Sarah Kerrigan

"I am the Swarm. Armies will be shattered. Worlds will burn. Now at last, on this world, vengeance shall be mine. For I am the Queen of Blades."

- Kerrigan leading the zerg

Sarah Louise 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. Following Arcturus Mengsk's betrayal she was captured and infested by the Zerg Swarm, ultimately becoming the self-proclaimed Queen of Blades and leader of the Swarm.

At the Dominion, ghosts in training are told the Confederacy allowed Kerrigan to "defect" to the zerg.

Early Life
"Cease your sniveling! Pity and weakness are synonymous. Remorse is forbidden. Compunction is forbidden. Do you understand?"

- Lieutenant Rumm to Sarah Kerrigan in a training session

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 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. Indeed, the Confederacy had to readjust their entire psionic power measurement scale in order to account for her abilities.

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.

The neural processing treatments left her a withdrawn and introverted young girl.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

Secret Missions
"Decapitated? What are you talking about? You heard me. They cut his damn head off, Arcturus! And we can't find it! The sick bastards took it with them!"

- Arcturus Mengsk and Achton Feld in light of Kerrigan's assassination of Angus Mengsk

Kerrigan was designated Ghost No. 24601 (often simply Ghost No. 24) following the successful completion of training. As a Confederate agent she murdered many of the Confederacy's enemies, including Angus Mengsk. 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.

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. 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.

Sons of Korhal
"You are on board the Hyperion, a battlecruiser under my command. You are here as a guest of the Sons of Korhal. My name is Arcturus Mengsk."

- Kerrigan is greeted upon awakening.

Upon awakening in Hyperion ' s sickward, 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 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, whom 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 murdured 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.

Rebel Yell
In 2499, Kerrigan was sent to the moon of G-2775. She familiarized herself with the Confederate base there.

By December of that year, 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 Arcuturus Mengsk, who wanted Liberty to spread pro-Sons of Korhal propaganda.

The Antigan Revolution
"Captain Raynor, I've finished scouting out the area, and-you pig!" "What? I haven't even said anything to you yet!" "Yeah, but you were thinking it."

- Kerrigan's first meeting with Jim Raynor Kerrigan resurfaced on Antiga Prime, whose colonists had become very tired of the Confederacy's heavy handed policies. 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. Kerrigan scouted out the area, then linked up with new Sons of Korhal recruit Jim Raynor. The meeting didn't go well, Kerrigan's telepathy sensing the soldier's less than pure thoughts. 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. 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.

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

The Trump Card
"I'm having doubts about this, Arcturus. I just don't think anyone deserves to have the Zerg unleashed on them." "I know you have personal feelings about this, but you can't let your past cloud your judgment. Carry out your orders, lieutenant." "Yes, sir."

- Kerrigan's misgivings 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 Transplanar 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.

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. Teaming up with Liberty, the pair made their way across the battlefield, encountering both zerg and Confederate forces 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.

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. Sympathy gave way to mutual friendship and they "drew close". At some point, Raynor was given or obtained a vidsnap of Kerrigan.

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, she 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.

New Gettysburg
"Why are you doing this, Kerrigan? Look. I know about your past. I mean, I've heard the rumors. I know you were a part of those experiments with the Zerg; that Mengsk came and saved you, but you don't owe him this! Hell, I've saved your butt plenty of times." "Jimmy, drop the knight-in-shining-armor routine. It suits you sometimes. Just not ... not now. I don't need to be rescued. I know what I'm doing. The Protoss are coming to destroy the entire planet, not just the Zerg. I know that because ... well I just know it. I am a Ghost, remember? Once we've dealt with the Protoss, we can do something about the Zerg. Arcturus will come around. I know he will." "I hope you're right, darlin'. Good huntin'!"

- Raynor and Kerrigan part at Tarsonis Ten days after the fall of Antiga Prime, 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. Kerrigan, Raynor and Liberty fought their way through the streets of Tarsonis City and Mengsk's forces successfully defeated the Confederates, but his next move surprised and dismayed Kerrigan and Raynor; his forces planted psi emitters.

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. Mengsk did so due to her lack of political reliability and because he wanted long-due vengeance. 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.

Capture by the Zerg
"What happened to Kerrigan wasn't your fault." "Which part? That she got left behind? Or that she murdered eight billion people?"

