Ghost


 * This article is about the game unit. For ghost training, see Ghost Program.

"You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind."

- Terran ghost

Ghosts are feared terran covert operatives. They are known for their skill, psionic powers and ability to cloak.

In StarCraft I and Brood War, ghosts were voiced by Allen Adham.

Overview
Ghosts were chosen from psychically-gifted individuals who were quarantined by the Terran Confederacy and trained from infancy to channel their psionic energies to augment their natural physical strength and endurance. Conscripts who successfully completed the Ghost Program's rigorous training and augmentations then served as commandos and assassins.

Ghosts are trained in target shooting, close-quarters combat (martial arts and possibly other techniques) and vehicular expertise. Ghosts are also trained to move quickly and are desensitized to combat; an example would be Sarah Kerrigan's training, who had a gun placed to her head by a guard and was ordered to kill the guard before he killed her. Kerrigan was subjected to this training at age twelve.

Ghosts were frequently tasked to locate targets for and provide targeting for tactical nuclear strikes. Their reconnaissance role was aided by cybernetic enhancements to their eyes.

Controls
Standard Confederate practice was to implant psychic dampeners into all ghosts to weaken and reshape their memories and as a safeguard, acting on the principle of neural resocialization; however these implants could be disabled.

Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Confederacy instituted a policy of memory wipes.

Designation
For the most part, ghosts are simply numbers or names. Under the Confederacy, all ghosts, regardless of whether they "graduated" or not, were assigned a standard number or agent number (an alpha-numeric code). The Dominion has retained this system, though has included the use of codenames.

Few ghosts under the program have any memories of their former lives or even their names, especially after memory wipes became SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

All ghosts possess a personal file, though the contents are restricted.

Psionic Powers
Ghosts have the ability to read minds but generally do not have the ability to block thoughts; ghosts find each other very easy to read. Ghosts and weaker psychics can detect other sources of psionic power.

Ghosts channeled their psionic energies through their Hostile Environment Suit, a specialized skinsuit laced with psi-sensitive artificial muscle fiber, to augment their physical capabilities. A cloaking device and requisite power supply were frequently issued as well; the device requires psionic energy as a component.

Some ghosts have demonstrated a wider variety of powers. For instance, Sarah Kerrigan and Nova have demonstrated the ability to damage opponents' brains to the point of death. Nova can even kill multiple opponents while leaving someone in the midst of the attack unharmed.

Devon Starke has demonstrated the ability to project his thoughts, as well as remote viewing and psychometry. He and some other ghosts have also demonstrated the ability to plant suicidal and homicidal urges into an opponent's mind.

The Next Generation
Following the defection of Sarah Kerrigan, the Terran Confederacy instituted new controls on its ghosts. For instance, instead of relying on psychic dampeners, which could be disabled, the memory wipe technique was implemented.

Following the Fall of Tarsonis, the Terran Dominion also instituted changes.

In addition to their previous abilities, ghosts were trained to combine psionics and technology to do things such as see through objects with heat vision. The powerful ghost Nova can use her Hostile Encounter Suit and psionic powers to greatly increase her speed and reflexes.

Ghosts also began using protoss-derived technology such as the psyblade.

Spectres

 * Main articles: Project Shadow Blade, Spectres

After the Brood War some ghosts were exposed to terrazine gas, a substance known to drive genetic mutation in psychics. This was part of General Horace Warfield's Project Shadow Blade. The result were "enhanced" ghosts known as spectres.

Technology
At the fall of the Confederacy, the standard ghost armament was the C-10 rifle, firing 25mm HE rounds in addition to more specialized ordnance such as lockdown missiles.

All ghosts are given a Hostile Environment Suit. Their standard arsenal is quite extensive;

StarCraft I era

 * C-10 rifle and Lockdown missile launcher

Cybernetic Eyes
Ghosts are frequently augmented with cybernetic surgery, especially their eyes. These ocular implants them to see objects much further than a regular human could.

StarCraft: Ghost era

 * AGR-14 rifle
 * BOSUN FN92 Sniper Rifle
 * E-11 Lockdown Device

StarCraft
The ghost is a support unit. Its attack and vitality are unremarkable for its cost. Its weapon deals Concussive damage, which makes it ineffective against large units (e.g Siege Tanks and Ultralisks) unless massed, which is usually unfeasible due to its high tech position, cost and build time.

The ghost is best used with its abilities, listed below.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft I Ghost Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost
The player-character in the game was a ghost named Nova. Ghosts were also a playable 'class' in multiplayer.

In the Invasion Mode, ghosts were the most expensive terran class, costing five points.

Psionic powers

 * Cloak
 * Psionic sight
 * Allows the ghost to see through walls and spot weak points in armor and security features.

Weapons

 * AGR-14 Assault Rifle
 * BOSUN FN92 Sniper Rifle
 * E-11 Lockdown Device
 * Psyblade
 * BE-3 Sticky Grenades
 * E-16 Lockdown Grenades
 * Tactical Nuclear Launchers

Calldowns

 * Arclite
 * EMP burst
 * Identify
 * Irradiate
 * Nuclear Strike
 * Yamato Cannon

StarCraft II
Ghosts gain some new abilities suiting their role as special forces troopers. They also have a higher rate of fire. Blizzard Entertainment is planning on giving them lore-based abilities from novels, graphic novels and a previous project.

Ghosts are trained at a barracks with an attached tech lab and require a ghost academy. Ghosts may be available earlier in tech tree, but abilities like Cloaking would only be available afterwards.

Major Ghost Characters

 * Atticus Carpenter (merged with Cerebrate Auza)
 * Samir Duran (exact species disputed)
 * Sarah Kerrigan (Ghost No. 24, now an infested terran)
 * Nova (Agent 12-862)
 * Gabriel Tosh (presumed)
 * United Earth Directorate Vice Admiral Alexei Stukov

Other Ghosts

 * Agent X81505M
 * Elite Guard (ghost unit)
 * Ghost No. 24506
 * Ghost No. 24718
 * MacGregor Golding
 * Johnny Raynor (possible)
 * The Shroud (ghost unit)
 * Space Pirates
 * Manic
 * Twitch
 * Devon Starke (Ghost #25876).
 * "Unholy" Tara (leader of the mercenary group "Unholy" Tara's Stalkers)
 * Kare Vaessen (a ghost of the Alliance)
 * Jenn the Vivacious (leader of a mercenary group known for using the Skullder Unit 004)
 * Welke (a member of Hale's Commandos)