WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Dune: Prophecy and Dune: Part Two.
Several of the characters in the HBO prequel series Dune: Prophecy are distant ancestors of the characters in the recent Dune films. Dune: Prophecy is a six-part series based on the 2012 novel Sisterhood of Dune, which was written by original Dune author Frank Herbert’s son, Brian, and Kevin J. Anderson. The story takes place more than 10,000 years before the rise of Paul Atreidies, which is chronicled in Denis Villenueve’s Dune (2020) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Dune: Prophecy reveals the origins of the powerful shadow sisterhood known as the Bene Gesserit and how they manipulated the fate of humankind.
Dune: Prophecy episode 1 “The Hidden Hand” introduces Emily Watson’s Valya Harkonnen, a fierce and calculated leader, and her biological sister, Tula Harkonnen. Together, they oversee the development of highly qualified young women who learn to become sisters of the Bene Gesserit. The beginning of Dune: Prophecy also reveals how Valya came to power in the very earliest days of the Bene Gesserit, which involved using the supernatural power of Voice to kill Dorotea, the biological granddaughter of the Reverend Mother Superior, Raquella. Dorotea had a moral vision for the Bene Gesserit but Valya had something else in mind.
The Great Houses seen in the Dune films – Atreides, Corrino, and Harkonnen – once fought together against the Thinking Machines during the ancient war known as the Buterlian Jihad. This was the last time that House Harkonenn and House Atredies fought toward the same end. As seen in the Dune films, there is a great deal of bad blood and conflict in the history between House Harkonnen and House Atreides, as the former tries to destroy the latter completely by setting them up for failure and death on the spice planet Arrakis. As revealed in Dune: Prophecy, this rivalry began long before the rise of Paul Atreides with the determination of the Mother Reverend Superior, Valya Harkonnen.
New episodes of Dune: Prophecy release every Sunday at 9 PM on HBO & MAX.
8Valya Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, Glossu “Beast” Rabban
Valya Harkonnen is the protagonist of Dune: Prophecy portrayed by Emily Watson. She is the second-ever Reverend Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit who is determined to place a Sister on the Imperium’s throne and prevent the impending Reckoning or Tiran Arafel from occurring. Valya is the distant relative of all the Harkonnen characters seen in the Dune films, which includes Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, and Glossu “Beast” Rabban. While Jessica was married into House Atreides, she is revealed to be the daughter of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two, which makes her a descendant of Valya.
Valya made it her life’s mission to protect the bloodlines that she had orchestrated in order for the Bene Gesserit to maintain Imperial control. Early on in Dune: Prophecy episode 1, Valya predicts that a female empress will rise to power 30 years before the main narrative of the series takes place. Raquella had warned Valya of an impending reckoning referred to as Tiran-Arafel, which the Sisters recognized as “a holy judgment brought on by a tyrant.” In order to prevent that from happening, Valya plans to put one of the Bene Gesserit on the throne, which arrives in the form of Princess Ynez, the daughter of Emperor Javicco Corrino and Empress Natalya.
7Tula Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, Glossu “Beast” Rabban
As the biological sister of Valya, Tula Harkonnen is also a distant relative of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, and Glossu “Beast” Rabban. Tula is portrayed by Olivia Williams, who is best known for her appearances in The Sixth Sense and The Crown. Tula is more compassionate than the formidable Valya and is the second in command of the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. Despite her softer heart, Tula is incredibly loyal to her sister, Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen, and chooses to follow even the most regrettable orders for the betterment of the Sisterhood and House Harkonnen.
As shown in Dune: Prophecy episode 2 “Two Wolves”, Sister Tula Harkonnen took Lila under her wing as one of her most exceptional and promising pupils. Tula raised Lila like her own child but is not her real mother. Tula reminds Lila that the Sisterhood separates infants from their mothers in order to promote a sense of solidarity among them. Tula confesses to Lila that her mother died during childbirth and suggests without promising that she might be able to see her during The Agony ritual. Because Lila’s mother was not there when she met Raquella and Dorotea in the spiritual realm, this suggests that Lila’s mother may still be alive.
6Harrow Harkonnen
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, Glossu “Beast” Rabban
Harrow Harkonnen, played by Edward Davis, is the nephew of Tula Harkonnen. This makes him a distant ancestor of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Jessica Atreides, and Glossu “Beast” Rabban as well. Although Harrow Harkonnen has yet to play a significant role in Dune: Prophecy after two episodes, he will most likely serve a greater purpose before the end of the 6-part limited series. Davis is best known for his previous roles in Shadow and Bone and Emma. According to Dune Wiki, he is a “rising politician from a once-great family, who harbored a strong desire to elevate his House to its former glory.”
