Chani (character)
Chani (/ˈtʃeɪni/ CHAY-nee or /ˈtʃɑːni/ CHAH-nee) is a fictional character featured in Frank Herbert's novels 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 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 | |
|---|---|
| Dune character | |
Zendaya as Chani in Dune (2021) | |
| First appearance | Dune (1963–65) |
| Last appearance | Paul of Dune (2008) |
| Created by | Frank Herbert |
| Portrayed by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Alias | Sihaya |
| Title | Imperial concubine |
| Affiliation | Fremen House Atreides |
| Significant other | Paul Atreides |
| Children |
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| Relatives | Liet-Kynes (parent) |
Chani is portrayed by actress Sean Young in the David Lynch film Dune (1984), and by Barbora Kodetová in the 2000 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 and its 2024 sequel.