Editor's Note: The following contains full spoilers for the Dune book series, which may spoil future Dune movies and seasons of Dune: Prophecy.Dune: Prophecy wrapped up its initial season and while it seems like the titular bit of prescience has been resolved, there’s more to it. This is Dune, after all, where “plans within plans” is the norm and things rarely have a singular explanation. More than being relevant to the characters introduced in the series, the prophecy has a farther-reaching aspect that intertwines the entirety of the Dune saga. With the events of Prophecy set more than 10,000 years before the ascension of Paul Atreides, it’s difficult to see how these events might connect. By examining what the show has revealed, and a ridiculous amount of Dune knowledge tucked away, connecting the dots is possible.
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What Does Reverend Mother Raquella's Vision Mean?
The prophecy foretells a reckoning, but misinterpretations hide a far more dangerous truth.
The prophecy from which the series gets its name is introduced within the first few minutes of the debut episode. Throughout the season, we’re given bits and pieces to expand upon Reverend Mother Raquella’s oracular vision of Tiran-Arafel, which is described as "a reckoning.... a holy judgment brought on by a tyrant.” Later on, when Lila undergoes the Agony, Raquella resurfaces to offer some further clarity on her prescient vision, “The key to the Reckoning is one born twice. Once in blood, once in spice…”
Things get more interesting when the acolytes begin to share the same dream on Wallach IX. The tricky thing with visions, however, is that events can be interpreted in numerous ways. This is especially true within the show as everyone manages their own conclusions. The acolytes take the religious approach, seeing it as a warning from God; proof of his impending judgment. For Valya and Tula, the “Reckoning” is a more immediate threat to the Sisterhood. It is something to deal with in their lifetime.
Maintaining this mindset since Raquella’s death, Valya interprets the “twice-born” snippet as concrete proof Desmond Hart is the key to it all. Later, when the Emperor exerts even more independent control, it’s considered proof of him becoming the aforementioned tyrant. Meanwhile, Tula feels she can force the prophecy to her own ends, positioning Lila as another “one born twice” thanks to her spice tank recovery. The reality is, they’re all wrong. A reckoning is certainly coming, but the threat is drastically different, and more dangerous than anyone expects.
What Is Tiran-Arafel?
Raquella’s prophecy warns of humanity’s threat, tied to Kralizec and Dune’s Armageddon.
Raquella’s prophecy isn’t even about the Sisterhood; at least not as directly as they’re interpreting. Rather, it’s a warning about the threat to humanity on the whole. It’s important to remember, the reason the acolytes/sisters shared the vision was due to being infected by the Machine Virus; with Jen having a natural immunity. Through them, we eventually learn the vision is — in part — a recounting of Desmond’s ordeal on Arrakis and his transformation. But Raquella’s prophecy came decades before Kasha brought the virus back with her from Salusa Secundus. That means Raquella’s original vision is distinct from the dreams shared by the acolytes and free from the obvious taint left by Desmond’s memories.
For fans of the original Frank Herbert novels, the phrase “Tiran-Arafel” likely rang some memory bells in their heads. Arafel is a concept the latter three novels deal with heavily. Initially mentioned in God Emperor of Dune as Paul’s son, Emperor Leto Atreides II, tells Siona Atreides and Duncan Idaho with his dying words, "Do not fear the Ixians. They can make the machines, but they can no longer make Arafel."
The Arafel Leto speaks of is a reference to the coming of Kralizec, the “battle at the end of the universe.” It’s the reason he undergoes the dramatic transformation into a sandworm. In the most simple of terms, Arafel is meant to be the Dune universe’s armageddon, with Kralizec being the literal final battle for the fate of all humanity. Viewing Raquella’s initial prophecy with this information in mind makes Kralizec the most likely interpretation. After all, Leto II is frequently referred to as “the Tyrant” during his 3,500-year reign. Plus, the “one born twice” aspect could just as easily apply to Paul Atreides, the one meant to set humanity on the initial steps of the Golden Path.
Are the Thinking Machines Still a Problem?
The true enemy is the Thinking Machines, long dormant, waiting to destroy humanity and bring Kralizec.
For all of the various factions and schemes within the Dune universe, there’s only one true enemy. A threat which could end all of humanity: the Thinking Machines. The Battle of Corrin (shown briefly in Prophecy’s opening, and the title of the final novel in the Legends of Dune novels) didn’t mark the end of the machines’ Synchronized Empire. At the end of the final battle, Omnius, the machine ruler, transmitted a backup copy of his “Evermind” deep into the far reaches of space. There, it was intercepted by one of the many probes the machines had launched over their centuries of rule over humanity.

