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Fandom Spotlight: StarCraft
We would like to begin this presentation with a feature film.
All done? Minds blown? No? Oh, well. Moving on...
StarCraft is a real-time strategy game released in 1997 by Blizzard Entertainment - yes, the guys who did World of Warcraft, thank you, Peter. Augmented with the add-on Brood War a year after its release, the game remains popular to this day, often considered to be the most truly sportslike of all esports. Above all, the game has a fanatical following in South Korea, where it boasts two television channels to its name (which broadcast matches played by professional StarCraft gamers 24/7) and even the Air Force has its own StarCraft team.
All of that, however, doesn't matter to us right now. It's the storyline we're concerned with, after all - and what a storyline it is.
The StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War campaigns (and all the extended canon books, of course) detail the war between the Terrans, the Protoss and the Zerg in the far-away Koprulu Sector. To make it all make some semblance of sense, we'll take a look at all three races individually before summing up the main storyline in a neat little mindmap.
Y'all strapped in good? Excellent. Since StarCraft backstory is long and incredibly complicated, I'm going to try and summarise most of it. Y'wanna know more, you just click the section titles (or you can just grab the big one here).
THE TERRANS
Terrans are the people of the Koprulu Sector. Not to be confused with Earth humans, who might be walking on terra firma but aren't Terrans. The only difference other than geography is that there is a far greater occurance of psionics in Koprulu Terrans due to, well... read on.
- History
You know how the British used to send their prisoners down to Australia to get rid of them? Well, according to StarCraft canon, that's a tendency humanity hasn't entirely given up on. With space programs improving day by day, the United Powers League saw their chance to get rid of a lot of criminals and genetic oddities (read: psionics) that were making life a little tough on them over in the Sol system. They shot the whole bunch off into space and called it a day - something which would one day come back to bite them in the ass.
Of course.
Flash-forward a couple hundred years and the offspring of these outcasts have populated a goodly number of planets in the Koprulu Sector. Chief amongst the human factions is the Terran Confederacy, a mostly rotten institution that rested on its ass on the capital planet of Tarsonis while the folks on the outskirts had to fight to survive. The Confederacy lies safely within in a lazy, long-lasting Cold War-slash-trade agreement with the Kel-Morian Combine, everything is under control, and nothing of much importance goes on at all.
And then Korhal happened. Korhal was a well-off planet, a great proponent of technological advancement. Unfortunately, its people weren't too fond of the Confederacy - and finally, the planet's senator, Angus Mengsk, led the population into an uprising.
The Confederates nuked the crap out of them.
The few survivors of the destruction of Korhal crawled back together, forming an alliance titled the Sons of Korhal. Led by Angus' son Arcturus, they began a long and bloody guerilla war against the Confederates. This is where we find ourselves at the start of the first game: the player, abandoned by the Confederates to face the Zerg alone, is rescued by the Sons of Korhal and aids them in their fight against and eventual victory over the Terran Confederacy.
By far the most complicated race in terms of story, the Terrans are spread out over many factions who all have a bone to pick with each other. Besides the Sons of Korhal (later to replace the Confederacy as the Terran Dominion) and the Terran Confederacy, there's also the United Earth Directorate to deal with - it's the planet-wide government the United Powers League turned into. All of these nice folks spend an awful lot of time trying to blow each other up - something that they might want to give up on if they want to survive the other threats in the galaxy.
- Heroes
Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan
The short version is that Sarah Kerrigan can beat you up.
The long version is that if there's anyone whose story lies at the heart of StarCraft, it's Sarah Kerrigan. The quintessential tragic heroine, she's beautiful, smart, capable, jaded but not without faith, and utterly, mercilessly doomed. Most lists of influential female characters in gaming will have her show up - but not as the angry, snarky, covertly caring Terran Ghost who fought a war in the name of the man who saved her soul, Arcturus Mengsk - her lasting status was established by ways of something we'll talk about later. As a Terran hero, however, she fights for the Sons of Korhal as Mengsk's right hand, earning a reputation as a magnificent asset in the field.
She was once a Confederate Ghost - a telepathic, telekinetic black ops agent cowed and forced into killing for her Confed masters. Mengsk broke her out of her confinement despite the fact that she was one of his father's killers, and made her his second-in-commandand queen of technobabble.
In extended canon, she would earn the title 'glorious and deadly, like the Protoss' from Michael Liberty, be the first to stand up to Mengsk in the man's own face, and lose her parents to the sheer force of her own telepathic and telekinetic powers. Uncomfortable with these powers, she isolates herself from most everyone else (a reaction which is not hard to understand, as even now most of her own people treat her with fear and distrust), until Michael convinces her to try and see beyond the surface - and she begins to fall, despite herself, for Jim Raynor. In the process, she starts to uncover a kinder part of herself, and learns to let a few walls down every once in a while.
In one of the most shocking twists in video game history, she is betrayed, abandoned, and left to die at the hands of the Zerg on New Gettysburg. Fate, however, has something else in store for her...
Arcturus Mengsk
If you actually knew Arcturus Mengsk, you'd know him for a manipulative, power-hungry bastard. On the outside, however, he's a charismatic leader, the tortured, righteous bringer of light who started a war against the Confederates of the size most would've only dreamed of. His reasons, however, aren't as clear-cut as they seem. He recruits known Confed asshole General Edmund Duke to his cause, using his knowledge to mount a horrible attack on the Terran capital Tarsonis, wiping everything alive off the surface of the planet. Soon afterwards, he will leave an increasingly rebellious Sarah Kerrigan to the Zerg.
He then takes seat of government as head of the new Terran Dominion, creating a cult of personality that would mark the Terrans for years to come. Unfortunately for him, then, that he has put himself at odds with the very leader of the Zerg; even the forces of the Terran Dominion have to fall before the Swarm...
