StarCraft category

Species

36 entries tagged Species. Every entry is sourced from the StarCraft games, the novels, the manuals, or Blizzard’s published canon.

BanelingThe baneling was an explosive zerg strain evolved from the zergling through a brief chrysalis phase, its body remade to carry sacs of highly corrosive acid. A living suicide bomber, the baneling ruptured among enemy formations in a shower of searing acid that devastated both structures and ground forces.
Brood LordThe brood lord is a massive manta-like Zerg flyer morphed from the corruptor, used by the Swarm as an aerial siege creature that rains living broodlings down onto ground targets. It serves only in the largest of conflicts.
BroodmotherBroodmothers were powerful, intelligent queens created by the Queen of Blades to replace the cerebrates, tasked with guarding and leading the broods of the Zerg Swarm. Independent enough to survive their creator's fall, they fragmented the Swarm when Kerrigan was deinfested and warred among themselves for control.
CerebrateCerebrates were the intermediate commanders of the zerg, created by the Overmind to lead individual broods and oversee the Swarm's evolution. Bound to the Overmind for their reincarnation, they were hunted to extinction after the Brood War and replaced by Sarah Kerrigan's broodmothers.
CorruptorThe corruptor is a squid-like Zerg flyer bred to destroy enemy aircraft and capital ships, dousing its targets in matter-disrupting parasite spores and capable of morphing into the brood lord once the Swarm wins the skies.
CreepCreep was a living zerg superorganism, a viscous purple substance that nourished zerg structures and strains, bound entire colonies into a single organism, and could consume a whole planet within days if left unchecked.
Dark ArchonThe dark archon was a being of living psionic energy formed when two dark templar merged, wielding powers of the Void far beyond those of an ordinary archon. Its creation was outlawed among the Nerazim for a thousand years.
DefilerThe defiler is a rare, silverfish-like Zerg breed that synthesizes virus-like biochemicals from the leftover genetic material of other strains, shrouding allies in living swarms and corroding enemies beneath toxic plague clouds.
DevourerThe devourer was the anti-air aspect of the zerg mutalisk, slower than its parent strain but more resilient. Its attack flung corrosive acid spores that clung to enemy aircraft, weakening their armor and slowing their fire.
DroneThe drone was the zerg worker strain, gathering resources and morphing its own body into the living structures of the Swarm. A single drone, descended from one surviving larva, could seed an entire reborn zerg colony.
Feral ZergFeral zerg were zerg that had fallen outside the control of any higher entity, reverting to predatory instinct and attacking everything around them. Drawn to psionic emanations and able to survive without creep, they recurred across the Koprulu Sector wherever a cerebrate, broodmother, or the will of Kerrigan was lost.
GuardianThe guardian was the anti-ground aspect of the zerg mutalisk, a long range artillery flier converted from an existing mutalisk. In numbers it could lay waste to a base and ground force, but it had no defense against enemy aircraft.
Hybrid ReaverThe hybrid reaver was an extremely powerful zerg-based hybrid, capable of basic speech and able to exert mind control over zerg and terrans alike. It served as a staple of Amon's hybrid armies throughout the End War.
HybridThe hybrid were a perverse fusion of protoss and zerg, engineered as the ultimate weapons of the fallen xel'naga Amon. Described as false xel'naga, they were central to his plan to end the Infinite Cycle and remake creation in his image.
HydraliskThe hydralisk was a versatile zerg combat strain evolved from the peaceful slothien, armored in carapace plates and able to launch volleys of armor-piercing spines from its upper body. Forming the backbone of the Swarm's onslaughts, the hydralisk symbolized zerg power to terrans more than any other strain.
Infested TerranInfested terrans were a breed of zerg created when the Swarm infected a human with a hyper-evolutionary virus, consuming the victim's mind and remaking the body. Most became disposable suicide bombers, but the zerg eventually perfected sentient infested terrans who served as consorts, generals, and living weapons.
InfestorThe infestor is a burrowing Zerg support strain evolved from the borbu matriarch, capable of moving while burrowed, seizing control of enemies with a neural parasite, and disgorging infested marines and larvae on the battlefield.
KhalaiThe Khalai were the protoss who followed the Khala, the kindred also known as the Aiur protoss or Templar. United by the Khala out of the Aeon of Strife, they founded the Protoss Empire, fled to Shakuras after the fall of Aiur, and endured the loss of the Khala during the End War.
