Ghola
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A Ghola is a creature in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. Gholas are created using a technological process known only to the Bene Tleilax.
Gholas are essentially clones grown in axolotl tanks from genetic material retrieved from the cells of a deceased subject. (The distiction between gholas and clones made from living tissue is made several times throughout the novels.) In the period of Dune, gholas are merely physical copies, but at the end of Dune Messiah, the ghola of Duncan Idaho recovers the memories of the original, essentially becoming a reincarnation of Idaho. (Note the similarity to the word ghoul.)
An important feature of the Dune universe is 'genetic memory': the ability to recover the memories and egos of one's ancestors. The ghola of Duncan Idaho (given the name 'Hayt' by the Tleilaxu) is programed to kill Paul Atreides under post-hypnotic suggestion. But the stress of attempting to kill someone who was deeply loved in the ghola's previous incarnation breaks the mental barrier between the ghola's consciousness and the life memories of the original (though not between the subject and his ancestors).
This discovery has tremendous consequences. The Tleilaxu masters, using the technology of axlotl tanks and the ability of a ghola to recover its memories, grant themselves effective immortality: every master is "recreated" upon his death, and recovers his genetic memories, accumulating many generations of knowledge and experience, and permitting planning on a timespan of millennia.
In God Emperor of Dune, Leto II has, as constant companions, a series of Duncan Idaho gholas with restored memories of the original Idaho (but not the memories of the previous ghola incarnations; this is likely due to material from the original Idaho being used for each new ghola, as repetitive cloning from clone material would lead to degeneration).
In Heretics of Dune, the Bene Gesserit become the consumers of Duncan Idaho gholas; significantly, when Idaho recovers his memories, he recovers the memories of all his ghola incarnations, apparently even including previous gholas from whom no cells could be recovered. This suggests a metaphysical commitment that is never explored in the novels.
There are also mentions of gholas in the Dune games. In Dune 2000, the Harkonnen mentat was alledglly a ghola cloned from Tleilaxu flesh vats, whereas in , House Ordos constantly deploy their own gholas in assassination and infiltration missions. This was particurlaly effective in tricking the Sardaukar into allying with them as well as the Fremen. On a much larger scale, they plan to use a ghola of the now-deceased Emperor Corrino to claim the Golden Lion Throne, with the Executrix as the true leaders behind the so-called "puppet Emperor". Mentat Roma Atani was later revealed as a ghola in Emperor: Alliances, and consequently betrayed the Executrix and joined the Dark Alliance.
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