Dune: How The Characters Are Supposed To Look (According To The Books)

Summary Villeneuve's Dune series captures Herbert's epic world-building, bringing beloved characters to life with stunning visuals.

Changes in character appearance offer fresh perspectives, while staying true to the essence of the original saga.

Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac shine in their roles, embodying the spirit of beloved characters from the books.

With the strength of a coriolis storm across the deserts of Arrakis, Denis Villeneuve's Dune and Dune: Part Two swept the globe with a cinematic vision as grand as Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi series. Beginning with the titular book in 1965, Herbert fundamentally changed the landscape of the genre with his saga centered on young Paul Atreides, the favored son of Duke Leto I and Lady Jessica, destined to become the leader of the Fremen and shape the desert world of Arrakis into a paradise. The scope of his world-building and the strength of his story created a lasting legacy and legions of fans.

While much of what they've been waiting for has remained true to Herbert's telling, Villeneuve and his creative team have made some changes to the sprawling cast of characters in Dune — especially when it comes to their appearance. From prophetic hero Paul Atreides to the villainous Baron Harkonnen, this comparison highlights the way they're described in the pages of the books versus what they look like Villeneuve's definitive version.

Related Dune: Part Three - Confirmation & Everything We Know After the explosive ending of Dune 2, Dune 3 could cap off Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy by focusing on the events of the novel Dune: Messiah.

Paul Atreides

Played By Timothée Chalamet

Paul is the main protagonist of Dune and the heir of House Atreides, and is played in Denis Villeneuve by Timothée Chalamet in what many feel is a case of near-perfect casting. He receives a fair amount of detailed description beginning in the first chapter of the novel, and is described as having a small build, with black hair, "an oval face", "long lashes", "thin nose", and a strong bone structure.

In all of these respects, Paul Atreides looks nearly picture-perfect in the film, looking every bit the offspring of both Lady Jessica with her oval face and Leto I with his sharp features. His stringy lankiness appropriately sets him apart from the heavier set Arrakeen natives, and since he's played by the always likable Timothée Chalamet, he retains the moody, lone-wolf quality he's known for in the books.

Lady Jessica

Played By Rebecca Ferguson

Lady Jessica is the mother of Paul Atreides and romantic partner of Duke Leto I, and in many ways, her choices most affect the trajectory of the book's plot aside from anything Paul does. Paul may be the hero, but she has the power. One of the most prominent aspects of her description throughout the first book is her "bronze hair", which resurfaces several times, as well as her slim build and full lips.

The "Lady of Caladan" is ideally represented onscreen by Rebecca Ferguson in Dune and Dune: Part Two, with a physical description to match the aura of strength she exudes, which more than any other physical attribute is essential. After all, it was Lady Jessica who defied the Bene Gesserit, Dune's telepathic order of witches, to have Paul in the first place.

Duke Leto I

Played By Oscar Isaac

Another Dune cast member who bears a striking resemblance to Frank Hebert's description of their character is Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto I. Duke Leto I, head of House Atreides and father to Paul Atreides, is often noted for his "dark olive skin", very angular features, and gray eyes. It is specifically stated that the Duke is of Greek descent, and should therefore look like he comes from lands with "olive groves and golden sun on blue waters".

The Duke is known for being taller than his son and Isaac and Chalamet appear the same height.

With his hawkish features, tan skin, and wavy black hair, Oscar Isaac as the head of House Atreides appears to leap off the pages of Herbert's novel. It's clear that Paul gets many of his features from his father, though the Duke is known for being taller than his son and Isaac and Chalamet appear the same height.

Gurney Halleck

Played By Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin, who is mostly known for playing Thanos in the MCU but has a wide filmography, brings his gruff mannerisms to the Dune movies as Gurney Halleck. In the book, Gurney Halleck has wispy blond hair and is balding, giving the Warmaster for House Atreides a distinct appearance among his peers, particularly with the scar (given to him by an inkvine whip) across his mouth. Halleck is known to be a strong fighter, not an attractive man.

While Brolin did an excellent job as the cinematic version of Gurney in Denis Villeneuve's Dune and Dune: Part Two, he's one of the cast members who's the least like his character. Gurney Halleck is one of the more noticeably different characters in the film, appearing with a much more powerful build, a full head of hair, and a beard. He's also much more handsome than expected as played by the rugged Josh Brolin.

Related Dune 2 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning Character The Dune: Part Two cast features both returning actors from the first movie, like Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, and newcomers like Florence Pugh.

Duncan Idaho

Played By Jason Momoa

Jason Momoa of Game of Thrones and Aquaman fame played Duncan Idaho in 2021's Dune, and much like Paul, Lady Jessica, and Duke Leto I matches how Frank Herbert described the character incredibly well. The right-hand of the Duke and a swordmaster for House Atreides, Duncan Idaho figures prominently as a warrior in the first Dune book, often in the defense of young Paul and his family. He's described as having "dark skin", a "round face" and curly hair "like the fur of a black goat".

