View source for Chani (character)

{{Infobox character
| series            = [[Dune (franchise)|Dune]]
| creator           = [[Frank Herbert]]
| name              = Chani
| image             = Zendaya as Chani (Dune 2021).jpg
| caption           = [[Zendaya]] as Chani in ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' (2021)
| alias             = Sihaya 
| title             = Imperial [[concubine]]
| significant_other = [[Paul Atreides]]
| children          = {{Plainlist|
* Leto (murdered while an infant)
* [[Leto II Atreides]]
* [[Ghanima Atreides]]
}}
| relatives         = [[Liet-Kynes]] (parent)<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/dune-trailer-breakdown-denis-villeneuve/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|first=Christian|last=Holub|title='Dune' director Denis Villeneuve breaks down film's eye-popping first trailer |date=2020-09-09|access-date=2024-03-10}}</ref>
| affiliation       = [[Fremen]]<br>[[House Atreides]]
| portrayer         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sean Young]] ([[Dune (1984 film)|1984 film]])
* [[Barbora Kodetová]] ([[Frank Herbert's Dune|2000 miniseries]] / [[Frank Herbert's Children of Dune|2003 sequel]])
* [[Zendaya]] ([[Dune (2021 film)|2021]] / [[Dune: Part Two|2024]] / [[Dune: Part Three|2026 films]])
}}
| first             = ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1963–65)
| last              = ''[[Paul of Dune]]'' (2008)
}}
[[File:Sean Young LF.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Sean Young]] portrays Chani in ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984).]]
[[File:Barbora Kodetová 2019.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Barbora Kodetová]] portrays Chani in ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune]]'' (2000) and ''[[Frank Herbert's Children of Dune]]'' (2003).]]
'''Chani''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|eɪ|n|i}} {{respell|CHAY|nee}} or {{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|ɑː|n|i}} {{respell|CHAH|nee}}){{refn|group=Note|Frank Herbert specified he intended for the "CHAY-nee" pronunciation to be used.<ref name ="Herbert Pronunciation">{{Cite web |url=http://www.usul.net/books/sounds.htm |title=Audio excerpts from a reading of ''Dune'' by Frank Herbert |publisher=Usul.net |access-date=2010-10-06}}</ref> However, several audiovisual works in the ''Dune'' franchise, including the [[Dune (2021 film)|2021]] and [[Dune: Part Two|2024]] film adaptations of the first book, have used the "CHAH-nee" pronunciation.<ref name = "Film Pronunciation 1">{{cite AV media | people=Villeneuve, Denis  (director) | date=September 3, 2021 | title=Dune | type=Motion picture | location=United States | publisher=Legendary Pictures}}</ref><ref name = "Film Pronunciation 2">{{cite AV media | people=Villeneuve, Denis  (director) | date= February 6, 2024 | title=Dune: Part Two | type=Motion picture | location=United States | publisher=Legendary Pictures}}</ref>}} is a fictional character featured in [[Frank Herbert]]'s novels ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]'' (1965) and ''[[Dune Messiah]]'' (1969). Known mainly as the [[Fremen]] wife and legal [[concubine]] of protagonist [[Paul Atreides]], Chani is the daughter of Imperial Planetologist [[Liet-Kynes]] and his Fremen wife [[Faroula]], and later the mother of the twins [[Ghanima Atreides|Ghanima]] and [[Leto II Atreides]]. The character is later resurrected as a [[ghola]], appearing in ''[[Hunters of Dune]]'' (2006) and ''[[Sandworms of Dune]]'' (2007), [[Brian Herbert]] and [[Kevin J. Anderson]]'s novels which complete the original series.

Chani is portrayed by actress [[Sean Young]] in the [[David Lynch]] film ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984), and by [[Barbora Kodetová]] in the 2000 [[John Harrison (filmmaker)|John Harrison]] [[miniseries]] ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune]]'' and its 2003 sequel ''[[Frank Herbert's Children of Dune]]''. The character is played by [[Zendaya]] in the 2021 [[Denis Villeneuve]] film ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' and its [[Dune: Part Two|2024 sequel]].

