Zeratul

"I bring tidings of doom. The Xel'Naga return, the cycle nears its end, the artifacts are the key."

- Zeratul delivers a warning to Jim Raynor

Zeratul, a Protoss Dark Templar, is a dark and tragic character. He is best known for assassinating powerful Zerg opponents.

Zeratul's voice actor, Jack Ritschel, is deceased.

Biography
Zeratul is a 634-year old Protoss Dark Templar. Like all Dark Templar, his ancestors have been long-banished from the Protoss homeworld of Aiur for refusing to follow the Khala. Although he hates the Protoss Conclave for exiling him, and is somewhat of a secretive and calculating sort, he is nevertheless honorable and loyal to his species.

Adventures on Char
Zeratul had spent "many decades" away from Shakuras on missions. He reacted to Sarah Kerrigan's psionic call from Char by taking his small force there.

While there he met the former Protoss Executor Tassadar, a member of the Templar Caste, and Jim Raynor. Tassadar reacted badly upon his meeting with this leader of a forbidden caste and attacked Zeratul. However, Zeratul refused to take offense, even attempting to teach Tassadar the art of combat (while avoiding being struck). Eventually the three leaders came to an understanding, joining forces and hiding from the Zerg.

After the rebirth of Kerrigan, Tassadar distracted her long enough for Zeratul to slay Zasz, Cerebrate and leader of the Garm Brood. This created a connection between Zeratul and the Zerg Overmind, which enabled Zeratul to discern the Overmind's motives and the Overmind to discern the secret location of Aiur. Other information may have been transmitted as well.

As their friendship grew, Zeratul also began teaching Tassadar how to use the Dark Templar's Void-based psionic energies, a task that was considered blasphemous by Judicator Aldaris. During the teachings, Tassadar underwent a Shadow Walk.

Kerrigan led a devastating attack against the Protoss on Char. Kerrigan and Zeratul exchanged words and insults during the battle. 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 You shall show the way, the path that must be taken, the realigning of old truths no longer valid.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."

Tassadar escaped to an orbital platform over Char while Zeratul and a small number of other Dark Templar were captured and herded into a Terran installation.

Meanwhile the victorious Zerg traveled to Aiur, where they won many victories against the Protoss defenders.

Rescue and Rebellion
Tassadar, reinforced by Protoss troops sent from Aiur (in order to arrest him and execute Tassadar), launched an attack on the Zerg guarding the infested installation.

Once inside, he allied with stranded Terran troops, fought his way past the Zerg inside, and found Zeratul and his Dark Templar. Tassadar convinced him to return with him to Aiur.

Together they fled to Aiur, where they gained the support of Praetor Fenix. The Conclave had branded Tassadar a traitor and sought to arrest him and execute Zeratul. Tassadar was shocked that they would "cling to their failing traditions" even as the Zerg threatened them with annihilation. Tassadar decided he would fight the Conclave, as they threatened the very warriors that could defeat the Zerg.

Together, Tassadar, Zeratul, and Fenix assaulted the Heart of the Conclave, but Tassadar was distraught by the infighting and surrendered himself to Aldaris.

Zeratul and his Dark Templar vanished, leaving the new Executor and Fenix to continue their rebellion with little support. Fenix's forces, with the help of Raynor, attacked the Stasis Cell in which Tassadar was incarcerated and was awaiting trial and execution. Fenix and Raynor defeated the Conclave loyalist forces and destroyed the cell, freeing Tassadar. Aldaris then reappeared, leading a last-ditch attack to recapture Tassadar, but he was in turn ambushed by Zeratul and his Dark Templar. Zeratul held an aggressive conversation with Aldaris.

The Fall of the Overmind
Zeratul and his allies survived Aldaris' attack, and plotted their attack on the Zerg. Zeratul told the allies the real reason the Overmind was so dangerous; it had attacked the Xel'Naga, and if it defeated the Protoss it would consume all sentient life "throughout the stars".

