Sarah Louise Kerrigan

She is one of the most powerful and storied women in the Milky Way.

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Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Spec’s
3. Profile Start
4. Character Summary
5. Character Design
6. Personality
7. Depiction
8. History
9. 2nd Profile
10. Game-unit Links
11. Personality and Traits (More Information)
12. Tactics
13. Zerg Abilities
14. Sarah Kerrigan & Auzdein von Himmler
15. 2560s
16. Before (Images Begin)
17. Half Zerg
18. The Auz Effect
19. How She Loves Sitting Missionary for Me
20. Ongoing Sexuality Ascension in Inisfree

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Introduction:

Of all the hells people went through in the Age before The Shift, Sarah may have gone through the worst; captured by hostile aliens, transformed into a beastly-looking half-one-of-them, she somehow survived the whole process and ordeal, her natural powers keeping her on the rise until she commanded them all.  (Technically, her life and toils started after The Shift, but those who sensed and wrote of her back in Shift time/years really mucked her whole life up with their reckless drama-crazed spells.)

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Spec’s:

• 5’6″
• 120 lbs.
• redhead, kept in a high ponytail
• Caucasian, somewhat tanned at times
• green eyes (sometimes luminous during her Zerg “infestation”/form/mode)
• perfect “Coke-bottle body”
• perky C-cup breasts
• wears her “Terran Ghost” cloaking-armor (bodysuit) on missions (when not in Zerg/infested form)

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Sarah Louise Kerrigan[1] Queen of Blades
StarCraft series character
Kerrigan’s infested appearance
First game	StarCraft (1998)
Created by	Chris Metzen James Phinney[2]
Designed by	Chris Metzen Samwise Didier Glen Ran
Voiced by	Glynnis Talken Campbell(StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War) Tricia Helfer (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void) Vanessa Marshall (Heroes of the Storm)
Information
Full name	Sarah Louise Kerrigan
Alias	Queen of Blades
Nickname	The Swarm Destroyer of Worlds Queen Bitch of the Universe
Species	Terran (Birth) Zerg (During Starcraft) Xel’Naga (Starcraft II)
Gender	Female
Title	Overqueen
Occupation	Last of the Xel’naga (current) Overqueen of the Zerg Swarm (former) Confederate Ghost Operative (former)
Affiliation	Xel’Naga (current) Zerg Swarm Sons of Korhal Terran Confederacy
Fighting style	Close quarters combat Frontal assault
Weapon	Class 12 Psionic Signature
Family	Patrick Kerrigan (father)
Significant other	Jim Raynor
Origin	TarKossia, Koprulu Sector
Nationality	Terran Confederacy of Man

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Sarah Louise Kerrigan, the self-styled Queen of Blades, is a fictional character in Blizzard Entertainment‘s StarCraft franchise. The character was created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney, and her appearance was originally designed by Metzen. Sarah Kerrigan is voiced by Glynnis Talken Campbell in StarCraft and Brood War, and by Tricia Helfer in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

Kerrigan first appears in StarCraft as a twenty-six-year-old Terran Ghost, a psychic trained both physically and mentally as an expert espionage agent and assassin. Initially the second-in-command of Sons of Korhal, a revolutionary movement against the oppressive Confederacy of Man, she is captured by the insectoid Zerg and infested, turning her into a human/Zerg hybrid completely under the control of the Zerg Overmind. She becomes one of the Zerg’s most powerful agents, but during the Brood Wars, she replaces the Overmind following its destruction at the end of the great war, and gains control of the Zerg to seek dominance over the galaxy. Kerrigan’s life before her infestation is further explored in the Starcraft novels Uprising and Liberty’s Crusade, while Queen of Blades elaborates on her infested character.

Character Design

The character of Kerrigan was created by Blizzard Entertainment’s Chris Metzen and James Phinney,^[3] with her physical appearance designed by Metzen. Kerrigan was not originally intended to be a major character, and was only meant to appear on a single level. Initially based around the character Tanya Adams in the Command & Conquer: Red Alert series, Kerrigan was named after Nancy Kerrigan, who at the time was involved in a feud with Tonya Harding. However, Kerrigan’s character grew on the developers, who decided to give a far greater role to the throw-away character.^[4]Kerrigan’s self-proclaimed title is the “Queen of Blades”, which is gradually introduced to other characters to the point where it is synonymous with her. Chris Metzen has explained that it was meant to be an honorific title; a blade is a weapon designed to rip enemies to pieces, making the title fitting for Kerrigan, who evolved to be the greatest agent of the Zerg Overmind.^[5]

In an interview Glynnis Talken Campbell, Kerrigan’s voice actress from Starcraft and StarCraft: Brood War, described Kerrigan’s change in personality during her infestation as “going from good girl to bad girl”, and has said it was more of a change in personality than voice when providing her voice work. Kerrigan’s voice also consisted of many grunts, growls and screams, and her unique infested voice was provided by doubling up Campbell’s voice. She has also claimed that, were she to pen a StarCraft film or novel, she would rather have Kerrigan’s relationship with Jim Raynor—the series’ primary male protagonist—portrayed as one of admiration, sacrifice, and “them saving each other’s butts” than actual romance due to StarCraft‘s action-oriented nature.^[6] While Campbell expressed interest in returning to voice the character in StarCraft II,^[7] and even voiced Kerrigan in the trailer for the game,^[8] she confirmed in February 2009 that she would not be reprising the role.^[9] Campbell stated that her work in the trailer was considered an audition of sorts and that Blizzard had decided to go in a different direction.^[8] Tricia Helfer replaced her, voicing Kerrigan in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty as well as the expansions Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.^[10]

Personality

Having been conscripted into the Confederate Ghost program as a child due to her psychic potential, Kerrigan is described in the manual for StarCraft as never having been given the chance for a normal life. Her rigorous training and the use of neural implants to control her mental abilities leave her withdrawn and introverted.^[3] Despite this, Kerrigan exhibits qualities of courage and daring, and is an effective tactician. She is also described as a moral character, exemplified in her opposition to Arcturus Mengsk using the Zerg against the Confederacy.^[11] However, after her transformation by the Zerg, Kerrigan is freed from her inhibitions—as well as her neural conditioning—and indulges her darker traits (though Heart of the Swarm implies that at least part of her villainy was due to the influence of a fallen Xel’naga named Amon). Her attitude, combined with her natural intelligence, makes her extremely calculating and manipulative. A hint of her former moral sensitivity is to be noted when towards the end of the Zerg campaign of Brood War, she states how she feels weary of slaughter for the first time since her transformation. Kerrigan has also become far more physically aggressive, relishing close quarters combat so much that at one point in the novel Queen of Blades, she begins absent-mindedly licking the blood of her victims from her fingers.^[12]

One of the core elements of Kerrigan’s personality is that of her manipulation by others, and her lack of identity. Her reversion to human form by Raynor allowed her to finally develop an identity for herself, though found her emotions torn between a man that she loved (Raynor) and a man that she despised (Mengsk).^[13]

Depiction

As a character with different incarnations, special powers, transformations, three unique personas, and ultimate amalgamation of four separate alien species, Kerrigan gains multiple aspects and aliases as the series progresses.

Ghost operative

Prior to her infestation, Kerrigan is described as being a graceful and deadly woman, exceedingly agile and athletic,^[14] possessing jade-green eyes and brilliant red hair usually worn as a ponytail.^[15] The novel Queen of Blades describes her facial features as being too strong to be classified as beautiful, but instead as striking and completely fitting for her personality.^[16] Kerrigan is rarely seen out of her armor, a form-fitting hostile environment suit specifically designed for Ghost operatives and equipped with a personal cloaking device,^[16] but when off-duty, she is described as wearing a soft work shirt, worn cotton pants with a dusty leather jacket, and high leather boots. Even then, it is uncommon for Kerrigan to be unarmed: she is always equipped with at least a combat knife.^[17]

Queen of Blades

Kerrigan’s infestation by the Zerg signaled a major overhaul for her appearance. Despite maintaining her stature, build, and facial features, she is described in Queen of Blades as having mottled green skin, covered in a glossy protective carapace. Kerrigan’s eyes are bright yellow as opposed to her natural green, and her hair has transformed into stalks, described as being segmented like an insect’s legs.^[18]Kerrigan’s fingers are stated to now contain extendible claws.^[19] A pair of skeletal wings has also grown from her back, consisting of elongated segmented spikes that reach down to the level of her knees.^[20]Kerrigan is seen using these wings as a melee weapon, tearing opponents apart.^[21]

Agent of Prophecy

Kerrigan ascended into Xel’naga form by consuming the essence of Ouros, the last remaining Xel’naga, marking a complete overhaul for her appearance. Her physique resembles that of her human form though her skin turns a metallic gold color with flames dancing along the surface.

In the Legacy of the Void epilogue cut-scene a bokeh image of Kerrigan in her human form wearing her ghost armor is seen by Jim Raynor.

Appearances

In StarCraft: The Great War

Sarah Kerrigan appears in StarCraft: The Great War halfway through the first chapter of the game. She and Confederate officer Jim Raynor are tasked by Arcturus Mengsk, the leader of the militant rebel group Sons of Korhal, with starting a revolution on the fringe colony world of Antiga Prime by assassinating the presiding officers of the ruling Confederacy of Man. In response, the Confederacy blockades the planet as the insectoid Zerg Swarm begin to invade the surface, and Mengsk orders a skeptical Kerrigan to plant a psi emitter—stolen Confederate technology that attracts Zerg to it—to lure the Zerg into breaking the blockade, allowing the Sons of Korhal to escape. The Sons of Korhal then directly attack the Confederate capital world Tarsonis. During the attack, Mengsk, without consulting his officers, uses the psi emitters to ensure the complete destruction of the planet by the Zerg. The Zerg are subsequently attacked by the Protoss, a race of psionic aliens who attempt to stop further Zerg advancement and conquest. Kerrigan is sent with a detachment of troops to stop the Protoss from interfering with the Zerg rampage, but her position is overrun by the Zerg and she is abandoned by Mengsk. She was eventually captured for infestation after she ran out of ammo. As Raynor deserts Mengsk in disgust, Kerrigan is presumed dead.^[22]

However, Kerrigan does not perish, and as the second chapter begins, the player is charged by the Zerg hive mind, the Overmind, to protect a chrysalis it claims will be its greatest creation. The chrysalis eventually hatches on the Zerg world Char to reveal Kerrigan having been infested with Zerg DNA, making her a powerful hybrid of both Zerg and Terran genetics. Raynor, drawn to Char by psychic dreams cast by Kerrigan during her incubation, fails in an attempt to rescue her, but is spared as Kerrigan does not see him as a threat, and possibly due to any lingering affection she had for him. After breaking into a Terran science vessel and reversing the neural conditioning from her training as a psionic agent, Kerrigan is able to sense the presence of the Protoss fleet commander Tassadar on Char. Tassadar diverts Kerrigan’s attention long enough for his companion Zeratul to assassinate Zasz, one of the Zerg commanders, with psionic energies the Zerg are unfamiliar with. This causes a temporary mental link between Zeratul and the Overmind, who uses this momentary contact with Zeratul’s memories to locate the Protoss homeworld Aiur. The Overmind immediately launches the bulk of the Zerg Swarm in an invasion, although Kerrigan remains behind on Char to hunt down Tassadar and Zeratul.^[22]