'Dune: Prophecy’s Newest Plot Twist Changed Everything We Thought We Knew About Desmond Hart
The Harkonnen family tree just got one more crooked branch.
The new Omnius took root so far away that they were essentially lost in space. Thus, the Thinking Machines spent the next 14,000-ish years rebuilding and perfecting their weapons of war, waiting for the chance to wipe out humanity once and for all. By the time of Paul Atreides, and what we see in the films, the threat of the Thinking Machines is ancient history. With the Butlerian movement settled as the law of the land within the Imperium for thousands of years (we see it taking root more fanatically in the show), computers are not used as common technology. As such, Paul’s story doesn’t seem to have much to do with them directly.
In reality, Paul is the primary catalyst in prepping humanity for Kralizec. His holy war is but an initial step, something we see more of in Dune Messiah, which means we might see hints of what’s to come in the next film. What’s neat about Dune: Prophecy is that, much like the Sisterhood on which the series centers, it’s taking a far-sighted approach to its storytelling. While giving us compelling stories among the various characters during a specific period, it’s planting the seeds for what we see in the events of the films and beyond. It’s already introduced a key element of Messiah’s story with the reveal of Sister Theodosia’s Tleilaxu Face Dancer heritage.
How Could Raquella's Vision Connect to the Dune Movies and the Future?
The Sisterhood's plans are key to humanity's survival, linking Raquella's vision to the looming machine threat.
Dealing with plans on the scale of millennia can make it tough to connect all the pieces together. Yet, that’s a major part of what makes Herbert’s novel so fascinating, and continually engaging. The one constant at the heart of it all is the Sisterhood. Much as the Bene Gesserit are despised by Paul Atreides and his son, they are integral to surviving Kralizec. Their machinations prove to be the key to humanity’s survival. Connecting all of this back to Raquella’s vision nearly 15,000 years earlier seems impossible, but a recurring visual element in the show brings it together.
The primary antagonist of Herbert’s final novels is a ghola (clone) of Duncan Idaho who has been raised entirely within the Sisterhood. Following the bombastic events of Heretics of Dune, Idaho is plagued by glimpses of the machine leaders, Omnius and Erasmus. They appear as an elderly couple in space, always watching and ever searching via their tachyon net as they chase him (and his crew) across the universe in Chapterhouse: Dune.
The manner of their appearance feels eerily similar to the final part of Raquella’s vision. The two “eyes” staring back at her with the obvious machine noises accompanying them. It's doubtful they were merely lights from the machine handling Desmond’s operation (again, Raquella’s vision pre-dates any infection), but rather a glimpse at humanity’s reckoning against their own creation.
The Bene Gesserit Sisterhood Is Key to Dune's Future
Raquella's prophecy reveals the Sisterhood must build for humanity’s survival, shaping the Kwisatz Haderach and long-term stability.
This realization that Raquella’s prophecy is about the far future feels like the whole purpose of Dune: Prophecy. Perhaps the “burning truth” Raquella predicts Valya will see has nothing to do with the reckoning itself. Instead, we may come to find it has to do with her acceptance that Arafel is a problem she cannot solve within her lifetime. Instead, she must build the Sisterhood in a way to ensure it survives as an institution all those thousands of years later; tightly guiding humanity to the point where it could (hopefully) survive the oncoming threat.
Such a revelation has two major impacts on the show and how it ultimately connects to the films. First, it’ll set the Bene Gesserit on the path to creating the Kwisatz Haderach. Changing their breeding program from a generic form of control to the specific engineering of a supreme being who could guide them through Arafel. Secondly, it will teach them the necessity of patience and stability. Knowing their plans won’t bear fruit in their lifetime means they have to ensure the Imperium is stable enough to endure while they wait.

Our Biggest Unanswered Questions After the ‘Dune: Prophecy’ Finale
The finale of 'Dune: Prophecy' presents more questions than answers as it takes the characters to Arrakis by the end.
Funny enough, this enforcement of the status quo—the reason it feels like nothing has changed in the Dune universe for millennia — is part of the reason humanity falls into stagnation. Having spent over 10,000 years under the same quasi-feudal system, humanity has reached a plateau. It was holding them back, leaving them unprepared for the external threat… But that’s where we get into the philosophical aspects of Herbert’s iconic saga. Regardless, in this way, Dune: Prophecy isn’t simply about the origins of the Bene Gesserit as we come to know them in the films. Rather, it’s laying the groundwork for the entire future of Dune, especially if we do end up getting films (or another series) after Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Messiah. Even better, it manages to do it in a way that complements both the films and books.
Jordan Maison is the former Editor-in-Chief of Cinelinx, whose lifelong passion for film (and all things nerdy) led him to study it in college. For the past 15 years, he's written about movies where his expert knowledge of science fiction as a genre--cultivated over years of reading and analysis--has been put to use for a variety of publications.

Dune: Prophecy
- Release Date
- November 17, 2024
- Showrunner
- Alison Schapker
- Directors
- Anna Foerster
Cast
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Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen
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Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen
Set in the universe of Frank Herbert's Dune series, this sci-fi epic follows the political and spiritual struggles on the desert planet of Arrakis. As factions vie for control of the prized spice melange, a prophesied hero emerges, challenging the balance of power and the fate of the galaxy.
- Writers
- Diane Ademu-John, Kevin J. Anderson, Brian Herbert, Frank Herbert
- Franchise(s)
- Dune
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Diane Ademu-John, Alison Schapker
- Streaming Service(s)
- MAX
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