Marshal/Captain James Raynor
Our story begins on the planet of Mar Sara, one of many backwater outposts kept under guard by a man named Marshal James Raynor. Mar Sara is under attack by the Zerg: Raynor is the man who keeps the last stand as they fruitlessly wait for Confederate help to come. Finally, he finds himself forced to accept a deal with the Sons of Korhal, thusly evacuating a good chunk of his people before the planet falls to the aliens. Staunch and noble, Raynor is characterized as being a 'good ol' boy' who fights the Confeds for the sake of humanity.
Wary and even outwardly hateful of Kerrigan at first (seeing her as cold, unpleasant and untrustworthy because of her telepathy - he lost his own son, and, by proxy, wife to the Confed Ghost training program), he begins to fall for her anyway. It's Michael Liberty who talks some sense into him, bringing him to accept that Kerrigan is a person with troubles like any other, and the two begin to get coffee together, sharing battle scars.
He is distrustful of Mengsk's motives, however - and when things start to get out of hand, he's the man who stands up to fight him (and, in a memorable turn of events, clocks Edmund Duke in the face). Unfortunately, it's too late to save the people of Tarsonis - or Kerrigan. Raynor retreats to see to his wounds before becoming an independent player - the leader of Raynor's Raiders, a motly group of rebels working with the Protoss against both the Dominion and the Swarm.
He and Protoss warrior Fenix become BFF in the process. It's adorable in a weird kind of way.
General Edmund Duke
All you really need to know about Duke is that he's a prick. A Confed born and bred, he's the man who gives the order to abandon Raynor's home Mar Sara to the Zerg - only to be recruited by Mengsk later when his ship crashes in hostile territory. Described as an angry pig of a man, not a lot of people like Duke. In fact, hating him is the first thing to actually unite Kerrigan and Raynor, a feat which up until then seemed impossible.
because I have to add: "He thinks Duke would make a good ally."
"He's crazy!"
"It's been noted," Raynor said grimly.
"Does Kerrigan know about this?"
"Uh-huh."
"And she thinks it's a good idea?"
"Actually," the former lawman said, "She's the one who called Mengsk crazy."
"So you two agreed on something. I'm amazed."
"Yeah," said Raynor. Then there was a pause. "Yeah, I guess we did." --'StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade'
Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov
StarCraft: Brood War brings a new human player to the battlefield: not technically 'Terrans' (a term kept reserved for Koprulu humans), the United Earth Directorate sends a large army to take control of the unruly Koprulu territories while the sector still lies in turmoil. The Russian Stukov is approached by his old friend Gerard DuGalle to help with this campaign, considering their lifelong friendship and Stukov's strategic brilliance.
Unfortunately, the UED's campaign in the sector is not particularly succesful. Finding that Mengsk had apparently managed to get not only the Protoss but also the Zerg to work for him, Stukov rushes into battle only to be betrayed by new conscript Samir Duran. Duran convinces DuGalle that Stukov is a traitor and promptly executes him, leaving Stukov to speak of Duran's treachery as he lies dying.
In his suicide note, DuGalle would later go on to state that it was his pride that killed Stukov.
Admiral Gerard DuGalle
The UED's greatest military leader, the Frenchman Gerard DuGalle was chosen unanimously by the government to represent UED interests in the Koprulu Sector. He is a proud and well-respected man whose objectives are threefold in the sector: conquer all the Terran colonies, take control of the Zerg Overmind, and use the Zerg to pacify the Protoss. Unfortunately, he is also a man with little knack for long-term strategy, which would lead to the UED fleet's undoing. His arrogance brings the entire sector united against him, including the local Protoss and the Zerg.
In the end, the entire UED fleet falls to the Zerg Queen of Blades, who has expertly maneuvered all the sector's players to aid her in her quest. This, presumably, means Earth is defenseless - and in the final montage, we watch as DuGalle commits suicide for his shame.
Michael Liberty (extended canon)
Over the years, StarCraft has seen a number of extended canon books, and perhaps the most prolific character within is Michael Liberty. The picture of a caring but jaded journalist, a risky exposé that brings a little too much heat to some important Confederates leads him to flee to the outskirts to report on the Confederate campaign against the Zerg. There, he spends some heavily censored press time aboard General Duke's battlecruiser until a Zerg attack on Mar Sara drives him right into the arms of the Sons of Korhal - by ways of Kerrigan.
Mengsk welcomes him, offering him a chance to write about the Sons instead - and allowing him to go along on missions with some of our leads. This way, he befriends both Sarah Kerrigan - who finds him refreshing for his honesty - and Jim Raynor, giving them both someone to talk to... something both soldiers really need. He also plays a lot of chess with Mengsk, learning to distrust the manipulative bastard as much or more as his former Confederate bosses.
It is Michael who starts the first pocket of resistance against the Terran Dominion after Mengsk takes Tarsonis and abandons Kerrigan: he's still reporting on whatever he can find, and what he finds is usually not in the Dominion's interests...
Nova (extended canon)
Nova was originally supposed to be the hero of StarCraft: Ghost, but when that game was cancelled, they wrote her a book instead. She's an angry young woman who was born the daughter of an influential Confederate family - but when her folks are killed by the Koprulu Liberation Front, she is cast out onto the street, where she's 'adopted' by the local mob when she discovers she has advanced telekinetic and telepathic powers.
Eventually, she escapes, and is snapped up for the Ghost program just as Mengsk takes over the Confederacy and turns it into the Dominion: as such, she becomes one of the first Ghosts to be mindwiped at the end of her training, rather than outfitted with psionic dampeners (both are control measures). Wrecked with pain over the memory of her family's death, she takes the mindwipe gladly. Her powers are said to be nearly on par with Kerrigan's when she was a Ghost, and she is set to make an appearance in the upcoming StarCraft 2 as Mengsk's new Ghost right hand.
THE ZERG
The Zerg are mostly mindless, insectoid creatures which can be seen as a compromise between the Xenomorphs of Alien and the BORG.
- History
The Zerg were created by a species of alien scientists known as the Xel'Naga - the same aliens who had created the Protoss some time earlier. Through their manipulations, the Zerg, which had originally been small, larvae-like creatures, developed the ability to assimilate other species. They then forced these assimilated species to evolve quickly, developing weapons and stronger carapaces to suit their needs. An Overmind was created by the Xel'Naga to keep them from infighting; the Overmind, in turn, created large Cerebrates to relay its orders through.