David Villeneuve's Dune sees a beefier-than-normal Jason Momoa commit to the physical description — as well as the intense fighting workout — of the famed swordsman, though his dark blonde hair differs from Duncan's noted brunette locks. Ultimately, his build and other aspects of his imposing stature fit the role, and just like Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, it's difficult to imagine any but Momoa bringing Duncan Idaho to life.

Chani Kynes

Played By Zendaya

Zendaya appears in Dune and Dune: Part Two as Chani, one of Paul's love interests and his guide in the ways of the Fremen. Chani Kynes is known for appearing in Paul's dreams as a "very skinny" girl with enormous eyes and flaming red hair. Though he doesn't know her identity, their destinies become entwined once he gets exiled into the Arrakis desert and enters into relations with the Fremen he encounters there.

She retains a thin frame and dark eyes (that occasionally turn blue), with hair that only appears tawny when the sun hits it.

In 2021's Dune, when Paul and Lady Jessica are captured by Chani and a band of Fremen and he realizes who she is, she retains a thin frame and dark eyes (that occasionally turn blue), with hair that only appears tawny when the sun hits it. Fremen are often described as resembling a variety of ethnicities, making Zendaya — who has mixed Nigerian, German, and Scottish ancestry — better conceived for the role than even Herbert could have imagined.

Stilgar

Played By Javier Bardem

Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Javier Bardem's most notable role is undoubtedly as Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men, and the acclaimed character actor brings all his talents to Dune as Stilgar. Stilgar is a leader among the Fremen who comes to Arrakeen to deliberate with the Duke about the future of the relationship between House Atreides and his people. In the book, he's not a very imposing man, with a "thin nose and full-lipped mouth in a glistening black beard."

This is one of several Dune character descriptions that doesn't quite ring true to the movies. He's a much more powerfully built man in Dune, and when he arrives in Arrakeen and removes his facial covering to converse with the Duke, his features are prominent and strong. As played by Javier Bardem, known for playing truly memorable villains, he's an ambiguous, confrontational character whose true intentions are never truly known.

Dr. Wellington Yeuh

Played By Chang Chen

Actor Chang Chen has only starred in a handful of movies outside of his native Taiwan, the most recent of which was as Wellington Yeuh in Dune — a character he shares some similarities with, but who also underwent some changes when being adapted for the screen. Dr. Wellington Yeuh, the physician to House Atreides and personal doctor of Paul and his family, is notable for his "long black hair" and "square-shaped head", with "purple lips and a drooping mustache", traits that paint a very vivid description in the first book.

Dr. Yeuh doesn't retain long hair in the film, and Chen Chang doesn't present the "fleshless stick figure" in baggy clothing that Paul and Lady Jessica often report Yeuh to be, but his other features are more or less in keeping with how they describe him, right down to the diamond tattoo from Imperial Conditioning that resides on his forehead.

Related 5 Biggest Dune Book Characters Missing From Dune 2 Every movie adaptation of a book must make certain cuts, and Dune 2 had to remove major characters for the sake of the runtime and updated story.

Thufir Hawat

Played By Stephen McKinley Henderson

Stephen McKinley Henderson is an acclaimed actor with a long career, most recently starring in 2023's Beau Is Afraid and 2024's Civil War. In the first Dune movie he played Thurfir Hawat, though was notably absent from the sequel. Thufir Hawat is the longtime head of security for House Atreides, with his status as a Mentat and Master of Assassins ensuring that he keeps Paul and the royal family safe. He doesn't receive a great deal of description, except the mention of his "old, leathery skin" and having "drug-induced energy in his movements."

The film doesn't indicate that he has any great deal of energy from substances of any kind.

Hawat appears to look old enough to have served House Atreides for three generations, but the film doesn't indicate that he has any great deal of energy from substances of any kind. As played by Stephen McKinley Henderson, the character enjoys a convivial relationship with both the Duke and Paul.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

Played By Stellan Skarsgard

Of all the characters in Dune, the members of House Harkonnen are the most visually striking, and Stellan Skarsgard went through an extensive make-up process to ensure his character, Baron Harkonnen, had an aesthetic that was impossible to forget. One of the greatest enemies of House Atreides, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is a powerful influence on its fate and makes a prominent impression on its members. Lady Jessica, Leto, and Paul note his "fat-child fingers", his "rumbling voice", "fat cherubic cheeks" and his "spider-black eyes."

As he appears in the film, Baron Harkonnen is a hulking man whose girth is supported by means of levitation. He has an enormous appetite for food as well as acts of sadism and intones his threats with the same booming inflection as the novel. Though he doesn't have a great amount of screen time, the acting by Stellan Skarsgard ensures he's easily one of the best villains in any Denis Villeneuve film.

Glossu Rabban Harkonnen

Played By Bautista

WWE superstar-turned-actor Bautista joined the cast of Dune to play Glossu Harkonnen, though his character went through a few changes. Known as "The Beast", Glossu Rabban Harkonnen is the older nephew of Baron Harkonnen, and charged with running House Harkonnen affairs on Arrakis. The Baron, in truth, favors his younger nephew Feyd-Rautha. The Beast is described as being as cruel as the rest of his family members, but having very little intelligence — "a muscle-minded tank-brain."

