History Characters / StarcraftUnits

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The units of ''Franchise/{{StarCraft}}'' and ''Brood War''. Click [[Characters/{{StarCraft}} here]] to return to the main index or [[Characters/StarCraftIIUnits here]] to see the units from the sequel game.

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Terrans]]
!![=SCV=]
[[quoteright:275:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_SCV_3981.png]]
-->''"[=SCV=] good to go, Sir!"''

The workhorse of the Terrans, they're used to gather resources and construct buildings, as well as repairing damaged structures and mechanical units.

* ActionSurvivor: They're not designed for combat, but can still protect themselves despite their weak attack. They're notably the most durable of the worker units, 60 HP in the original game and 45 in the sequel to 40 HP Drones and 20/20 HP and Shield Probes. As a result, with maybe a couple marines to help out and/or conditional micro, it's possible for [=SCVs=] to fend off a Zergling rush.
* BoringButPractical: Like every WorkerUnit. You're not getting anything done without them, so get used to spending plenty of minerals on them.
* CombatMedic: In the mechanical sense, they can repair vehicles and are often brought along for the steady HP restoration mid-combat (though it's not enough to save something under heavy fire).
* EasyLogistics: Who needs things like resupply and repair pauses when you can have [=SCVs=] follow your army around and repair ''everything'' mechanical mid-combat? Even Thors and ''Battlecruisers''. While said Battlecruisers are ''midair''.
* FunWithAcronyms: '''S'''pace '''C'''onstruction '''V'''ehicle.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Their drill can cut through hard minerals, and yet it does less damage than a marine's Gauss rifle.
* LampshadeHanging: A possible response to commanding them to attack anything in [=StarCraft=] II is "What, you run out of marines?"
* MagicTool: Their drill can do ''anything'', including cutting apart minerals, constructing buildings, and repairing units. In the sequel in allied games they can repair Protoss units too. About the only thing it can't do is serve as decent weapon.
* MiniMecha: [[UnitsNotToScale Despite appearing as tall as a Marine]]; that little glass window isn't the faceplate of the armor -- it's the ''cockpit'' of the mecha. It's still dwarfed by the [[HumongousMecha Thor]] though.
* RedShirt: Whichever unlucky SCV gets sent out to do some early scouting is liable to wind up as one of these if they encounter the enemy.
* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: A single SCV can build huge buildings in usually little more than a minute, two minutes tops with the largest, the Command Center. Partially justified in both games since the animation implies the use of pre-fabricated parts, and in the sequel construction animations show a crane rig aiding the SCV in the work, but the little guy still builds structures much larger than it in lightning speed.
* ThisIsADrill: Although their weapon is listed as "Fusion cutter", it is quite clearly this trope.
* UnitsNotToScale: A rather egregious case with the SCV -- in game, it is about the size of a marine making it easy to think it is simply a man in power armor intended for heavy duty work. In reality, it is the size of a small mech and that glass housing is the cockpit. [[http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/media/wallpapers/?view#/wall042 This is how big they are in lore.]]
* WorkerUnit: In Starcraft, [[CombatPragmatist there is no such thing as "just a worker unit"]]. Their sheer necessity for mining, constructing, and repairing makes them prime targets for harass or for back-line attacks.

!!Marine
[[quoteright:190:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Marine_754.png]]
-->''"You want a piece of me, boy?"''

The main force of the Terran squad, they're not very impressive in the HP or power department but make up for it with good versatility for their cost. A comparatively small squad of Marines with Stimpacks and Medic support is a serious threat if the opponent isn't prepared for it.