Unfortunately for the Xel'Naga, creating a big brain to harness the mental abilities of an entire species means that brain is going to get pretty smart pretty fast. Expanding and expanding, the Overmind finally managed to break the psionic link it held with the Xel'Naga, sent its minions into space, and destroyed its creators in one large, bloody battle. Through the assimilation of the Xel'Naga, they learned of the Protoss, and began to reach their long talons out into space.
When StarCraft begins, the Zerg Swarm has finally reached the Koprulu Sector. Interested in the Terrans' psychic potential, they quickly assault and infest many Terran worlds, experimenting on the Terrans themselves to see how the species could fit into their make-up. They find their long-sought prize in Sarah Kerrigan, abandoned on New Gettysburg, and assimilate her into the Swarm. When the Protoss kill the Overmind at the end of StarCraft, it is the newly minted Queen of Blades who works her way up, conquering all the wayward broods and uniting them under her command.
And then she takes over the universe.
It's as such that, for all intents and purposes, StarCraft: Brood War - last installment in the series until StarCraft 2, which was announced a whopping ten years later - ends the series in a truly spectacular 'Kerrigan makes rocks fall, everybody dies.'
- Heroes
The Overmind
Lord and master and representative of the Zerg Swarm for centuries, it's the Overmind that gives the command to head into space and conquer the strongest species they know of, the Protoss. Eventually, it falls to the force of the Protoss on Char; a new Overmind rises to take its place, but is too weak to put up any resistance as the United Earth Directorate uses it to control the Zerg.
Kerrigan manipulates the Protoss into taking out this new Overmind, too, and takes full control of the Zerg.
Kerrigan, Queen of Blades
"Tough talk, Jimmy, but I don't think you have what it takes to be a killer."
Taken by the Zerg rather than killed, Sarah Kerrigan is made one of their own, a green-skinned half-human half-Zerg creature with gargantuan bladed wings and bony tentacles for hair. Working as one of the Overmind's many minions at first, when the Overmind perishes, the Queen of Blades uses all of her rage and hatred at being betrayed by Mengsk to help fill the gap of power. She becomes responsible for the success of the Zerg in the Koprulu Sector, finishing Brood War as the defacto Queen Bitch of the Universe, and taking a horrible revenge on every single person that wronged her.
Manipulative, angry and working hard to repress whatever humanity lies within her, the Queen of Blades is a nigh-unstoppable force who brings victory to every pursuit. She is not entirely without humanity, however: even now, some level of remorse stays with her as she destroys planets and people alike, despite her best efforts. She even maintains some level of affection for Jim Raynor, allowing him to escape with his life several times over.
She's very popular with gamers (especially women) for being an awesome and terrifying villain and a real proponent of snappy one-liners. By the end of the games, she has slaughtered pretty much 75% of the entire cast and left the rest stranded without hope and drowning in guilt.
She's really good at what she does.
"This is Admiral DuGalle. I am giving you one last chance to surrender your forces, and submit to the sovereign authority of the United Earth Directorate."
"Gee, that's a tough one, Admiral. You'll have let me think for a minute... You know, Admiral, I think I'll just massacre your remaining troops now and watch you die in agony. How would that be?"
"You vastly underestimate me, my dear."
"I don't think so, Admiral. You see, at this point... I'm pretty much the Queen Bitch of the Universe. And not all of your little soldiers or space ships will stand in my way again."
Samir Duran
Allegedly, Duran is a former Confed veteran who went on to lead a rebel force against the Terran Dominion. Quickly snapped up by the United Earth Directorate due to his knowledge of Dominion defenses, he turns out to be the worst kind of snake in the grass as he frames Stukov for treachery, then leads DuGalle into the waiting arms of Kerrigan. As it turns out, he's been infested by the Zerg, and Kerrigan has been using him to play DuGalle all along--
Or has she? By the end of the game, it becomes apparent that Duran has his own agenda. Somewhere off Kerrigan's radar, he's breeding Zerg/Protoss hybrids for unknown reasons... although clues state that it may be the Xel'Naga he answers to.
THE PROTOSS
Protoss are tall, mouthless psionic aliens with glowing eyes. They are really, really pretentious.
- History
And now we reach the pretentious and overly complicated part of our presentation. Hold on to your hats...
Like the Zerg, the Protoss were created by the Xel'Naga. The creatures that would become the Protoss caught their attention because of their strength, speed, and the amazing psionic link they shared that made teamwork very easy - they would spend many centuries in hiding, quietly influencing the Protoss from the sidelines. Eventually, they would descend to the planet (Aiur) and walk amongst the Protoss - and in return, they were revered as gods.
However, the Protoss began to become more and more individualistic. They became suspicious towards one another, and in order to protect their interests, the various Protoss tribes severed the planet-wide psionic link. Disgusted by what was going on, the Xel'Naga tried to leave the planet, only to be attacked by the Protoss. They fled the system. This would cast the Protoss into a devastating civil war that would last for centuries.
In the end, a Protoss called Khas began work to reinstate the link wherever he went, teaching a philosophy known as the Khala. The majority of the Protoss were reunited, and a caste system was implemented - the Judicator (leading) caste, the Templar (warrior) caste and the Khalai (worker) caste. However, some Protoss did not buy into the Khala, which would have led to a genocide if the Templar Leader of the time, Adun hadn't intervened. He taught them how to cloak from view and how to handle their abilities to create a powerful psionic storm. Unfortunately, without the control of the Khala, these storms overtook most of the planet, alerting the followers of the Khala to the presence of the nonbelievers. They were exiled from the planet, becoming known as the Dark Templars, and settled on the shadowy planet of Shakuras.
