Emil Tantor was the husband of Lucille Tantor. The couple until an advanced age was childless until they adopted Xavier Harkonnen after his biological parents were killed by General Agamemnon and a group of his cymeks. His wife unexpectedly gave birth twelve years later. Their son was Vergyl Tantor whom Xavier loved as a brother. Emil Tantor was very fond of bulldogs and had a large group of them at his house.