Who Is Paul Atreides' Sister Alia & What Happens To Her In Dune?

When Denis Villeneuve took us back to Arrakis in "Dune: Part Two," some of the biggest changes he made were to Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and the Atreides family tree. The most notable nugget missing from his adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic is Paul's younger sister, Alia, whose presence is only limited to either speaking to her mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), while still in the womb or appearing as a vision of the future to Paul before he leads the people of Arrakis to war.

It turns out that in Herbert's tale, Alia is very much alive and out and about in the world the elders once called Dune. She is seen as just as much of a revered figure as her elder brother. Unfortunately, much like Lisan al Gaib, who turns the tide against the Harkonnen family and Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), her life is riddled with just as much turmoil. Not only does she struggle to help her older brother, but a troubling possession of a forgotten foe further along in Dune lore sees her turn from hopeful hero to tortured tyrant. Just like every other part of the Dune franchise's history, Alia's story is a very complex one, which explains why Villeneuve only uses her sparingly in his story, even though she plays a bigger part in other adaptations.

In Denis Villeneuve's 2024 movie, Alia is heard frequently in the film speaking to Lady Jessica, leading to a cameo in the film's final act. For the coveted role of the powerful Atreides daughter, Anya Taylor-Joy was secretly cast in the role for "Dune: Part Two," with the expectation she'll reprise her role in "Dune: Messiah" if Villeneuve's requested conditions are met. However, in previous takes on Frank Herbert's sand-swept saga, Alia is just as crucial to this portion of the story than every other character. 

David Lynch's cult-favorite adaptation had Alicia Witt earn the title of St. Alia of the Knife and stayed in line with the first book's events; Witt joined the production at only 7 years old. In the 2000 miniseries, Laura Burton played the part, and then was followed by Daniela Amavia in the sequel miniseries "Children of Dune" starring opposite James McAvoy as Leto II. In these three adaptations of the Dune saga, a lot more detail was applied to Alia's role, highlighting how powerful she was in Herbert's story and the impact she had during the uprising on Arrakis. She was a truly formidable character even at a young age, but it was in her later years as Regent that she sent her own family's legacy into turmoil.

Just as Frank Herbert intended, in both Lynch's take and the miniseries that followed years later, Alia is Baron Harkonnen's assassin, killing him at the end of the first book. This is different from the 2024 film where Paul publicly executes Harkonnen before battling Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler). While such a task might seem nearly impossible for a young child, the second born to Lady Jessica is just as gifted and capable as her brother, just in very different ways.

Entering the world eight months after the death of her father, Leto (Oscar Isaac), Alia has the mature mind of an adult Bene Gesserit. Born after her mother is exposed to the Water of Life (that super gross blue stuff that in the books lead to spice orgies), she is deemed Abomination, a child that has access to the Other Memory, a Bene Gesserit ability that gives the owner a pathway to be possessed by an ancestor. Unfortunately, Alia falls victim to just such an occurrence in "Children of Dune," when she is taken over by her late grandfather, Baron Harkonnen, becoming a tyrannical and cruel ruler in Paul's stead. It's this transition that leads her to perform some pretty shocking acts that make her a complex character that could be loved and loathed in equal measure.

For some fans, Alia might not be such a popular character given the events that take place after "Dune" which she is the cause of. Besides plotting to assassinate her mother, Alia is successful in killing her brother Paul, making her one of the biggest threats to your favorite Arrakis-inhabiting family.

The truth of the matter is, of course, that Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is in control of Alia, so much so that she even gains a bulge in her belly resembling the figure of her late grandfather. It's only when Leto II steps in following the death of his father, that he tries to pull his aunt back from the brink. The effort comes all too late though, as the torturous control from the Baron leads Alia in her final moments of sanity to jump to her death to break free from his grip.

With such a harrowing but crucial detail to the Dune lore, it'll be interesting to see what might be included in the all-but official threequel, "Dune: Messiah." This chapter takes place before Alia becomes twisted by the Baron's return, so it'd be interesting to see if the Oscar-nominated director drops hints of the inevitable takeover in his threequel. It's a tough task, but if there's anyone that can see the way to do it, it's Denis Villeneuve.