Sarah Kerrigan

"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 You shall show the way, the path that must be taken, the realigning of old truths no longer valid.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

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, ghosts in training are told the Confederacy allowed Kerrigan to "defect" to the enemy.

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.

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 claimed that he'd forgiven her. Kerrigan was extremely greatful and now fully believed in the Sons' cause.

Rebel Yell
By December 2499, 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.

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 and troops under his command. 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 afterwards, General 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. Arcturus Mengsk ordered a rescue, prompting a sarcastic response from Kerrigan; she wanted to know if Mengsk had lost his mind.

Over the course of the fighting on Antiga Prime, Raynor and Kerrigan worked together on numerous occassions, becoming a formiddable team. The 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.

Kerrigan planted the emitter within the Confederate base, but again expressed her revulsion at the idea. She asked Mengsk never to do so again, but he told her he would do "whatever it takes" to save humanity. Shaken by the ordeal, she and Raynor found comfort in each others' presence, their former antagonism having evaporated. However, as strong as their emotions had become, the war prevented them from acting on them.

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 Mengsk's revolutionary movement had reached Tarsonis, the Confederate capital world. General Duke planned to assault the primary space platform, enabling a small force to penetrate to the surface of Tarsonis. His forces successfully defeated the Confederates, but his next move surprised and dismayed Kerrigan and Jim 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. Jim Raynor was increasing 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 reliabilty 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 set events in motion to prevent that future by infesting Kerrigan.

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

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

- The Overmind upon Kerrigan's rebirth

The terran converged on Char. Arcturus Mengsk ordered General Edmund Duke of Alpha Squadron to investigate, while Jim 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 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 the 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.

Jim 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 on Char Aleph. 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 Alpha Squadron installation on the surface 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."

- Infested 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 afterwards 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 DuGalle, squandered its use due to the influence and advice of Samir Duran. Vice Admiral 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 Arcturus Mengsk. However, Mengsk was "rescued" by Jim Raynor and Fenix, who transported him to Aiur. The UED pursued. The zerg, with help from Samir 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 United Earth Directorate, 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.

After this debacle, UED Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov traveled to Braxis, where he reconstructed the Psi Disrupter. Samir Duran was able to convince UED Admiral Gerard DuGalle that Stukov was a traitor. DuGalle sent Duran into the Psi Disrupter to terminate Stukov. Duran shot Stukov but vanished while Stukov lay dying. Stukov told DuGalle that he believed Duran was a traitor, possibly infested. Shortly afterwards, Duran set the Disrupter's fusion core to self-destruct and a force of zerg invaded the Disrupter itself. The UED was able to prevent the destruction of the Disrupter, but Stukov had died. The Disrupter was left on Braxis, defended by a UED garrison.

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 Jim Raynor and Fenix on Aiur, alerting them to the new Overmind and the United Earth Directorate's plans on controlling it. Contacting them again on Shakuras, she asked them for help.

Kerrigan also struck an alliance with Arcturus 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 Fenix and Mengsk's general, Edmund Duke. 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 new Overmind. She traveled to Shakuras and retrieved Raszagal. The Dark Templar had not activated the xel'naga temple.

Kerrigan brought Raszagal to Char, followed by a vengeful Zeratul and Artanis. 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. They even slew the remaining cerebrates for Kerrigan. 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

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, Samir Duran disappeared. Kerrigan has no idea what Duran was planning.

Kerrigan defended her world from a combined attack by the United Earth Directorate, Terran Dominion and forces led by Artanis, leaving her as the ruler of the most powerful force in the universe.

Kerrigan destroyed the remnants of the United Earth Directorate 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.

Kerrigan pulled back to Char in the aftermath of the war, out of sight, but not out of mind. The Terran 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 Samir 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. In addition, she carried out a project to devise more intelligent infested terrans.

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. Eventually she journeyed to Ulaan in search of an ancient prophecy. As Kerrigan predicted, Zeratul was also drawn there searching for the same thing. The two sparred briefly. As Kerrigan discovered, the Nerazim was not prepared to give up all hope for the future. Zeratul escaped after severing the Queen of Blade's left wing, although it promptly regrew.

Zeratul recovered three fragments of the prophecy from the shrines but was intercepted by Kerrigan before he could leave the planet. However, the Dark Templar prelate received aid from a protoss force led by high templar 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. The prelate passed this information to Jim Raynor during the Second Great War, and instructed the terran 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, the Koprulu Sector was engulfed in a massive Swarm invasion. Kerrigan led from the front, and she directed her minions to attack research centers and retrieve alien artifacts. Raynor's Raiders caused frustration by making off with some artifacts just before the zerg could. On Monlyth, she complimented Jim Raynor for his resourcefulness when he absconded with the artifact there. With the aid of Doctor Emil Narud (whose "pathetic charade" Kerrigan had seen through), Raynor once again thwated her plans on Tyrador VIII, when she sought to ascertain the remain artifacts' locations from the Moebius Foundation's data cores.