* AbnormalAmmo: Their guns can be upgraded to fire depleted uranium slugs instead of steel spikes. This only increases their range, which is odd considering how [[AbsurdlySharpBlade very]] [[MadeOfExplodium nasty]] depleted uranium shells are.
* AntiAir: Not as specialised towards it as post-''Brood War'' Goliaths, but as the only basic infantry unit with ranged attacks (the Zerg Zergling and Protoss Zealot both being melee fighters), they are also the only ones who can attack air units.
* {{BFG}}: Their main weapon the Gauss Impaler rifle, which looks big even with their huge armor. ''It's as big as an unarmoured human being.''
* BodyArmorAsHitPoints: Their Combat Shield upgrade from ''Starcraft II'' doesn't actually function as a shield in any way, instead giving them 10 more hit points.
* BoringYetPractical: Not very exciting or impressive a unit on paper, but they form a necessary part of most mainstream strategies thanks to their low cost and build time, which makes them both easy to amass on short notice and an efficient way of defending or escorting other units which are more powerful but also more specialised.
* BoxedCrook: Standard procedure is to conscript criminals into the ranks and [[MindControl resocialize]] them into being obedient.
* CannonFodder: PlayedForLaughs, even -- flavor text for the Medic in the ''Brood War'' manual mentions that with the Medic's support, the average life expectancy of a frontline Marine has risen to ''nine seconds''. Note that in large-scale fights in-game, this statistic is not an exaggeration.
* CastFromHitPoints: Stimpack, which costs 10 HP but doubles their movement and attack rates for a period of time. However, if Medics are around, you can regenerate these hit points ala energy, with the number/energy of Medics as the only limit.
* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: As noted under CannonFodder, they're played as a RedShirtArmy in-game not long for the world once they get sent out. In actual gameplay, a comparatively small group of Marines with good micro can be very dangerous in spite of their fragility. On the most famous professional ''Starcraft'' players, [=SlayerS_BoxeR=], is legendary for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2DNR57QvSY what he can do with marines]], and got the FanNickname "Terran Emperor" for it.
* CutscenePowerToTheMax: Marines use a grenade launcher attachment on their assault rifles in cutscenes. In gameplay, it's not even a special ability ([[DummiedOut it was cut in Beta for being imbalanced]]). Similarly, ''SCII'' marines use a cutscene-only {{bayonet|ya}}, also cut for being imbalanced.
* GlassCannon: Give them Stimpacks and get a decent sized group and they'll destroy anything in seconds. But they only have 40 HP (45 in the sequel) so even with Medics they'll die if you so much as sneeze on them. Even the Combat Shield upgrade doesn't do all that much for their survivability.
* LampshadeHanging: One of their StopPokingMe quotes:
-->'''Marine:''' You ever notice that nobody ever comes ''back'' to the barracks?
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: The Combat Shield in ''Starcraft II'', which gives them 10 extra hit points.
* MagneticWeapons: Their rifles are coilguns, which is how they can fire in space.
* MascotMook: Used to represent the Terran faction.
* MoreDakka: Their rifles fire on full automatic. Expect to hear plenty of dakka when a sufficiently !large group of them are in combat.
* PowerArmor: Like all Terran infantry, the PowerArmor is designed to survive space vacuum first, [[BoxedCrook miniature prison]] second, and actual protection third. The result is that Marines' gauss rifles will tear straight through the glorified space suits and they don't fare any better against heavier weapons, though they work quite well against civilian weapons.
* RestrainingBolt: Because most Marines are conscripted criminals, they undergo neural resocializing to erase their memories and former personalities, giving them nice FakeMemories and rendering them completely obedient.
* SpaceMarine: Provide the page picture.

!!Firebat
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Firebat_5963.png]]
-->''"Need a light?"''

A bulkier infantry unit armed with wrist-mounted [[FireBreathingWeapon flamethrowers]], they excel at fighting lightly armored small units, making them ideal for fending off rushes of zerglings and zealots, but are helpless against armored enemies and air units.