==Character overview==
===''Dune''===
In ''Dune'', Paul's [[prescience (Dune)|prescience]] begins manifesting itself through dreams while he is still living in his ancestral home on the planet [[Caladan]]; he sees Chani in these visions, though they have not yet met. Paul and the [[House Atreides|Atreides]] come to the [[desert planet]] [[Arrakis]], but Paul's father [[Leto I Atreides|Duke Leto]] is soon killed by the [[House Harkonnen|Harkonnens]] and Paul and his mother [[Lady Jessica]] are forced to flee into the desert. They are reluctantly taken in by a tribe of the planet's native Fremen, and Chani is the Fremen woman put in charge of protecting and guiding Paul. They soon become lovers, and Paul rises as a religious leader among the Fremen, and is called [[Muad'Dib]].

Already a talented warrior before meeting Paul, Chani becomes deadly after training by Paul and Jessica in the Bene Gesserit [[martial arts]] called the "[[weirding way]]" by the Fremen. Chani later manages to bring Paul out of the deep [[Melange (fictional drug)|spice]] trance he falls into after using spice essence to enhance his powers. Paul and Chani's first child, Leto II (not to be confused with their later son, [[Leto II Atreides]]), is killed as an infant in a [[House Corrino|Corrino]] raid on their home in the deep desert.

To cement his control of the Empire after deposing [[Padishah Emperor]] [[Shaddam IV]], Paul takes Shaddam's daughter, the [[Princess Irulan]], as his wife. Chani understands the political reasons, but Paul reassures her:
<blockquote>
"I swear to you now ... that you'll need no title. That woman over there will be my wife and you but a concubine because this is a political thing and we must weld peace out of this moment, enlist the Great Houses of the [[Landsraad]]. We must obey the forms. Yet that princess shall have no more of me than my name. No child of mine nor touch nor softness of glance, nor instant of desire."<ref name="Dune">[[Frank Herbert|Herbert, Frank]] (1965). ''[[Dune (novel)|Dune]]''. {{ISBN|0-441-17271-7}}.</ref>
</blockquote>

Jessica adds:
<blockquote>
"Think on it, Chani: that princess will have the name, yet she'll live as less than a concubine—never to know a moment of tenderness from the man to whom she's bound. While we, Chani, we who carry the name of concubine—history will call us wives."<ref name="Dune"/>
</blockquote>

===''Dune Messiah''===
Twelve years later in ''Dune Messiah'', Paul remains completely loyal to Chani. With their [[Bene Gesserit#Breeding program|breeding program]] in mind, the [[Bene Gesserit]] are desperate to regain control of Paul's bloodline, and are fearful of the effect Chani's "wild" genes may have on their offspring. Wishing to rid himself of their machinations, Paul negotiates with the Bene Gesserit [[Reverend Mother (Dune)|Reverend Mother]] [[Gaius Helen Mohiam]]: "You may have my seed, but not my person ... Irulan banished and inseminated ... You may have my seed for your plans, but no child of Irulan's will sit on my throne."<ref name="Messiah">Herbert, Frank (1969). ''[[Dune Messiah]]''. {{ISBN|0-441-17269-5}}.</ref> [[Artificial insemination]] is prohibited in the wake of the [[Butlerian Jihad]], and the idea of it is as horrific to the Sisterhood as the loss of the "precious [[House Atreides|Atreides]] genes".<ref name="Messiah"/>

Irulan, herself Bene Gesserit-trained, secretly feeds Chani contraceptives to prevent her from conceiving an Imperial heir. However, Chani eventually changes to an ancient Fremen diet to enhance fertility; Irulan is unable to interfere, and Chani soon becomes pregnant. Tragically, Chani dies giving birth to the twins [[Ghanima Atreides|Ghanima]] and [[Leto II Atreides|Leto II]]. His intricate plan coming to fruition, the [[Bene Tleilax|Tleilaxu]] agent [[Scytale (Dune)|Scytale]] offers to "resurrect" Chani as a [[ghola]] in return for Tleilaxu control of the empire, but Paul has him killed. Through his prescience, Paul can see that Chani's death during childbirth is far less painful and cruel than her possible future fates had she survived.

===''Children of Dune''===
Despite her death, Chani lives on as part of the [[Other Memory]] of her [[pre-born]] twins. In ''[[Children of Dune]]'', this ancestral self is summoned by Ghanima for her guidance, but Chani's persona nearly possesses Ghanima completely.<ref name="Children of Dune">Herbert, Frank (1976). ''[[Children of Dune]]''. {{ISBN|978-0-441-10402-4}} pgs 73-75.</ref> Leto II manages to save his sister from this [[Abomination (Dune)|Abomination]] by summoning Paul through his own Other Memory; Paul threatens Chani, who releases her hold on Ghanima. At the end of the novel, Chani's memory-self becomes a guardian against Ghanima's other ancestral memories who may try to possess her, allowing her daughter's personality to continue and grow in safety.

===''God Emperor of Dune''===
According to ''[[God Emperor of Dune]]'', a version of Chani's memory-self also exists in Leto II. By the time of the novel, Leto is able to allow his ancestral memories to speak through his mouth without threat of Abomination. At one point, he allows Chani to speak through him.

===''Hunters of Dune'' and ''Sandworms of Dune''===
In the 2006 [[Brian Herbert]]/[[Kevin J. Anderson]] sequel ''[[Hunters of Dune]]'', gholas of Paul and Chani are among the others created to assist mankind in the climactic battle with what turns out to be the [[thinking machines (Dune)|thinking machines]].{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

In ''[[Sandworms of Dune]]'' (2007), Paul ultimately duels another Paul Atreides ghola — named [[Paolo (Dune)|Paolo]] — created by the [[Face Dancer]]s and twisted by the sadistic ghola of Baron Harkonnen himself. Paul is mortally wounded, but the trauma restores his memories and he manages to heal himself. Later, on the recovering planet Dune, the awakened gholas of Paul and Chani go about restoring the planet to its former glory. They have reverted to the ways of the ancient [[Fremen]], resolving to lead simple lives and unafraid of the plots and schemes that had threatened them in their previous lives. Now able to devote all of his attention to her, Chani remarks that Paul has finally learned how to treat his wife. As the novel closes, Paul reaffirms his love for Chani, telling her he has loved her for five thousand years.

==In adaptations==
Chani is portrayed by actress [[Sean Young]] in the [[David Lynch]] film ''[[Dune (1984 film)|Dune]]'' (1984),<ref name="NYT 1984-12">{{cite news|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F06E2D71238F937A25751C1A962948260|title=Movie Review: ''Dune'' (1984) |last=Maslin|first=Janet|author-link=Janet Maslin|date=December 14, 1984|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 15, 2010}}</ref>

[[Barbora Kodetová]] plays Chani in the [[John Harrison (filmmaker)|John Harrison]] [[miniseries]] ''[[Frank Herbert's Dune]]'' (2000) and its [[sequel]] ''[[Frank Herbert's Children of Dune]]'' (2003).<ref name="NYT 1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/15/arts/television-review-a-stormy-family-on-a-sandy-planet.html |title=Television Review: A Stormy Family on a Sandy Planet |first=Ron |last=Wertheimer |work=The New York Times |date=March 15, 2003 |access-date=January 19, 2015}}</ref><ref name="NYT 2">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/16/tv/cover-story-where-spice-of-life-is-the-vital-variety.html?|title=Cover Story: Where Spice of Life Is the Vital Variety|last=Berger|first=Warren|date=March 16, 2003|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=134|access-date=January 26, 2010}}</ref> Emmet Asher-Perrin of ''[[Tor.com]]'' wrote that "Kodetová is divine as Chani in both her sensitivity and fierceness".<ref name="Tor.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.tor.com/2017/05/09/syfys-dune-miniseries-is-the-most-okay-adaptation-of-the-book-to-date/|title=Syfy's ''Dune'' Miniseries is the Most Okay Adaptation of the Book to Date|first=Emmet|last=Asher-Perrin|date=May 9, 2017|website=[[Tor.com]]|access-date=February 20, 2019}}</ref>

