Cerebrate

"Awaken my child, and embrace the glory that is your birthright. Know that I am the Overmind; the eternal will of the Swarm, and that you have been created to serve me."

- The Overmind

Cerebrates were zerg brood leaders. They were originally created by the Overmind as intermediate commanders but were removed from the Swarm's power structure by the Queen of Blades.

Role in the Swarm
"The Overmind controls its minions through agents called Cerebrates. Strike down the Cerebrates, and the Swarms will surely fall."

- Tassadar briefs Executor Artanis

Cerebrates were descended from the original zerg parasites of Zerus that existed before the coming of the xel'naga, albeit being much larger and endowed with much greater intelligence. Upon their creation by the Overmind each cerebrate and the brood it led was given a specific role which in turn shaped the cerebrate's rudimentary personality. Cerebrates further expanded the zerg hierarchy and came to rely on queens to oversee hive activity and overlords to relay commands to and directly control the brood's minions. While the rigid hierarchy ensured efficiency the permanent death of a cerebrate could induce a complete reversal. Broods that lost their cerebrate frequently became uncontrollably destructive. Cerebrates also oversaw the evolution of the Swarm.

Externally, cerebrates appeared as giant, bloated slug-larvae with numerous purple limbs protruding from the sides. This was merely their external form, and the true form of a cerebrate (a ball of yellow light with extruding tentacles) would only be revealed once the carapace had been destroyed. That being said, the flesh could be regenerated as long as the Overmind willed it, bar abilities that nullified such an ability.

Not long before the Great War, the Overmind began to rely on its cerebrates to a greater extent than it had done previously. They were, at this point, distinct beings, within a unified hive species.

Psionic Powers
Cerebrates were often (perhaps always) powerful psychics, but these powers are usually limited to a specific area. For instance, one cerebrate may be able to create and reincarnate the powerful Torrasque, while another may be able to fill its structures with vital energy. Cerebrates possessed detection abilities similar to those of overlords.

As with the rest of the zerg, cerebrates communicated telepathically, albeit in a manner quite different to terrans or protoss.

Reincarnation
"If ever your flesh should fail, that flesh shall be made anew. That is my covenant with all Cerebrates."

- The Overmind to a young cerebrate

One trait that all cerebrates shared was that of reincarnation. While the Overmind was alive, it could reincarnate a cerebrate through the use of cosmic energy. Slaying a cerebrate with this type of energy prevented reincarnation. Zasz, cerebrate of the Garm Brood, was permanently killed in this way by Dark Prelate Zeratul. This created a brief mental link between Zeratul and the Overmind; Zeratul learned of the Overmind's connection with the xel'naga and its plans for the protoss race, while the Overmind learned the location of Aiur. The Overmind went into silence following this, and did not recover until the zerg eradicated the Garm Brood. Later, the protoss killed other cerebrates in deliberate attempts to "distract" the Overmind.

The psi disrupter possibly inhibited reincarnation.

Although their link with the Overmind granted them virtual invulnerability, it was not without its weaknesses. Cerebrates were not designed to exist without the Overmind, and were unable to sustain themselves for long after its death – a vulnerability which drove them to create a new one following the first Overmind's death.

Fate of the Cerebrates
"You dare threaten a Cerebrate? You will be the doom of us all!"

- Zasz to Sarah Kerrigan.

Following the death of the Overmind at the end of the Great War, Daggoth orchestrated the creation of a new Overmind from the fusion of a number of cerebrates. The Renegade Swarm controlled most of the zerg in opposition to Kerrigan. This set the stage for the Brood War.

In this conflict, Kerrigan emerged triumphant, albeit through manipulation of those capable of slaying cerebrates. Those on Shakuras were destroyed as the result of an alliance between her and the protoss settling on that world. The UED Expeditionary Force, while utilizing a psi disrupter, slew some cerebrates during their conquest of Char, the cerebrates not being resurrected during the battle. Later, during Kerrigan's reconquest of the planet, the new Overmind was slain by the Dark Templar allied with/manipulated by her. Upon the creature's death, the remaining cerebrates were killed by the Dark Templar. The lack of a controlling force was a partial explanation for their deaths.

Some cerebrates survived the Char holocaust, at least for a time. The New Swarm led by Kaloth was one such example, but its power base was destroyed by Raynor's Raiders and protoss forces. Kerrigan also retained at least one cerebrate which aided her in her infested terran project. Still, it wasn't to last. Following the Brood War, all the remaining cerebrates were hunted down and exterminated by Kerrigan's forces and to best knowledge, there are none left. Kerrigan's vision for the Swarm was quite different from that of the Overmind and she had no use or desire to use the cerebrates, not to mention the risk that they might once again try to form a new Overmind. Instead, she replaced them with other intelligent minions&mdash;an advanced infested terran, Ethan Stewart, (now deceased) as well as broodmothers.

Known Cerebrates
Some cerebrates were named, others weren't&mdash;only after extended service to the Swarm did cerebrates gain the right to a name. Possession of a name was seen as a sign of prestige.

Named

 * Araq of the Jormungand Brood
 * Auza of the Incubus Brood/Atticus Carpenter of Carpenter's Brood
 * Daggoth, "Senior Cerebrate" of the Tiamat Brood and the leader of his own Swarm
 * Gorn, of the Baelrog Brood
 * Kagg of the Surtur Brood
 * Kaloth, leader of the New Swarm
 * Nargil of the Fenris Brood
 * Zargil of the Sennith Brood
 * Zasz of the Garm Brood

Unnamed/Name Unknown

 * Unnamed cerebrate, created to achieve victory on Brontes IV
 * Unnamed cerebrate, created to watch over Sarah Kerrigan in her chrysalis
 * Unnamed cerebrate. Kerrigan seized control of the cerebrate by severing its ties to the Overmind. It acted as her lieutenant and commander for her Swarms during the Brood War.
 * Unnamed cerebrate, created to secure the Argus Stone.
 * Unnamed cerebrate, aided in the assault on Aridas, and commanded from in a cavern near the frontlines.
 * Unnamed cerebrate, which possessed xel'naga technology, and used it to control a small protoss tribe, creating in that way a Fragile Alliance.
 * An unnamed cerebrate in charge of defending fringe hive clusters on Aridas. Was removed due to its failure.
 * An unnamed cerebrate in charge of the Grendel Brood was killed by Zeratul at about the same time Gorn was permanently killed.
 * Sometime after the Fall of Tarsonis, Alan Schezar gained control of another cerebrate, but it was killed.
 * Early in the Brood War, the Dark Templar killed two cerebrates who had infested the ground of a xel'naga temple on Shakuras
 * While the psi disrupter was active, the United Earth Directorate killed three cerebrates on Char.