In StarCraft: Brood War

Kerrigan’s character is more central to StarCraft: Brood War (1998), as in the wake of the Overmind’s death at the hands of Tassadar in the conclusion of StarCraft, Kerrigan regains her independence from the Zerg hive mind and dedicates her efforts to becoming the sole leader of the Zerg Swarm.^[23] She presents herself on the Protoss colony world Shakuras, where she informs Zeratul and the Protoss of a new Overmind growing on Char, manipulating them into destroying Zerg forces running rival to her goals. She also gains an ally in an apparently infested Samir Duran, who infiltrates the newly arrived forces of the United Earth Directorate (UED) and attempts to sabotage their mission to enslave the Zerg and seize control of the sector of the galaxy. However, the UED is successful in capturing the new Overmind, and Kerrigan exploits the threat of the UED to forge an alliance with Mengsk, Raynor and his new Protoss allies, turning around the war against the UED. However, Kerrigan quickly betrays this alliance and strikes at the armies of Raynor and Mengsk, heavily damaging both groups. Accompanied by Duran, Kerrigan returns to Shakuras to abduct the Protoss leader Raszagal, using her to blackmail Zeratul into killing the new Overmind on Char, after which all Zerg fall under Kerrigan’s control—around this time, she begins her self-proclamation as the Queen of Blades. Zeratul attempts to rescue Raszagal, but kills her when he realizes her mind has been destroyed by Kerrigan’s brainwashing. Kerrigan, surprised by his actions, allows him to live. Soon after, Kerrigan’s position on Char is attacked by a vengeful Protoss fleet, the remnants of the UED’s invasion force and a mercenary fleet commanded by Mengsk. Despite being outnumbered, Kerrigan’s forces prevail, crippling her enemies and eradicating the UED fleet, thereby securing a dominant position in the sector.^[22]

In StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Kerrigan returns in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010). At BlizzCon 2007, Chris Metzen explained that in the years after Brood War, Kerrigan relocated to Char, pulling back most of the Zerg, and has since been quiet. She has the power to wipe out all her enemies but has not, creating a tense state of peace in the sector. Metzen also indicated an interest in exploring if there was any humanity left in Kerrigan or if she is beyond redemption in her current state.^[5] He revealed that Kerrigan’s withdrawal has little to do with any suspicion she has of Duran, who is revealed towards the end of Brood War to be conducting secret experiments on creating a Protoss/Zerg hybrid;^[22] she does not know much about him, but in the time after Brood War, she is beginning to piece together the puzzle surrounding his motives.^[24] At BlizzCon 2008, Kerrigan made two brief appearances in cinematic trailers, one during an attack on a Terran city that was captured on video, and again in a series of caverns where Zeratul was studying ancient runes; in the latter, Kerrigan implies she has been waiting for his arrival.^[25]

In StarCraft II, Kerrigan launches an attack on the Terran Dominion colonies. At first, her motives seem to be revenge – however, later it is discovered that she is pursuing various pieces of a Xel’naga artifact of great power. Coincidentally, these are the same artifacts that Jim Raynor is pursuing at the request of his recently freed friend Tychus Findlay and his benefactor, the Moebius Foundation. Raynor’s forces and Kerrigan constantly bump heads throughout this pursuit, with Kerrigan displaying her now trademark character traits of arrogance and a hunger for power. Raynor soon learns from Valerian Mengsk, son of Arcturus Mengsk and the real face behind the Moebius Foundation, that the Xel’naga artifacts he has been pursuing, when pieced together, have the power to return Kerrigan to her human form. At one point, Zeratul suddenly appears on board Raynor’s ship and hands to him a crystal containing memories from his recent ventures. The memories on the crystal chronicle Zeratul’s campaign to discover the truth behind an ancient Xel’naga prophecy, a quest which leads him to run into Kerrigan many times in the process. It is through these memories that Raynor learns just how important it is to ensure that Kerrigan does not perish, for she is the chosen person to help win the coming battle against the Protoss-Zerg hybrids. Through Zeratul’s crystal, Raynor is also granted the vision of a possible future, one without Kerrigan, where the Protoss are rendered extinct shortly after the Terrans are annihilated. After seeing this vision, Raynor mounts an invasion on Char in collaboration with Dominion forces to eliminate the Zerg forces on the planet. The Xel’naga artifact releases an energy blast that wipes the Zerg infection clean off the planet. When Raynor and Findlay seek Kerrigan in the ruins, she is found to have mostly returned to her human form, with only her hair remaining Zerg-like. However, Raynor is forced to kill Findlay when he attempts to assassinate Kerrigan, under orders from his “benefactor”, who is revealed to be Arcturus Mengsk. Raynor then carries the weakened Kerrigan over the ruined battlefield to safety.^[26]

In StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Her next appearance was in StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, where she is the central character, and it tells the story of her further fate, and of the Zerg Swarm as well.^[27] Once again a human, Kerrigan is brought by Raynor to a secret research facility run by Valerian Mengsk to determine how much of her skill at controlling Zerg remains from her time as the Queen of Blades. However, the facility is attacked by Dominion forces and while Kerrigan and Valerian manage to escape, Raynor becomes trapped. After returning to look for him, Kerrigan hears Mengsk’s announcement that he was captured and executed. To enact revenge against Mengsk, Kerrigan, while traveling through the sector to reunite the Zerg Swarm under her control, is approached by Zeratul. Zeratul tells her to travel to Zerus, the original homeworld of the Zerg, where the primal Zerg are in a constantly evolving state. Kerrigan, initially reluctant, is convinced after Zeratul tells her there she can obtain enough power to move on with her vengeance plans. On Zerus, Kerrigan learns that Amon stole a large portion of the Zerg from Zerus and bound them to a single overriding will, making them Amon’s slaves as part of his plot to destroy both the Zerg and Protoss and remake life in his own image. Kerrigan enters a chrysalis in the first Zerg spawning pool and emerges, transforming again into the primal Queen of Blades. She also realizes that Amon’s lingering taint was partially responsible for the crimes she committed during the Brood War. Mengsk contacts Kerrigan and reveals that Raynor was not killed, but is held as a hostage instead, threatening to kill him should she wage war against the Dominion. With help from Valerian and Raynor’s Raiders, Kerrigan manages to rescue Raynor, but is rejected by him for renouncing the human self that he worked so hard to restore. Now in full control of the Zerg Swarm once again, Kerrigan launches an attack on the Dominion’s main world, Korhal, to defeat Mengsk. Valerian convinces her to permit civilian evacuation. As a result, Raynor and his raiders reinforce her assault on the imperial palace. Confronting Mengsk face to face, Kerrigan is almost killed by the Xel’naga artifact before Raynor disables it. Kerrigan kills Mengsk, and bids Raynor farewell to prepare the swarm for “the greatest battle they’ll ever face”.

In StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void

During the events of Legacy of the Void, Kerrigan enters into an alliance with Artanis while investigating the Xel’Naga “homeworld” Ulnar, which the pair discover is in fact a colossal space station. Some time after Artanis’s reclamation of the Protoss homeworld, Aiur, Kerrigan sends a psionic call to Raynor and Artanis: she proposes an alliance to permanently defeat Amon, since he will only arise again in a few thousand years if he is not dealt with. During the assault of the Void by the joint forces of the Terran Dominion, Zerg Swarm and Protoss Dae’laam, the full context of Zeratul’s prophecy about Kerrigan is made clear; only a fellow Xel’Naga is capable of killing Amon, and Kerrigan is the only one who can ascend to that status. With the remainder of the joint armada, Kerrigan is successful in killing Amon during her psychic backlash in the void.

The game’s final cut-scene is set two years later. Raynor is alone in a bar on planet Mar Sara. Without further explanation, Kerrigan appears in the background, out of focus, in her human form and ghost armor. She asks Jim if he is ready to leave, to which he replies jovially, “Hell, it’s about time.” Jim is seen approaching her as the screen fades to white. Text appears on the screen saying that Raynor is never heard from again, though Kerrigan is not mentioned.

In novels

Kerrigan appears in several StarCraft novels that greatly expand her backstory before the first StarCraft game. The novel Uprising portrays Kerrigan’s training as a Ghost assassin from an early age, where she is subjected to intense psychological abuse from her Confederate trainer, Lieutenant Rumm. When she was a young girl, an accident, most likely involving her powers, kills her mother and puts her father in a vegetative state. Consequently, Kerrigan is terrified to use her psionic abilities,^[28] and refuses Rumm’s demands to show her power, even when he threatens to kill her father. Kerrigan is eventually subdued with mental implants and used as a top Confederate assassin until she is rescued by Arcturus Mengsk.^[29] The novels Liberty’s Crusade and Queen of Blades provide novelizations for Kerrigan’s actions in Episodes I and II of StarCraft respectively. Liberty’s Crusade develops the implied relationship between Jim Raynor and Kerrigan,^[30] while Queen of Blades serves to demonstrate Kerrigan’s complete transformation by the Zerg, her removal of her inhibitions and morality, and its effect on her former love, Raynor.^[31]

In addition, Kerrigan briefly appears in Gabriel Mesta’s Shadow of the Xel’naga, set between StarCraft and Brood War, in which she attempts to secure a Xel’naga artifact on the independent colony world Bhekar Ro, but fails when it eradicates her forces.^[32] Kerrigan is also observed in Shadow Hunters, the second novel in The Dark Templar Saga, a trilogy that acts as a precursor to StarCraft II. After sensing a nexus of joined human minds caused by protagonist Jake Ramsey at the end of the first novel, Kerrigan sends Zerg forces to its location, infesting the half-dead body of a Dominion-funded black marketeer, Ethan Stewart.^[33] As the attack is the first Zerg activity for years, it inadvertently raises the suspicions of Arcturus Mengsk, who wonders what could have motivated it.^[34]

Details here.

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Sarah Kerrigan

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Sarah Louise^[7][8] Kerrigan was a psychic terran female. She began her career as a Confederate ghost and later became the second-in-command of the Sons of Korhal.^[9] Following Arcturus Mengsk‘s betrayal, she was captured and infested by the Zerg Swarm, ultimately becoming the self-proclaimed Queen of Blades^[10] (a.k.a. the Zerg Queen)^[11] and leader of the Swarm.^[12]

At the Dominion Ghost Academy, ghosts in training are told the Confederacy allowed Kerrigan to “defect” to the zerg.^[13]Non-control zerg strains referred to her as “the Kerrigan.”^[14]

Sarah Kerrigan

Early Life and Ghost Training

Young Sarah Kerrigan’s latent powers were demonstrated during an incident on TarKossia where she accidentally killed her mother (causing her head to “come apart”) and damaged the brain of her father, Patrick. She was quickly taken in hand from her mother’s burial by Confederate agents and conscripted as a child into the Ghost Program. At eight years of age she scored highly on all phases of the psi-evaluations.^[8][15] Indeed, the Confederacy had to readjust their entire psionic power measurement scale in order to account for her abilities.^[7]

During ghost training, her most hated instructor was Lieutenant Rumm. Rumm attempted to break her sense of right and wrong and persuade her to demonstrate her psionic powers to prove to his superiors that she was psychic. Kerrigan refused, unwilling to relive what happened to her parents.

In an attempt to coerce her into using her powers, Rumm injected a kitten with a tumor-causing chemical, then ordered Kerrigan to use her powers to destroy the tumor or euthanize the kitten. Still unsuccessful Rumm threatened to shoot the kitten himself. Kerrigan refused once again and Rumm decided not to shoot, leaving the kitten to die slowly and painfully. Rumm later discovered his pistol’s firing mechanism had been destroyed. However, the malfunction could be plausibly attributed to non-psionic factors, and so could not be treated as incontrovertible proof of her psionic powers.

