Face Dancers are a creation of one other group talked about in Dune: Prophecy, the Bene Tleilax, the patriarchal society that practices genetic engineering. These practices led to the creation of Face Dancers, asexual and servile shapeshifters who carry out a wide range of features inside the Imperium. Usually, the Face Dancers present types of leisure for residents within the Imperium, however they’ll additionally function spies and assassins.
Actually, that’s how Face Dancers are launched in Dune Messiah. Choosing up 12 years after the top of Dune, Messiah offers with a conspiracy focusing on Emperor Paul Atreides, whose Fremen Jihad has intensified his enemies’ anger in opposition to him. That conspiracy consists of anticipated members, together with Irulan, Paul’s authorized spouse and daughter of the earlier emperor, and Bene Gesserit Reverend Mom Gaius Helen Mohiam, in addition to Scytale the Face Dancer.
As has been commented many occasions since its preliminary look in Galaxy Journal in 1969, Dune Messiah is a a lot knottier e book than Dune. Not solely did Herbert make Paul a way more unlikable character in Messiah, a part of his objective to underscore a distrust of charismatic leaders, however a lot of the motion occurs off the web page, with extra of the e book’s consideration dedicated to palace intrigue and secret plots, not in contrast to Dune: Prophecy.
Nonetheless, Scytale brings some dynamism to the storyline. The e book opens with Scytale assassinating a Fremen chief after which sneaking into Paul’s court docket within the guise of a trusted determine. It’s no marvel that David Lynch counted Scytale as one of many parts that the majority intrigued him about adapting Dune Messiah for Dune II. Actually, he already started seeding that half in his tackle Dune, as the subsequent film would have revealed that Baron Harkonnen’s physician (performed by Leonardo Cimino) was Scytale in disguise.
Provided that it takes place 10,000 years earlier than Dune Messiah, it’s arduous to attract too many connections between the e book and Dune: Prophecy. Nonetheless, the looks of a Face Dancer among the many acolytes does shore up one of many present’s main theories. Just like the Bene Gesserit, the Bene Tleilax haven’t reached their full energy but, and thus they don’t fairly have the identical rivalry with the Sisters as they’ll develop. Nonetheless, they do have their very own targets, and aren’t above giving their creations as items to enemies to strengthen their positions.
Actually, that’s in all probability what’s occurring with Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmel), who could also be twice born as a result of he’s a ghola created by the Bene Tleilax. He may very well be working for Emperor Javicco (Mark Robust) as a part of a Tleilaxu plot to realize energy, one thing the Emperor’s too dense to appreciate.