The Protoss watch over the galaxy quietly, keeping an eye or a conquering force on many planets. When the Zerg attack, they strike without mercy, exterminating everything on every planet they hit - including the Terran planets. Despite their best efforts, however, the Zerg would eventually uncover the location of Aiur and bring it down to ruin, forcing the Protoss to rejoin their Dark Templar bretheren, much to their disgust. The destruction of the Protoss species has led them to begin devolving into their tribal state as both sides of the same species struggle to reconcile.
- Heroes
Executor Tassadar
Protoss High Templar and military leader, it is Tassadar who makes first contact with the Zerg. It is also Tassadar who has to go from Terran planet to Terran planet, eradicating everything in his path to stop the Swarm's approach. He only did this when, in his opinion, the cause was lost on these planets - but that was a sentiment which didn't go over well with the present Terrans. He almost managed to eradicate all the Zerg by swiping Tarsonis clean, but Kerrigan put a stop to this before being overrun by the Zerg.
When Kerrigan's fate was revealed, Tassadar offered Raynor and his men an alliance. He also met the Dark Templar Zeratul here - although initially hostile, the two decided that for the betterment of both their sides, they would have to work together. Cast out from the Protoss Templar caste, he nonetheless continued to work with the Dark Templars, attacking and taking out many of the Overmind's Cerebrates. He also starts a rebellion against the Judicator caste, winning control over Aiur in the process. However, the infighting bothers him, and he surrenders himself to Judicator Aldaris.
Finally, it is Tassadar who sacrifices himself to destroy the Overmind. Though succesful, most of the now aimless broods are left alive afterwards, announcing dark tides to come. Tassadar becomes a hero of myth to the Protoss, his name now often invoked alongside other ancient heroes like Adun.
Prelate Zeratul
Zeratul is a seasoned and well-respected Dark Templar. He's also a honourable Protoss who fights for his species despite his hatred of the Templars of Aiur. Secretive, acting as a spy to the Protoss for many years, but finding himself responsible for victory in several important battles against the Zerg, his Dark Templar powers make it possible for him to slay Zerg Cerebrates and block their ability to reincarnate. This ability makes him an incredibly worthwhile ally for anyone who would face the Zerg.
He's fallen on some hard times by the end of Brood War: Kerrigan's actions in manipulating the Dark Templar matriarch, Raszagal, led to him having to kill said matriarch himself. In return, she gave him leadership over all the Dark Templar - but the guilt weighs heavy on his conscience.
Fenix
Fenix was a powerful Protoss Zealot who fought alongside Tassadar for many years. He fell in battle with the Zerg, but his remains were recovered and his essence was placed within a Dragoon exoskeleton, allowing him to fight on.
Over time, as mentioned above, he and Jim Raynor become total BFFs. Fenix trusts Raynor with his life, even following him into a dangerous alliance with Mengsk and Kerrigan. When Kerrigan inevitably kills Fenix after he ceases to be useful, it incenses Raynor to the point where he swears he will kill be the one to kill her. Despite frequent attempts by the Protoss, Fenix's death remains unavenged.
Judicator Aldaris
Aldaris was always a staunch supporter of the Khala, and found his place as a representative of the Judicator caste. Strongly opposing any association with the Dark Templars, Aldaris attempts to arrest Tassadar in the middle of battle, but only finds himself losing more and more allys to the former Executor. It is Aldaris who imprisons Tassadar later on - he's quickly thwarted by the alliance of Raynor and Fenix, who shake his faith in the Khala to the core.
Finally, Aldaris admits that he is wrong, but unfortunately he isn't in time to help Tassadar in his assault on the Overmind and subsequent death. Instead, he travels to the Dark Templar home planet, and helps Raynor, Fenix and Zeratul keep the Protoss tribes together. He's the one who discovers that Matriarch Raszagal is being manipulated. Again, however, he is too late; Kerrigan slays him before he can let anyone know about the infestation.
Matriarch Raszagal
Raszagal was an ancient Protoss who ruled the Dark Templar on Shakuras for a long time. She possessed vast psionic powers, which began to fail with age. Kerrigan takes advantage of this, corrupting her slowly and using her to gain control over the Protoss. Finally, she 'captures' the Matriarch, demanding that the Dark Templars slay the new Overmind in exchange for her safe return. When the mission is finished, however, Raszagal tells Zeratul that she does not want to return - she is now fully under Kerrigan's control. Finding himself unable to save his leader's soul, he kills her instead, forever poisoining himself with guilt.
Praetor Artanis
Artanis is a very young Protoss - being only 262 years old. He is arrogant and brash, looking down on the Terrans for not being as advanced as the Protoss, and worships Tassadar as his own person god. Fighting in many battles throughout the games, in the end, he is one of the Protoss still living on Shakuras, working hard to help his own people understand that in order to succeed, they have to recognise they are part of the same species as the Dark Templars.
IN SHORT
In case the above is all a little tl;dr, have a nice little mindmap:
The Terran Confederacy falls in the original StarCraft, as do the Zerg Overmind and most of the Protoss; in Brood War, the Zerg rise anew under Kerrigan's considerable power and defeat the newly arrived United Earth Directorate as well as delivering a considerable blow to the newly formed Terran Dominion.
CANON?
You can getcher basic canon in StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War, the games. There's also a series of extended canon books:
StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade, the novelization of StarCraft's Terran campaign; StarCraft: Queen of Blades, the novelization of StarCraft's Zerg campaign; StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga, the first novel to deviate from what we've already seen, starring (well, starring) Edmund Duke; StarCraft: Speed of Darkness, about a group of marines on Mar Sara during the Zerg attack; StarCraft: Nova, detailing the life of Ghost Nova Terra; and StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga, an ongoing trilogy dealing with, omg: the Dark Templars!
I have a hard time finding these books myself sometimes (which might possibly be because of geography, yay). Beyond that, there's also the add-on map packs such as StarCraft: Insurrection and StarCraft: Retribution, but word has it they're not very good. There was talk of a StarCraft: Ghost game a while back (even a lot of promotional material released) but it never materialised, and has since vanished in the big marketing crazies regarding the upcoming... yes... StarCraft 2.
What? I know I'm excited for it.