A technician recommended the use of a neuro-adjuster, a device which would weaken a ghost‘s psionic powers and ensure their loyalty to the Confederacy. Rumm refused as a neuro-adjuster could kill the patient.

Sarah was taken to another room and strapped to a chair with a needle against her skin. In another room, she could see her brain-damaged father, similarly strapped to a chair. Rumm’s scientists were about to inject her father with the same substance that caused the growth of a tumor in the kitten unless Sarah cooperated with the Confederacy. Instead, Sarah said she would kill herself and her father rather than use the power for the Confederacy. She was injected with the needle and quickly lost consciousness. Rumm felt he had no choice now but to employ the neuro-adjuster.^[8][15]

The neural processing treatments left her a withdrawn and introverted young girl.^[9] Kerrigan would spend a year undergoing mental torture at the hands of Lieutenant Rumm.^[8]

Kerrigan’s further training included a combat scenario between her and an elder opponent—done with combat knives while scientists watched from overhead. Even at her young age, Kerrigan was able to defeat her opponent. In defiance, she used her psionic powers to shatter the glass of the viewing room the scientists were in. However, such defiance came to nothing—the Confederacy broke her down even further, to the point where Kerrigan was able to kill without remorse.^[16]

Confederate Ghost

Kerrigan was designated Ghost No. 24601^[7] (often simply Ghost No. 24)^[15] following the successful completion of training. As a Confederate agent she would go on to assassinate many of the Confederacy’s enemies.^[9] Her mental conditioning meant she was physically unable to refuse a direct order given by a Confederate superior.^[15]

The Assassination of Angus Mengsk

In 2489, senator Angus Mengsk declared Korhal to be a free world, independent of the Confederacy. In response, the Confederacy assigned a trio of ghosts to assassinate him and his family. Kerrigan was one of the three, and was accompanied by ghosts 24506 and 24718.^[8] They easily bypassed his security system, killing him, his wife and young daughter.^[17] Kerrigan was the one who personally killed Mengsk,^[7] decapitating him. The ghosts disappeared and took the senator’s head with them.^[17]

The Umojan Mission

One of Kerrigan’s missions involved the newly formed Umojan Protectorate. She took position above a political rally. She lined up her sights on the target, even as a child obstructed her view. She was seemingly able to make the kill.^[16]

Xenomorph Research

Kerrigan later participated in the xenomorph experiments at the Fujita Facility on Vyctor 5. The creatures were found to respond to telepathic commands when drugged and isolated.^[8]

Uprising

Main article: StarCraft: Uprising

Arcturus Mengsk, leader of the recently formed Sons of Korhal and son of Angus Mengsk, discovered Kerrigan was at Fujita through Umojan sources. He organized a raid on the facility to retrieve her, although the rebel soldiers were not told of Kerrigan’s significance or presence. By this time Kerrigan was the only experimental subject left; the remainder, unable to elicit as strong a response from the xenomorphs, were killed to maintain secrecy. The rebel raid was successful and an unconscious Kerrigan, defecting Confederates, and research materials, were conveyed to the rebels’ base of operations, the battlecruiser Hyperion. There Kerrigan’s neural inhibitor was removed.^[8] A number of cybernetic implants were left; years later, Kerrigan suggested this was to prevent the onset of insanity by inhibiting her ability to read thoughts.^[18]

Upon awakening in Hyperion‘s sick-ward, Kerrigan was greeted by Arcturus Mengsk and Somo Hung. While Hung was smitten from the outset, she sensed Mengsk’s animosity. However, Mengsk assured her she was a guest with full access to the ship.

Over the following intervals Kerrigan regained fragments of past memories. She welcomed the frequent visitations by Hung but always declined his invitations to “hang out.” Kerrigan was privy to the Sons of Korhal xenomorph investigation, and helped to spread rumors about the creatures amongst the troops to harden resolve against the Confederacy. The Fringe Worlds where the xenomorphs were first found had been depopulated by Confederate bio-chemical weapons to keep the aliens secret. Kerrigan’s decision to join the rebels was aided by the knowledge that Hung’s parents were among those killed.

During an engagement between the Confederate battlecruiser Norad II and the Hyperion, Ghost No. 24506 boarded the rebel ship. Kerrigan detected and killed the ghost. The dead ghost’s hostile environment suit was set aside for Kerrigan’s use.

After a return and second departure from Umoja, Kerrigan began a relationship with Hung, almost simultaneously getting on worse terms with Lieutenant Pollock Rimes. He was already frustrated at the level of confidence she possessed in Mengsk’s graces and defending Hung from his verbal abuse only made matters worse.

As part of the Sons of Korhal, she was involved in a nearly suicidal attack on the Ghost Academy on Tarsonis. She found Rumm, who had been promoted to Major, and took her rather messy revenge, both for herself and for Hung, who had been killed by the major. She subsequently returned to the Hyperion with a captured Ghost No. 24718, whom Mengsk killed as an act of revenge for the death of his family two years ago. To Kerrigan’s disgust and horror, much of Mengsk’s recent actions had been dictated by his search for vengeance for the three ghosts who murdered his family…and having delivered the first two to Mengsk, Kerrigan was the third. However, Mengsk found her to be more useful to him alive and decided to keep her around, claiming that he’d forgiven her. Kerrigan was extremely grateful for Mengsk’s decision to spare her and now fully believed in the Sons’ cause.^[8]

Rebel Yell

Main article: StarCraft Episode I

By 2499, Kerrigan’s dedication to the Sons of Korhal and her competency in the field were clear to all. However, her personal loyalties were hazy, and it remained to be seen if her fellow soldiers could be loyal to her in turn.^[19]

Early Actions

In 2499, Kerrigan was sent to the moon of G-2275. She familiarized herself with the Confederate base there.^[20]

By December of that year, with the outbreak of the Great War, knowledge of the xenomorphs, now known as zerg, was no secret, nor was the presence of a second alien race called the protoss. During this time, Kerrigan was on Mar Sara stirring anti-Confederate sentiments, meeting UNN reporter Michael Liberty in the process. A few days later, Kerrigan encountered Liberty again, who’d got on the wrong side of Confederate law. She got him into contact with Arcturus Mengsk, who wanted Liberty to spread pro-Sons of Korhal propaganda.^[18]

The Antigan Revolution

Kerrigan resurfaced on Antiga Prime, whose colonists had become very tired of the Confederacy’s heavy handed policies.^[18] She reported that Antiga Prime was ready to openly revolt against the Confederacy. However, the Confederacy was aware of this, and locked down the revolt with General Duke‘s Alpha Squadron, whose troops seemingly took over the Antigan revolutionary military base.^[21] Kerrigan scouted out the area, then linked up with Captain Jim Raynor. The meeting didn’t go well, Kerrigan’s telepathy sensing Raynor’s less than pure thoughts.^[22] Kerrigan infiltrated the military base and assassinated the Confederate officer in the command center, placing the base under the control of the Sons of Korhal. The combined forces then descended upon Alpha Squadron’s own base, destroying it.^[21] Immediately afterward, Duke’s battlecruiser, the Norad II, was shot down by the zerg over Antiga Prime. Duke called for help from his position in the crippled vessel. Mengsk ordered a rescue, prompting a sarcastic response from Kerrigan; she wanted to know if Mengsk had lost his mind. If he had, it didn’t matter, as Duke was rescued, and he and his forces joined the rebels.^[23]

Over the course of the fighting on Antiga Prime, Raynor and Kerrigan worked together on numerous occasions, becoming a formidable team.^[24]

The Trump Card

The Antigan campaign reached its end when the Confederacy’s Delta Squadron launched a major assault against the Sons of Korhal. Mengsk called a meeting of his commanders to discuss the situation. He had access to the plans for the Trans-planar Psionic Waveform Emitter, or psi-emitter, which his forces had stolen from the Confederates. The devices could attract the attention of zerg from across worlds. Mengsk told Kerrigan to plant the emitter in the Confederate base, which would lure the zerg to their position.^[25]

As Kerrigan undertook the mission, she told Mengsk that she didn’t think anyone deserved to have the zerg unleashed on them, but Mengsk seemed to believe her past was influencing her.^[26] Teaming up with Liberty, the pair made their way across the battlefield, encountering both zerg and Confederate forces^[18] before successfully planting the psi-emitter in the Confederate base. Kerrigan asked Mengsk to never again rely on this tactic, but he only mentioned that they would do whatever it took to save humanity.^[27]

Arriving on the Hyperion as Antiga Prime entered its death throes, Kerrigan met up with Raynor. Both were experiencing doubts as to what Mengsk was having them do, and they headed for the ship’s galley for coffee and talk, their former antagonism having evaporated. Despite his history with telepaths, Raynor possessed genuine sympathy for Kerrigan.^[18] Sympathy gave way to mutual friendship^[28] and they “drew close”.^[29] At some point, Raynor was given or obtained a vid-snap of Kerrigan.^[30]

Team Player

Mengsk had noticed the improved relationship between Raynor and Kerrigan, and in the interim period between Antiga Prime and Tarsonis, he assigned them on a number of missions. The first was a mission back to G-2275’s moon, in order to retrieve Confederate goliath designs. Kerrigan was there when Raynor and his team arrived, and the mission was a success.

Next, Raynor and Kerrigan were sent to raid a science facility on Orna III. Kerrigan, who knew her way around the facility, pretended to be a ghost who had arrested the criminal Raynor. The deception worked. Several scientists and all the test subjects were rescued. The corrupt scientists were killed and the facility destroyed. Afterwards, Raynor offered her a drink and a real date at Sam’s Place. One thing led to another, and the two gave into their emotions. That night, as they lay in bed, Kerrigan made Raynor promise that if the darkness in her ever went out of control, he would stop it.

Their relationship took a blow over the issue of Mengsk however. Raynor had come to realize that Mengsk was no better than the government that he was trying to overthrow, that he was in this for personal gain rather than higher ideals. Kerrigan conceded part of the point, but still believed that Mengsk could bring about a better future for humanity. She voiced her concerns that she and Raynor should have never got involved.^[20]

New Gettysburg

Main article: Battle of New Gettysburg

Ten days after the fall of Antiga Prime,^[18] Mengsk’s revolutionary movement had reached Tarsonis, the Confederate capital world. Duke planned to assault the central space platform, allowing a small force to penetrate to the surface of Tarsonis.^[31] Kerrigan, Raynor and Liberty fought their way through the streets of Tarsonis City^[18] and Mengsk’s forces successfully defeated the Confederates,^[31] but his next move surprised and dismayed Kerrigan and Raynor; his forces planted psi-emitters.^[32]

Billions of zerg were lured to Tarsonis, laying waste to the Confederacy’s defenses. The protoss followed, descending upon the zerg’s primary hive.

Mengsk ordered Kerrigan to protect the primary zerg hive from the protoss Expeditionary Force, allowing the zerg to complete the Confederacy’s destruction. Raynor was getting increasingly uncomfortable with Mengsk’s leadership and motivations, but was unable to convince Kerrigan to allow him to accompany her. Kerrigan completed her mission but was in turn overrun by the zerg. Mengsk callously refused to assist Kerrigan’s troops; instead, the rebel fleet disengaged from the Tarsonian system.^[33] Mengsk did so due to her lack of political reliability and because he wanted long-due vengeance for the deaths of his family.^[7] The abandonment was the last straw for Raynor. He and Raynor’s Rangers left the Sons of Korhal. Their first action as an independent group was an attempt to rescue Kerrigan; rising zerg activity forced them to withdraw before they could locate her.^[18]

Capture by the Zerg

As the terrans fled, the Zerg Swarm had captured Kerrigan. The Overmind sensed the ghost’s formidable psychic powers and, on one hand, saw a great weapon against the protoss.^[34]

More subtly, the Overmind realized Kerrigan was also the key to the zerg’s salvation. The Overmind was unwillingly implanted with an overriding directive to destroy the protoss. It knew this was part of a greater apocalyptic plan by the fallen Xel’naga Amon to destroy not only the protoss and zerg, but to remold creation in his own image. The Overmind believed it could resist Amon’s control by infesting Kerrigan.^[35] The Overmind’s plan was intended to save the zerg, but it had no concern over the other races of the galaxy.^[36]

Kerrigan was placed within a chrysalis by the creature Abathur. The process was painful, and she suffered much physical damage.^[37] She was entrusted to the care of a cerebrate and its brood,^[38] and was taken to Char,^[34]where her telepathic powers reached out and contacted Mengsk and Raynor.^[39] The psychic link with Raynor would persist.^[28]

Queen of Blades

Overmind

Main article: StarCraft Episode II

Agent of the Swarm

The terrans converged on Char. Mengsk ordered Duke to investigate,^[28][40] while Raynor followed in person at the head of Raynor’s Raiders to attempt a rescue. The zerg repelled both in turn. Kerrigan emerged from her chrysalis as the Raiders attacked. She adopted the title “Queen of Blades” and helped push the terrans back. Kerrigan confronted Raynor and allowed him to leave.^[10]

The Queen of Blades was not a separate entity within Kerrigan. However, the Queen could be considered Kerrigan under the influence of some devastating forces, such as zerg mutation.^[41]

Breakthrough

The prior ghost conditioning continued to limit Kerrigan’s psionic potential. To break it she raided the terran science vessel Amerigo in Char orbit for Ghost Program information.^[42] Zasz, a senior cerebrate, was dismayed by the initiative and self-aggrandizement displayed by the Swarm’s newest power. Kerrigan quickly developed a dislike for the cerebrate. The Overmind consoled Zasz by revealing Kerrigan’s personality was as intended.^[43] Not wanting to hamper Kerrigan’s strategic and intellectual strengths, the Overmind had left her a degree of will that differed from other cerebrates.^[7]

Kerrigan’s psionic abilities developed rapidly after the Amerigo. One ability she developed was psionic storm. More importantly, she could now sense the presence of the protoss Tassadar on the planet. Tassadar goaded the impulsive Kerrigan into battle;^[44] this allowed Zeratul, a Dark Templar, to infiltrate and permanently slay Zasz.^[45] Zasz had sensed the protoss’ duplicity but Kerrigan had ignored its warnings.^[46] The Queen of Blades was not perturbed by the cerebrate’s death, but was annoyed from being tricked.^[45] She zealously led the counterattack against the protoss,^[47] and remained on Char to continue persecuting them when the Swarm departed for Aiur.

Raynor and the surviving Raiders allied with the protoss to survive. During the running battles, Kerrigan tormented Raynor through the mental link, giving him pleasure and then guilt in his dreams. However, this untrained link allowed Raynor to interpret zerg communication and provide the allies with intelligence. After weeks of evading and wearing down Kerrigan’s brood the allies counterattacked. First, they found a secure location, and destroyed Kerrigan’s overlord after purposely allowing it to spot them. This allowed the allies to relocate without harassment. Next, Tassadar, having been taught to wield Dark Templar powers by Zeratul, slew the cerebrate directing the Queen of Blade’s brood. This deprived Kerrigan of most of her forces, but she still managed to trap the protoss and terrans. During a heated discussion Zeratul vanished. The timely arrival of the Fleet of the Executor, led by Executor Artanis, forced Kerrigan to retreat, although she vowed an eventual reckoning.^[28]

After the departure of the protoss from Char, the zerg attacked Maltair IV. Kerrigan was believed to be behind it.^[48]

Ascension

The final battle on Aiur ended when the Overmind was destroyed by Tassadar which left the zerg Swarms scattered.^[49] Kerrigan was on Char at the time and became aware of the creature’s death. In an instant, she learned the true nature of her creation^[50] and knew that the time for her ascension had come.^[51]

Shadow of the Xel’Naga

Main article: StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel’Naga

During this time, Kerrigan had spent her time covering Char with creep and created the Kukulkan Brood. She felt a psionic pulse coming from a recently activated xel’naga structure on Bhekar Ro. She sent the Kukulkan brood to take control of the structure, but it came into conflict with protoss who had also felt the signal as well as Alpha Squadron, which had been sent to help the colonists. However, the structure turned out to be a trap: it was actually a chrysalis who required the energy and DNA of both protoss and zerg to complete its transformation. The whole Kukulkan Brood was wiped out by the phoenix creature. Kerrigan considered this an acceptable loss.^[52]

The Brood War

Alliance with the Protoss

After the death of the first Overmind, many zerg cerebrates, commanded by Daggoth, merged into a new Overmind for the Swarms.^[53] However, Kerrigan, now in charge of approximately half of the zerg Swarm,^[54]began a campaign aimed at eliminating these cerebrates in order to rule over the Swarms by herself.

As part of her plan, Kerrigan took control of the Dark Templar Matriarch, Raszagal,^[55] even before she arrived on Shakuras, homeworld of the Dark Templar.^[56]

Shortly afterward Zeratul, Artanis and the protoss survivors of Aiur traveled through the warp gate which connected Aiur to Shakuras. They were closely followed by zerg which included two cerebrates allied with Daggoth’s new Overmind. These cerebrates nestled around the xel’naga temple of Shakuras, a powerful artifact capable of wiping the zerg off the planet.^[57]

Raszagal informed the newly-arrived protoss of the temple’s powers which required the use of the two lost crystals: the Uraj and Khalis, but she ordered the protoss to first slay the two cerebrates around the temple, which was done. Kerrigan made an appearance right after this event, asking to be escorted to their Citadel. She claimed that with the Overmind dead, she was no longer being controlled.^[58] However, a new Overmind was growing on Char^[53] and when it reached maturity it would take control of her.^[59] The protoss, especially Aldaris, didn’t trust her, but Raszagal (under her influence) welcomed her.

Kerrigan was unsuccessful in convincing Zeratul to assault the new Overmind but she did garner good will with the protoss by helping them acquire the Uraj^[60] and the Khalis.^[61]

Upon their return to Shakuras, Aldaris was in the midsts of launching an open revolt against Raszagal. He had discovered Kerrigan’s influence on her, but he did not attempt to inform Artanis and Zeratul of this until he had been defeated. However, Kerrigan swiftly arrived and slew him as he tried to reveal the secret. A furious Zeratul ordered her to leave for her interference. Kerrigan bragged that she had forced the protoss to slay her enemies, the two cerebrates on Shakuras, before leaving the planet.^[62]

Zeratul and Artanis activated the xel’naga temple and destroyed the zerg on Shakuras,^[63] but by this time Kerrigan had left. Due to her machinations, the cerebrates who refused to follow her lead were all but destroyed.^[64]

Against the New Overmind

During the United Earth Directorate invasion of the Koprulu sector, it acquired the Psi disrupter, a powerful anti-zerg weapon, but the leader of the UED force, Admiral Gerard DuGalle, squandered its use due to the influence and advice of Samir Duran. Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov secretly disassembled the device and hid it from DuGalle, which would later spark charges of treason.^[65]

The UED conquered Korhal, throne world of the Terran Dominion, and attempted to capture Mengsk. However, Mengsk was “rescued” by Raynor and Fenix,^[66] who transported him to Aiur. The UED pursued. The zerg, with help from Duran (seemingly an infested terran minion working for Kerrigan, who looked just like a regular terran) helped rescue Mengsk and Raynor from the UED. Exploiting the fear of the UED, Kerrigan had put together a coalition with Fenix and Raynor on Aiur.^[67] Fenix didn’t trust her at all, but Raynor’s fear of the UED was strong enough for him to persuade Fenix to fight alongside him and Kerrigan.^[68]

DuGalle ordered the Psi disrupter to be activated, then his force descended upon Char to capture the new Overmind. His forces were successful in their mission. Kerrigan and Duran confronted him shortly after his victory, telling him that all of the zerg, plus Duran, belonged to her, and that she would defeat him despite his Psi disrupter, with the help of certain allies.^[69]

Unlikely Alliance

Kerrigan had contacted Raynor and Fenix on Aiur, alerting them to the new Overmind and the UED’s plans for controlling it.^[67] Contacting them again on Shakuras,^[64] she asked them for help.^[67]

Kerrigan also struck an alliance with Mengsk,^[70] contacting them on Shakuras. Together they rescued the remains of the Dominion fleet from the UED.^[64] Mengsk was her prisoner, and she told him he could be emperor of his own eight-by-eight cell if he didn’t agree to her proposal. The allies destroyed the poorly-defended external power generators for the Psi disrupter for her, and with the help of psi-emitters provided by Mengsk, she took control of nearby dormant zerg and used them to destroy the Disrupter.^[70] In order to enhance her Swarm for the upcoming attack on the UED on Korhal, Kerrigan proposed a resource raid on Moria. Her allies stood aside as she infested Kel-Morian Combine personnel.^[71] She led the attack on the UED forces on Korhal, defeating them.^[72] However, she and Duran quickly turned against her allies when they were resting from the battle, killing both Duke and Fenix. Raynor and Mengsk were left very bitter about this betrayal, and Raynor swore he would see her dead for it.^[73]Kerrigan let Mengsk live however, as he was no threat to her.^[41] And as payback for Tarsonis, she wanted to let him live, to see her rise to power, to remember that he was the one who had allowed her transformation to occur.^[74] She also brushed off Raynor’s vow of vengeance, doubting that he had it in him.^[75] Regardless, her enemies decimated, she withdrew her forces to Tarsonis, weary of the slaughter.^[76]

To Slay the Beast

Kerrigan managed to repel UED counterattacks on her forces on Tarsonis as she schemed for the destruction of the Overmind.^[73] She traveled to Shakuras and retrieved Raszagal.^[77]

Kerrigan brought Raszagal to Char, followed by a vengeful Zeratul, demanding to know why his Matriarch had been taken. Kerrigan proposed a deal – she would allow Raszagal to return if Zeratul agreed to slay the Overmind. Raszagal convinced him to go, saying the Overmind was a threat to both Kerrigan and the protoss.^[78]

Zeratul had no choice; though he knew killing the Overmind would only make the treacherous Kerrigan stronger, he consented. His Dark Templar participated beside her forces in the battle, killing renegade zerg and UED troops alike before ultimately destroying the Overmind.^[55] Then Zeratul again demanded the return of the Matriarch. Kerrigan agreed … but Raszagal did not. Under Kerrigan’s control, Raszagal said she wanted to stay. This did not fool Zeratul, who spirited her away and fled.^[79]

Consolidation of Power

Kerrigan had killed the Overmind’s cerebrates, using the Dark Templar she had manipulated,^[80] and brought virtually all the zerg in the sector under her control.^[12] Kerrigan gave orders to recapture Zeratul and Raszagal. Her forces were almost successful,^[81] but Zeratul chose to slay Raszagal rather than allow her to live as a slave to Kerrigan.^[82] The surprised Kerrigan let Zeratul leave Char to live with his guilt. Meanwhile, Duran disappeared.^[83] Kerrigan had no idea what Duran was planning.^[84]

