Stilgar

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Stilgar is a fictional character featured in Frank Herbert's Dune universe. He is a key character in the science fiction novels Dune, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.

Stilgar was played by actors Everett McGill in the 1984 Dune film, Uwe Ochsenknecht in the Dune miniseries, and by Stephen Berkoff in the Children of Dune miniseries.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] History

The Fremen Stilgar Ben Fifrawi was born in 10141 A.G. in Umbu Sietch as Tuan on the planet Arrakis. In 10175 A.G., Stilgar challenged Forad, the Naib of Sietch Tabr, and defeated him, becoming the new Naib of Sietch Tabr, a title he would hold until his death in 10228 A.G.

In his youth, Stilgar and two friends, Turok and Ommun, had been cornered by Harkonnens. Badly injured, Stilgar would have died if Pardot Kynes had not come and helped kill the Harkonnens. Because of this water-debt, Stilgar and Pardot Kynes became good comrades. Stilgar, Turok and Ommun promised to help Kynes achieve his dream of turning Arrakis into a paradise. When Pardot Kynes died, Stilgar was a very good friend to his son Liet Kynes, and thereby something of a paternal figure to Liet's daughter Chani (later concubine/wife of Paul "Muad'dib" Atreides).

It was not until 10153 A.G., after a successful raid against a Harkonnen village, that he acquired the name of Stilgar. Among the members of Umbu Sietch, he was known as Sahkan or "the Desert Hawk."

Stilgar had two wives, one of whom was named Tharthar. He later took Harah as his wife, a woman whom Paul had won by killing Jamis.

In the novel Dune, Stilgar met Paul and his mother Jessica when the Atreides fled into the desert, escaping a Harkonnen attack. Like the other Fremen, Stilgar eventually believed that Paul was their long-foretold Messiah. Subsequently, in Dune Messiah and Children of Dune he was a staunch supporter of Paul and his children, Leto II and Ghanima. In Messiah, Stilgar executed the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam and Spacing Guild Navigator Edric (on orders from Paul's sister Alia) after their conspiracy to topple Paul's empire failed. In Children, Stilgar helped Ghanima and the Princess Irulan escape Alia's later tyranny.