All done? Minds blown? No? Oh, well. Moving on...
StarCraft is a real-time strategy game released in 1997 by Blizzard Entertainment - yes, the guys who did World of Warcraft, thank you, Peter. Augmented with the add-on Brood War a year after its release, the game remains popular to this day, often considered to be the most truly sportslike of all esports. Above all, the game has a fanatical following in South Korea, where it boasts two television channels to its name (which broadcast matches played by professional StarCraft gamers 24/7) and even the Air Force has its own StarCraft team.
All of that, however, doesn't matter to us right now. It's the storyline we're concerned with, after all - and what a storyline it is.
The StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War campaigns (and all the extended canon books, of course) detail the war between the Terrans, the Protoss and the Zerg in the far-away Koprulu Sector. To make it all make some semblance of sense, we'll take a look at all three races individually before summing up the main storyline in a neat little mindmap.
Y'all strapped in good? Excellent. Since StarCraft backstory is long and incredibly complicated, I'm going to try and summarise most of it. Y'wanna know more, you just click the section titles (or you can just grab the big one here).
THE TERRANS
Terrans are the people of the Koprulu Sector. Not to be confused with Earth humans, who might be walking on terra firma but aren't Terrans. The only difference other than geography is that there is a far greater occurance of psionics in Koprulu Terrans due to, well... read on.
- History
You know how the British used to send their prisoners down to Australia to get rid of them? Well, according to StarCraft canon, that's a tendency humanity hasn't entirely given up on. With space programs improving day by day, the United Powers League saw their chance to get rid of a lot of criminals and genetic oddities (read: psionics) that were making life a little tough on them over in the Sol system. They shot the whole bunch off into space and called it a day - something which would one day come back to bite them in the ass.
Of course.
Flash-forward a couple hundred years and the offspring of these outcasts have populated a goodly number of planets in the Koprulu Sector. Chief amongst the human factions is the Terran Confederacy, a mostly rotten institution that rested on its ass on the capital planet of Tarsonis while the folks on the outskirts had to fight to survive. The Confederacy lies safely within in a lazy, long-lasting Cold War-slash-trade agreement with the Kel-Morian Combine, everything is under control, and nothing of much importance goes on at all.
And then Korhal happened. Korhal was a well-off planet, a great proponent of technological advancement. Unfortunately, its people weren't too fond of the Confederacy - and finally, the planet's senator, Angus Mengsk, led the population into an uprising.
The Confederates nuked the crap out of them.
The few survivors of the destruction of Korhal crawled back together, forming an alliance titled the Sons of Korhal. Led by Angus' son Arcturus, they began a long and bloody guerilla war against the Confederates. This is where we find ourselves at the start of the first game: the player, abandoned by the Confederates to face the Zerg alone, is rescued by the Sons of Korhal and aids them in their fight against and eventual victory over the Terran Confederacy.
By far the most complicated race in terms of story, the Terrans are spread out over many factions who all have a bone to pick with each other. Besides the Sons of Korhal (later to replace the Confederacy as the Terran Dominion) and the Terran Confederacy, there's also the United Earth Directorate to deal with - it's the planet-wide government the United Powers League turned into. All of these nice folks spend an awful lot of time trying to blow each other up - something that they might want to give up on if they want to survive the other threats in the galaxy.
- Heroes
Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan
The short version is that Sarah Kerrigan can beat you up.
The long version is that if there's anyone whose story lies at the heart of StarCraft, it's Sarah Kerrigan. The quintessential tragic heroine, she's beautiful, smart, capable, jaded but not without faith, and utterly, mercilessly doomed. Most lists of influential female characters in gaming will have her show up - but not as the angry, snarky, covertly caring Terran Ghost who fought a war in the name of the man who saved her soul, Arcturus Mengsk - her lasting status was established by ways of something we'll talk about later. As a Terran hero, however, she fights for the Sons of Korhal as Mengsk's right hand, earning a reputation as a magnificent asset in the field.
She was once a Confederate Ghost - a telepathic, telekinetic black ops agent cowed and forced into killing for her Confed masters. Mengsk broke her out of her confinement despite the fact that she was one of his father's killers, and made her his second-in-command
In extended canon, she would earn the title 'glorious and deadly, like the Protoss' from Michael Liberty, be the first to stand up to Mengsk in the man's own face, and lose her parents to the sheer force of her own telepathic and telekinetic powers. Uncomfortable with these powers, she isolates herself from most everyone else (a reaction which is not hard to understand, as even now most of her own people treat her with fear and distrust), until Michael convinces her to try and see beyond the surface - and she begins to fall, despite herself, for Jim Raynor. In the process, she starts to uncover a kinder part of herself, and learns to let a few walls down every once in a while.
In one of the most shocking twists in video game history, she is betrayed, abandoned, and left to die at the hands of the Zerg on New Gettysburg. Fate, however, has something else in store for her...
Arcturus Mengsk
If you actually knew Arcturus Mengsk, you'd know him for a manipulative, power-hungry bastard. On the outside, however, he's a charismatic leader, the tortured, righteous bringer of light who started a war against the Confederates of the size most would've only dreamed of. His reasons, however, aren't as clear-cut as they seem. He recruits known Confed asshole General Edmund Duke to his cause, using his knowledge to mount a horrible attack on the Terran capital Tarsonis, wiping everything alive off the surface of the planet. Soon afterwards, he will leave an increasingly rebellious Sarah Kerrigan to the Zerg.
He then takes seat of government as head of the new Terran Dominion, creating a cult of personality that would mark the Terrans for years to come. Unfortunately for him, then, that he has put himself at odds with the very leader of the Zerg; even the forces of the Terran Dominion have to fall before the Swarm...
Marshal/Captain James Raynor
Our story begins on the planet of Mar Sara, one of many backwater outposts kept under guard by a man named Marshal James Raynor. Mar Sara is under attack by the Zerg: Raynor is the man who keeps the last stand as they fruitlessly wait for Confederate help to come. Finally, he finds himself forced to accept a deal with the Sons of Korhal, thusly evacuating a good chunk of his people before the planet falls to the aliens. Staunch and noble, Raynor is characterized as being a 'good ol' boy' who fights the Confeds for the sake of humanity.
