Dune is about a lot of things, but the logline usually focuses on the endless feud between two noble families. House Atreides and House Harkonnen have a brutal rivalry that lasts thousands of years. While several members of both groups find other things to do, many representatives spend their entire lives trying to destroy their ancient enemies. Dune: Prophecy will explore one of the earlier chapters of this quarrel, depicting Valya Harkonnen’s astonishing commitment to murdering every Atreides she can reach.
The original Dune novel is excellent at establishing millennia of history in a couple of lines. Frank Herbert and the writers that would take up his mantle have explored most of those background details. Dune: Prophecy is the first prequel in the franchise, but there could be countless follow-up projects in the same vein. Dune offers tens of thousands of years and countless bizarre stories buried within them. Characters like Valya Harkonnen may be the engaging leads of a massive universe of material.
Where did Valya Harkonnen first appear?
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Authors |
Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson |
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Series |
Great Schools of Dune |
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Pages |
496 |
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Release Date |
January 3, 2012 |
Valya Harkonnen is one of the central characters of Sisterhood of Dune. Frank Herbert wrote six Dune novels before he passed away in 1986. The series lied dormant for 13 years before Frank’s son, Brian Herbert, partnered with Kevin J. Anderson to write five trilogies of prequel novels. The most recent outing, The Heir of Caladan, dropped in 2022. Sisterhood of Dune is the first entry in the Great Schools of Dune, a trilogy that explores the early formation of the factions in the universe. Sisterhood follows the Butlerian Jihad trilogy, which tells the tale of humanity’s war against the thinking machines. In the chaos that followed that apocalyptic conflict, many organizations grew out of newfound power vacuums. Valya Harkonnen becomes one of the most notable early figures in the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood.
What did Valya Harkonnen accomplish?
Valya Harkonnen was born in 26 BG, around 80 years after the end of the Butlerian Jihad. Valya’s great-grandfather was Abulurd Harkonnen, a respected soldier in the massive galactic war. Abulurd acted against the orders of his commanding officer, Vorian Atreides, in a misguided attempt to save lives. Vorian branded Abulurd a traitor, stripped him of his military accomplishments, and exiled him to the backwater planet of Lankiveil. Valya was very young when she learned the story of House Harkonnen’s downfall and House Atreides’ place in it. She developed an unhealthy obsession with seeking revenge against Vorian Atreides and his descendants. Valya drove her siblings to understand the same commitment. Valya spent most of her life developing herself into one of the most capable living weapons in history.
At 16, Valya became a student of the Sisterhood of Rossak. She quickly became a promising and accomplished member of the mysterious group. Her brother, Griffin, traveled to Arrakis to settle the score with Vorian Atreides. He fought a duel and almost won, but he chose to forgive Vorian and end the feud. Unfortunately, Vorian’s sister, Hyla, kills Griffin before disappearing into the massive maw of a sandworm. Vorian sent his condolences to Valya, but she refused to accept his apology or his explanation. She turned her rage into further development, traveling to Ginaz to train as a Swordmaster. At the same time, she perfected her mentor’s Voice technique into a learned skill. She combined those techniques to claim the top position in the Sisterhood. After the Emperor ruled her order illegal, Valya helped to reform the Sisterhood of Rossak into the Bene Gesserit. Valya made one final strike against Vorian, fighting a duel that ended in a bizarre draw. She believed Vorian was dead when his ship exploded, but Vorian escaped unharmed. Finally free from her revenge quest, Valya lived out the rest of her life as a Reverend Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit.
Who portrays Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy?
Emily Watson will portray Valya Harkonnen in Dune: Prophecy. Watson is an extremely accomplished and prolific actor with a long history of celebrated performances. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her stellar feature debut in Lars von Trier’s Breaking the Waves. More recently, her performance in Chernobyl got her several nominations and overwhelming critical praise. Watson doesn’t do a ton of science fiction, but Dune: Prophecy feels like an appropriate entry in her long filmography.
Valya Harkonnen is a fascinating character that mirrors the cast of Dune in several interesting ways. Dune: Prophecy will certainly focus on more than Valya’s revenge quest. The series seems prepared to explore much of Sisterhood of Dune‘s long and complex narrative structure. It and any future Dune prequels can continue to develop the massive universe into something more entertaining. Valya’s story is the tale of a person with impossible potential devoting herself to a lost cause. In many ways, she is the Harkonnen ethos and everything it implies.
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