Later, Kerrigan was on Char when it was attacked by a joint Terran Dominion, led by Valerian Mengsk, and Raynor's Raiders fleet. The xel'naga artifacts collected by the Raiders were assembled into a larger device that the terrans believed would deinfest Kerrigan. The terrans suffered heavy casualties during the initial landings, but established a foot hold on Char and pushed to the primary hive cluster. Kerrigan personally attempted and failed to seize the device; the terrans held on as the device was activated.

The device worked as the terrans had hoped. A marine team, led by Raynor and Tychus Findlay, entered the Queen of Blades' hive and found her dazed and deinfested. Findlay attempted to fulfill his bargain with Mengsk; the convict would go free if he killed Kerrigan. Raynor blocked Findlay's bullet and then shot his old friend. Kerrigan was carried outside by Raynor.

Heart of the Swarm
"Jim? It's okay. I got ya."

- A new beginning?



Sometime later, Kerrigan began efforts to create a new zerg empire. She would continue to worry about developing the Swarm. There is evidence to suggest that she underwent reversion/mutation into a form resembling the one she possessed as the Queen of Blades.

Kerrigan, Agent of Prophecy
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.

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. This means she possessed a PI of 8 or higher. Indeed, her powers were so strong it forced a readjustment of the psionic measurement scale. Her powers were reduced by both ghost conditioning and a neuro-adjuster but after the latter'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.

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 Brood War, 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.

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

In her former guise, 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.

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."

StarCraft II
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.

In Heart of the Swarm, the campaign operates similarly to an RPG, in which Kerrigan is focused on increasing her personal power through mutations. Zerg armies protect her as she garners this power. The greater her power, the more zerg she's able to control.

Quotes

 * See: Sarah Kerrigan Quotations
 * See: Infested Kerrigan Quotations


 * (Kerrigan to Zeratul in Eye for an Eye.)
 * Infested Kerrigan: "You seem overconfident of your abilities, dark one. I am no helpless Cerebrate to be assailed under cover of darkness. I am the Queen of Blades, and my stare alone would reduce you to ashes. You and your ilk cease to amuse me. Prepare yourself for oblivion's embrace."


 * (Over Char, shortly after United Earth Directorate forces led by Admiral Gerard DuGalle captured the second Overmind)
 * DuGalle: "Who the... What the hell are you?"
 * Kerrigan: "I am Kerrigan. The zerg you've killed here and the Overmind which you've come to collect... are mine. As is our mutual friend Lieutenant Duran. You see, Admiral... there are a number of groups in this sector who feel that your involvement here causes certain complications. My associates and I intend to make sure that your reign is short lived."
 * DuGalle: "You may find that difficult, you abomination, seeing as how I possess the means to disrupt your control of the zerg."
 * Kerrigan: "Ah, you're referring to your vaunted Psi Disrupter. It won't last you forever, Admiral. Sooner or later, I'll destroy it. Then I'll show you what the zerg are really capable of.

"Oh, and by the way, Admiral: Your friend Stukov was twice the man you are. I'm glad you saved me the trouble of having to kill him..."


 * (Over Char, shortly before the Battle of Omega)
 * DuGalle: "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."
 * Infested Kerrigan: "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?"
 * Gerard DuGalle: "You vastly underestimate me, my dear."
 * Infested Kerrigan: "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."


 * (On Char, after her victory at Omega)
 * Infested Kerrigan: "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."

Trivia
As of October 9th 2005 the battle.net web site contained a hidden image of Infested Kerrigan saying "Help me Jim Raynor...you're my only hope!". The animated GIF image and the text can be found at the bottom of the main page. In order to reveal them the user has to click the round object above the Blizzard image. This is a reference to Princess Leia ("Help me Obi-wan Kenobi... You're my only hope!") from Star Wars.

Despite her important role in the StarCraft storyline, the character of Sarah Kerrigan was not conceived until the middle of work on the first campaign. She was initially a "thrown in" character named after figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, though as her character was being discussed, it appeared that her role as a character was having more bearing than previously imagined, courtesy of her position between Mengsk and Raynor. Likewise, her subsequent infestation was a late development decision.

Chris Metzen has described Kerrigan as (alongside Jim Raynor) the "loneliest person in the universe." In his mind, the possibility of her redemption and her rocky relationship with Raynor makes up the heart of the StarCraft universe.

Alongside the Overmind, Kerrigan was voted by PC World as #8 of the top 47 "most diabolical videogame villains of all time."

Kerrigan was set to appear in the StarCraft comic. However, the series was canceled before this could occur.

As part of April fools 2010 Blizzard Entertainment announced a spoof game featuring Kerrigan called Queen's Quest, the title being a pun on the old Sierra King's Quest adventures games. The "Spin-A-Spacer DRM application" and "give wax lips to Jim Raynor" are references to the LucasArts classic Secret of Monkey Island adventure game series.

Diorama
A diorama of Infested Kerrigan exists in Blizzard Entertainment's office in Irvine, California.

Videos
Video:BattleNewGettysburg SC2 VCncpt1|Story board for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty cinematic, The Betrayal Video:TheBetrayal SC2-WoL VCine1|Kerrigan is betrayed by Mengsk Video:TheProphecy SC2-WoL VCine1|Kerrigan meets Zeratul on Ulaan Video:TheShowdown_SC2-WoL_VCine1|A deinfested Kerrigan is spared by Raynor