Wary and even outwardly hateful of Kerrigan at first (seeing her as cold, unpleasant and untrustworthy because of her telepathy - he lost his own son, and, by proxy, wife to the Confed Ghost training program), he begins to fall for her anyway. It's Michael Liberty who talks some sense into him, bringing him to accept that Kerrigan is a person with troubles like any other, and the two begin to get coffee together, sharing battle scars.
He is distrustful of Mengsk's motives, however - and when things start to get out of hand, he's the man who stands up to fight him (and, in a memorable turn of events, clocks Edmund Duke in the face). Unfortunately, it's too late to save the people of Tarsonis - or Kerrigan. Raynor retreats to see to his wounds before becoming an independent player - the leader of Raynor's Raiders, a motly group of rebels working with the Protoss against both the Dominion and the Swarm.
He and Protoss warrior Fenix become BFF in the process. It's adorable in a weird kind of way.
General Edmund Duke
All you really need to know about Duke is that he's a prick. A Confed born and bred, he's the man who gives the order to abandon Raynor's home Mar Sara to the Zerg - only to be recruited by Mengsk later when his ship crashes in hostile territory. Described as an angry pig of a man, not a lot of people like Duke. In fact, hating him is the first thing to actually unite Kerrigan and Raynor, a feat which up until then seemed impossible.
because I have to add: "He thinks Duke would make a good ally."
"He's crazy!"
"It's been noted," Raynor said grimly.
"Does Kerrigan know about this?"
"Uh-huh."
"And she thinks it's a good idea?"
"Actually," the former lawman said, "She's the one who called Mengsk crazy."
"So you two agreed on something. I'm amazed."
"Yeah," said Raynor. Then there was a pause. "Yeah, I guess we did." --'StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade'
Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov
StarCraft: Brood War brings a new human player to the battlefield: not technically 'Terrans' (a term kept reserved for Koprulu humans), the United Earth Directorate sends a large army to take control of the unruly Koprulu territories while the sector still lies in turmoil. The Russian Stukov is approached by his old friend Gerard DuGalle to help with this campaign, considering their lifelong friendship and Stukov's strategic brilliance.
Unfortunately, the UED's campaign in the sector is not particularly succesful. Finding that Mengsk had apparently managed to get not only the Protoss but also the Zerg to work for him, Stukov rushes into battle only to be betrayed by new conscript Samir Duran. Duran convinces DuGalle that Stukov is a traitor and promptly executes him, leaving Stukov to speak of Duran's treachery as he lies dying.
In his suicide note, DuGalle would later go on to state that it was his pride that killed Stukov.
Admiral Gerard DuGalle
The UED's greatest military leader, the Frenchman Gerard DuGalle was chosen unanimously by the government to represent UED interests in the Koprulu Sector. He is a proud and well-respected man whose objectives are threefold in the sector: conquer all the Terran colonies, take control of the Zerg Overmind, and use the Zerg to pacify the Protoss. Unfortunately, he is also a man with little knack for long-term strategy, which would lead to the UED fleet's undoing. His arrogance brings the entire sector united against him, including the local Protoss and the Zerg.
In the end, the entire UED fleet falls to the Zerg Queen of Blades, who has expertly maneuvered all the sector's players to aid her in her quest. This, presumably, means Earth is defenseless - and in the final montage, we watch as DuGalle commits suicide for his shame.
Michael Liberty (extended canon)
Over the years, StarCraft has seen a number of extended canon books, and perhaps the most prolific character within is Michael Liberty. The picture of a caring but jaded journalist, a risky exposé that brings a little too much heat to some important Confederates leads him to flee to the outskirts to report on the Confederate campaign against the Zerg. There, he spends some heavily censored press time aboard General Duke's battlecruiser until a Zerg attack on Mar Sara drives him right into the arms of the Sons of Korhal - by ways of Kerrigan.
Mengsk welcomes him, offering him a chance to write about the Sons instead - and allowing him to go along on missions with some of our leads. This way, he befriends both Sarah Kerrigan - who finds him refreshing for his honesty - and Jim Raynor, giving them both someone to talk to... something both soldiers really need. He also plays a lot of chess with Mengsk, learning to distrust the manipulative bastard as much or more as his former Confederate bosses.
It is Michael who starts the first pocket of resistance against the Terran Dominion after Mengsk takes Tarsonis and abandons Kerrigan: he's still reporting on whatever he can find, and what he finds is usually not in the Dominion's interests...
Nova (extended canon)
Nova was originally supposed to be the hero of StarCraft: Ghost, but when that game was cancelled, they wrote her a book instead. She's an angry young woman who was born the daughter of an influential Confederate family - but when her folks are killed by the Koprulu Liberation Front, she is cast out onto the street, where she's 'adopted' by the local mob when she discovers she has advanced telekinetic and telepathic powers.
Eventually, she escapes, and is snapped up for the Ghost program just as Mengsk takes over the Confederacy and turns it into the Dominion: as such, she becomes one of the first Ghosts to be mindwiped at the end of her training, rather than outfitted with psionic dampeners (both are control measures). Wrecked with pain over the memory of her family's death, she takes the mindwipe gladly. Her powers are said to be nearly on par with Kerrigan's when she was a Ghost, and she is set to make an appearance in the upcoming StarCraft 2 as Mengsk's new Ghost right hand.
THE ZERG
The Zerg are mostly mindless, insectoid creatures which can be seen as a compromise between the Xenomorphs of Alien and the BORG.
- History
The Zerg were created by a species of alien scientists known as the Xel'Naga - the same aliens who had created the Protoss some time earlier. Through their manipulations, the Zerg, which had originally been small, larvae-like creatures, developed the ability to assimilate other species. They then forced these assimilated species to evolve quickly, developing weapons and stronger carapaces to suit their needs. An Overmind was created by the Xel'Naga to keep them from infighting; the Overmind, in turn, created large Cerebrates to relay its orders through.
