Denis Villeneuve's Dune doesn't show what happens to Thufir Hawat after the attack on Arrakis, and here's what Frank Herbert's books reveal about his future. The 2021 reboot of the classic sci-fi novel primarily focuses on the rise of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). However, Villeneuve decided to split Herbert's first novel into two films, which allowed him to not rush setting up Paul's story or introducing the vast world and characters of Dune.

The biggest supporting characters in Dune are Paul's parents, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), but there are plenty of other important characters featured throughout. Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson) is one of the many minor characters seen in Dune. Thufir Hawat is a powerful Mentat - essentially a human computer - and the Master of Assassins for House Atreides. He works alongside Duke Leto as House Atreides assumes power over Arrakis and also plays a role in Paul's training. Dune establishes his importance to the family, but then his storyline is lost in the chaos of House Harkonnen attacking Arrakis. This meant Villeneuve's movie left Thufir Hawat's story unfinished and his future unclear.

Related: How Dune's Baron Is Connected To House Atreides & What It Means For Part 2

Thanks to Frank Herbert's Dune book, it is known that Thufir Hawat survived the Harkonnen's attack, which positions him to have a very different life moving forward. Due to Duke Leto's assassination attempt on Baron Harkonnen killing all of the Baron's associates, including his previous Mentat Piter De Vries, Thufir Hawat is forced to take over this advisory role to the Baron. This included poisoning Hawat to make him abide by the Baron's commands. Although Hawat was forced to help House Harkonnen for the next two years, he did so while also manipulating certain events to try and destroy them. This included trying to create a divide between the Baron and his nephew Feyd Rautha Harkonnen. It was also during this period of Thufir Hawat's life that his quest to avenge Duke Leto's death fueled his belief that Lady Jessica betrayed House Atreides. However, this was also when Thufir was willingly helping the Harkonnens attempt to take down the Fremen's new leader Muad'Dib, who he didn't realize was Paul.

Dune what happened to Thufir Hawat

The complicated nature of Thufir Hawat's story puts him at odds with himself by the conclusion of Frank Herbert's Dune book. Hawat lived to see Paul help House Atreides reclaim control over Arrakis and defeat House Harkonnen. It was only at this point that Hawat realized that Paul was the Fremen's messiah Muad'Dib and the enemy he was fighting against for the last two years. Knowing that he had gone against Paul this entire time and aided House Harkonnen in the war, Hawat chooses to die from the Harkonnen's poison rather than assassinating Paul as the Baron intended. It was through this decision that Thufir Hawat showed his ultimate loyalty to House Atreides.

With Denis Villeneuve set to continue the Dune franchise with Dune: Part Two, audiences should get a chance to see much of Thufir Hawat's story unfold. His involvement with House Harkonnen could come as a surprise to most viewers, but it should be fascinating to see how much of his political deceptions are explored. Dune 2 could also be where Villeneuve explores the notion Hawat and others believed that Lady Jessica and the Bene Gesserit conspired against House Atreides. Either scenario could position Thufir Hawat to be a bit more of a villain in the sequel than he was in Dune.

More: Dune's Lady Jessica Book Change Shows Why It's Such A Great Adaption

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