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"Warning. Unidentified zerg organism detected inbound. Largest on record."

- An adjutant after detecting a leviathan(src)

LeviathanBattlecruiser SC2-HotS Art1

A leviathan

The leviathan is a massive airborne zerg breed.

Overview[]

CharLeviathanDropship SC2-HotS Story1

A leviathan above Char

Leviathans are the zerg's equivalent of a capital ship.[1] They are classified as class-10 zerg flyers and are the largest in terran records,[2] even larger than a mothership,[1] though dwarfed by an arkship,[3] and have been referred to as "moon sized."[4] Measurements taken by the Terran Dominion have placed the leviathan at being around 11 kilometers long.[1][5] Leviathans possess interior evolution chambers,[6] can store tens of thousands of zerg strains within their interior chambers,[7] and are capable of deep-space travel and can land on planets. They can operate in temperature conditions of near absolute zero[6] and are capable of traveling through warp space.[8] Sacs may be dropped from leviathans.[9] Because of the sheer size, wraith sensors are unable to penetrate deep enough to see the leviathans' interior spaces. The internal tunnels of the leviathan have no illumination, though many of the chambers themselves have light.[7]

Leviathan SC-FM Art1

Leviathan schematics

Leviathans are typically armed with a daunting array of bio-weapons. Giant, hollow tentacles resembling those of the spine crawler can grab smaller craft or puncture the hulls of larger ships and insert zerg boarding parties. Most leviathans can launch bile swarms at their enemies, and unleash powerful bio-plasmid charges that deal devastating damage to their targets. Furthermore, cocoons birthed within the leviathan are capable of mutating into mutalisks and brood lords.[1]

Leviathans rarely, if ever, travel alone.[7]

History[]

Leviathan SC2-LotV-R Cine1

Leviathans during the fall of Aiur

Leviathans were once space-borne creatures before being infested by the zerg, turning them into armored carriers.[7] They were used by the Swarm in war as early as the fall of Aiur,[10][11] and at least one was present at Char in the Second Great War.[2][12] During the Battle of Char, zerg broods in leviathans were on their way to the planet when Kerrigan was de-infested. These broods were then scattered or destroyed. Upon her return to the Swarm, Kerrigan's new base of operations was a leviathan. It would fly to different planets and land on them at her direction.[6]

SpearOfAdunUlnar Game1

Leviathans alongside terran and protoss ships

During the Swarm invasion of Korhal, Emperor Arcturus Mengsk ordered any and all Dominion troops from across the Koprulu sector to return to the capital world. A number of leviathans under the command of Broodmother Kilysa formed a blockade to prevent the Dominion Fleet from entering the system.[13] Leviathans were used by Kerrigan when the Zerg Swarm entered the Void through Ulnar in the last stages of the End War.[3]

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Feral leviathans

Years later, feral leviathans were lured to Tyrador IX via psi-emitters from the Defenders of Man.[14] By 2511, leviathans continued to be a core part of the Zerg Swarm's stellar arsenal.[7]

Game Unit[]

The leviathan is a special zerg unit in Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm.

Wings of Liberty[]

Leviathans create airborne eggs and cocoons to spawn mutalisks and brood lords, respectively. It attacks with the four spine crawlers on its underbelly and bile swarm projectiles, and launches scourges and bioplasmid globes dealing 500 damage. It may also put enemy units and buildings in biostasis, stunning them temporarily.[2][12] It may be confronted by the player in the mission "Shatter the Sky"[2] or later in "All In,"[12] depending on decisions made beforehand. When it dies, it loses its coloration before it explodes.[2][12]

The best way to bring down leviathans is by massing marines and/or vikings.

Upgrades and Abilities[]

Despite not having a detector passive icon, the leviathan is able to detect cloaked or burrowed units.

Explode SC2 Icon1
Bio-Plasmid Discharge

Fires a Bio-Plasmid Discharge at a single target unit, dealing 500 damage.

Usage
Hotkey B
Cost 125 (WoL)
50 (HotS) Energy
Cooldown 6 (WoL)
10 (HotS) seconds
ve
Corruption SC2 Icon1
Bio-Stasis

Takes affected units out of combat and places them in Bio-Stasis, stunning them for 5 seconds. Heroic units and structures are immune.

Usage
Hotkey T
Cost 125 (WoL)
50 (HotS) Energy
Cooldown 20 (WoL)
10 (HotS) seconds
ve
MutaliskSpawn SC2 Icon1
Spawn Mutalisk

Releases a small aerial "cocoon" which shortly spawns a mutalisk.

ve
BroodLordMorph SC2 Icon1
Spawn Brood Lord

Releases a small aerial "cocoon" which shortly spawns a brood lord.

ve

Heart of the Swarm[]

Main article: Kerrigan's leviathan

In Heart of the Swarm, once Kerrigan has reached level 60 she can summon leviathans to the field, one at a time. These leviathans are smaller and do not spawn brood lords, scourges or mutalisks. They also only have 1000 hit points and last 4 minutes. Kerrigan has to wait 5 minutes before she can summon another one (4 minutes with ability efficiency). Notably, the leviathan can still attack while moving and attack both ground and air targets at the same time.

Upgrades and Abilities[]

Despite not having a detector passive icon, the leviathan is able to detect cloaked or burrowed units.

Explode SC2 Icon1
Bio-Plasmid Discharge

Fires a Bio-Plasmid Discharge at a single target unit, dealing 500 damage.

Usage
Hotkey B
Cost 125 (WoL)
50 (HotS) Energy
Cooldown 6 (WoL)
10 (HotS) seconds
ve
Corruption SC2 Icon1
Bio-Stasis

Takes affected units out of combat and places them in Bio-Stasis, stunning them for 5 seconds. Heroic units and structures are immune.