Fenix planned to lead his forces against the primary Zerg Hive clusters, thinning out their numbers, while Zeratul would infiltrate the clusters and slay a pair of Cerebrates. Zeratul succesfully assassinated the Cerebrates, weakening the Overmind's defenses. As the Protoss led by Zeratul and his allies, along with Jim Raynor and his troops prepared the final assault, Aldaris apologized to Tassadar, admitting that the Dark Templar really were required for fighting the Zerg.

During the battle, Tassadar's Carrier, the Gantrithor, was critically damaged, and the Overmind attempted to escape. Tassadar sacrificed himself to destroy the Overmind, using the Dark Templar techniques taught to him by Zeratul.

Dark Refuge
The Zerg ran rampant over all of Aiur, killing almost 70% of its Protoss inhabitants. Zeratul, striking an alliance with Aldaris and the new Praetor, Artanis, concluded that the Protoss must retreat to the Dark Templar homeworld of Shakuras through the last remaining Warp Gate, abandoning Aiur. Aldaris reluctantly agreed, after Zeratul convinced him that the Dark Templar would be more welcoming of him than the Conclave would have welcomed the Dark Templar. Zeratul personally led the refugees to the Warp Gate, where Fenix and Jim Raynor, was awaiting. They stayed behind to protect the refugees.

Unlikely Ally
The Zerg followed the Protoss through the Warp Gate to Shakuras. Zeratul eventually met with the Matriarch Raszagal and informed her of the fall of Aiur. Both Raszagal and Aldaris agreed that the Zerg were a great threat to Shakuras, and Raszagal proposed a solution; activate the Xel'Naga Temple which could scour the Zerg from Shakuras. However, activating it required using the lost twin crystals, the Uraj (laced with Templar energies), and the Khalis (which used Dark Templar energies). First, she required that the Zerg, especially their two Cerebrates, be removed from the grounds of the Temple.

Following the deaths of the two Cerebrates at the hands of the Dark Templar, Infested Kerrigan made an appearance, saying she had information to deliver. Zeratul and Aldaris were not trusting of her, but Raszagal wished to speak with Kerrigan at her Citadel.

Kerrigan told the Protoss that a new Overmind was growing on Char, created from the merging of a number of Cerebrates. Zeratul found this hard to believe, and in any event his first priority was protecting Shakuras. Kerrigan offered to help him in this task. Meanwhile, Aldaris had stormed out the meeting because Raszagal was willing to listen to Kerrigan. Raszagal insisted the former enemies worked together. She told them to find the Uraj crystal on the world of Braxis, and "let nothing stop you from recovering it."

Kerrigan personally assisted in the mission on Braxis, an icy world recently settled by the Terran Dominion; the crystal was recovered.

When the Protoss tried to leave Braxis, however, they met a surprise: the United Earth Directorate. Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov had constructed a series of Missile Turrets on a space platform over Braxis, which would prevent the Protoss from escaping. Stukov demanded the surrender of the Protoss.

Zeratul wondered why these Terrans had come all the way from Earth; Artanis thought Zeratul had no reason to fear them. Zeratul counseled Artanis on this attitude.

Artanis, incensed at Stukov's attitude, personally lead the Protoss forces against the UED from his Scout. However, his assault bogged down as the UED defended the fusion reactors which powered the Missile Turrets, with Zeratul dispatching reinforcements when necessary. With this aid, Artanis destroyed the fusion reactors, shutting down the Missile Turrets, and allowing the escape of the Protoss.

The next destination was Char, where Zeratul had felt the emanations of the powerful Khalis crystal during his previous adventures there. Unfortunately, the new Overmind had nestled quite close to it. Kerrigan suggested snatching the crystal, while Artanis preferred doing enough subdual damage to the Overmind in order to pacify its minions. Zeratul complimented Artanis on his plan.

The Protoss descended on the world, and, after Kerrigan granted them assistance by taking control of a Zerg Hive cluster, retrived the crystal.

Upon his return, Zeratul found Shakuras in a state of uproar. The Judicator, Aldaris, had taken control of the Judicator and Templar refugees, and led them in an attack against Raszagal herself.

Raszagal claimed they were being driven by their old prejudices, and ordered Zeratul and Artanis to terminate Aldaris. She would tolerate no dissent while the Zerg were poised to strike.

