Justice for Thufir Hawat!
As Dune: Part Two finally hits cinemas, fans are in for an absolute treat with Denis Villeneuve’s second instalment.
The glorious return to Arrakis follows Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides as he attempts to win the trust of the Fremen.
However, many of the characters fans might have expected to see in Part Two are simply absent. From Stephen McKinley’s Thufir Hawat to Count Hasimir Fenring, certain characters from the novel did not make the cut.
Read on for everything you need to know about the major characters missing from Dune: Part Two.
Which characters are missing in Dune: Part Two?
Thufir Hawat
Played by Stephen Mckinley Henderson in Dune: Part One, Hawat is nowhere to be seen in Dune: Part Two, which might prove a shock to fans considering what a major character he is in the books.
In the first of Frank Herbert’s novels, Hawat was a Mentat for House Atreides and trained Paul in military and political strategy.
Speaking about Hawat’s absence, Villeneuve told Screen Crush: “I was in love with Thufir Hawat. It’s a character that I absolutely adore.
“But I had to make the bold choice to make a Bene Gesserit adaptation, and to focus the movie on that sisterhood. I wish there was more Thufir Hawat. That’s what I would say.”
In the novel, Hawat is vigilant in his protection of the house of Atreides but, learning of a traitor in the house becomes suspicious of Lady Jessica due to false information he’s fed from the Harkonnens (before it’s revealed that the traitor is Dr Wellington Yueh, who was killed in the first film).
A major storyline that was cut from the second film was Hawat being forced into the Harkonnens’ service by means of injecting poison into his blood.
Some elements of that storyline do make it into the film – Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha is seen battling captive Atreides warriors and, instead of facing three drugged slaves, it’s clear one of them has his inhibitions intact. In the book, this was a plan created by Hawat to cause a rift between Baron Harkonnen and his nephew.
While working for the Harkonnens in the novel, Hawat plots against the Fremen leader Muad’Dib. However, when he finds out that Muad’Dib is actually Paul, he commits suicide, giving his life in service to the young Duke.
Count Hasimir Fenring
Another notable omission is Count Hasimir Fenring, made all the odder by the fact that his wife, Margot Fenring, is in the film, played by Léa Seydoux.
Count Fenring is described as the only real friend of Emperor Shaddam (played by Christopher Walken in the film). He’s an advisor to the Emperor and a formidable fighter.
In the novel, we learn that the Bene Gesserit once saw Fenring as a potential Kwisatz Hadderach due to his abilities but he was not the one.
Fenring’s abilities meant that Paul had never experienced a vision of him before meeting him and also notes that Fenring had the ability to kill Paul.
During the conclusion of the novel, Fenring rejects the opportunity to kill Paul and he is spared to go into exile with the Emperor and his wife Lady Margot, who is revealed to have given birth to a bastard daughter through her sexual liaison with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
It had been speculated that Tim Blake Nelson was originally due to play Fenring before his scenes were cut from the film.
Harah
Harah is the wife of Jamis and, when he’s killed by Paul, she becomes his servant. She goes on to serve him and eventually becomes his sister Alia’s nurse, becoming fiercely loving and protective of the youngster.
She goes on to marry Stilgar and become a close friend to Chani in the sequel novel Dune Messiah, before taking on the role of a mother figure to Paul’s children, Leto and Ghanima.
Leto II Atreides
In the novel, Leto II is the firstborn son of Paul Atreides and Chani during their time at Sietch Tabr who goes into hiding with Chani and Alia in the South before Alia is taken hostage and Leto is killed during an attack by the enemy.
Both Paul and Chani are devastated and are forever changed by this death in the novel.
In the film, Paul and Chani do not have a child.
Read more:
- Dune: Part Two cast – Full list of actors and characters in sequel
- Dune soundtrack: Part One and Part Two score track list from Hans Zimmer
- Dune: Part Two review – A spectacular return to Arrakis
- Stellan Skarsgård says reading Dune was “useless” for his Baron Harkonnen portrayal
- Dune director on casting Austin Butler: ‘I needed a playboy – a rockstar’
- What is the age rating for Dune: Part Two? Age suitability explained
- How to watch Dune: Part One on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming
- How to read all the Dune books in order
Dune: Part Two is in cinemas now. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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