- Matt Horner and Jim Raynor discussing Kerrigan's fall to 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.

More subtly, the Overmind realized Kerrigan was also the key to the zerg's salvation. When it was young, 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 Dark Voice to destroy not only the protoss and zerg, but to remold creation in its own image. The Overmind believed it could resist Dark Voice's control by infesting Kerrigan. The Overmind's plan was intended to save the zerg, but it had no concern over the other races of the galaxy.

Kerrigan was placed within a chrysalis and taken to Char, where her telepathic powers reached out and contacted Mengsk and Raynor. The psychic link with Raynor would persist.

Infested Kerrigan
"Arise, my daughter. Arise... Kerrigan."

- The Overmind upon Kerrigan's rebirth

The terrans converged on Char. Mengsk ordered Duke to investigate, 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 a defeated Raynor and allowed him to leave.

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.

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. 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.

Kerrigan's psionic abilities developed rapidly after 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; this allowed Zeratul, a Dark Templar, to infiltrate and permanently slay Zasz. Zasz had sensed the protoss' duplicity but Kerrigan had ignored its warnings. The Queen of Blades was not perturbed by the cerebrate's death, but was annoyed from being tricked. She zealously led the counterattack against the protoss, 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.

The surviving protoss and terrans attached themselves to the Fleet of the Executor. Before departing for Aiur they rescued Zeratul and a number of Dark Templar from a terran installation besieged by zerg.

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

Ascension
"I do not join. I lead."

- Kerrigan

The final battle on Aiur ended when the Overmind was destroyed by Tassadar which left the zerg Swarms scattered. 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 and knew that the time for her ascension had come.

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.

The Brood War
Afterward, many zerg cerebrates, commanded by Daggoth, merged into a new Overmind for the Swarms. However, Kerrigan, now in charge of approximately half of the zerg Swarm, 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, even before she arrived on Shakuras, homeworld of the Dark Templar.

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.

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. However, a new Overmind was growing on Char and when it reached maturity it would take control of her. 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 goodwill with the protoss by helping them acquire the Uraj and the Khalis.

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.

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

Against the 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.

The UED conquered Korhal IV, throne world of the Terran Dominion, and attempted to capture Mengsk. However, Mengsk was "rescued" by Raynor and Fenix, 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. 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.

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.

Unlikely Alliance
Kerrigan had contacted Raynor and Fenix on Aiur, alerting them to the new Overmind and the UED's plans on controlling it. Contacting them again on Shakuras, she asked them for help.

Kerrigan also struck an alliance with Mengsk, contacting them on Shakuras. Together they rescued the remains of the Dominion fleet from the UED. 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. 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. She led the attack on the UED forces on Korhal, defeating them. 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.

To Slay the Beast
Kerrigan managed to repel UED counterattacks on her forces on Tarsonis as she schemed for the destruction of the Overmind. She traveled to Shakuras and retrieved Raszagal.

Kerrigan brought Raszagal to Char, followed by a vengeful Zeratul, demanded 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.

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. 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.

Consolidation of Power
"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."

- Kerrigan to DuGalle

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

Kerrigan defended her base from a combined attack led by Mengsk, Artanis and DuGalle, leaving her as the ruler of the most powerful force in the universe. Kerrigan destroyed the remnants of the UED Expeditionary Force, but she made no move to attack the protoss, Terran Dominion or Raynor's Raiders, even though Raynor had threatened her with death.

Post Bellum
"Once again I stand atop the broken bodies of my enemies... - Victorious but not unscarred. - The Earth-borne Directorate has been destroyed. - And the Overmind lies dead and trampled beneath the ashes of Char. - As for my unlikely allies, I think that I shall allow them a reprieve. - For in time I will seek to test their resolve, and their strengths. - They will all be mine in the end, for I am the Queen of Blades. - None shall ever dispute my rule again."

- Kerrigan stands triumphant.

By the end of the Brood War, Kerrigan had become the undisputed ruler of the zerg. She no longer required cerebrates since the death of the second Overmind, the Overmind's cerebrates having been destroyed although at least one remained at her side in the war's aftermath. At least four cerebrates survived on Braxis for a time. 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.

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, although it has been confirmed that it has nothing to do with Duran (only known to Kerrigan herself). She has learned something of Duran's activities and a looming threat.

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.

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

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. She wished the Swarm to be able to survive even if she fell. Having sapient lieutenants would extend her control of the Swarm.

Preserver's Saga
"Every living thing in the universe will bow before the Queen of Blades, or else they will die. Obedience or oblivion. That is why we fight."

- Kerrigan's creed

In 2503, 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 preperations were interupted 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. 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.

Whispers of Doom
"Do you hear them Zeratul? Whispering from the stars? The galaxy will burn with their coming."

- Kerrigan describes the coming threat.

Under Kerrigan's leadership, the zerg were becoming "much, much more", the final metamorphosis having "only just begun." Nonetheless, the feelings of unease Kerrigan had felt at the end of the 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. She had become fatalistic because her zerg mutagens still left her open to the Dark Voice's influence.

Eventually she journeyed to Ulaan in search of an ancient. She was followed there by a protoss force led by Karass. 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.

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. Following the line of investigation, Zeratul eventually discovered Kerrigan was the key to stopping the hybrids and their master, the Dark Voice. Zeratul passed this information to Raynor and instructed him to ensure Kerrigan's survival.

Wings of Liberty
"We always knew she'd be back. But what's she after?" "She's come to finish the job."

- Matt Horner and Jim Raynor discussing Kerrigan's return

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 in order to give the zerg as much of a chance as possible in the future conflict she had sensed. The Queen of Blades led from the front as the Swarm infested terran worlds, attacking research centers, and raiding archaeological sites. Her primary competitor was Raynor, commissioned by the to retrieve the same device. The terran rebels' ability to steal away with device components before the Swarm elicited Kerrigan's grudging respect. 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". The zerg conceded the race when the terrans retrieved the second last component from Typhon XI. The zerg invasion of the sector slowed and Kerrigan returned to Char.

Ironically, the device would soon come to her. A joint Dominion and Raynor's Raiders battlegroup attacked Char, believing the device could deinfest Kerrigan. The zerg were prepared and the terrans suffered heavy casualties establishing a foothold and pushing to the primary hive cluster. The Queen of Blades was not overly concerned; both she and her opposites knew the terrans had little time to achieve their objective before being defeated by massive zerg superiority. 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.

The terrans weathered Kerrigan's psionic prowess and activated the device. The resulting energy wave destroyed local zerg forces and deinfested the Queen of Blades, altering her DNA and making her more human than zerg. Raynor and Tychus Findlay led marines into the hive and found Kerrigan dazed and deinfested. 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 executioner's bullet before shooting and killing Findlay. Kerrigan was carried outside by Raynor.

Flashpoint
"Jim, I know what I did. I remember. Billions dead...because of me! That was not you. That was the Queen of Blades. What they made you into. You’re back to being Sarah again. And we’re together now. So just hush, honey. It doesn’t matter. Sarah Kerrigan, Queen of Blades...you don’t understand. Maybe you can never understand. I’ve always been a destroyer of things. Anything I touch, anything I care about...that’s why they picked me, Jim. Because I’m a destroyer of things..."

- Kerrigan and Raynor after the latter's de-infestation

Kerrigan's new state had a mostly human form, but still had some zerg traits such as her dreadlocks, leaving open the question of how infested was she and whether she had her own personality back. While carrying her away from her hive, Raynor noticed that her deadlocks 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 insulweave, 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, intending to recreate the Zerg Swarm to attack him.

For a time at the facility, Kerrigan was comatose and slowly recovered. As she did so, Valerian Mengsk "studied" her, intending to determine if there was any humanity left in her. Kerrigan objected to this, bypassing his explosives trap by directing them against him. She decided she wasn't human anymore.

Heart of the Swarm
"I will rebuild the swarm. I will make it stronger, better. And then I will crush Mengsk under my heel."

- Sarah Kerrigan

Kerrigan's personality reasserted itself, but she still felt guilty for her previous actions during the, 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 was unconcerned with revenge, but Sarah Kerrigan knew that Mengsk wanted her dead, and held a grudge against him for abandoning her on Tarsonis. Mengsk's intention to kill her was soon reaffirmed, as a Dominion task force led by Nova attacked the lab she was in. Raynor attempted to defend her, though Kerrigan could handle herself, and eliminated her would-be assassins. During their rush to flee the lab they became seperated, with Raynor being captured by Nova Terra. When Kerrigan heard that Raynor had been executed by Mengsk, she determined that a normal life was impossible and set out to gain her power.

