Dune: Prophecy revealed something about Tula Harkonnen that we couldn’t have guessed. She had a baby, and she gave away the baby for reasons related to her sister, Valya.
Dune: Prophecy has drama, secrets, and heartbreak, and this tale of Tula proves it. Desmond Hart isn’t just any rogue scavenger-turned-soldier. He’s Tula Harkonnen’s secret son with Orry Atreides.
We also got a glimpse of a young Tula living her most chaotic life. During a hunting trip, House Atreides had to face her full assassin mode. She even killed her boyfriend, Orry. It was all to seek revenge for her brother Griffin.
In the Dune books, this is where Tula’s story hits a cliffhanger. She hides her pregnancy, and we never find out what happens to her child. In Dune: Prophecy, the showrunners took this loose end and spun it into Desmond’s gritty origin story.
Here’s all about Tula and her son Desmond in Dune: Prophecy and why she had to give him away.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Dune: Prophecy. Reader discretion is advised.
Dune: Prophecy - Desmond’s life wasn’t smooth
Desmond’s life was anything but smooth sailing. The boy grew up rough, angry, and abandoned. He didn’t just survive. He thrived as a soldier, completing twelve brutal tours on Arrakis. Just for context, most people can barely scrape through one.
And it’s not like he came out unscathed. Desmond’s experiences hardened him into someone filled with bitterness toward the Sisterhood and his mother.
On his last tour, Desmond was swallowed by a sandworm. However, he was retrieved by some mysterious group that implanted a Thinking Machine in his eye.
He always harbored negativity towards his mother because he thought that she abandoned him. But Tula didn’t just give up her baby.
She went full-on undercover mode. With help from Sister Francesca, she swapped Desmond with someone else’s child and told Valya the baby didn’t survive.
But why would anybody even lie to their family about such a thing? Let’s find out.
Dune: Prophecy - Reasons why Tula gave away Desmond as a baby
The HBO series is set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides’ epic journey. It introduces us to a whole new era of power struggles and betrayal. And at the heart of it all is The Sisterhood. It is led by Valya Harkonnen.
Tula is Valya’s sister. And she might be loyal to the Sisterhood, but she’s also got a heart. That’s where Desmond comes in. Tula’s story is far from ordinary, as is her character.
Now, let’s talk about why Tula had to give away Desmond as a baby. Well, because Valya was all about the genetic potential of a Harkonnen-Atreides child. All she could think was how it could further the Sisterhood’s power games. And Tula wasn’t having any of that.
Valya Harkonnen was a mastermind of manipulation. She would’ve turned Desmond into a pawn. She would have stripped him of any agency or normal life.
Tula knew this. And even though she swore loyalty to her sister and the Sisterhood, there were limits to what she could stomach. After all, no mother would want their son to become another Javicco.
In Tula’s mind, this was her way of protecting her son. She wanted him far away from the political chaos and the Sisterhood’s schemes. But the plan backfired. The family she entrusted with Desmond was not so loving after all.
Now, for a little more background, let’s go back to the moment Tula discovered the truth about her baby. Using some seriously forbidden Thinking Machine tech, she traced Desmond’s DNA.
She realized he was the result of her relationship with Orry Atreides. That was long before she joined the Sisterhood. This revelation added even more layers to her already complicated decision.
Tula wasn’t just protecting Desmond from Valya. She was also grappling with her regrets and fears. It wasn’t an easy choice. But in her mind, it was the only way to give her son a chance at freedom. Even if it meant never seeing him again.
However, things didn’t go according to her plan. Desmond Hart did not live a happy life. He becomes a full-blown antagonist. With his hatred for the Sisterhood burning bright, he kicks off his revenge tour by killing Pruwet Richese and Sister Kasha, Valya’s trusted ally.
Desmond’s vendetta against the Sisterhood isn’t just about his suffering. It’s a direct challenge to everything Valya stands for. And Tula is just caught in the middle of a storm she never even wanted to create.
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