Stilgar

Name: Stilgar Ben Fifrawi

Lifespan: 10,141 A.G. - 10,228 A.G.

Homeworld: Arrakis

Affiliation:

Fremen

Imperium

"Often I must speak other than I think. That is called diplomacy."
-Stilgar

Biographical Information

A true Fremen from his toes up, Stilgar Ben Fifrawi, known openly as Stilgar, was the Naib (leader), of Sietch Tabr, and widely considered to be the voice of the Fremen. He was a great and respected leader, who always held the interests of his tribe, and that of the universe, above his own. This was a trait that he demonstrated when he considered killing Leto and Ghanima where they slept, although he had been assigned to protect them from harm. He felt, for a moment at least, that should he choose to end their lives, he could prevent the maddening chain of events that their lives would instigate. He decided against it in the end. Stilgar was leading a group of Fremen across the desert, and had stopped in a rock outcropping, when he and his troupe encountered Paul Atreides and his mother Jessica. Realising their powers, he again put the interests of the tribe before his own, and offered them a place in the Sietch, where they would teach his Fremen the weirding way.

Biography

Warning: Spoilers Follow For Dune Universe, Caution Advised!

Early Life on Arrakis

Stilgar, Naib of Sietch Tabr, after defeating Forad, and claiming Naibship for himself. Stilgar endevoured to live out Pardot Kynes' dream, and make Arrakis a beautiful planet once more.

Stilgar was born on Arrakis in 10,141 A.G., in Sietch Umbu of Tuan. He was not known as Stilgar to his fellows, as this was a name he would not acquire until he was twelve. He was known, until this time, as Sahkan, the Desert Hawk. A memorable moment in his youth was when he and his two friends, Turok and Ommun, became cornered by some Harkonnen soldiers. Fighting back against their oppressors, Stilgar became badly wounded. He would have died, were it not for Pardot Kynes, father of Liet-Kynes, who had been watching the spectacle and rushed to his aid. Having saved him, Stilgar owed Pardot a water debt, and the two became great friends and comrades. Pardot was invited to join Sietch Umbu, and Stilgar, Turok and Ommun vowed they would help him to make Arrakis a paradise again. WhenPardot died, Stilgar remained friends with his son, Liet-Kynes, and became a father-figure to Liet's daughter, Chani.
At age twelve, after a Fremen raid on a Harkonnen settlement, Stilgar was given a new name for his bravery. Henceforth, he would be known as Stilgar, and not Sahkan.
When was thirty four, in 10,175 A.G., Stilgar challenged the position of Forad, the current Naib of Sietch Tabr. Defeating him, he took the position of Naib, and began to improve his tribes means of water preservation, using methods that Pardot Kynes has instilled in him.

Meeting the Mahdi

Stilgar and his Fremen hide in the rock outcropping.

One night, in 10,191 A.G., Stilgar and a troup of his men, which included Chani, Liet's daughter, and a youth named Jamis, encountered Jessica and Paul Atreides atop a rock outcropping in the deep desert. Seeing their abilities, which they used not only to apprehendhim, but also to injure Jamis, Stilgar made a deal with them, that his Fremen would give them shelter and welcome them into the tribe, if they would teach them of their ways. The two of them would spend several years doing this.
After some time, rumor spread among the Fremen that Paul was the Mahdi, the Chosen Messiah who would make Arrakis a paradise for them. With this thought at the back of every Fremen mind, Paul began to rise in favour among them, until he commanded as much respect, if not more, than that of Stilgar. Paul also took Chani as his wife. Eventually, Paul became so powerful in the eyes of the Fremen, that many called on him to overthrow Stilgar, and take his place.
Knowing Stilgar's worth, however, Paul did not attempt to overthrown him in a duel, but allowed him to realise that he was to step down. Stilgar kept his life and his respect, and was happy to serve the Mahdi. Paul, now the true leader of every Fremen on Arrakis, ordered that the spice production on the planet would cease. To do this, all factories, mining facilities and spice miners, were destroyed. This caused a major deficit of spice to be exported, and soon, the Emperor himself became aware that the Harkonnens he had left in control of the operation, were doing something very wrong. As the Emperor arrived on Arrakis in his flagship, Paul and Stilgar, along with legions of Fremen on wormback, awaited the correct moment to attack, as they hid outside of the shield wall. When the moment was right they used atomics to blast a hole in the shield wall, and then rode in. The ensuing battle was a victory for them, and Paul took his place as Emperor of the Known Universe.

Serving the Emperor and Beyond

In the years that followed, Stilgar's duties encompassed a larger range than ever before, as he was now right hand man to the Emperor Muad'dib. His duties meant leading the Fedaykin death commandos, making military decisions, and, after Paul was self-exiled into the desert, caring for his children, Leto and Ghanima, whilst Paul's sister, Alia, held the title of regent over the universe. It was during this time that he considered killing Leto and Ghanima. After Paul's return from exile in the form of the Preacher, and his, and his sister's untimely deaths outside of Alia's Palace, Stilgar was placed into the service of the soon-to-be God Emperor LetoAtreides II, whom he served until his dying day in 10,228 A.G., at the age of eighty seven.
It is believed that Stilgar produced a long and fruitful lineage, which survived long into the God Emperor's reign, and possibly even beyond it.

Out-of Universe Information

The film tie-in action figure created by LJN.

Everett McGill as Stilgar in David Lynch's Dune Film Adaptation.

Stilgar Ben Fifrawi was portrayed by Everett McGill in David Lynch's Dune film, by Uwe Ochsenknecht in the 2000 Dune television miniseries and by Steven Berkoff in the 2003 Children of Dune miniseries. He also appeared in the original Dune video game, and a toy with the likeness Everett McGill's Stilgar portrayal has been manufactured by LJN.

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