Zealot

"My life for Aiur!"

- Protoss Zealot

Zealots are the basic protoss infantry units.

Overview
Zealots are lower-ranked Templar who have yet to reach the upper levels of the Khala. Each zealot is trained for decades in hand-to-hand combat, tactics, pain tolerance and martial discipline. Zealots are taught to hate their enemies with a white hot passion and to hunt them down without mercy. Through the path of the Khala, zealots learn to hone their innate battle rage to a fine edge, though can invoke a near-berserker rage when in battle.

All protoss have a degree of psionic power, the zealots using theirs exclusively on the art of war. Using a limited form of precognition, zealots can predict enemy movements, striking with deadly accuracy and dodging attacks. After the Brood War, some zealots developed the ability to turn their body into pure energy for a few microseconds. This allows them to move at lightning-fast speeds and strike suddenly against an enemy that thinks they are out of range. Seething with shame at the loss of Aiur, the zealots have dedicated themselves to more intense physical training as well. This includes duels at the end of their training.

In battle, zealots wield psionic blades channelled through forearm units in their power suits. Augmented by cybernetic implants, zealots also use their psionic powers to surround themselves with a plasma shield.

A severely injured zealot may be transported off the battlefield upon the moment of defeat, in order to be transformed into a dragoon or an immortal.

StarCraft
In StarCraft I, zealots are the most powerful of the basic starting units and are correspondingly more expensive. Being modestly outnumbered by marines or zerglings is not a major cause for concern given the quality of the zealot. Their high hit points and excellent base ground attack with normal-type damage ensure that they are useful until late in the game, and they are arguably the best breakthrough unit due to their cost and lack of need for micromanagement compared to the unwieldy archons. Zealots are one of the few small units that can withstand punishment from terran bunker-and-siege tank defenses due to their high hit points and fast speed (only if the Leg Enhancements are upgraded). Zealots are virtually effective against all sorts of land units especially when supported by dragoons, high templar and air units. They are also capable of destroying structures very quickly. Effective counters to back down zealot-only groups are firebats, mass hydralisks, reavers and any air unit capable of attacking ground forces.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft I Zealot Quotations

StarCraft: Ghost
Zealots appear as enemies to Nova in StarCraft: Ghost. They appear identical to their portrayal in StarCraft.

StarCraft II
In StarCraft II, the role of the zealot in a protoss force is much the same as before, acting as a first tier unit.

Quotations

 * See: StarCraft Quotations

Known Zealots

 * Akam
 * Argus
 * Bratalix
 * Edullon
 * Fenix (later transplanted into a dragoon)
 * Golarath
 * Khastiana (later transplanted into an immortal)
 * Minos the Malevolent (mercenary leader)
 * Ruom (later became infested)
 * Thuras
 * Zyrkhan (mercenary leader)