Zeratul felt that something was wrong. Raszagal had always been a gentle soul, he told Artanis. Still, he followed her orders.

Aldaris' forces were defeated, and Zeratul and Artanis closed in on him. They tried to convince him to return to the fold. However, Aldaris revealed that someone was manipulating Raszagal... but Kerrigan arrived and killed him before he could say more. For this act, Kerrigan was ordered to leave the planet. Kerrigan boasted that she had manipulated the Protoss into killing her enemies, the Cerebrates of the new Overmind, and told them she would see them "real soon".

Raszagal assured him that, now that Kerrigan had left, she was back to herself.

Fury of the Xel'Naga
The final assault was made against the Zerg on Shakuras. While the main forces would surround and protect the Temple, Zeratul would personally bring the Khalis crystal inside it, while Artanis would bring the Uraj. The Protoss successfully defended the Temple from the Zerg as it "powered up".

The Temple was activated, destroying the Zerg invaders.

Dark Vengeance

 * Main article: Enslavers: Dark Vegeance

Following the scouring of the Zerg from Shakuras and the destruction of the Warp Gate on Aiur, Zeratul took part in a conflict with the Fist of Ulrezaj, a Dark Templar terrorist movement devoted to the destruction of the Templar Caste.

Zeratul planned to retrieve a number of fallen heroes stranded on Aiur. The warriors had been stored in a trio of Stasis Cells which were now surrounded by renegade Zerg broods. Zeratul's forces cut through to the Stasis Cells, but when they did so a quartet of Dark Templar appeared, destroying two of the Stasis Cells and cursing the high-born Templar before they were arrested. The remaining hero, Eredas, was rescued.

At Shakuras, Zeratul and a Tribunal deliberated on the fate of Ulrezaj and the other three captured Dark Templar. Zeratul called Ulrezaj a traitor to his race for murdering the warriors, and was angry at him for clinging to his old hatreds. Ulrezaj and his warriors were sentenced to death. However, a mysterious Terran force attacked the Protoss, interrupting the conversation.

The Terrans freed Ulrezaj and his companions from the Stasis Cells being used to imprison them, and during the confusion of the battle they were able to steal a Khaydarin Crystal.

Zeratul's forces pursued the stolen crystal, tracking its signature to Korhal. It was guarded by a number of Zerg, who were working with renegade Terrans. Zeratul was surprised by this development, and after being told that the Terrans may be using the crystal to control Zerg, ordered it retrieved. The crystal was successfully retrived, only to reveal a shocking development; it wasn't the stolen crystal. Instead, it was a "dark copy" made from a fusion of Dark Templar and Zerg energies.

Five strange copies were tracked to Char, where they were being used to control several Zerg Hive clusters. Zeratul wanted to destroy the crystals, and stated that only a Dark Archon was capable of this. A small force of heroes, including a Dark Archon, were inserted onto Char while Zeratul's main forces distracted the enemy. Zeratul believed he could only keep the enemy away from an hour. The five crystals were destroyed.

Meanwhile, Ulrezaj and his Terran minion, Alan Schezar, had hatched a second plot. They created a powerful EMP Generator, placing it on a space platform over Shakuras. The Generator weakened the shields and energies of Shakuras' troops. Zeratul asked Ulrezaj to give up his hatred of the Protoss of Aiur, stating that he had learned to fight alongside them, but Ulrezaj replied that the wounds could never truly heal.

Zeratul ordered his forces to destroy Schezar's Scavengers and the Fist of Ulrezaj forces. Slaying Alan Schezar caused his forces to surrender. Zeratul's forces were victorious, destroying the Generator and defeating the Fist of Ulrezaj.

Kerrigan's Betrayal
Infested Kerrigan wasn't done with the Protoss yet. Her forces, led by Infested Duran, invaded Shakuras and kidnapped Matriarch Raszagal from the well-fortified city of Talematros (and destroying it in the process). This drew an immediate reaction from Zeratul, who appeared at Char in an "unidentified" Carrier.

Zeratul demanded an explanation from Kerrigan. She replied that she wasn't really interested in Raszagal, but in him and his brethren. She intended to use Raszagal as leverage; if Zeratul's Dark Templar slew the second Overmind, she would "allow" the Matriarch to return to him.

