When Jessica gave birth to Paul, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam was furious with her, because she was supposed to only bear daughters. But Mohiam changed her tune when she saw the potential in Paul. The Atreides bloodline ended up getting intrinsically linked to the Bene Gesserit when Paul was cast in the messianic role as Lisan al’Gaib. But is Jessica the first Atreides to be a member of the Bene Gesserit or was there an Atreides in their ranks before?

Reverend Mother Raquella Berto-Anirul Was Vorian Atreides' Illegitimate Granddaughter

Raquella Was The Founder Of The Bene Gesserit Order

There was, indeed, an Atreides within the Bene Gesserit long before Lady Jessica came along. In fact, the originating member of the Bene Gesserit, Raquella Berto-Anirul, was an Atreides. She was the founder and first Mother Superior of the Bene Gesserit Order under its original name, the Sisterhood of Rossak. The identity of Raquella’s father is unknown, but she’s an Atreides on her mother’s side. Her mother, Helmina Berto-Anirul, was the illegitimate daughter of Karida Julan and Vorian Atreides; Vorian was the founder of House Atreides.

Raquella appears in a guest role in Dune: Prophecy, played by Cathy Tyson. She dies early on in the first episode, after having a vision of a deadly reckoning, Tiran-Arafel, but her great-great-granddaughter Lila tries to her from beyond the grave. Raquella briefly reappears in the fifth episode, “In Blood, Truth,” when she possesses Lila to praise Valya. She’s not a huge character in the show — just in the prologue of the pilot episode — but she’s clearly a huge figure in Bene Gesserit history.

Raquella Berto-Anirul Was Dune's First Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother

Raquella Left Behind A World-Changing Legacy

Raquella was the first ever Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit Order. She led a long and impactful life and left a world-changing legacy behind her. After her husband was killed at war, Raquella became a doctor and dedicated her life to saving people who had been injured in warzones. She created the antidote that ended the Rossak Epidemic. She worked at the Hospital for Incurable Diseases during the Omnius Scourge. Raquella is one of the Dune saga’s most benevolent characters.

Dune

Created by

Frank Herbert

First Film

Dune

Cast

Dave Bautista

Movie(s)

Dune, Dune, Dune: Part Two, Dune: Part Three

Dune is a sci-fi franchise created by Frank Herbert with the 1965 novel of the same name. In 1984, the first live-action adaptation was released from director David Lynch and starring Kyle MacLachlan. About 20 years later, a TV mini-series was released, followed by a new adaptation starring Timothée Chalamet.

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