Kerrigan defended her base from a combined attack led by Mengsk, Artanis and DuGalle,^[85] leaving her as the ruler of the most powerful force in the sector. Kerrigan destroyed the remnants of the UED Expeditionary Force, but let the Dominion and protoss forces retreat. Standing alone on the platform, Kerrigan found herself the ruler of all she surveyed. Unable to shake the feeling that a great threat loomed just over the horizon, she could only stare off into the vastness of space where she beheld a great void. Or perhaps a reflection of a hollow victory and of the trials yet to come…^[86]

Interbellum

Post Bellum

By the end of the Brood War, Kerrigan had become the undisputed ruler of the zerg.^[87] Kerrigan pulled back to Char in the aftermath of the war, out of sight, but not out of mind. The Dominion considered the zerg to be “too quiet” and though Kerrigan was the one responsible for the apparent cessation of hostilities, her motives were unknown,^[87] although it had nothing to do with Duran (only known to Kerrigan herself).^[84] She learned something of Duran’s activities and of a looming threat.^[88]

Kerrigan believed herself to be the ruler of the zerg in the aftermath of the war, but this wasn’t true, as a dark influence crept into her thoughts, exerting its will through the zerg mutagens within her.^[7] This influence was from Amon, though he did not directly control her.^[89][90] Over the next four years, she quietly prepared the Swarm.^[7]

Chains of Command

Kerrigan no longer required cerebrates since the death of the second Overmind,^[84][87] the Overmind’s cerebrates having been destroyed^[12]although at least one remained at her side in the war’s aftermath.^[15] At least four cerebrates survived on Braxis for a time.^[91] She feared the cerebrates might once again try to form a new Overmind, and besides, they had no place in her new vision for the Swarm.^[92]

At some point during this time, Jim Raynor attempted an attack on Kerrigan, trying to make good on his vow to see her dead during the Brood War. However, the attack failed.^[93]

During this period, Kerrigan directed zerg evolution as per her own designs,^[94][95] sending out her forces to explore and exploit various worlds and assimilate new species.^[95] She paid particular attention to species with hyper-regenerative properties.^[96] Additionally, she carried out a project to devise more intelligent infested terrans.^[15]

Eventually Kerrigan overcame her dislike of the idea of sapient zerg under her control and created brood mothers to fill the roles the cerebrates once maintained.^[97] She wished the Swarm to be able to survive even if she fell. Having sapient lieutenants would extend her control of the Swarm.^[98] The brood-mothers were in service by 2501.^[99]

Kerrigan utilized smaller operations to disrupt Dominion command. She allowed the Dominion to believe they had successfully weaponized captured hydralisks through Project Tamed, and when they attacked the planet of Thys, had them turn on the Dominion and their high-ranking officers. Kerrigan personally oversaw the operation, relishing the kill of the project’s director, Sandra Loew, who she saw as a “false queen.”^[100]

Garrxax

Following the Brood War, Kerrigan became obsessed with the genetic codes of species with hyper-regenerative properties.^[101] In 2501, Kerrigan directed a wounded behemoth to the world of Garrxax. This gave the Swarm access to roaches.^[14]

Artika

In 2502,^[102] Kerrigan’s zerg took part in a battle on Artika, a planet housing a xel’naga temple. The protoss gained control of the temple, though Kerrigan was unfazed.^[103]

Preserver’s Saga

In 2503,^[102] Kerrigan’s preparations to return to the Koprulu Sector were nearly complete, and she was enthused about the prospect of returning to slaughter. She still intended to carry out the original zerg mission, although had added revenge to her list of motives. Her preparations were interrupted when she became aware of a strange psychic phenomenon; a terran–protoss linking, similar to the Khala, emanating near the world of Dead Man’s Rock (the originators were a terran named Jake Ramsey and a protoss preserver named Zamara). Several hours after detecting the psionic emanation, her forces arrived, capturing at least one terran, the crime lord Ethan Stewart. Stewart had been wearing a psi-screen at the time, leading Kerrigan to believe he was psychic (and the originator of the effect), and she realized the truth only after she had captured him. She transformed him into an infested terran so that he would serve her as a general and consort, and also to question him about the effects (the madness caused by the psi-screen prevented her from reading his mind without infesting him first). Stewart emerged from his cocoon and quickly fell under her control. After questioning him about Ramsey, she sent him to capture Ramsey on Aiur, since the preserver was valuable to her “beyond measure”, but the attempt stalled, as his forces were unable to overcome Ulrezaj, a powerful dark archon who also wished to capture Ramsey. During the ensuring battle, Ramsey escaped, and the warp gate was sealed.^[95] Kerrigan took to berating Stewart for his failures. Kerrigan and Stewart jointly controlled their forces in a new operation; they would pursue the wounded Ulrezaj into his lair, as they believed he knew how to find Ramsey. Ulrezaj regained some of his energy, but constant zerg attacks eventually forced him to fight back (dismaying both zerg commanders) before fleeing. Stewart tracked him to Ehlna, a moon sacred to the Dark Templar. Ramsey was undergoing a ritual at a protoss shrine to remove the preserver from him there. Stewart’s zerg tried to acquire Ramsey before Ulrezaj did, but Ulrezaj was too powerful for the zerg to defeat. Even the unanticipated arrival of the Terran Dominion and unexpected protoss resistance failed to stop Ulrezaj, but he mysteriously disappeared from the battlefield. Stewart’s forces had been weakened during the battle, and the Dominion shot down his mutalisk, severely injuring him. As his former lover Rosemary Dahl approached, with backup from the protoss executor, Selendis, Kerrigan cut off contact with Stewart. She considered him to be a failure and allowed him to die, but the circumstances of his infestation a success. She could repeat it in order to create a new consort.^[56]

Whispers of Doom

Under Kerrigan’s leadership, the zerg were becoming “much, much more”, the final metamorphosis having “only just begun.”^[94] Nonetheless, the feelings of unease Kerrigan had felt at the end of the Brood War continued to concern her. Insight gained of the coming threat during the interbellum caused only pessimism, and she was resigned to accept it, though wanted to send the zerg out in a blaze of glory in the final battle she knew was approaching.^[104] She had become fatalistic because her zerg mutagens still left her open to Amon‘s influence.^[105]

Eventually she journeyed to Ulaan in search of an ancient prophecy.^[106]She was followed there by a protoss force led by Karass.^[107] As Kerrigan predicted, Zeratul was also drawn there searching for the same thing. The two sparred briefly, and Kerrigan ended up capturing Zeratul in a psionic prison. As Kerrigan discovered, the Nerazim was not prepared to give up all hope for the future. Zeratul escaped from the prison, severed the Queen of Blade’s left wing, and fled. Kerrigan’s wing promptly regrew.^[106] Zeratul recovered three fragments of the prophecy from the shrines but was intercepted by Kerrigan before he could leave the planet. However, Zeratul received aid from a protoss force led by Praetor Karass. Karass had pursued Kerrigan to Ulaan and willingly sacrificed himself and his troops to buy time for Zeratul to escape with the fragments.^[107] Following the line of investigation, Zeratul eventually discovered Kerrigan was the key to stopping the hybrids and their master, Amon.^[35] Zeratul passed this information to Raynor and instructed him to ensure Kerrigan’s survival.^[108]

Wings of Liberty

Main article: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

A Race Against Time

After four years of relative calm, Kerrigan drove the Swarm into a massive invasion of terran space and sparked the Second Great War. She sought a disassembled xel’naga device scattered throughout the sector^[109] in order to give the zerg as much of a chance as possible in the future conflict she had sensed.^[104] The Queen of Blades led from the front as the Swarm infested terran worlds, attacking research centers, and raiding archaeological sites.^[110] Her primary competitor was Raynor, commissioned by the Moebius Foundation to retrieve the same device.^[111] The terran rebels’ ability to steal away with device components before the Swarm elicited Kerrigan’s grudging respect.^[112] It was not long before Kerrigan struck at the Foundation directly; she recognized their pivotal role in the Raiders’ success, and sought the Foundation’s data cores on Tyrador VIII which would lead her to the remaining components. The timely intervention of the Raiders prevented her from acquiring any of the data. By this point, she was aware of the artifacts’ true purpose, and saw through Dr. Emil Narud‘s “pathetic charade”.^[113] The zerg conceded the race when the terrans retrieved the second last component from Typhon XI.^[114] The zerg invasion of the sector slowed^[109] and Kerrigan returned to Char.^[115]

The Return to Char

Ironically, the device would soon come to her. A joint Dominion and Raynor’s Raiders battlegroup attacked Char, believing the device could de-infest Kerrigan. The zerg were prepared^[116] and the terrans suffered heavy casualties establishing a foothold^[115] and pushing to the primary hive cluster.^[117] The Queen of Blades was not overly concerned;^[115] both she and her opposites knew the terrans had little time to achieve their objective before being defeated by massive zerg superiority.^[118] When the terrans entrenched at the base of the primary hive cluster with the completed xel’naga artifact, the Queen of Blades saw an opportunity to seize the artifact and crush the invasion at once. She was impressed by the artifact’s power, but this did not deter her from personally leading attacks on the terran defenses. As the battle progressed, elements of her old personality seemed to resurface, telling her foes to “not give up” for a brief moment.

The terrans weathered Kerrigan’s psionic prowess and activated the device. The resulting energy wave destroyed local zerg forces and de-infested the Queen of Blades,^[117] altering her DNA^[119] and making her more human than zerg.^[97] Raynor and Tychus Findlay led a small squad of Dominion and Raiders marines into the hive and found Kerrigan dazed and de-infested. She was unable to prevent Findlay from attempting to execute her; the former convict would win freedom from Mengsk with Kerrigan’s death. She was saved by Raynor who blocked the would-be executioner’s bullet before shooting and killing Findlay. Kerrigan was carried outside by Raynor.^[120] That Kerrigan had not been slain on Char was a point of divergence from a vision of the future glimpsed at by the Overmind.^[121]

Flashpoint

Main article: StarCraft II: Flashpoint

Kerrigan’s new state had a mostly human form, but still had some zerg traits such as her dreadlock-like antennae instead of hair, leaving open the question of how infested she was and whether she had her own personality back.^[122] While carrying her away from her hive, Raynor noticed that her “dreadlocks” felt the same as the rest of her skin. What was also noticeable was how weakened Kerrigan had become, as she began succumbing to Char’s hostile atmosphere. After protecting her with insul-weave, Raynor carried her to a waiting dropship, while fighting off the now leaderless zerg along the way. Kerrigan was taken aboard the Dominion flagship Bucephalus, commanded by Valerian Mengsk, son of Arcturus. Due to the arrival of his father and a battle-ready Dominion fleet, Kerrigan and her rescuers were forced to flee to Dead Man’s Rock. While there, Kerrigan’s health worsened, both physically and mentally, and she even tried to remove her “hair.” However, her powers began to return, and she was able to warn Raynor and co. of an ambush planned by Gary Crane. As the group left the world with Doctor Emil Narud, Kerrigan made it clear that she did not trust him, nor his scientists. Kerrigan and co. arrived at the Moebius Foundation station Prometheus. There, she underwent preliminary tests, but it wasn’t long before Narud revealed that he was in league with Mengsk and sure enough, the emperor and his fleet arrived in the area. Mengsk contacted the station, saying he’d let his enemies live provided that Kerrigan was turned over. Becoming enraged at the sound of Mengsk’s voice, Kerrigan let loose her fury, killing numerous Foundation marines and even engaged in battle with a hybrid. Kerrigan and her allies successfully escaped, but she accidentally killed one of the Raiders in the process. The group headed for a top-secret Umojan space station, where the rebels’ battlecruisers could be repaired, and Kerrigan could be given treatment. The rebels had grown frightened of her and wouldn’t have her on the Hyperion. Kerrigan swore vengeance against Mengsk.^[20]

Hope and Vengeance

Kerrigan was incarcerated in Research Station EB-103 and given a hostile environment suit to wear. For the first two weeks she appeared to be in a comatose state, refusing any food or water. Valerian, intent on studying her and seeing how much zerg influence remained in her, ordered an assistant to administer an IV. Kerrigan lashed out—instinctively, he believed, due to the lack of brain activity detected. However, that was cold comfort to the assistants, who were killed in the process.