As he appears in the movie played by Dave Bautista, he comes across as aggressive, but not completely lacking in intelligence — he correctly recognizes that allowing Lady Jessica and Paul to be exiled (rather than killing them) provides them a chance to enact revenge on House Harkonnen. He nevertheless lets them go after leading the attack on House Atreides, reclaiming Arrakis — and its spice — for House Harkonnen once more.

Liet Kynes

Played By Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Of all the characters in Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies, Dr. Liet Kynes — played by Sharon Duncan Brewster — went through the most changes in their appearance. This is primarily because, in the novels, Liet Kynes is a man. A planetologist that serves the Emperor, Liet Kynes is often torn between his devotion to the Imperium and the Fremen. In Herbert's novel, he is tall, thin, and has "long sandy hair [with] a sparse beard" and "fathomless blue eyes under heavy brows". He's also the father of Chani Kynes.

Sharon Duncan-Brewster's character is now a woman and — as far as anyone knows — has no familial relationship with Chani.

Liet Kynes is a planetologist in the movie and also the "Judge of Change", but Sharon Duncan-Brewster's character is now a woman and — as far as anyone knows — has no familial relationship with Chani. She remains a secret Fremen leader, and does help Paul and Lady Jessica escape the Harkonnen attack on Arrakeen.

Related Dune: Prophecy - Cast, Story & Everything We Know About The Dune TV Spinoff Dune: Prophecy is coming to TV as a spinoff series from the popular movie franchise and here is everything you need to know about the new show.

Shadout Mapes

Played By Golda Rosheuvel

Shadout Mapes is introduced as the new housekeeper for the Atreides family after their move to Arrakeen, though Lady Jessica suspects the Fremen woman has been sent to test her. Played by Golda Rosheuvel of Bridgerton fame, Shadout doesn't receive much description in the book, and the moment she shares with Lady Jessica is important only to cement the fact that the Bene Gesserit have successfully embedded legends of a coming messiah into Fremen culture.

Shadouts vague description gave a bit of flexilibilty to the look of her character, though there were some changes to her role in the narrative. Similar to the novel, Mapes presents Lady Jessica with a crysknife, though in the movie it's as a gift instead of a means to kill her. Her behavior around Lady Jessica suggests she believes her — and her son — to be very important to the prophecy of the one who will free her people from oppression.

Piter De Vries

Played By David Dastmalchian

A cunning Mentat used to carry out the twisted machinations of House Harkkonen, Piter de Vries is described as being "slender" as well as short, with an "effeminate face" and a tenor voice that has a "sweet, musical quality." A rival to Thufir Hawat of House Atreides, he plays a substantial role in the first book, carrying out schemes with all the precision of the computers his mind is supposed to take the place of.

Not much is shown in the movie to emphasize Piter de Vries' exceptional mental prowess against House Atreides, but he does oversee raising the Emperor's army to aid House Harkonnen's retaking of Arrakis. David Dastmalchian — who led the cast of Late Night With The Devil in 2023 —winningly conveys de Vries's delicate nature and soft voice as he skulks in the shadows doing the Baron's bidding.

Gaius Helen Mohiam

Played By Charlotte Rampling

The first book in Frank Herbert's Dune series isn't terribly kind to the Reverend Mother, emphasizing her "bulky female shape", with "hair like matted spiderwebs" and "pale gums around silvery metal teeth" when described by Paul. The Baron doesn't have anything kinder to say about her, viewing her as a stereotypical witch-like hag, with "sunken cheeks, an overlong nose" and "protruding veins". Gaius Helen Mohiam is another Dune character that Denis Villeneuve decided to give a significant overhaul, however, and she doesn't match her book description much at all.

Much of her face is shielded by a veil, but from what viewers can see, she's hardly a hideous witch.

In the movie, Charlotte Rampling's Gaius Helen Mohiam is given much more decorum (and has one of the best outfits of the movie), emphasizing her importance as the Emperor's Truthsayer as well as the Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit. Much of her face is shielded by a veil, but from what viewers can see, she's hardly a hideous witch.

Jamis

Played By Babs Olusanmokun

Babs Olusanmokun is no stranger to heavy sci-fi, as he's most known outside of Dune for starring in an episode of Black Mirror and as Dr. Joseph M'Benga in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Jamis was a Fremen of Stilgar's seitch who came to Paul in visions as a friend, but whom he met as an enemy when Jamis challenged Paul and Lady Jessica's right to join them after their exile from Arrakeen. He was eventually bested in combat by Paul, and described as being a "ferocious fighter".

The movie focuses primarily on the duel between Jamis and Paul, in which Paul only succeeds in killing Jamis after he casts aside visions of his own death and surrenders to the mercurial way of the desert. Jamis is a key character in the Dune book whose death acts as Paul's first step into a prophetic role he is doomed to assume.