Alia Atreides

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Alia Atreides is a fictional character featured in the Dune series by Frank Herbert.

[edit] In the novels

She was known to her followers as St. Alia of the Knife, the sister of Muad'Dib. She was an Abomination according to the Bene Gesserit; while in the later years of her regency, her enemies and victims among the Fremen called her Coan-Teen, "the female death spirit that walks without feet."

She was born in year 10,191 A.G. (after the foundation of the Spacing Guild) on the planet Arrakis to Lady Jessica Atreides. Her father Leto Atreides I had died eight months earlier. She was younger sister to Paul Atreides, and through their mother, a granddaughter to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.

Arrakis was a desert planet, and also known as Dune. It was notable as the only known source of the spice melange, a highly addictive drug used to expand consciousness and lifespan. Alia was born a full Reverend Mother, having been exposed to the Water of Life (the bile of drowned sandworm) in the womb (as Jessica Atreides underwent the Spice Agony). Children born this way were killed by the Bene Gesserit whenever possible because they had little defense against the personalities contained in Other Memory. Without the existence of a strong personal identity, a child awakened to consciousness in utero was highly susceptible to becoming possessed by one of their ancestors. Jessica, despite her awareness of this likelihood, brought her baby to term, and Alia slowly learned to control what powers she had.

Alia was born with limited powers of prophecy and second sight. In the original novel Dune, her powers were only hinted at, though she was born with full awareness. She was raised in a community of Fremen, led by her brother in an effort to control the planet and its production of melange. Since her mother, as the Sayyadina, was often away from the sietch, Alia was left with her nephew, Leto, in the care of Harah, Paul's personal servant. Alia was captured and her nephew killed in a Sardaukar raid on the sietch. She was presented to the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, who offered her life in exchange for the surrender of the Fremen rebels. Alia managed to escape during the final battle of Arrakeen, but not before she poisoned her grandfather, Baron Harkonnen, with a deadly gom jabbar.

The character was further explored in Dune Messiah through her relationship with the ghola Hayt, who was a clone of Paul's teacher, Duncan Idaho. Throughout the novel, there were hints of sexual tension between them as they worked together to unravel the conspiracy against the Atreides. Hayt even stole a kiss from her, which upset her; he responded by saying he took nothing more than what was offered. Alia eventually agreed. When a blinded Paul departed into the desert, as was the Fremen custom for the blind, Alia was named Regent and the guardian of Paul's children: the heir, Leto Atreides II, and his sister, Ghanima. Shortly after, Alia married Hayt, who had regained his full memory was thus completely restored as Duncan Idaho.

In Children of Dune, Alia became progressively more witch-like and less human as she slowly succumbed to Abomination. Falling under the influence of the spirit of her deceased grandfather, the Baron Harkonnen, Alia abused her powers as Regent and became a ruthless tyrant. She allowed the Baron access to her senses in exchange for his help fighting off the other personalities within her, but his sexual perversions soon controlled her, compelling her to engage in sexual acts with her aides. During the exercise of his Mentat powers, Duncan came to the realization that Alia had fallen into Abomination, and helped Jessica escape Alia's murderous plot. Alia then decided to kill Duncan, but he soon recognized the signs of this decision and escaped himself.

The Preacher, actually Paul Atreides, returned once more to the steps of the temple and exposed Alia's abomination to the Fremen. Her priests soon murdered him, as Alia's nephew Leto II returned from hiding, his sister Ghanima in tow. The twins offered Alia their help conquering her inner lives, as they had. But Leto realized that the Baron's hold over her was too strong, and provided two options: to the Baron, a Trial of Possession, an ancient ritual that would guarantee the Baron's undoing; and to Alia, the open window, high above the temple steps. As a helpless Jessica looked on, Alia regained control of her body long enough to leap out the window to her death.

[edit] In adaptations

Alia was portrayed by Alicia Witt in David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation, by Laura Burton in the 2000 Dune miniseries and by Daniela Amavia in its 2003 sequel, Children of Dune.

Preceded by: Padishah Emperor Paul Muad'Dib Atreides	Duchess Atreides 10,209 - 10,219	Succeeded by: God Emperor Leto Atreides II
	Imperial Regent 10,209 - 10,219