However, Kerrigan’s brain functions began to recover. She recalled her past life, as a ghost, as the Queen of Blades, and all the horror both roles entailed. These shockwaves killed another of Valerian’s technicians as she remained in a psychic coma. Kerrigan reflected on Raynor’s rescue and de-infestation of her. She reasoned that she owed it to him to at least try and hope for a better future, but did not regard herself as human.

During this, Kerrigan’s psionic powers began to spiral out of control, and Valerian activated the destruct system. He called it off however, as she revealed that she’d used those same powers to reshape the explosive charges, which, if detonated, would kill him instead. Thus, the testing continued, though Kerrigan’s hostility remained.^[16]

Heart of the Swarm

To Take the Queen

Kerrigan’s personality reasserted itself, but she still felt guilty for her previous actions during the Brood War, even though she hadn’t been in her “right mind” at the time. Regardless, she held a grudge against Mengsk. Her Queen of Blades persona had been unconcerned with revenge, but Sarah Kerrigan knew that Mengsk wanted her dead, and held a grudge against him for abandoning her on Tarsonis.^[41] Three weeks since her de-infestation,^[123] Raynor had enough. He visited the lab, ready to take Kerrigan with him—the test Valerian would conduct would be the last. However, while Kerrigan had regained her cognitive functions, she made no secret of her desire for revenge. Raynor wanted her to let it go, but Kerrigan maintained that while Mengsk lived, the two couldn’t have a future together.^[124] The test began. Kerrigan’s memory of her time as the Queen of Blades was still patchy, but Valerian continued the experiment anyway, desiring to see how much zerg mutagen remained in Kerrigan’s system. He provided her with some zerg to control, and despite her de-infestation, Kerrigan was able to control them and spawn more at will- even zerglings, despite Valerian’s orders to the contrary. Determined to show the prince that the zerg couldn’t be controlled, Kerrigan set them loose on the base’s sub-level. No-one was killed, but there was much damage, including the destruction of the Eradicator. Her point made, Kerrigan sent the zerg back to the pens. Appreciating the point, Valerian agreed to release her.^[125]

Raynor met up with Kerrigan afterwards. She expressed guilt for her past actions as the Queen of Blades, and commented that maybe Raynor should have let Findlay kill her on Char. Raynor insisted he had no regrets though—Findlay had made his choice, he’d made his, and Kerrigan was no longer the Queen of Blades. He went to suit up.^[126] And it was just as well, for the Dominion had found them.

The Dominion battlecruisers sent drop pods crashing into the facility. Under the command of Nova, they fanned out, looking for Kerrigan. One of the teams found her, but Kerrigan used her psionic powers to kill her attackers. Kerrigan reflected how the killing would never stop until Mengsk was dead. Raynor snapped her out of it by reminding her they had to leave, and would have to fight their way out. He tossed Kerrigan one of her attackers’ weapons, and despite the 4 years of absence, Kerrigan instinctively got back into the game. The pair set out to make their escape.^[127]

With the aid of the Umojan forces, the pair fought their way through the facility, taking out everything the Dominion threw at them. Nova was able to send them down to the sub-level, where not only did the pair have to deal with an impending lockdown, but the now feral zerg that Kerrigan had spawned. Still, they wouldn’t be stopped, and kept moving. They reached the base’s tram station, and after fending off more Dominion forces, they arrived at their destination—the shuttle bay. However, Dominion forces had taken control of it, among which was the Archangel. The vehicle destroyed the bridge connecting the bay and the tram terminal, separating the pair. Raynor told Kerrigan he’d find another way around while Kerrigan and the Umojans were left to take the vehicle down themselves.

The Archangel was destroyed, but Raynor contacted Kerrigan—he was cut off, and he told her to take his ship. Kerrigan initially refused but Valerian, who was by now on the Hyperion, told her that he’d send a team to extract Raynor. Kerrigan agreed to take the ship, but warned Valerian not to mess things up, and that Raynor better not die on her.^[128]

After a trip through warp space, Kerrigan docked with the Hyperion, now above Phaethon along with a number of other allied ships. Arriving on the bridge however, she found Raynor to be absent. Valerian uneasily explained that they hadn’t been able to extract Raynor. Kerrigan lashed out, using her psionic powers to choke Valerian, ignoring Horner’s demands for her to stand down, and sending the Umojan marines who tried to intervene flying against the walls. What made matters worse was the arrival of the Dominion Fleet, which opened fire and continued firing, even after Horner told them that Valerian was on board the Hyperion. The distraction was enough to get Kerrigan to let go of the prince. But despite Horner’s plan of leaving the rendezvous point and circling back to pick up Raynor, Kerrigan wasn’t interested. As the rebel fleet warped away, she took the dropship down to the planet’s surface.^[129]

Dominion ground forces were already there however. Not only were they out in force, but they had set up a Drakken pulse cannon. Kerrigan knew that if Raynor warped into the space above the planet, it would shoot him down in an instant. Out of options, Kerrigan took control of a brood under the command of brood-mother Naktul. The creature welcomed her “queen” back to the Swarm, but Kerrigan wasn’t interested. The zerg were a means to an end, nothing more, to destroy the cannon and the Dominion forces guarding it. Both the cannon and the terrans were destroyed, yet Kerrigan was uneasy, as she found herself slipping back into her old persona.^[130]She took refuge in the dropship, hoping to contact Raynor. A zergling entered the dropship, and Kerrigan quickly grabbed her rifle and aimed at the zergling’s head. The zergling backed away.

Kerrigan tried to contact Raynor, but instead picked up a UNN broadcast. It declared that Raynor had been captured and killed, before showing a triumphant Mengsk declaring that the war was over. The zergling that entered the dropship earlier approached her and looked at her eye-to-eye. Distraught, and with nothing left save vengeance, Kerrigan embraced her darker nature.^[131] Seeking revenge on Mengsk, she nonetheless knew that few terrans would help her. Thus, she turned to the zerg.^[7] She set a course for zerg space, intent on rebuilding the Swarm and using it to make Mengsk pay for everything he’d done.^[131]

The Queen Resurgent

Kerrigan took the dropship to a leviathan. There, she met with the creature Izsha, a creation of hers from her days as the Queen of Blades. Kerrigan wanted the Swarm to move on Korhal, but as Izsha informed her, the Swarm was in disarray, the brood-mothers vying for control in light of the power vacuum Kerrigan’s de-infestation had created. It was a situation Kerrigan resolved to rectify.^[132] On board the leviathan, Kerrigan also met Abathur, who would help her evolve the Swarm.^{[37][133][134]}

Char

Kerrigan quickly brought Zagara to heel on Char,^[135] and then led an assault on Warfield’s base, decimating it.^[136] Kerrigan confronted an injured Warfield, who begged her to allow the wounded to evacuate. When Kerrigan remained silent, Warfield called her a traitor, condemning her for abandoning her humanity over revenge. After asking how many innocents she murdered, and how many more had to die (and still being met with silence), he reminded her that she was throwing away what Raynor had done for her and asked her what he would think of her actions now. At this, Kerrigan became enraged and brutally finished off the general, but nonetheless withdrew her forces just as they were about to finish off the evacuees too injured to fight back.^[137]

Kaldir

Kerrigan traveled to Kaldir, to reclaim Nafash and her brood. Unfortunately Nafash had been killed by the protoss, who quickly tried to alert Shakuras of Kerrigan’s weakened state. Kerrigan stopped the first attempt,^[138] during which a protoss scientist named Lasarra was captured.^[132] Kerrigan destroyed the protoss shuttles that tried to warp to Shakuras and ultimately wiped out the final escape ship by implanting Lassara with a brood-mother, Niadra. Letting Lassara be teleported to the ship, Niadra erupted from her body and, using the organisms stored on board, was able to overrun the ship. Niadra was left to her own devices.^[139] Kerrigan later defended Lassara’s memory from Izsha (who had called the Protoss’s presence disturbing), telling her she did not derive any satisfaction from her death.^[140][141]

Zerus

During her resurgence, Zeratul had boarded Kerrigan’s leviathan and after a brief scuffle, was able to convince her to travel to the zerg homeworld of Zerus to claim the power of the primal zerg. Kerrigan was skeptical of the prophecies, but agreed in order to gain the power she needed to kill Mengsk.^[142] Upon arriving at Zerus, Kerrigan learned from Zeratul that in order to gain the power of the primal zerg, she would first have to awaken Zurvan the Ancient One – a zerg older than the Overmind. Though suspicious of Zeratul’s motives, Kerrigan’s desire for revenge compelled her to take his advice. During this time, Kerrigan was attacked by the primal zerg, who regarded her Swarm as “corrupt”. Kerrigan’s forces fended off the primal zerg attackers, and successfully awakened Zurvan. Zurvan informed Kerrigan that the fallen xel’naga Amon was responsible for enslaving the zerg and corrupting them through the hive mind as part of his plot to destroy both protoss and zerg and remake all life in his image. Zurvan also explained that the few zerg who escaped Amon’s influence became the primal zerg, and that Kerrigan must allow Zerus to remake her if she was to claim the power of the primals.^[143]

Despite knowing that her humanity would be lost again, Kerrigan agreed to this. She allowed Zurvan to lead her to the first spawning pool where the zerg had first evolved. Against Abathur’s advice, she entered the pool to begin her transformation. Before sealing herself within a chrysalis, she ordered her minions to defend her until she either emerged from the chrysalis or was dead.^[144] She hoped that in her new form, Amon would exert no influence over her mind.^[7] The primal zerg ferociously assaulted Kerrigan’s position, but Kerrigan’s zerg held them off long enough for the transformation to be complete.^[144] Kerrigan emerged from the chrysalis as the Primal Queen of Blades;^[145]making her presence known to all of Zerus. Upon returning to her leviathan, Kerrigan was met by Dehaka, a primal zerg pack leader who wished to join her Swarm, pledging to serve her in exchange for new sources of essence. Kerrigan accepted Dehaka and his pack into the Swarm.^[146] Dehaka informed her that the other primal pack leaders would not submit to Kerrigan and thus, had to be eliminated.^[90][147]

Although Yagdra, Kraith, Slivan and their respective packs fought viciously against Kerrigan’s Swarm, they were ultimately no match for the reborn Queen of Blades. After collecting their essences, Kerrigan was confronted by Zurvan, who initially acclaimed her for her victory. He then turned on her, with the intention of consuming her essence; explaining that he had “no allegiance but to self.” Kerrigan expected his challenge and killed Zurvan, thus fully claiming the power of all Zerus. With her mission on Zerus complete, Kerrigan ordered Izsha to prepare the leviathan to return to the Koprulu sector.^[148]

The Queen’s Return

Kerrigan’s brood-mothers delivered a communicator, and, on cue, a message from Arcturus Mengsk was delivered. Mengsk told her that Raynor was alive, but that if she brought her Swarm to bear against Korhal or him, Raynor would be killed. Kerrigan couldn’t sense Raynor, but swore that she’d rescue him, and set a course for Dominion space.^[132]