LarvaThe larva was the base zerg unit from which all other strains and structures were born. Carrying the genetic code of the entire Swarm in its DNA, a single larva could pupate into any breed the hive required, and the first zerg the terrans ever encountered.
LurkerThe lurker is an arachnid Zerg strain evolved from the hydralisk that attacks only while burrowed, erupting waves of super-dense spines from beneath the ground to impale anything caught above it.
MutaliskThe mutalisk was the primary airborne strain of the zerg, evolved from the mantis screamer and able to travel through atmosphere and deep space alike. Communicating by scent and attacking with parasitic glaive wurms, mutalisks wheeled across the skies in vast numbers over zerg nests and forces.
OverlordThe overlord is a Zerg flyer evolved from the assimilated Gargantis proximae, serving the Swarm as a coordinator of lesser strains, a long-range sensory scout, an unmatched psionic transmitter, and a deep-space transport.
Primal ZergThe primal zerg were a zerg subspecies of the planet Zerus who never fell under the Overmind's control, retaining the physical and psychological traits of the original zerg. Reptilian rather than insectile, individual rather than hive-bound, they pursued an endless Darwinian struggle to ascend the evolutionary ladder.
Protoss-Zerg HybridThe protoss-zerg hybrid was a fusion of the protoss and zerg species, bred as the ultimate weapon of the fallen xel'naga Amon and key to his plan to remake creation in his image. Described as false xel'naga, the hybrids were a perversion of the Infinite Cycle.
ProtossThe protoss are an ancient, psionically gifted humanoid species native to Aiur, uplifted by the xel'naga and bound together by the Khala. Among the three dominant species of the galaxy, they are the most technologically advanced, and the most divided by their own history.
PurifiersThe Purifiers were an ancient robotic race created by the protoss Conclave, built from the recorded consciousnesses of the greatest warriors in protoss history. Once enslaved and banished, they were reactivated to fight Amon and joined the Daelaam as equals.
QueenThe queen is a Zerg support strain derived from the Arachnis brood-keeper, bred to administrate hive clusters, oversee maturing broods, and serve as an infestation specialist. Two distinct forms exist across the history of the Swarm, the flying Great War queen and the ground-bound hive-master engineered after the Brood War.
RoachThe roach was a heavily armored zerg ground strain evolved from the fast-healing zantar slug, able to spit corrosive acid and regenerate grievous wounds at high speed while burrowed. Tough and nearly impervious to small-arms fire, the roach anchored the Swarm's ground assaults alongside the zergling.
ScourgeThe scourge is a blind, suicidal aerial strain of the zerg that detonates itself against enemy starships in both atmosphere and the vacuum of space. A single scourge can destroy a fighter, and a handful can breach a starship hull.
Swarm HostThe swarm host was a zerg siege strain that burrowed into the ground and birthed an endless supply of short-lived locusts from an incubator on its back. Adapted by Abathur from the primal hosts of Zerus, it gave the Swarm a living artillery piece.
TerranThe terrans are the descendants of a failed 23rd century colony mission from Earth, a young and highly factionalized species with latent psionic potential. Despite endless wars among themselves and with their alien neighbors, they stand as one of the three dominant species of the galaxy.
UltraliskThe ultralisk was the most powerful ground strain the zerg possessed, a massive living battering ram evolved from the docile brontolith and armed with near-indestructible kaiser blades. Heavily armored and able to charge through protoss force fields, the ultralisk served as the Swarm's siegebreaker.
ViperThe viper was a zerg support flier evolved from the defiler template and perfected by Abathur. It blinded and disabled enemies, snatched them from high ground with a regurgitated proboscis, and siphoned energy from zerg structures to return to the fight.
Xel'NagaThe xel'naga were a god-like race from the Void who seeded life across the universe and sought to perpetuate themselves through the Infinite Cycle. They created both the protoss and the zerg, and the rogue xel'naga Amon's bid to end the cycle drove the central conflicts of the Koprulu Sector.
ZergThe zerg are a ravenous collective of biologically advanced aliens who evolve by assimilating the essence of other species in pursuit of genetic perfection. Created by Amon's xel'naga on Zerus and bound to the Overmind, they grew into one of the three dominant powers of the galaxy.
ZerglingThe zergling was the most numerous warrior strain of the zerg, a fast, sickle-clawed creature evolved from the Zz'gashi dune runner and spawned two at a time from a single larva. Zerglings served as the Swarm's frontline assault troops, overwhelming foes through sheer weight of numbers.