* AntiInfantry: Always best used against large numbers of lightly-armoured units such as Zerglings.
* ArmCannon: Their flamethrowers fire from their wrists.
* AwesomeButImpractical: In ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'', Firebats are afflicted with CripplingOverspecialization; they're useful for torching clusters of lightly armored units, but that's about it. They can't attack air units, heavily armoured units get infuriating levels of damage reduction against them and even light units can get the upper hand on them because they can only deal damage against units in melee range. In short, they're the poster boy for VideogameFlamethrowersSuck -- not to mention that at 50 HP they're only slightly meatier than Marines. In ''Starcraft II'' they were removed from multiplayer and replaced with Marauders during the development of ''Wings of Liberty'', though their unique updates from the campaign allowed them to fill a different niche.
** Apparently, they were seen as this in-universe as well, either due to the overspecialisation issues mentioned above or the tendency of Firebats to be psychotic {{pyromaniac}}s (and thus, loose cannons).
* BalanceBuff: In the sequel, they have much higher HP and an upgrade for their armor, making them more effective meatshields to defend Marines than they were before.
* BadassBaritone: The Firebat has a pretty deep voice.
* BilingualBonus: In the latin american spanish translation of the second game, the Firebat is called Camazot. Camazotz was the mayan bat god, and when adopted as a god by the K'iche' tribe, it became equivalent to their fire god. Combine both mythologies, and you get the [[{{Pun}} fire bat]] god.
* BoxedCrook: Just like the Marine.
* CastFromHitpoints: Shares the Marine's Stimpack.
* CigarChomper: Had a great big one in the first game, due to the helmet being more like a Marine's.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: With the introduction of Marauders, which are a better heavy damage unit all-around thanks to their ArmorPiercingAttack and ''Concussive Shells'' upgrade, the Firebat's armory upgrades develop them as tanks instead of damage-dealers -- their flamethrowers gain a 40% broader area-of-effect while their armour benefits from the appropriately-named [[TheJuggernaut Juggernaut Plating]], which upgrades their armor rating to 3, giving them the same base armour as a ''Battlecruiser''. Tellingly, during the mission 'Outbreak' which positions your initial troops near two choke points, the Firebats are in the front guarding the Marines and Medics.
* KillItWithFire: Hint: they're called '''Fire'''bats.
* MiniMecha: In the sequel, they take up two bunker slots each, the same as Marauders, and were originally going to be built from the Factory to represent the sheer bulk of their armor.
* PowerArmor: Unlike Marine armor, Firebat suits have very thick plating designed for withstanding sustained fire -- useful for getting into melee range.
* PsychoForHire: Even though both Marines and Firebats are mostly conscripted convicts, the majority of Firebats were convicted ''murderers'', with most of the rest being pyromaniacs.
* {{Pyromaniac}}: Put it this way: according to flavor text seen when viewing the Firebat suit in the Armory, the operator compartment isn't properly sealed against the various gases and compounds used in the flamethrowers. Consequently, these gases leak into the compartment, and have a nasty influence on the Terran mind within. As a result, even perfectly sane volunteers who strapped into these suits would eventually end up being one.
* SimpleYetAwesome: Verges into this in the sequel since they are lower in the tier rank, can be healed without cost unlike the Hellion or Predator[[note]]Without Science Vessels[[/note]] and can be garrisoned in a bunker, something incredibly useful given that most of the campaign is played defensively.
* SoundEffectBleep: In the sequel.
-->'''Firebat:''' They do not know who they are (FWOOSH!)-ing with!
* SplashDamage: A useful trait for facing Zerg.
* StoneWall: If you purchase their armour upgrade in the sequel. They move at the same speed as Marines and Marauders and can only attack units within melee range, but they sport 100 HP and 3 armour (1 plus the upgrade for an extra 2) each, ''very'' impressive defenses for a unit near the bottom of the tech tree. If you select the Vanadium Plating upgrade from the Laboratory they'll earn an extra 5% HP with every armour upgrade, which just makes them even ''tankier''.
* VideogameFlamethrowersSuck: Theirs have low-range and a terrible damage penalty against larger enemies, in exchange for splash damage. This makes them terrible at fighting anything about Tier 1 units and workers.

!!Medic
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/medic20.png]]
-->''"Prepped and ready!"''

Introduced in ''Starcraft: Brood War'', Medics can heal biological units, making the Terran infantry ''infinitely'' more useful by extending their longevity dramatically.