Escaping the lab, Kerrigan eventually made her way to Char, but had suffered some memory loss from her time as the Queen of Blades. Most of her memory was a blur, and of what she could recall, the images were horrible. This lack of memory forced her to rely on an adviser, Izsha. Furthermore, the brood mothers that she had created, who served whichever zerg was strongest, fled with their broods as a result of Kerrigan's defeat on Char. In her attempts to reclaim the Swarm, Kerrigan would return to Char to reclaim the Za'gara Brood, further aggravated by General Horace Warfield's extermination of the remaining zerg. She later went to the icy protoss world of Kaldir to reclaim the Na'fash Brood. Kerrigan was interested in creating a "metamorph", a breed which could guide its own evolution. During a conversation with Izsha, she referred to her crimes as "terrible" implying that she did feel genuine guilt for her crimes. 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 Arcturus Mengsk remained, albeit contrasted with her continued love for Jim Raynor. She also captured a protoss research named Lessara, whose reminders of Kerrigan's past caused her much distress and guilt.

Kerrigan began efforts to create a new zerg empire in order to take the fight back to the Terran Dominion and achieve revenge against its emperor. She would continue to worry about developing the Swarm.

Kerrigan made contact with a zerg leviathan, where she met her former lieutenant Izsha. She was told that she would need to recover each of the broods, which had been scattered under different broodmothers after her defeat at the Battle of Char.

Kerrigan quickly brought Zagara to heel on Char, and then led an assault on General Warfield's base, decimating it. Kerrigan confronted an injured Warfield, who begged her to allow the wounded to evacuate. When Kerrigan refused, 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, he implied that Raynor would be disgusted with her if he saw her in her state. Kerrigan became enraged and brutally finished off the general, but realized that he was right and withdrew her forces just as they were about to finish off the evacuees to injured to fight back.

Kerrigan traveled to Kaldir, to reclaim Nafash and her brood. Unfortunately Nafash had been destroyed by the protoss, who quickly tried to alert Shakuras of her weakened state. Kerrigan stopped the first attempt, during which a protoss scientist named Lasarra was captured. Kerrigan ultimately wiped out the final escape ship by implanting Lassara with a broodmother, Niadra.

Zeratul boarded her leviathan, and after a brief fight he 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 her power.

Kerrigan, Agent of Prophecy
"Your coming has been foretold... You are part of the culmination. But not the end of it. You shall show the way, the path that must be taken, the realigning of old truths no longer valid. Yours is not the hand, but your very existence provides necessary instruction."

- Zeratul to Kerrigan

Kerrigan's status as a successful zerg/human hybrid has often appeared in prophecies or conversations involving Zeratul, hinting that she may be important to the return of the xel'naga or the creation of the hybrids.

Zeratul's Prophecy
When Kerrigan and Zeratul battled on Char after the death of Zasz, they exchanged words and insults. Zeratul told her of a prophecy: "Your coming has been foretold... You are part of the culmination. But not the end of it. You shall show the way, the path that must be taken, the realigning of old truths no longer valid. Yours is not the hand, but your very existence provides necessary instruction."

On the eve of the Second Great War, Zeratul learned from the Overmind's memories that Kerrigan was instrumental in the struggle against the hybrids.

Duran's Comments
After the death of Matriarch Raszagal, Zeratul left Char and, while searching for protoss survivors of the zerg attacks, discovered a chilling secret on a dark moon; a protoss/zerg hybridization project led by Samir Duran. Duran told Zeratul that the creation of Infested Kerrigan may have somehow inspired the creation of the hybrid. Kerrigan wasn't in charge of the project "although her rebirth into the Zerg Swarm has sped up my progress."

Kerrigan's Reactions
"Fate... cannot be changed. The end comes... and when it finds me... I shall embrace it, at last."

