Who Is Tabu’s Sister Francesca in Dune: Prophecy (& How Is She Connected to Emperor Javicco)?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 5, “In Blood, Truth.”

Dune: Prophecy Season 1’s latest entry, “In Blood, Truth,” sees a formidable new player enter the fray: Tabu’s Sister Francesca. So, who is Sister Francesca, and what’s up with her connection to Emperor Javicco?

Who Is Dune: Prophecy Season 1’s Sister Francesca?

Sister Francesca is (as her title suggests) a fully-qualified member of the Bene Gesserit sisterhood. In fact, Francesca is more than just a rank-and-file sister; she’s considered elite even by the Bene Gesserit’s high standards. That’s because Francesca is what’s known as an “Imprinter”: someone whose Bene Gesserit skills are so finely tuned that they’re impossible to resist without specialist training. In short? Francesca is superhumanly good at seducing guys – or guys in positions of power, to be more precise. And once they’ve knocked boots, Francesca’s lovers (like all Imprinters’ targets) are left with an “imprint” on their subconscious that ensures their obedience to the Bene Gesserit.

Related: Tabu Breaks Down Her Surprise Role in Dune: Prophecy (& That Entrance)

This explains Francesca’s intense relationship in Emperor Javicco Corrino in Dune: Prophecy. The pair were lovers long before the events of Season 1, and thanks to Francesca’s talents as an Imprinter, Javicco remains as entranced by her as ever. Francesca imprinting on Javicco also adds further context to the Emperor’s long-standing loyalty to the Bene Gesserit. While another sister, Reverend Mother Kasha Jinjo, served as Javicco’s Truthsayer instead of Francesca, his willingness to embrace the sisterhood is no doubt a side-effect of the latter’s Imprinter wiles.

How Is Sister Francesca Connected to Mark Strong’s Emperor Javicco?

So, Sister Francesca and Javicco were once an item and, thanks to her Imprinter training, she lives rent free in his head. As connections go, that’s pretty strong. However, it’s not the only way that Francesca and the Emperor are bound together. The one-time couple also have a son together, Constantine Corrino. That’s the reason Francesca returns to House Corrino’s homeworld, Salusa Secundus, in Episode 5: to visit her kid, believing he needs her support (in reality, Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen engineered the reunion).

Related: Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 4 Ending Explained

Whether Constantine wanted his mom’s help or not, he gets it. After Francesca gives him a pep talk (and has a word in his old man’s ear), Constantine winds up the Imperial fleet’s commander. His job? Sort out the fuss that’s been brewing on Arrakis throughout Dune: Prophecy Season 1. It’s exactly what Valya wanted – and goes to show how useful someone like Francesca truly is!

Dune: Prophecy is currently airing on HBO and Max; Season 1’s sixth and final episode premieres on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024.