns to Earth and is after the power Cure Flower sealed of his from their battle. The Cures attack Dune seemingly getting the upper hand. As the dust settles Dune is still standing and then goes on the offensive against the Cures. Taking out Moonlight first quickly followed by Sunshine and Marine he then turns his attention of Cure Flower. Cure Blossom tries to stop him but is unsuccessful and also falls to his power. Dune and Cure Flower then fight but she also is no match for him in her weakened state and defeats her. Leaving for his fortress with Kaoruko the Cures are left defeated and unconscious. He then proceeds to regain the power Cure Flower sealed away in her necklace by breaking the necklace. The great heart tree then arrives and Dune shatters the barrier protecting it and forces Kaoruko to witness him make the great heart tree wilt fully. However, this did not break the spirits of the those who had been purified by the Pretty Cures allowing hope to still exist, and allows the Cures and their fairies to retain their powers regardless of what he had done to the tree.HPC45
The Final Battle[]
Dune arrives shortly after Dark Cure's defeat and begins to battle Sabaku, Moonlight joins the fight protecting her father from a barrage of energy shots from Dune. Blossom joins the fight only for Dune to create a dark energy bomb which explodes breaking the Pretty Cure transformation and leaving all 3 on the ground. As Dune prepares to do the same Yuri's father runs to the dark energy and uses himself to shield his daughter and Tsubomi from the explosion. He tells Yuri to look after her mother and as she runs to her father the energy explodes leaving only taters of her father clothes. Enraged by Dune's actions, Yuri prepares to engage him in battle only for Tsubomi to grab her arm begging her not to fight with anger and hatred. Yuri tells Tsubomi that she despises Dune since he is the reason why she has lost both Cologne and her father.HPC47
Tsubomi again reminds Yuri that the Yuri she looks up to would never fight out of anger and would not be willing to do what she is about to and gives Yuri the remains of her Heart Seed that Dark Cure possessed, helping Yuri remember that Pretty Cures fight with love. The two transform into Blossom and Moonlight and begin to battle Dune. Just managing to keep the battle equal between them until Dune shoots dark energy at them which exploded on impact. As the dust settle Marine and Sunshine are revealed to have saved them from the attack and they join Moonlight and Blossom in fighting Dune. All the four Cures use their Forte Wave attacks against Dune followed by Marine and Sunshine combining to use Floral Power Fortissimo and Blossom and Moonlight to combine to use the same. All four hit Dune at the same time and then call fourth the Heartcatch Mirage and use Heartcatch Orchestra against him.HPC48
Purification[]
However, even the Heartcatch Orchestra wasn't enough to stop Dune and he broke free, telling the girls that their love would never overcome his hatred. Growing to a humongous size through his power, he begins assaulting the Earth. The Cures face him one last time, Blossom telling him that their love may not be strong separately, together they can overcome him and everything else. Using the power of the Heartcatch Mirage, the four Heartcatch Cures merge into Infinity Silhouette and with the Pretty Cure Fist Punch, defeat and purify Dune. As he disappears, he finally realizes he has been in the wrong and feels happiness for the first time, and the Earth is restored to normal after his passing.HPC49
Trivia[]
- He is the first character in the franchise to:
- Have step-relatives. In his case, he has a step-mother and a step-brother but their names are not given. He also has an unnamed biological mother and a father.
- Become a planet-sized being.
- During a transmission to Sabaku and Dark Pretty Cure, a dark colored creature can be seen on Dune's left shoulder. It is unknown what this creature is or if it is merely part of Dune. It is possible it could be similar to the fairies and is what grants him his power. Its origins are also unknown.
- Even after 50 years it would appear Hanasaki Kaoruko still has a connection with Dune, as she can feel he is returning. This connection could be explained with the fact Cure Flower sealed his powers and it is that which is what connects the two.
- His and the other main villains' silhouettes (Evil King, Goyan, Desperaia, the Boss and Moebius) are seen in Pretty Cure All Stars DX 3: Mirai ni Todoke! Sekai wo Tsunagu☆Niji-Iro no Hana. Dune's silhouette represents the Desert Apostles.
- Dune is the name of the main villain of the anime Casshern Sins, a series also created by the same group that made Heartcatch Pretty Cure!.
- Dune's death in the Heartcatch Pretty Cure! Novel differs from the finale, as Yuri recalls how he was embraced by Infinity Silhouette before dying. This contradiction is likely due to Cure Blossom being the main one to deliver the finishing blow as the leader, instead of Cure Moonlight herself, which might explain the difference in perspectives.
Gallery[]