Chani (character)

Chani is a fictional character featured in Frank Herbert's science fiction Dune universe. Chani was a key character in the novels Dune and Dune Messiah. She is the daughter of Liet-Kynes and his wife Faroula.

Template:Spoiler She is known mainly as the Fremen wife and legal concubine of Paul Atreides (Muad'Dib). She is the mother of the twins Ghanima and Leto Atreides II.

Paul had visions of them together when he was still living in his ancestral home on Caladan. Chani was put in charge of Paul when he and his mother Jessica Atreides first came to live with the Fremen. Paul and Chani quickly become lovers.

Chani was a talented warrior before meeting Paul; but after training in the weirding way by Paul and Jessica, she become truly deadly. As Paul rose as a religious leader among the Fremen, she often killed in single combat unworthy Fremen who sought to challenge her lover.

Chani saved Paul when he fellow into trance after using spice essence to enhance his powers. She realized what he had done and was able to bring him out of trance.

Her first son with Paul was killed in a Corrino raid on their home in the deep desert of planet Arrakis.

When Paul Atreides took Irulan Corrino has his wife to cement his control of the Empire after deposing Shaddam Corrino IV, Chani was not put aside as many imperial commentators expected. Indeed Paul remained loyal to Chani and did not take Irulan as a lover. Irulan fed Chani contraceptives in order to prevent her conceiving an imperial heir.

The Bene Gesserit were opposed Paul's relationship with Chani, because she represented a wild card in their breeding programme. Chani's Fremen ancestry was a mystery to the breeding sisters and Pardot Kynes may or may not have been an unknown. Their principal objective was to ensure the Paul had children with someone more suitable like Irulan Corrino.

However, Chani eventually changed to an ancient Fremen diet to enhance pregnancy, which Irulan was not able to contaminate and she soon fell pregnant. Tragically Chani died while giving birth to the twins Ghanima and Leto. The Tleilaxu agent Scytale offered to resurrect her as a ghola in return for control over the empire, but Paul Atreides declined the offer violently.

Chani is also a short version of the Hebrew name Hannah.