Unfortunately for the Xel'Naga, creating a big brain to harness the mental abilities of an entire species means that brain is going to get pretty smart pretty fast. Expanding and expanding, the Overmind finally managed to break the psionic link it held with the Xel'Naga, sent its minions into space, and destroyed its creators in one large, bloody battle. Through the assimilation of the Xel'Naga, they learned of the Protoss, and began to reach their long talons out into space.
When StarCraft begins, the Zerg Swarm has finally reached the Koprulu Sector. Interested in the Terrans' psychic potential, they quickly assault and infest many Terran worlds, experimenting on the Terrans themselves to see how the species could fit into their make-up. They find their long-sought prize in Sarah Kerrigan, abandoned on New Gettysburg, and assimilate her into the Swarm. When the Protoss kill the Overmind at the end of StarCraft, it is the newly minted Queen of Blades who works her way up, conquering all the wayward broods and uniting them under her command.
And then she takes over the universe.
It's as such that, for all intents and purposes, StarCraft: Brood War - last installment in the series until StarCraft 2, which was announced a whopping ten years later - ends the series in a truly spectacular 'Kerrigan makes rocks fall, everybody dies.'
- Heroes
The Overmind
Lord and master and representative of the Zerg Swarm for centuries, it's the Overmind that gives the command to head into space and conquer the strongest species they know of, the Protoss. Eventually, it falls to the force of the Protoss on Char; a new Overmind rises to take its place, but is too weak to put up any resistance as the United Earth Directorate uses it to control the Zerg.
Kerrigan manipulates the Protoss into taking out this new Overmind, too, and takes full control of the Zerg.
Kerrigan, Queen of Blades
"Tough talk, Jimmy, but I don't think you have what it takes to be a killer."
Taken by the Zerg rather than killed, Sarah Kerrigan is made one of their own, a green-skinned half-human half-Zerg creature with gargantuan bladed wings and bony tentacles for hair. Working as one of the Overmind's many minions at first, when the Overmind perishes, the Queen of Blades uses all of her rage and hatred at being betrayed by Mengsk to help fill the gap of power. She becomes responsible for the success of the Zerg in the Koprulu Sector, finishing Brood War as the defacto Queen Bitch of the Universe, and taking a horrible revenge on every single person that wronged her.
Manipulative, angry and working hard to repress whatever humanity lies within her, the Queen of Blades is a nigh-unstoppable force who brings victory to every pursuit. She is not entirely without humanity, however: even now, some level of remorse stays with her as she destroys planets and people alike, despite her best efforts. She even maintains some level of affection for Jim Raynor, allowing him to escape with his life several times over.
She's very popular with gamers (especially women) for being an awesome and terrifying villain and a real proponent of snappy one-liners. By the end of the games, she has slaughtered pretty much 75% of the entire cast and left the rest stranded without hope and drowning in guilt.
She's really good at what she does.
"This is Admiral DuGalle. I am giving you one last chance to surrender your forces, and submit to the sovereign authority of the United Earth Directorate."
"Gee, that's a tough one, Admiral. You'll have let me think for a minute... You know, Admiral, I think I'll just massacre your remaining troops now and watch you die in agony. How would that be?"
"You vastly underestimate me, my dear."
"I don't think so, Admiral. You see, at this point... I'm pretty much the Queen Bitch of the Universe. And not all of your little soldiers or space ships will stand in my way again."
Samir Duran
Allegedly, Duran is a former Confed veteran who went on to lead a rebel force against the Terran Dominion. Quickly snapped up by the United Earth Directorate due to his knowledge of Dominion defenses, he turns out to be the worst kind of snake in the grass as he frames Stukov for treachery, then leads DuGalle into the waiting arms of Kerrigan. As it turns out, he's been infested by the Zerg, and Kerrigan has been using him to play DuGalle all along--
Or has she? By the end of the game, it becomes apparent that Duran has his own agenda. Somewhere off Kerrigan's radar, he's breeding Zerg/Protoss hybrids for unknown reasons... although clues state that it may be the Xel'Naga he answers to.
THE PROTOSS
Protoss are tall, mouthless psionic aliens with glowing eyes. They are really, really pretentious.
- History
And now we reach the pretentious and overly complicated part of our presentation. Hold on to your hats...
Like the Zerg, the Protoss were created by the Xel'Naga. The creatures that would become the Protoss caught their attention because of their strength, speed, and the amazing psionic link they shared that made teamwork very easy - they would spend many centuries in hiding, quietly influencing the Protoss from the sidelines. Eventually, they would descend to the planet (Aiur) and walk amongst the Protoss - and in return, they were revered as gods.
However, the Protoss began to become more and more individualistic. They became suspicious towards one another, and in order to protect their interests, the various Protoss tribes severed the planet-wide psionic link. Disgusted by what was going on, the Xel'Naga tried to leave the planet, only to be attacked by the Protoss. They fled the system. This would cast the Protoss into a devastating civil war that would last for centuries.
In the end, a Protoss called Khas began work to reinstate the link wherever he went, teaching a philosophy known as the Khala. The majority of the Protoss were reunited, and a caste system was implemented - the Judicator (leading) caste, the Templar (warrior) caste and the Khalai (worker) caste. However, some Protoss did not buy into the Khala, which would have led to a genocide if the Templar Leader of the time, Adun hadn't intervened. He taught them how to cloak from view and how to handle their abilities to create a powerful psionic storm. Unfortunately, without the control of the Khala, these storms overtook most of the planet, alerting the followers of the Khala to the presence of the nonbelievers. They were exiled from the planet, becoming known as the Dark Templars, and settled on the shadowy planet of Shakuras.
The Protoss watch over the galaxy quietly, keeping an eye or a conquering force on many planets. When the Zerg attack, they strike without mercy, exterminating everything on every planet they hit - including the Terran planets. Despite their best efforts, however, the Zerg would eventually uncover the location of Aiur and bring it down to ruin, forcing the Protoss to rejoin their Dark Templar bretheren, much to their disgust. The destruction of the Protoss species has led them to begin devolving into their tribal state as both sides of the same species struggle to reconcile.