[[Zendaya]] portrays Chani in the 2021 [[Denis Villeneuve]] film ''[[Dune (2021 film)|Dune]]'' and its 2024 sequel, ''[[Dune: Part Two]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190318005491/en/Cameras-Roll-Warner-Bros.-Pictures-Legendary-Entertainment%E2%80%99s|title=Cameras Roll on Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment's Epic Adaptation of ''Dune''|date=March 18, 2019|access-date=March 18, 2019|website=[[Business Wire]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/dune-part-two-review-this-is-zendayas-movie.html |title=''Dune: Part Two'' Is Zendaya's Movie |first=Alison |last=Willmore |date=March 1, 2024 |website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]] |access-date=March 1, 2024 |url-access=limited}}</ref> Zendaya's portrayal of Chani, along with Timothée Chalamet's Paul, were added to ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]'' in October 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/paul-atreides-and-chani-travel-from-planet-dune-to-the-fortnite-item-shop|title=PAUL ATREIDES AND CHANI TRAVEL FROM PLANET DUNE TO THE FORTNITE ITEM SHOP|date=October 20, 2021|access-date=October 20, 2021|work=[[Epic Games]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Phillips |first=TC |date=August 15, 2021 |title=Zendaya's Chani Will Be the Protagonist in Planned ''Dune'' Sequel |url=https://screenrant.com/dune-movie-sequel-zendaya-chani-protagonist-part-2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815151425/https://www.screenrant.com/dune-movie-sequel-zendaya-chani-protagonist-part-2/ |archive-date=August 15, 2021 |access-date=August 27, 2021 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref> Villeneuve's depiction of Chani is relatively different from her portrayal in the books: where Herbert wrote her as fiercely loyal to Paul and his cause, in the film Chani is shown to grow increasingly alarmed at Paul's rise in power and doubtful of his proclaimed love for her. When he pledges to marry Princess Irulan and gains the Emperor's power, Chani refuses to bow to him and departs on a sandworm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Polk |first1=Milan |title=Dune 2 Is Noticeably Different From the Book |url=https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a60076192/dune-part-two-book-movie-differences/ |website=Men's Health |access-date=4 March 2024 |date=4 March 2024}}</ref> Villeneuve notes that ''Dune Messiah'' was written partly to make clear Herbert's intention that Paul was an anti-hero, with Chani's depiction in the film serving as set-up for Villeneuve's planned ''Dune Messiah'' adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shayo |first1=Lukas |title=Dune 2 Fixes An Original Book Problem Says Denis Villeneuve: "Frank Herbert Was Disappointed" |url=https://screenrant.com/dune-2-movie-book-changes-fix-denis-villeneuve/ |website=ScreenRant |access-date=4 March 2024 |date=4 February 2024}}</ref> Zendaya is confirmed to reprise the role in the upcoming sequel film, ''[[Dune: Part Three]]'' (2026), which will adapt ''Dune Messiah''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/dune-3-rob-pattinson-1236363305/|title=''Dune 3'': Legendary Circling Robert Pattinson for New Role in Upcoming Installment|last=Kroll|first=Justin|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=April 8, 2025|access-date=April 17, 2025}}</ref>

==Family tree==
{{House Atreides family tree}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Dune franchise}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chani}}
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