Scytale the Face Dancer

Abu and Leo profile Scytale, the face dancer at the heart of the conspiracy in Dune Messiah, and come away with a newfound respect for the Tleilaxu's finest operative. From his engineered birth to his death at Paul's hand (and the strange afterlife of his name), this is the full story of the best face dancer who ever lived. Plus: Theory Corner on Robert Pattinson's take in Dune: Part Three. This episode contains SPOILERS for Dune and Dune Messiah! IN THIS EPISODE Scytale's birth name, his surprisingly famous parents, and what the Dune Encyclopedia reveals about his selective breeding The Nicodemus affair, the mysterious mission that earned Scytale an honor almost no face dancer ever receives Why the stone burner was a betrayal of the Tleilaxu and Bene Gesserit, and how it nearly killed Scytale by accident The staggering physical feat of holding the Lichna disguise for seven months in captivity Theory Corner: Pattinson's look, whether every trailer shot of Scytale is a disguise, and how Villeneuve might film face dancing SUPPORT THE SHOW Get ad-free episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/GomJabbar Say thank you with a tip: https://buymeacoffee.com/gomjabbar⁠⁠ Watch video versions of select episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@loreparty Get yourself some custom-designed Dune swag: https://www.gomjabbar.shop Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices