Sarah Kerrigan

"Doesn't take a telepath to know what you're thinking."

- Sarah Kerrigan

Sarah Louise Kerrigan was a psychic Terran female. She began her career as a Confederate Ghost and later become 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.

Kerrigan was 26 years old at the beginning of StarCraft and 27 at the beginning of the Brood War.

She is voiced by Glynnis Talken-Campbell in StarCraft and StarCraft II.

Early Life
Sarah Kerrigan was born with red hair and green eyes. Her pale skin would be supplanted by a tan over time. At eight years of age she scored highly on all phases of the psi-evaluations. Her 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.

During Ghost training, her most hated instructor was Lieutenant Rumm. Rumm attempted to break her sense of right and wrong and pursuade 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.

Secret Missions
Kerrigan was designated Ghost No. 24 following the successful completion of her training. During her service to the Confederacy she was employed to murder many of the Confederacy's enemies, including Angus Mengsk.

Kerrigan later became part of the experiment at Vyctor 5's Fujita Complex involving Zerg. It was found that Zerg naturally responded to her telepathic commands. This training may have led to the production of the psi-emitter. It was here that she was rescued by the Sons of Korhal and her neuro-adjuster surgically removed. She eventually became Arcturus Mengsk's right-hand woman.

As part of the Sons of Korhal, she was involved in a nearly suicidal attack on the Ghost Academy on Tarsonis. She found now-Major Rumm and took her rather messy revenge.

The Sons of Korhal
Kerrigan spent time 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 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.

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.

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.

New Gettysburg
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.

Kerrigan was ordered to protect the primary Zerg Hive from the Protoss. This action would prevent the Confederates from escaping. Jim Raynor, angered that she would be going down there without backup, had pleaded with her not to go to the surface, but she insisted that she had to, and Raynor wished her luck. Upon completing her mission the Terran position was overwhelmed with Zerg, and Kerrigan issued a desperate plea for extraction. General Mengsk ordered the entire Korhal fleet to disengage from the Tarsonian system, and (to Raynor's horror) left Kerrigan and her men to die on Tarsonis. This caused a rift in the Sons of Korhal, as Raynor and his men left the faction.

While on Tarsonis, the Zerg Overmind sensed Sarah Kerrigan's power, and ordered the swarms to capture her. Kerrigan was contained within a chrysalis and taken to Char, where she used her telepathic power to reach out and contact Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk.

Infested Kerrigan
"At this point I'm pretty much the Queen Bitch of the universe."

- Kerrigan describes herself at Omega Platform

Arcturus Mengsk sent General Edmund Duke of Alpha Squadron to Char in order to investigate the situation. Duke was repelled by Zerg forces.

Jim Raynor brought his Raiders to attempt to rescue Kerrigan from the Zerg. Kerrigan emerged from her cocoon as the Raiders attacked the Zerg around her.

She adopted the name "Queen of Blades." She confronted Raynor and allowed him to leave.

Shortly after hatching from her cocoon, Kerrigan revealed that the Ghost conditioning which had been inflicted on her was still hampering her psionic abilities. She wished to infiltrate a Terran Science Vessel, which held the secrets to breaking the conditioning, but Cerebrate Zasz was opposed to this action. Kerrigan disliked Zasz so much she threatened to kill him (even though such a death wouldn't be permanent). Zasz appealed to the Overmind, only to discover that Kerrigan had become it's favored servant.

Kerrigan infiltrated the Amerigo, a Dominion Science Vessel, with assistance from senior Cerebrate Daggoth, who offered her a pair of powerful Hunter Killers.

Kerrigan quickly developed her psionic abilities after discovering the secrets of the conditioning. She developed numerous abilities, including the psionic storm.

Kerrigan was now able to sense the presence of the Protoss Tassadar on Char, and ignored Zasz's warning that something was strange about this Templar. She challenged him to a duel, defeating his forces in order to get to him. It turned out to be a distraction of a "weapons test" - Tassadar's ally Zeratul believed that his Dark Templar energies would enable him to permanently slay a Zerg Cerebrate such as Zasz, and he was correct. Kerrigan showed no remorse upon the death of Zasz.

Kerrigan was later ordered to take revenge on the Dark Templar. Kerrigan destroyed the Protoss base and drove Tassadar and Zeratul into hiding. As she searched for them, the Zerg Overmind took the majority of its forces to Aiur as part of its campaign to assimilate the Protoss. Kerrigan remained on Char, where she would keep hunting down the Dark Templar rather than assist in the conquest of Aiur.

She later captured Zeratul and a number of Dark Templar in a Terran installation, which she had stolen from Alpha Squadron. However, Tassadar eventually emerged from hiding, striking an alliance with the Terrans trapped in the installation and rescuing the Dark Templar.

Ascension
The final battle on Aiur ended when the Zerg Overmind was destroyed by Tassadar which left the Zerg Swarms scattered. During this time, 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 traveled to Shakuras, the secret homeworld of the Dark Templar and took control of their Matriarch, Raszagal. The Dark Templar did not suspect that there was anything different about their leader and they didn't find Kerrigan, who was in hiding.