- Heroes
Executor Tassadar
Protoss High Templar and military leader, it is Tassadar who makes first contact with the Zerg. It is also Tassadar who has to go from Terran planet to Terran planet, eradicating everything in his path to stop the Swarm's approach. He only did this when, in his opinion, the cause was lost on these planets - but that was a sentiment which didn't go over well with the present Terrans. He almost managed to eradicate all the Zerg by swiping Tarsonis clean, but Kerrigan put a stop to this before being overrun by the Zerg.
When Kerrigan's fate was revealed, Tassadar offered Raynor and his men an alliance. He also met the Dark Templar Zeratul here - although initially hostile, the two decided that for the betterment of both their sides, they would have to work together. Cast out from the Protoss Templar caste, he nonetheless continued to work with the Dark Templars, attacking and taking out many of the Overmind's Cerebrates. He also starts a rebellion against the Judicator caste, winning control over Aiur in the process. However, the infighting bothers him, and he surrenders himself to Judicator Aldaris.
Finally, it is Tassadar who sacrifices himself to destroy the Overmind. Though succesful, most of the now aimless broods are left alive afterwards, announcing dark tides to come. Tassadar becomes a hero of myth to the Protoss, his name now often invoked alongside other ancient heroes like Adun.
Prelate Zeratul
Zeratul is a seasoned and well-respected Dark Templar. He's also a honourable Protoss who fights for his species despite his hatred of the Templars of Aiur. Secretive, acting as a spy to the Protoss for many years, but finding himself responsible for victory in several important battles against the Zerg, his Dark Templar powers make it possible for him to slay Zerg Cerebrates and block their ability to reincarnate. This ability makes him an incredibly worthwhile ally for anyone who would face the Zerg.
He's fallen on some hard times by the end of Brood War: Kerrigan's actions in manipulating the Dark Templar matriarch, Raszagal, led to him having to kill said matriarch himself. In return, she gave him leadership over all the Dark Templar - but the guilt weighs heavy on his conscience.
Fenix
Fenix was a powerful Protoss Zealot who fought alongside Tassadar for many years. He fell in battle with the Zerg, but his remains were recovered and his essence was placed within a Dragoon exoskeleton, allowing him to fight on.
Over time, as mentioned above, he and Jim Raynor become total BFFs. Fenix trusts Raynor with his life, even following him into a dangerous alliance with Mengsk and Kerrigan. When Kerrigan inevitably kills Fenix after he ceases to be useful, it incenses Raynor to the point where he swears he will kill be the one to kill her. Despite frequent attempts by the Protoss, Fenix's death remains unavenged.
Judicator Aldaris
Aldaris was always a staunch supporter of the Khala, and found his place as a representative of the Judicator caste. Strongly opposing any association with the Dark Templars, Aldaris attempts to arrest Tassadar in the middle of battle, but only finds himself losing more and more allys to the former Executor. It is Aldaris who imprisons Tassadar later on - he's quickly thwarted by the alliance of Raynor and Fenix, who shake his faith in the Khala to the core.
Finally, Aldaris admits that he is wrong, but unfortunately he isn't in time to help Tassadar in his assault on the Overmind and subsequent death. Instead, he travels to the Dark Templar home planet, and helps Raynor, Fenix and Zeratul keep the Protoss tribes together. He's the one who discovers that Matriarch Raszagal is being manipulated. Again, however, he is too late; Kerrigan slays him before he can let anyone know about the infestation.
Matriarch Raszagal
Raszagal was an ancient Protoss who ruled the Dark Templar on Shakuras for a long time. She possessed vast psionic powers, which began to fail with age. Kerrigan takes advantage of this, corrupting her slowly and using her to gain control over the Protoss. Finally, she 'captures' the Matriarch, demanding that the Dark Templars slay the new Overmind in exchange for her safe return. When the mission is finished, however, Raszagal tells Zeratul that she does not want to return - she is now fully under Kerrigan's control. Finding himself unable to save his leader's soul, he kills her instead, forever poisoining himself with guilt.
Praetor Artanis
Artanis is a very young Protoss - being only 262 years old. He is arrogant and brash, looking down on the Terrans for not being as advanced as the Protoss, and worships Tassadar as his own person god. Fighting in many battles throughout the games, in the end, he is one of the Protoss still living on Shakuras, working hard to help his own people understand that in order to succeed, they have to recognise they are part of the same species as the Dark Templars.
IN SHORT
In case the above is all a little tl;dr, have a nice little mindmap:
The Terran Confederacy falls in the original StarCraft, as do the Zerg Overmind and most of the Protoss; in Brood War, the Zerg rise anew under Kerrigan's considerable power and defeat the newly arrived United Earth Directorate as well as delivering a considerable blow to the newly formed Terran Dominion.
CANON?
You can getcher basic canon in StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood War, the games. There's also a series of extended canon books:
StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade, the novelization of StarCraft's Terran campaign; StarCraft: Queen of Blades, the novelization of StarCraft's Zerg campaign; StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga, the first novel to deviate from what we've already seen, starring (well, starring) Edmund Duke; StarCraft: Speed of Darkness, about a group of marines on Mar Sara during the Zerg attack; StarCraft: Nova, detailing the life of Ghost Nova Terra; and StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga, an ongoing trilogy dealing with, omg: the Dark Templars!
I have a hard time finding these books myself sometimes (which might possibly be because of geography, yay). Beyond that, there's also the add-on map packs such as StarCraft: Insurrection and StarCraft: Retribution, but word has it they're not very good. There was talk of a StarCraft: Ghost game a while back (even a lot of promotional material released) but it never materialised, and has since vanished in the big marketing crazies regarding the upcoming... yes... StarCraft 2.
What? I know I'm excited for it.
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eternal soulfirstborn childTIVO.no subject
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NUH UH.
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...
*shoots you*
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Stop making me want to play these games.
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*is excited also, whee!*
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