High templar

High templar are protoss warriors that use powerful psionic powers to support other protoss forces.

Overview
High templar are veteran Templar who forgo the rage and traditional forms of combat common to zealots in order to better develop their psionic powers into potent tools and weapons through the Khala. Although they are equipped with light armor suits and sometimes through them, psionic blades, this is not their standard form of attack.

High Templar use the archives to directly commune with their ancient ancestors and thereby gain knowledge inaccessible to ordinary warriors. They may also wear amulets carved from khaydarin crystals to improve their connection with the Khala and thus channel their psionic abilities with greater efficiency.

Those treading the path of the Khala are taught to close their minds to the outside world. For powerful psychics like the protoss this may produce psychic ripples that are harmful to other life forms. High templar are trained to focus these ripples into terrible storms of psychic energy that destroy the minds of other living creatures.

A more subtle power is the ability for high templar to create illusory duplicates of other objects. While these phantoms have no substance and cannot affect the material world, they are useful to confuse and divert the attention of the protoss' enemies.

At one time, high templar merged with another high templar to form an archon, thus sacrificing themselves to complete the Warrior Path and attain legendary status within the archives. After the Brood War, high templar could do by sacrificing themselves, merging with another high templar, or with a Dark Templar.

Another change brought on by the Brood War was the role of high templar politically. Previously, political decisions had been left to the Judicator Caste. With the destruction of the Conclave however and the disbanding of the Judicator, high templar have been able to take on the role of teachers and leaders of their people.

StarCraft
High templar are support units with powerful abilities. They are not particularly durable and do not have an attack, not to mention their slow movement. Although high templar hover, they still activate spider mines.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft I High Templar Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost
The high templar was set to appear in StarCraft: Ghost. It had the ability to summon reinforcements.

StarCraft II
The high templar in StarCraft II is very similar to the unit from the original StarCraft. Like the previous version of the high templar, it does not have an attack.

Development
The high templar seems to have lost its Phase ability in May 2009.

Famous High Templar

 * Adun
 * Aldaris (actually a Judicator)
 * Artanis (portrayed as a Scout)
 * Tassadar

Other High Templar

 * Blackman (presumed alias, actually a Judicator)
 * Garius
 * Heiberg the Heretic (mercenary leader)
 * High Templar Hero
 * Ketalis
 * Koronis
 * Mess'Ta
 * Muadun
 * Naganis
 * Oong (possibly non-canon)
 * Rassidan