Since he shares a similar desire to redeem the reputation of House Harkonnen, who was banished following the war against the Thinking Machines and the Battle of Corrino, Harrow will likely become a key asset to Valya and possibly his Aunt Tula. Valya blames Vorian Atreides for the shame brought upon House Harkoenn that took place before the events of Dune: Prophecy. Vorian had accused Valya’s great-grandfather, Bashar Abdulurd Harkonnen, of cowardice after the Battle of Corrin, which took place before the Butlerian Jihad in 88 BG. Dune: Prophecy states that an Atreides showed great valor during the Butlerian Jihad while Valya’s great-grandfather showed cowardice, which is the source of her hatred toward House Atreides and the cause of the 10,000-year feud between the two houses.
5Emperor Javicco Corrino
Emperor Shaddam IV, Princess Irulan
Emperor Javicco Corrino is the distant ancestor of Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), who were both introduced in Dune: Part Two. Before Paul Atriedes rose to defeat Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen and claim the Emperor’s throne for himself, House Corrino had ruled the empire for more than 10,000 years, working hand in hand with the Bene Gesserit. It was in the year 10,193 AG that Paul Atreides removed Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV from his reign and demanded that he marry his daughter, Princess Irulan Corrino, at the end of Dune: Part Two. Paul sought to seek revenge against the Corrinos after what they had done to his father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Issac), in the first Dune film. The Emperor had “promoted” Duke Leto to oversee spice production on Arrakis, setting him up for the Harkonenn to take back control of their planet.
4Empress Natalya Arat Corrino
Emperor Shaddam IV, Princess Irulan
Empress Natalya Arat Corrino married into the Corrino bloodline through Javicco Corrino and is the mother of Prince Constantine Corrino and Princess Ynez Corrino. Her original family background is not known after two episodes of Dune: Prophecy. This means that like her husband, she is a distant royal ancestor of Emperor Shaddam IV and Princess Irulan. During Dune: Prophecy episode 2, Empress Corrino chooses to use Desmond Hart’s magical powers to her benefit. It’s quite possible that since Natalya is working with Desmond Hart, she could face opposition from Valya and the other Harkonnens in future episodes. Natalya is portrayed by Jodhi May, who is best known for The Last of the Mohicans and The Witcher.
3Prince Constantine Corrino
Emperor Shaddam IV, Princess Irulan
As the son of Empress Natalya Arat and Emperor Javicco Corrino, Prince Constantine Corrino is also a distant relative of Emperor Shaddam IV and Princess Irulan. Throughout the first two episodes of Dune: Prophecy, Constantine is portrayed as a hedonistic party boy with few serious concerns other than protecting his sister, Princess Ynez. He should have a more integral role in the series if heads start clashing between House Harkonnen and House Corrino. For now, he takes a special interest in the daughter of Duke Ferdinand Richese, Lady Shannon. No members of House Richese are featured in either of the Dune films.
2Princess Ynez Corrino
Emperor Shaddam IV, Princess Irulan
As a Corrino, Princess Ynez is a distant relative of Emperor Shaddam IV and Princess Irulan. Ynez is admitted into the Bene Gesserit’s training program, where she is meant to be treated as any other student. This will make her the first Bene Gesserit Sister to become Empress, which is according to Valya’s master plan. Princess Ynez enters an arranged marriage with the young Prince Pruwet Richese of House Richese in exchange for elite spice excavators that the Emperor can use on Arrakis. Princess Ynez is the key to Bene Gesserit’s plan to come to fruition and prevent the Tiran Arafel from happening. Her Corrino bloodline will be protected and controlled by the Bene Gesserit for thousands of years.
1Keiran Atreides
Paul Atreides, Leto Atreides, Alia Atreides
The only Atreides character featured in Dune: Prophecy is the swordmaster Keiran, who is the ancestor of Paul Atreides, his sister Alia, and his father, Duke Leto. Keiran is introduced in Dune: Prophecy much like Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck was introduced in the recent Dune film. Keiran trains Princess Ynez in close combat techniques and sword fighting as she proves herself to be a competitive warrior. There is also an undeniably romantic tension between Keiran and Ynez which is acted on later in a club scene that involves drug use and sexual intimacy. Although he is introduced in the early moments of Dune: Prophecy, he does not play much of a role in the pilot episode, which could hint at his eventual impact as the series goes on.