* CripplingOverspecialization: In ''Brood War'', Medics could use two other abilities besides healing -- ''Restore'', which saved the targeted unit from status debuffs such as the normally crippling [[TheTopicOfCancer Plague]] deployed by the Zerg Defiler, and ''Optic Flare'', which blinded the targeted unit and removed the ability (if they had it) to detect cloaked or burrowed units. In ''Starcraft II'', their only function is healing the nearest infantry unit to require medical attention. They can get armory upgrades to increase the speed and cost efficiency of their healing and allow them to be trained without the use of a Tech Lab, though, so it's not exactly a ''bad'' thing; it just greatly reduces their need and utility around machines. (Mechanical units could still get Plague and there was also the Terran Ghost's Lockdown ability...)
* DeadlyDoctor: Not actually, but Medic attack quotes do exist and can be played if you attack a unit while selecting the Medic(s) from among a group of unts who ''are'' able to attack it. Presumably, if one were to give them an attack using the Map Editor, one could say they would be a more clear-cut example of this.
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: The Medic has noticeable blonde hair in her ''Starcraft II'' portrait and is generally the nicest unit (in terms of quotes) in the Terran arsenal.
* TheIntern: In the sequel, particularly in her StopPokingMe quotes.
-->'''Medic:''' Congratulations, you're my first patient -- ever!
* TheMedic: The name is a hint -- Medics specialize in healing other units.
* {{Nanomachines}}: The official explanation for how their abilities work.
* NonActionGuy: Sort of -- she doesn't have a basic attack for self-defence, but can still wade into the same situations Marines, Firebats and Ghosts can without trouble to lend aid to units who need it.
* PluckyGirl: Cheerful, intrepid and eager to help.
* PowerArmor: Wears the CMC-405 light combat suit.
* SerpentOfImmortality: In ''Brood War'', one of her unique upgrades was the ''Caduceus Reactor'' (+12 to starting Energy and +50 to overall Energy), which is an Ancient Greek symbol consisting of a staff with two serpents coiled around it viewed as a medicinal symbol. This symbol is also painted on her armour, as seen in the Medic portrait. The Medivac shares this symbol (largely because their portraits are basically the same apart from the [[ColourCodedForYourConvenience red and blue lighting in either]]) and used the same upgrade prior to ''Legacy of the Void''.
* ShootTheMedicFirst: In ''[=StarCraft=] II'' a new value assigned to units determines what targets the AI gives priority to killing. Medics get higher priority than other infantry, meaning the AI will try to kill them first if it sees them.
* SimpleYetAwesome: In the first game, Medics are highly effective {{Support Party Member}}s who can heal infantry, remove debuffs and remove the threat posed by mobile detectors. In the second their healing is their only selling point, but they're even more of a staple in any army becasue they're cheaper and more affordable than Medivacs.
* SquishyWizard: Averted, comparatively speaking -- with 1 armor and 60 HP they're tied with the Firebat for having the best durability of the Terran infantry. Played straight in the sequel where they keep the same stats while everyone else got an HP boost, making only the Marine weaker than them, and only by 5 HP.
* TheTease: In the first game she's quite the flirt, playfully offering to give the player a "physical" and a "sponge-bath" and asking the normally innocuous question, "Where does it hurt?" in [[DoubleEntendre the most not-so-innocuous manner possible]]. And in case you think she's an InnocentFanserviceGirl, her portrait's idle animation consists of her looking [[AsideGlance right at the player]] and ''winking''.

!!Ghost
[[quoteright:261:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Ghost_6936.png]]
-->''"Somebody call for an exterminator?"''

The Ghost's role in the Terran military depends on if you refer to the gameplay or the story. In the story they're the elite troops of the Terrans, covert assassins that demonstrate near-supernatural powers due to their incredible psychic abilities. In the game they're support troops that specialize in calling down nuclear bombardments and disabling enemies.