Shortly afterwards Zeratul, Artanis and the Protoss survivors of Aiur travelled 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.

Raszagal was not very skilled at hiding the influence Kerrigan still had on her, but she did convince the trusting Zeratul that she was not under Kerrigan's control. Zeratul and Artanis activated the Xel'Naga Temple and destroyed the Zerg on Shakuras, but by this time Kerrigan had left.

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. She had previously been involved in a relationship with Jim Raynor when both were members of the Sons of Korhal, which may have made it easy for her to manipulate them. 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 forced 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.

Kerrigan began actively fighting beside Arcturus Mengsk, Fenix and Raynor to defeat 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 fusion reactors 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.

Kerrigan managed to repel UED counterattacks on her forces on Tarsonis as she schemed for the destruction of the new Zerg 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. Then he 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
Kerrigan had killed the Overmind's Cerebrates 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.

Current Status
Infested Kerrigan appears to be the undisputed ruler of the Zerg and no longer uses Cerebrates since the death of the second Overmind; the Overmind's Cerebrates having been destroyed. However, it should be pointed out that at least one Cerebrate served her during the Brood War that she was unlikely to kill; she may have also used the services of this Cerebrate in her Infested Terran project. At least four Cerebrates survived on Braxis for a time.

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.

Infested Kerrigan has pulled back to Char, and no one has heard or seen anything from her or the Zerg Swarm in four years. The Terran Dominion fears the situation, seeing the Zerg as "too quiet". The reasons for her pulling back are unknown, but it has nothing to do with Samir Duran. During this period, the Zerg have improved and grown, and her forces have found new world to explore and exploit.

Kerrigan's latest projects include devising more intelligent Infested Terrans. The Zerg (most likely under her control) have also begun investigating terrazine gas, revealed in StarCraft: Ghost, four years after the Brood War. She still intends to carry out the original Zerg mission, although she has added revenge to her list of motives.

Kerrigan recently became aware of a strange psychic phenomenon; a human-Protoss linking, similar to the Khala, emanating near the world of Dead Man's Rock. Several hours after detecting the psionic emanation, her forces arrived, capturing at least one Terran, the crime lord Ethan Stewart.

A Call for Help
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.

Kerrigan, Agent of Prophecy
Infested Kerrigan's status as an 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."

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
After her great victory at Omega, Kerrigan was unable to shake the feeling that a great threat loomed; she felt that her victory was hollow.

Kerrigan in StarCraft II
Glynnis Talken-Campbell is set to reprise her role as Infested Kerrigan in StarCraft II.

Infested Kerrigan has made appearances in official artwork and trailers for StarCraft II; she appears walking through fire in one image and has been seen laying on the ground and showing off her new Zerg carapace. Some fans believe she was wounded or even being de-infested.

In the artwork and cinematic trailers brief images of Zeratul fighting a strange creature on Char (or a similar planet) appear, neither using any obvious weapons. Some fans believe the creature Zeratul is fighting is Kerrigan or a Hybrid; only the creature's limbs are visible during the battle.

Psionics
Sarah Kerrigan was an extremely powerful Terran psychic. At a young age, she accidentally fried her mother's brain with psionic powers and demonstrated telekinetic abilities, which means she must have a PI of 8 or higher. Her powers were reduced by Ghost conditioning and a neuro-adjuster but after the latter's removal, she was powerful enough to destroy a Terran's 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
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
Infested Kerrigan is the product of a Zerg experiment on Sarah Kerrigan. She reached maturity on the world of Char inside a cocoon. When she emerged, her stature had increased and she was armed with sharp claws, "wings" (which acted as weapons and could defend her from psi-blades) and a thick shell. She had the ability to cloak despite not wearing Ghost equipment. Unlike most Infested Terrans, Kerrigan retained her intelligence and at least some part of her personality. Kerrigan has telomeric additions to her DNA, suggesting she is potentially immortal - she will probably never die of old age. This is revealed in one of the loading screens of StarCraft: Brood War.

Kerrigan's psionic abilities had still not reached full potential due to her Ghost conditioning. The technique was so powerful it still suppressed her abilities to an extent despite the psychological changes which came with infestation. 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. Upon of the end of the Brood War, Kerrigan no longer needed Cerebrates to help her control the Zerg.

Game Unit
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.

Infested Kerrigan is represented in-game by a unique unit with similarities to an Infested Terran. However, instead of exploding, she is equipped with eight "tentacles" sprouting off her back, giving her powerful melee attacks (50 damage). She can also ensnare opponents (like a Zerg Queen), can cloak without Ghost technology and can even consume other Zerg (like a Defiler) to use their biological energy to increase her energy bar. She later gains the Psionic Storm ability. However, she lost her former ranged attack.

Quotes

 * (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 the UED 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."