Skygeirr Station

Kerrigan was contacted by an unknown entity, who claimed to know of Kerrigan’s desire to topple Mengsk. The figure told her that her chances of defeating Mengsk were nullified as long as his hybrid were alive and that defeating them was a top priority. Kerrigan tracked the figure to Skygeirr Station, and upon arrival, she questioned its identity. It revealed itself to be an infested Alexi Stukov. He told her that Narud was in fact a shapeshifter who “had worn many faces over the years” and served Amon. Stukov claimed that Narud had made him into whom he was and that he was the victim of countless experiments by Narud.^[149] To destroy the lab, Kerrigan first needed to destroy the Dominion garrison protecting the lab’s topmost level, which was protected by infantry and heavy weapons. To this end, she utilized infestors to spawn infested terrans at the garrison’s complement. The terrans used gas to wipe out the infested, but there was a delay between each usage of the gas. In the end, Kerrigan’s zerg destroyed the garrison and then entered the lab.^[150]

On the lower level of the lab, Narud unleashed eight hybrid dominators to psionically sap Kerrigan’s life. They were defeated, as was the Dominion garrison entrenched at the same level. Kerrigan then ordered the Swarm to flood the remaining levels of the lab and eradicate everything within.^[151] However, the lab was built atop a xel’naga temple, and here the Swarm encountered protoss Tal’darim warriors who worshiped Amon and served him. Narud personally tried to kill Kerrigan with a null-zone, which Kerrigan countered with her own. Narud drew power from several xel’naga temples located throughout the level. With Kerrigan locked in combat with Narud, Stukov was left to lead the zerg to destroy the temples. The protoss attacked the zerg, reinforced by hybrid reavers, but ultimately, the zerg prevailed. Eventually, Stukov deactivated all of the xel’naga temples and Narud lost the null-zone battle.^[152] He retreated even deeper into the temple, where he was confronted by Kerrigan. Morphing first into Raynor and then Kerrigan’s pre-infestation form, he nearly killed her with a psi-blade but in turn, Kerrigan fatally wounded him with her wings. Before dying, Narud told her that Amon was alive, and that she would encounter him soon.^[153] It was the truth, for as Kerrigan looked into Narud’s mind, she realized that Amon had indeed been resurrected. Kerrigan was brought back to the leviathan to be healed. She revealed what she had learned from Narud, that Amon was alive, and was a threat to the zerg. Once Mengsk was dealt with, they would have to face him in turn.^[149]

Reuniting with Raynor

Kerrigan made contact with the Hyperion. Matt Horner and Valerian Mengsk were shocked to see that Kerrigan had returned to her zerg form, but agreed to help her find Jim. After retrieving Colonel Orlan from Mira Han, they forced Orlan to hack into the Dominion’s network and locate Raynor. They learned that Jim was being held aboard the prison ship Moros which was currently docked at Atlas Station. Kerrigan launched an assault on the Moros and boarded it.

Mengsk attempted to kill both of them by triggering a self-destruct without the crew’s knowledge, but Kerrigan was able to use her leviathan to stabilize the section where Raynor was being held.^[154] Raynor was horrified to see that Kerrigan had willingly re-infested herself, and brushed off her justifications by reminding her of Fenix’s murder, as well as the millions of others she had murdered in cold blood, to which she offered no defense. Kerrigan gave him his gun, put it to her forehead, and told him that he was both the one who swore to kill the Queen of Blades and the one who believed in her. She asked him if he still believed in her. After some hesitation, Raynor fired…again and again. Yet for all that, he couldn’t, or wouldn’t, hit her. Kerrigan told Raynor that she would always love him, but he coldly declared their relationship was over.^[153]

Vengeance

With Narud and his hybrids destroyed and Raynor saved, Kerrigan ordered the swarm to invade Korhal. The swarm surrounded Korhal with dozens of leviathans, preventing reinforcements from getting through. Kerrigan’s first priority was to destroy Korhal’s planetary defenses. She had Abathur devise the bile launcher, a modified virophage that could destroy the defense cannons from a long range. However, the launchers themselves had to be planted on the surface. Thus, Kerrigan unleashed millions of drop pods upon Korhal. Though many were shot down, a sufficient number landed on the outskirts of Augustgrad. Kerrigan herself entered the fray and secured the landing site of the bile launchers that eventually destroyed the Dominion defense, allowing the rest of the swarm to land and drive the Dominion into the city.^[155]

At this time, Mengsk activated his newest weapon: The Psi Destroyer. This device emitted a field that could kill the zerg through their psionic connection to a hive mind. Having anticipated this, however, Kerrigan, sent Dehaka and his primal zerg (who had no hive mind connections) to take out the Destroyer’s power generators. The swarm then eradicated the dormant weapon and its defenders.^[156] After conferring the final attack plans with her lieutenants and one last communication with the Hyperion, Kerrigan invaded Augustgrad. On Prince Valerian’s request, Kerrigan slowed her invasion to let Korhal’s civilians evacuate unscathed. The zerg encountered heavy resistance from the Dominion’s elite guard, who possessed enhanced weapons, as well as the Odin. Unexpectedly however, Raynor and the Hyperion came to Kerrigan’s aid. With the combined might of Raynor, Zagara, Dehaka and Stukov, Kerrigan eradicated Mengsk’s defenders and breached the palace. She ordered Zagara to take command of the swarm while she entered the palace to deal with Mengsk alone.^[157]

Inside the palace, Kerrigan cut her way through Mengsk’s final defenses and made her way to Mengsk’s office at the top where the emperor was expecting her. He brought his last weapon to bear: the xel’naga artifact, though this time he planned to use it to destroy her directly. Mengsk used the device to disable and torment Kerrigan while gloating, calling Kerrigan his greatest failure. Unfortunately for the tyrant, his gloating allowed Raynor to intervene in the nick of time; he crushed the control for the artifact and threw Mengsk across the room. Enraged, Kerrigan impaled Mengsk to the wall by his shoulders and after a final bitter exchange of words, overflowed him with her psionic energies. Mengsk exploded violently, blasting a massive hole through the wall behind. Though she departed Korhal immediately following Mengsk’s death, she thanked Raynor “for everything” he’d given her before she left.

Her vengeance fulfilled, all that remained for Kerrigan was to send the Swarm against its true enemy, Amon.^[158]

Legacy of the Void

Kerrigan took the Swarm away from the Koprulu sector as part of her attempt to find Amon,^[159] hoping to avoid the coming oblivion that awaited the galaxy.^[160]

Whispers of Oblivion

Kerrigan led the zerg against a Moebius Foundation base which had fallen thrall to the mind control of hybrids within the facility. She was contacted by Zeratul, who told her that the Foundation had kidnapped Khalai that he wished to save. Kerrigan refused to call off the attack and told Zeratul to stay out of her way. The base and its defenders were destroyed, but not before Zeratul and his allies were able to free their brethren.^[161]

Ulnar

During Amon’s war against the denizens of the Milky Way, Kerrigan was attacked by a hybrid reaver, which was able to gain the upper hand over her. She also encountered Artanis during the conflict. Despite the initial hostility between them, Artanis, knowing that Kerrigan was somehow important, spared her life and even helped kill another hybrid reaver that heavily wounded her in a surprise ambush.^[162] Together they progressed through the various challenges set before them in an effort to reach the shrine where the xel’naga apparently slumbered. During this time, their hostility seemed to abate somewhat.

Despite the intervention of Amon’s servants in the form of Moebius Corps, Taldarim and hybrid forces,^[163] the pair eventually fought their way to the shrines and then to the xel’naga chamber, where they discovered, much to Artanis’ horror, that the xel’naga had all been slaughtered by Amon. She witnessed Amon reveal to Artanis that he was building a new host body for himself using the possessed Khalai he had acquired (through corrupting the Khala with his rage and malice) and the Overmind’s body, forcibly merging them into a new physical form on Aiur.^[164]

Kerrigan and Artanis fled the Void rift opened in the chamber, and she helped the protoss reinforcements sent by Vorazun destroy the Void crystals powering the rift, closing it. Artanis contacted her afterwards, saying that they needed to work together to stop Amon, Kerrigan regretfully told him that her forces needed time to replenish themselves, as they had suffered greatly in the recent battles, and thus could not aid the protoss. Instead she offered Artanis advice, gather allies to his cause to oppose Amon and destroy his armies piecemeal to weaken him.^[165]

Allied Commanders

	This article or section contains information derived from Co-op Missions, and should not be considered part of the official StarCraft storyline.

Kerrigan fought alongside fellow commanders against Amon’s forces throughout the End War.^[166]

Ascension

Two years after^[1] Artanis’s reclamation of Aiur, Kerrigan had rebuilt enough of her forces to assault and kill Amon in the Void. A voice from the Void called out to her, one that she sensed was benevolent. In order to guarantee her success, Kerrigan sent a psionic call to Raynor and Artanis for military assistance, with the three leaders heading a joint Dominion/Swarm/Daelaam armada to begin the invasion.^[167] There, they found Void forces being led by Duran—the combined forces were able to defeat and slay him,^[168] and free Ouros, the last xel’naga, and the one who had contacted her psionically. He told Kerrigan that he could merge his essence with hers, in a bid to defeat Amon. Despite Raynor’s pleas, Kerrigan agreed to do it, hoping to atone for her past sins.^[169]

As Ouros began the essence transfer needed for her to ascend into xel’naga form, Raynor, Artanis and Zagara provided military protection from the legions of Void entities and even void thrashers Amon sent against them to stop the transfer. Ultimately however, with the combined might of all three races and Kerrigan’s new powers, the transfer was successful. Kerrigan willed that Zagara should take command of the Swarm from now on, telling her to “remember our lessons”.^[170] Now xel’naga, Kerrigan headed deep into the Void to confront Amon.^[171] Here, she was supported by her allies, and her zerg. Confronting Amon, she slew him, telling Raynor in her last moments to flee.^[172]

Ghosts of the Past

After the battle, Raynor found himself in Joeyray’s Bar on Mar Sara, reminiscing on the past. At this point, he saw (or believed he saw) Kerrigan return, appearing as she had prior to her infestation by the zerg. Whether real or not, Kerrigan asked him whether he was ready to “get out of here,” to which Raynor responded positively, exiting the bar.^[173]

A Queen’s Legacy

Kerrigan’s fate remained a mystery within the Dominion. Only a few people knew of her battle with Amon, and they remained silent. After her ascension, she granted the Zerg Swarm under Zagara with the freedom of choice, and free will among the Swarm’s brood-mothers. In addition, she gifted Zagara with the essence of the xel’naga, allowing her to spread life to other planets through the creation a creature independent of the Swarm made from xel’naga essence, the adostra. She had Zagara promise her that the Swarm would not assimilate the essence into its genome, a promise she would keep, but that Abathur would see as a betrayal.^[174]

Years after the End War, Niadra remained loyal to Kerrigan’s final directive to destroy the protoss, even though she never heard her voice again since overrunning the Daelaam Ark. Niadra led her brood into conflict with the Terran Dominion and Daelaam.^[175]

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Game Unit

StarCraft

For the ghost marine unit, see: Sarah Kerrigan (ghost).

For the zerg hero unit, see: Infested Kerrigan.

Sarah Kerrigan appears in StarCraft in two forms: that of a terran ghost and as an infested terran.

Quotations

See: StarCraft Sarah Kerrigan as Terran Ghost Quotations

See: StarCraft Sarah Kerrigan as Infested Terran Quotations

StarCraft II

For the hero unit in Wings of Liberty, see: Sarah Kerrigan (Wings of Liberty).