Usage
Hotkey T
Cost 125 (WoL)
50 (HotS) Energy
Cooldown 20 (WoL)
10 (HotS) seconds
ve

Co-op Missions[]

Leviathans can be spawned by Abathur in the Co-op Missions mode of Legacy of the Void. Leviathans are used by Amon's forces on higher difficulties, with one Leviathan guarding the final set of void shards on "Rifts to Korhal" and multiple Leviathans escorting the final shuttle wave on "Void Launch".

Upgrades and Abilities[]

SC2 Abathur AC - UltimateEvolution
Ultimate Evolution

Unlocks the ability for ground units with 100 stacks of Biomass to evolve into Brutalisks. Air units with 100 stacks of Biomass evolve into Leviathans.

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Abathur level 2.
ve
SC2 Abathur AC - Symbiote
Symbiote

Brutalisks and Leviathans gain Symbiotes that follow them, attacking enemies and protecting their host with the Carapace ability.

Usage
Notes

Damage: 20
Mastery: +0.66 attack damage per Symbiote Ability Improvement mastery point. Up to a maximum 40 attack damage
Cooldown: 1
Range: 6
Carapace ability: when the Ultimate Evolution is taking damage, Symbiotes create a Carapace that can absorb 200 damage.
Mastery: +6.66 absorbed damage per Symbiote Ability Improvement mastery point. Up to a maximum of 400 absorbed damage
Carapace duration: 8seconds
Carapace cooldown: 20seconds

Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Reach Abathur level 10.
ve
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Zerg Flyer Attacks

Increases the attack damage of zerg air units

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spire/Greater spire
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Mastery: -3.2seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 64seconds
Effect Damage vs Ground: 22
Damage vs Air: 10 (+7 vs Massive)
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Mastery: -3.8seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 76seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Damage vs Ground: 24
Damage vs Air: 11 (+8 vs Massive)
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Mastery: -4.4seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 88seconds
Required Hive
Effect Damage vs Ground: 26
Damage vs Air: 12 (+9 vs Massive)
ve
SC2 ZergAirCara
Zerg Flyer Carapace

Increases the armor of zerg air units.

Usage
Passive
Campaign Acquisition
Unlock Initially available.
Acquisition
Purchased from Spire/Greater spire
Hotkey M
Level 1
Cost 100 Minerals 100 Vespene gas 160seconds
Mastery: -3.2seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 64seconds
Effect Armor: 3
Level 2
Cost 175 Minerals 175 Vespene gas 190seconds
Mastery: -3.8seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 76seconds
Required Lair/Hive
Effect Armor: 4
Level 3
Cost 250 Minerals 250 Vespene gas 220seconds
Mastery: -4.4seconds per Structure Morph and Evolution Rate mastery point. Down to a maximum 88seconds
Required Hive
Effect Armor: 5
ve

Other Appearances[]

Leviathan Heroes Art1

An undead leviathan

The leviathan is the level 2 boss for the Lost Viking arcade game in Hyperion's cantina. Its attacks include time-delayed explosive globules and four tentacles.[15]

Artwork of an undead leviathan appeared in the Heroes of the Storm CraftWars event.[16]

Notes[]

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Concept art

  • The Leviathan is a large creature in the Bible (e.g. Job 3:18; 41:1). BDB translates leviathan as serpent or dragon. In Isaiah and the Psalms, "leviathan" can represent Egypt, the traditional nemesis of Israel. In Modern Hebrew, it simply means "Whale."
  • The unit description states that the leviathan spawns scourges and mutalisks; however, the game unit spawns mutalisks and brood lords instead.
  • Early on in StarCraft II's development, the leviathan was intended to be the design for the behemoth, the established zerg supercarrier strain. However, early on the team decided to pivot to the name "leviathan" in order to have a more thematically named zerg unit.[19]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Barba, Rick. StarCraft Field Manual (hardcover). Insight Editions, November 17, 2015.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, Shatter the Sky (in English). 2010-07-27.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: An Unexpected Meeting. (in English). 2015.
  4. Heart of the Swarm Index, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2012-12-03
  5. 2023-06-08, Robert Rose - Discord Questions. Imgur.com. Accessed on 2022-12-19.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2011-05-30. May 2011 HoTS Gameplay Info. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2011-05-31.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Zahn, Timothy (November 8, 2016). StarCraft: Evolution. Del Rey Books. ISBN 0425284735.
  8. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Heart of the Swarm, Conviction (in English). 2013-03-12.
  9. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Cinematic: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm opening (in English). 2013-03-12.
  10. 10.0 10.1 Kindregan, Brian T. "Mothership." (January 15, 2010). Blizzard Entertainment. Mothership Accessed 2010-01-15.
  11. 2015-9-25, StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void - Reclamation. Battle.net, accessed on 2015-9-25
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Wings of Liberty, All-In (air version) (in English). 2010-07-27.
  13. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Conversations before Planetfall. (in English). 2013-03-12.
  14. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Trouble in Paradise (in English). 2016-08-02.
  15. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Lost Viking (in English). 2010.
  16. 2020-08-31, Heroes of the Storm is teasing new Warcraft, Starcraft crossover content. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2020-09-05
  17. Blizzard Entertainment. 2013-01-15. StarCraft II Creative Development Q&A - Part 12. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2013-01-15.
  18. (September 25, 2015) Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void: Reclamation lore video (in English).
  19. 2022-12-19, Phill Gonzales - Discord Questions. Imgur.com. Accessed on 2022-12-19
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