Leto II is the son of Paul Atreides and Chani, twin brother of Ghanima. Like his father, Leto possesses prescient vision. His role in the Dune saga is one of the most extraordinary in science fiction.

Paul Atreides is the central figure of the Dune saga - the son of Duke Leto Atreides and the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica, heir to one of the great noble houses of the Imperium. Trained from childhood in combat, politics, and the mental disciplines of both the Bene Gesserit and Mentat traditions, Paul carries the weight of prophecies he did not ask for, including the Bene Gesserit dream of a male Kwisatz Haderach. When House Atreides is granted stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis, sole source of the spice melange, Paul is drawn into a web of imperial politics, Fremen mythology, and visions he can neither fully understand nor escape. Herbert uses Paul across the saga to explore the catastrophic consequences of messianic leadership.

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is the head of House Harkonnen and the primary antagonist of Dune - a grotesquely corpulent, brilliantly cunning, and utterly amoral schemer who orchestrates the destruction of House Atreides to reclaim control of Arrakis and its spice. The Baron relies on anti-gravity suspensors to support his massive weight and takes sadistic pleasure in the suffering of others. His plan to destroy the Atreides involves a conspiracy with the Emperor himself and the corruption of one of Leto's most trusted advisors. Despite his villainy, the Baron is a formidable political operator whose machinations drive the first novel's plot. His legacy persists through his bloodline in ways that become central to the broader saga.

Daughter of Duke Leto and Lady Jessica, born with full ancestral memory after Jessica underwent the spice agony while pregnant. Known as St. Alia of the Knife, she kills Baron Harkonnen as a child and later serves as Regent of the Empire after Paul walks into the desert. Her pre-born consciousness makes her vulnerable to possession by her ancestors, and she is ultimately consumed by the Baron's personality.

Duncan Idaho is a loyal Atreides swordmaster, one of the finest fighters in the Imperium and deeply devoted to Duke Leto and his family. Trained by the Ginaz Swordmasters, Duncan combines exceptional combat ability with a charismatic personality and genuine warmth. He serves as weapons instructor to Paul Atreides and acts as the Duke's ambassador to the Fremen.

Grandson of the deposed Emperor Shaddam IV, a young man of intelligence and principle raised on Salusa Secundus. Farad'n is his mother's pawn in her schemes to reclaim the throne, but proves to be more thoughtful and independent than she expects.

Twin sister of Leto II, daughter of Paul Muad'Dib and Chani. Like her brother, Ghanima possesses the ancestral memories of all her forebears - a gift that makes her both preternaturally wise and terrifyingly vulnerable to possession by past personalities.

Warrior, troubadour, and weapons master of House Atreides. Gurney is equally comfortable with a baliset and a sword, a man of fierce loyalty and surprising tenderness who bears the scars - physical and emotional - of years in Harkonnen captivity.

Alia's aide and secret conspirator, serves as a link between Alia and the rebel Fremen

Lady Jessica is a Bene Gesserit sister and the bound concubine of Duke Leto Atreides. Trained in the sisterhood's powers of observation, persuasion, and physical control, Jessica defied the Bene Gesserit's breeding programme by bearing Leto a son - Paul - instead of the daughter they had commanded, disrupting a genetic plan thousands of years in the making. This act of love over duty is the catalyst for everything that follows in the Dune saga. On Arrakis, Jessica undergoes the Water of Life ceremony and becomes a Fremen Reverend Mother, gaining access to ancestral memories stretching back generations. She is one of the most capable and complex characters in the series - fiercely intelligent, politically astute, and torn between her loyalty to the Bene Gesserit and her love for her family.

Fremen elder at Jacurutu/Shuloch, tasked with testing Leto II

Eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam IV, a scholar and historian whose writings provide the epigraphs that open each chapter of Dune. Irulan is a Bene Gesserit trained princess whose role in the story grows from narrator to active participant across the series.

Stilgar is the Naib - the leader - of Sietch Tabr, one of the largest Fremen communities on Arrakis. A pragmatic warrior and respected leader, Stilgar is among the first Fremen to accept Paul and Jessica into the tribe, recognising their potential value. He becomes Paul's most trusted Fremen advisor and military commander, leading the Fremen forces in the battle to overthrow the Emperor. Stilgar's journey across the trilogy mirrors the broader Fremen transformation: from a proud, independent desert leader to a man increasingly uncomfortable with the religious worship surrounding Muad'Dib. His struggle to reconcile his loyalty to Paul with his own common sense about the dangers of fanaticism makes him one of the series' most grounded and sympathetic characters.

Daughter of the deposed Emperor Shaddam IV, mother of Farad'n. Wensicia schemes from exile on Salusa Secundus to restore House Corrino to the imperial throne, using her son as her instrument.

Young Fremen at Shuloch

A Fremen woman who becomes part of Paul's household after he kills her husband Jamis in ritual combat. She serves as a practical and outspoken member of the sietch, helping to raise Alia and later the twins Leto and Ghanima.

Fremen leader at Shuloch, father of Namri

Wensicia's military advisor and Sardaukar bashar on Salusa Secundus