For the hero unit in Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void, see: Sarah Kerrigan (Heart of the Swarm).

For the hero unit in the epilogue, see: Sarah Kerrigan (Epilogue).

For the hero unit in the Co-op Missions, see: Sarah Kerrigan (Co-op Missions).

Kerrigan is available as an announcer for StarCraft II multiplayer.

Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Infested Queen of Blades (Wings of Liberty) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Deinfested Terran Ghost (Heart of the Swarm) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Terran Queen of Blades (Heart of the Swarm) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Primal Queen of Blades (Heart of the Swarm) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Primal Queen of Blades (Legacy of the Void) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Ascended Xel’naga (Legacy of the Void) Quotations

See: StarCraft II Sarah Kerrigan as Co-op Commander (Co-op Missions) Quotations

Achievements

In StarCraft II, Sarah Kerrigan’s portrait is available on battle.net for players who complete the Solo Zerg 1000 achievement. Sarah Kerrigan’s portrait is available for players who complete the Liberty Completionist: Brutal achievement. Her cheerleader portrait is available upon completion of the Back to School Feat of Strength reward.

Other Games

Kerrigan in her Primal Zerg form is available as a hero in Heroes of the Storm.^[176] Her ghost version appears as a color variant for Nova^[177]—she was once under consideration to be a separate hero.^[178]

Kerrigan appears as a playable faction in StarCraft: The Board Game, commanding the purple zerg faction. In the game’s Brood War expansion, Kerrigan herself is deployable as a infested terran hero.^[179]

Kerrigan (as the Queen of Blades) appears as the purple zerg faction in RISK: StarCraft, and serves as the faction’s hero piece.^[180]

Kerrigan (in her terran ghost form) is available as a skin for Widowmaker in Overwatch, for those who log in between March 6 and April 3, 2018. The skin has Kerrigan’s ghost designation (No. 24601). Erroneously, the unlock message for the skin calls Kerrigan “one of the Dominion’s deadliest ghosts.”^[181]

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Personality and Traits

Personality

Due to ghost conditioning, Kerrigan was an introvert from a young age^[9] and arguably remained aloof when freed from Confederate control.^[18] Her life as a ghost gave her “jaded sensibilities.”^[7] However, she never fully embraced the darker aspects of her nature.^[9] As the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan was torn emotionally, and had to ‘justify’ to herself what she had become.^[28] During and after the Brood War, she had moments of what could be argued to be conscience/compassion,^[15][73] but became colder over time.^[56] Her actions were affected by Amon’s influence.^[89][90] The Queen of Blades was not a separate entity from Sarah Kerrigan, but they were not quite the same person either. Rather, Kerrigan in her Queen of Blades persona was Kerrigan under the influence of some devastating forces such as zerg mutagen.^[41]

After her de-infestation on Char, Kerrigan was angry and conflicted, feeling like she was being pulled in many directions at once. That practically everyone in the Koprulu sector wanted her dead also affected her emotions.^[104] Indeed, she no longer possessed the hatred for life that she once did and while she was willing to be ruthless, she had a human’s perspective on such actions. However, her hatred of Mengsk remained,^[119] albeit contrasted with her continued love for Raynor.^[104] Kerrigan had suffered some memory loss from her time as the Queen of Blades.^[182] Most of her memory was a blur, and of what she could recall, the images were horrible.^[104] She considered herself responsible for what she’d done as the Queen of Blades, and possessed extreme guilt for her actions.^[41] While moving against Mengsk, she demonstrated moments of compassion, such as sparing Dominion forces on Char^[137] and guilt over Lassara’s death.^[140][141] One of the core elements of Kerrigan’s personality is that of her manipulation by others, and her lack of identity. Her reversion to human form by Raynor allowed her to finally develop an identity for herself, though found her emotions torn between a man that she loved (Raynor) and a man that she despised (Mengsk).^[104]

Psionics

Sarah Kerrigan was an extremely powerful terran psychic. At a young age she fried her mother’s brain accidentally with psionic powers^[15] and demonstrated telekinetic abilities.^[183] Indeed, her powers were so strong it forced a readjustment of the psionic measurement scale.^[7] Her powers were then rated at PI 10,^[184] making her the most powerful ghost on record.^[185] Her powers were reduced by both ghost conditioning^[42] and a neuro-adjuster^[15] but after the device’s removal, she was powerful enough to throw Major Rumm around with telekinesis and fry his brain.

Kerrigan was uniquely suited to controlling zerg even before she was infested. In experiments conducted with captured zerg specimens, the Confederacy terminated the other ghosts involved in the project because only Kerrigan could get the results they wanted.^[8] Following de-infestation during the Second Great War, she retained the ability to control zerg.^[125] Kerrigan’s gene pattern enabled her retention of intelligence upon infestation.^[15]

Prior to de-infestation during the Second Great War, she was at least an order of magnitude more powerful than PI level 10,^[184] possessing a “class 12 psi signature”.^[113][117] After becoming a terran/primal zerg hybrid, her psionic power exceeded, and could not be measured by, the PI scale.^[184][186]

Upon the transfer of Ouros’s essence, Kerrigan gained immense psionic might, able to wield celestial energy as a cohesive beam and send it out as a wave of energy.^[172]

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Tactics

Kerrigan was a Confederate ghost and underwent the usual harsh ghost training. She was especially good at using knives,^[8][18] firearms, and driving vultures, and was skilled enough in martial arts to kill a terran officer by kicking him hard enough to break his neck.^[18] Kerrigan has also demonstrated competence in the areas of deception and strategy. When working with Duran, she often relied on him to come up with strategies, but was more than capable of creating her own complex plans.^[73] As the Queen of Blades, she was able to spin zerg DNA strands/sequences into her own creations.^[187]

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Zerg Abilities

Sarah Kerrigan was infested by the zerg as part of an experiment. Her new appearance was personally designed by Abathur, though the process was painful.^[37] The transformation occurred within a chrysalis and was completed on Char. Her stature increased, and she gained an armored carapace, claws, and “wings” usable as weapons and effective against psi-blades. Kerrigan was also able to cloak, despite no longer wearing a ghost’s hostile environment suit.^[28] Unlike most infested terrans, Kerrigan retained her intelligence and at least some part of her personality.^[43] Her DNA also received telomeric additions.^[188]

Kerrigan’s full psionic potential was initially suppressed by residual ghost conditioning.^[42] Upon reversing the process, she gained enough psionic power to create psionic storms and could even sense the protoss hiding on Char.^[44] However, she was still not in full command of her powers, as she was unaware that she was giving Raynor a direct link to the zerg hive mind through the psychic link she had with him.^[28]

By the time the first Overmind had been slain, Kerrigan was powerful enough to gain control of approximately half of the Zerg Swarm^[54] and seize the mind of Raszagal^[55] without even setting foot on the same planet.^[56] Upon the end of the Brood War, Kerrigan no longer needed cerebrates to help her control the zerg.^[12][84]

By the Second Great War, Kerrigan had gained a psionic implosion ability. She also had very swift regeneration; a wing severed by Zeratul on Ulaan regrew in seconds.^[106] By this time, Kerrigan was the most powerful psionic in the universe, powerful enough to hold her own against 27 siege tanks.^[189] After gaining Zerus’s powers via the first spawning pool, Kerrigan was even stronger than when she was as the Queen of Blades.^[90][141] Her psionic powers continued to develop^[190] and the “boundless fury” of the primal zerg allowed her to leap through the air and strike at targets with terrible force. As the primal Queen of Blades, her psionic might was unrivaled by any being.^[187]

Details here.

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Sarah Kerrigan & Auzdein von Himmler:

It wasn’t until the 26th century (the 2540s, to be exact, during the middle of the humans’ interstellar war with the Covenant) that Auz happened upon Sarah Kerrigan.  Since the start of the 2510s, he’d been busy with his new Spacecraft-carrier dubbed “The New Horizon” (TNH), and she’d been unaccounted for, apparently having gone into hiding after all the wars of the Koprulu Sector of the Milky Way galaxy.  Then, all of a sudden, there she was; her signature had been picked up by Inisfreean Star Fleet ships deployed along their usual post-Universe-mapping patrol routes, making the rounds between all of the worlds found to have beings compatible with the Inisfreeans on them.

Born in 2473 on the modern human’s Earth (Gregorian) calendar, she was now entering her 70s.  Having grown up under very different conditions far from Earth, and never even knowing the expected human aging process of that distant and forgotten world, not to mention how she’d been involved in a secret Space program and alien mutation procedures to keep her at her best, Sarah still looked to be in her 30s or 40s.  Her hair was still thick, much more recognizable as antennae than human hair is, but overall she had held her human form well, all things considered.

She and Auz sensed each other’s powerful minds and presences, and started to smile; it was a curiously mutually agreeable sensation, not one of potential rivals.  Auz approached her halfway, and ever so politely, then giving her the chance to decide how they would proceed.  The two got to talking, and the rest was history; Sarah would be invited to Inisfree.

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2550s Update:

With the missions of the social-experiment called TNH now behind him (by two decades or so), Auz was “a free man”; his schedule was much more cleared for fun introductions and bonding with great women such as her.  With her, he spent that free time showing her around first his city, and then the rest of the world her people’s ancestors had all migrated from.  Sarah was thrilled to explore their ancestral planet of legend.

She got to meet other/fellow telepaths and telekinetics, such as Emma and Jean.  She was treated like royalty by them all, and would later be elevated to the status of goddess.  Even when she got to see the XXXenomorphs of the Underway, they all made sure she felt safe, not having any unpleasant flashbacks.

Sarah has since lost a lot of interest in continuing to be connected with the Zerg.  She still feels a telepathic link with some of them (such as their Cerebrates), but exposure to the Inisfreeans has shown her she won’t need to resort to using the Zerg for protection or revenge; Auz will deploy his forces to help her with that.  She may always be a little wary of trusting a man with such an empire of power (naturally relating that aspect of his being… to Emperor Mengsk, whom she was locked in years of mortal interplanetary conflict with), but she is, little by little, coming around (cum-pun not intended).

In Inisfree, she just rests, and practices living a normal life; it is the kind of thing she was denied by so many forces where she grew up and deployed to.  It’s also what Inisfree was and is always for, after all; Inisfree is a healing center for all the best people across Creation.  It is where they come to recover, recharge, and regroup.

Not attending Inisfree’s school, or training where its military does (and where its allies sometimes do), it is uncertain if she will adopt The Inisfreean Way officially (via the cum-baptism in their Spire Temple).  All that matters, though, is that Sarah now has a home; she is loved, she is safe, she is welcome, and she is free.  This is what our special city is all about.

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2560s:

Sarah has begun “playing tour-guide” / hostess for Auz every time he is in her part of the galaxy; she shows him around the parts of the worlds there (in Koprulu) she knows/remembers, helping him to see the good parts, and avoid the risky/bad.  Obviously, she also ‘christens’ all those spots with him, bathing them in waves of blissful new memories, which helps unlock the rest of their secrets –and even remove Zerg “Creep” and re-green them.  This is The Inisfreean Way.

…

She will soon happily accept Auz’s offer for marriage, furthering even her goddess-level energy and abilities.

She will also be invited to join his foreseen all-redhead-hottie-allies/wives orgies at special energy vortexes such as the ley-line intersections of his and her worlds.

Sarah now understands that she is an incarnation of the land she was born in, not just a combination of the genes of her parents; she is much more than the latest addition to a human bloodline.

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Before:

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Half Zerg:

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The Auz Effect:

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How She Loves Sitting Missionary for Me:

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Ongoing Sexuality Ascension in Inisfree:

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