Zeratul didn't trust her, but Raszagal convinced him to work with Kerrigan, stating that the Overmind was their common enemy.

Kerrigan's forces launched a joint attack with the Dark Templar against the second Overmind, which was protected by its Zerg minions and the United Earth Directorate forces which had taken control of it. The Zerg/Protoss "alliance" was successful; Zeratul personally slew the Overmind, then demanded the return of the Matriarch. However, Raszagal refused to return. Zeratul's forces whisked the Matriarch away, infuriating Kerrigan.

Zeratul placed her in a Stasis Cell as he awaited dimensional recall, which took at least half an hour. However, this was enough time for Kerrigan to defeat his forces, but forced her to place the majority of her forces on the surface of Char, and away from the space platforms (her first line of defense).

In anguish, Zeratul broke the Stasis Cell and killed the Matriach. With her dying thoughts, Matriach Raszagal made Zeratul the leader of her people. Nonetheless, Zeratul felt incredibly guilty, and Kerrigan derived sadistic pleasure by allowing him to live with this guilt - the experience somehow "messed him up".

Dark Origin

 * Main article: Dark Origin

Zeratul fled with his small warband, since Kerrigan's attacks scattered most of his troops. He tried to find Artanis or other Protoss warriors but failed. Instead, he located a dark moon with Protoss energy signatures.

On the moon he fought Terran mercenaries and rescued several Protoss prisoners, including an Archon. He also discovered experiments performed on Zerg for the creation of a Zerg/Protoss Hybrid. He was even more surprised when Samir Duran revealed himself as the mastermind of this Grand Experiment, despite his former status as a member of the Zerg Swarm.

Duran told Zeratul that Kerrigan was not in charge of his experiment, "although her rebirth into the Zerg Swarm has sped up my progress." Duran also told him that he was "a servant of a far greater power". Zeratul felt the Hybrid was a great threat, and Duran agreed, saying "this creature is the completion of a cycle. It's role in the cosmic order was preordained when the stars were young. Behold the culmination of your history." Its coming would "change the universe ... forever."

Zeratul attacked the Hybrid, a natural reaction, considering its status in his eyes as an abomination.

Zeratul left the dark moon, troubled and unable to tell the other Protoss what he had experienced. He returned to Shakuras, made his farewells to Jim Raynor then departed.

The Dark Templar Saga
Zeratul is set to appear in the Dark Templar Saga.

Zeratul in StarCraft II
Zeratul has made a few appearances in official artwork and trailers for StarCraft II. In one of the most dramatic trailer scenes, Zeratul is shown fighting a mysterious creature, believed by many to be Infested Kerrigan or a Hybrid, in hand-to-hand combat. Neither of the combatants appear to be using weapons. The battle takes place against a background which resembles Char. The creature's foot resembles Kerrigan's foot in Blizzard concept art. Four years after killing Raszagal, which seems to have "messed him up", Zeratul has gone through the stars in his spaceship, looking for clues to try to confirm the "cosmic event" that Samir Duran told him about. He does find these clues and gets a vision of what's coming; these clues relate to the Xel'Naga.

Zeratul appears on the Hyperion, command ship of Raynor's Raiders, where he tells Jim Raynor that the Xel'Naga will return and that the artifacts Raynor has acquired hold the key to the end of the cycle. He appears to be in poor health, collapsing to his knees in front of Raynor.

Quotes

 * "Well spoken, Concubine of the Zerg. But though we strike at you from the shadows, do not think that we lack the courage to stand in the light. You would do well to abandon this attack." (Zeratul to Infested Kerrigan in Eye for an Eye.)
 * "You speak of knowledge, Judicator? You speak of experience? I have journeyed through the darkness between the most distant stars. I have beheld the births of negative-suns and borne witness to the entropy of entire realities... Unto my experience, Aldaris, all that you've built here on Aiur is but a fleeting dream. A dream from which your precious Conclave shall awaken, finding themselves drowned in a greater nightmare." (Zeratul verbally spars with Aldaris at The Trial of Tassadar.)