- Kerrigan spars with Zeratul There is evidence to suggest that Kerrigan longs to be human once more, most tellingly at the end of True Colors. While working on her infested terran project, she hesitated to sacrifice a human woman to the Swarm, as the woman reminded Kerrigan of herself, and she mused that she would "much rather be engaged in some desperate battle on foreign soil than babysitting lab rats on this derelict platform". She also seems unhappy with her acquisitions. However, she later became more enthused about slaughter. She also appears to show her desire to be a human, as on the final battle on Char, she calls out to the terrans asking them "Don't give up."

Personality
Due to ghost conditioning, Kerrigan was an introvert from a young age How she could have known about such weapons, let alone their aesthetic effects is an apparent discrepancy. and arguably remained aloof when freed from Confederate control. However, she never fully embraced the darker aspects of her nature.

As the Queen of Blades, Kerrigan was torn emotionally, and had to 'justify' to herself what she had become. During and after the Brood War, she had moments of what could be argued to be conscience/compassion, but became more cold over time.

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. Her interactions with protoss scientist Lessara, as well as her own descriptions of what she had done as "terrible" imply that she feels genuine guilt for her crimes, and may seek redemption for her past.

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).

Psionics
"Doesn't take a telepath to know what you're thinking."

- Sarah Kerrigan

Sarah Kerrigan was an extremely powerful terran psychic. At a young age she fried her mother's brain accidentally with psionic powers and demonstrated telekinetic abilities. Indeed, her powers were so strong it forced a readjustment of the psionic measurement scale. Her powers were then rated at PI 10.

Her powers were reduced by both ghost conditioning and a neuro-adjuster 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. In addition, Kerrigan has a gene pattern that enabled her to retain her intelligence upon infestation.

Post-infestation, Kerrigan's power is at least an order of magnitude beyond 10.

Training
"You must think yourself a pretty good driver." "I am. I'm also very good with knives. And guns, too."

- Michael Liberty and Kerrigan discussing the latter's skills.

Sarah Kerrigan was a Confederate ghost and underwent the usual harsh ghost training. She was especially good at using knives, 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.

Kerrigan has also demonstrated competence in the areas of deception and strategy. When working with Infested Duran, she often relied on him to come up with strategies, but was more than capable of creating her own complex plans.

Infested Kerrigan's Abilities
"I can tell you her capabilities. She's Hell unleashed."

- Jim Raynor

Sarah Kerrigan was infested by the zerg as part of an experiment. 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. Unlike most infested terrans, Kerrigan retained her intelligence and at least some part of her personality. Her DNA also received telomeric additions.

Kerrigan's full psionic potential was initially suppressed by residual ghost conditioning. Upon reversing the process, she gained enough psionic power to create psionic storms and could even sense the protoss hiding on Char.

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

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. By this time, Kerrigan was the most powerful psionic in the universe, powerful enough to hold her own against 27 siege tanks. After gaining Zerus's powers, Kerrigan was even stronger than when she was as the Queen of Blades.

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

Sarah Kerrigan
As a ghost, Kerrigan used a unique game model and wireframe, which portrayed her long hair. She had all the ghost abilities except for nuclear strike and her statistics were far beyond those of an ordinary ghost.

Her attack range is shorter than a typical ghost's, according to testing and programs such as DatEdit.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft Sarah Kerrigan Quotations

Infested Kerrigan
Infested Kerrigan is represented in-game by a unique unit with similarities to an infested terran. However, instead of exploding, she is equipped with long "wings" and claws on her fingers, giving her powerful melee attacks. She has numerous abilities of biological and psionic origin.

In her last in-game appearance, the Brood War mission "The Reckoning," her unit is labeled "Kerrigan" rather than "Infested Kerrigan."

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft Infested Kerrigan Quotations

Wings of Liberty
In Wings of Liberty, Kerrigan's unit is invincible except in the last mission. She may destroy units by lifting and crushing vehicles and aircraft, killing them instantly, and has an area-of-effect attack called "Razor Plague". Kerrigan's unit disappears in a spray of blood when "killed", described as burrowing.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft II Queen of Blades Quotations

Other
In StarCraft II, Infested 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.

An alternate version of Kerrigan's StarCraft II incarnation is available as a hero in Blizzard All-Stars. Her ghost version may also appear as a playable hero.

Kerrigan's Queen of Blades persona appears as a hero unit in RISK: StarCraft.