* AchillesHeel: Ironically enough, they are very vulnerable to [[ManaBurn having their Energy drained]].
* ArmorPiercingAttack: Snipe is effective at devastating single heavily-armored biological targets.
* AwesomeButImpractical: In the first game, due to their position at the very top of the tech tree and the huge cost to train and upgrade them. Any decent opponent can also scout out your base, and the sight of a Covert Ops will immediately tip them off to build detector turrets around their base so they can see the Ghost coming. Averted in the sequel where they're much lower on the tech tree and have only one upgrade (Cloaking), without which they still make good supporters with Snipe and EMP Shot.
* BadassBoast:
* BalanceBuff: The sequel gave them much lower tech requirements and gave them EMP shot out the door instead of needing it to be researched. This makes them much cheaper to train and easier to deploy.
-->'''Ghost:''' You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind.
* BloodKnight: Their typical response to being given an attack order in ''Starcraft II''?
-->'''Ghost:''' Well, colour me happy!
* BoomHeadshot: Their Snipe ability, especially if you kill a unit with it.
* ColdSniper: Soft-spoken, grim and subtlely unstable.
* CrosshairAware: Beware the blinking red dot if you see it in your base and find the source '''''immediately'''''![[note]]Nuke strikes appear to the opponent as a blinking red dot calling out the target. You've got about 10 seconds after being given an audio warning to find the dot, then find and kill the ghost targeting it before the missile hits. Fail, and you're in for a very bad day.[[/note]]
* DeathFromAbove: Their Nukes.
* DodgeTheBullet: According to ExpandedUniverse materials (Starcraft Ghost: Spectres to be exact), they are capable of pulling this off. This may be the reason why in the second game they have twice the hit points of a marine while using lighter armour.
* ElectronicEyes: One of their upgrades in the original game involved removing their organic eyes with "superior" replacements, allowing them to call down nukes from out of its range. Though fairly common by the sequel, in the original the surgery was noted to be extremely painful.
* {{EMP}}: Their Lockdown ability is explained as this, short-circuiting mechanical units to stun them. In the sequel they swap it out for the Science Vessel's EMP, draining the shields and energy of units in a radius.
* FacelessGoons: To emphasize the fact that they have almost no humanity left, since they're subject to VERY heavy doses of brainwashing and implants.
* FormFittingWardrobe: Ghost suits are represented in the lore as tight {{Spy Catsuit}}s, which is why Ghosts have no armor rating.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: As told above, according to the lore Ghosts are elite assassins capable of a variety of psychic abilities including mind-reading, super-speed and reflexes, HyperAwareness, and more. None of these abilities come into play in any game thus far, though ''Ghost'' would have included them in various capacities.
* GlassCannon: They move decently fast and pack a decent punch offensively, but are easily killed. In both games, their ability to call in nukes allows them to deal more damage to enemy base than any other non-campaign unit, but the Ghost is highly vulnerable until it lands.
* InvisibilityCloak: Courtesy of their Personal Cloaking Device, which is psionically-powered.
* ILoveNuclearPower: The result of giving psychologically unstable special ops access to nuclear missiles.
-->'''Ghost:''' Whenever I see a world untouched by war, a world of innocence, a world of lush forests and clear rivers. [{{Beat}}] I really just wanna ''nuke the crap out of it''!
-->'''Ghost:''' Today's forecast is... extra bomby, slight chance of mushroom clouds.
* ManaBurn: {{EMP}} does this to Energy, effectively stopping special units from using their abilities.
* NoOntologicalInertia: If you kill a Ghost targeting a Nuclear Launch, the missile strike doesn't happen. Doesn't matter if it's within the last possible second and the nuke was visibly about to reach the ground, if the Ghost dies it'll just vanish.
* PsychicPowers: Ghost candidates are born with them and they're honed to a deadly edge during training.
* PsychoSerum: It's noted that the drugs that enhance Ghosts' psychic abilities are not... very good for their mental stability, though that's dealt with using brainwashing.
* RestrainingBolt: Unlike the Marine theirs isn't just to keep them obedient, it's to keep their powers in check.
* SlapOnTheWristNuke: The nuke they summon has a relatively small area of effect. However, it will destroy most units outright. It's much weaker in the sequel, but still can cause havoc if used correctly. In the original sense of the trope, the area that gets nuked is still usable and non-radioactive soon afterwards.
* TheSneakyGuy[[=/=]StealthExpert: Thanks to said cloak. Unless an enemy has TrueSight, they stay cloaked as long as their Energy meter lets them.
* SupportPartyMember: They're elites, but they're not killing very much on their own in direct combat.
* TelepathicSpacemen: A special division of the Terrans with psychic powers.
* YouNukeEm: Ghosts are not known for their subtlety in dealing with larger problems.
* YourHeadAsplode: The typical result of a Ghost using Snipe on a target.

!!Vulture
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Vulture_5247.png]]
-->''"Alright, bring it on!"''

Speedy hoverbike units, they're armed with grenade launchers and make excellent scouts due to their low cost and very high speed. They can also lay Spider Mines to surprise and ambush unsuspecting armies.

* AllBikersAreHellsAngels: Not as much as the typical portrayal, but the pilot does quote stock biker phrases in ''Starcraft II''.
-->'''Vulture:''' Born to be wild.\\
'''Vulture:''' Live fast and die young!
* AwesomeButImpractical: Seen as this InUniverse. Jim Raynor views the Vulture bike as a [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdb484SNtgM#t=258 classic piece of engineering]], but Rory Swann counters that it explodes when the AntiGravity fails and its battery secretes radioactive waste when it leaks. As gameplay units they tend to be DifficultButAwesome instead; they're super fast, but their attack damage per unit isn't all that good and making use of Spider Mines to thieir fullest potential takes a bit of practise. Still, good micro allows them to be used for effective HitAndRunTactics, and Spider Mines can be useful defences for early expansions into enemy territory before you set up Bunkers and Missile Turrets.
* BadassBiker: The pilot is surly, speedy and ready for a fight any time.
* CoolBike: Zigzagged. As noted above, while Raynor thinks it's this trope, the Vulture has a history of mechanical failures and sloppy design that make them hazardous to operate.
-->'''Swann:''' But hey, who cares if it's a "classic", right?
* DeadpanSnarker: Possibly even a SourSupporter.
* FragileSpeedster: They can outrun almost every other unit, and remove the "almost" from the sentence once you upgrade their speed. Good thing, because most of those other units will kill them in a straight-up fight.
* FriendlyFireproof: Averted: Marines are notoriously untrusting of the Spider Mines' friend-or-foe identification.
* GrenadeLauncher: Their weaponry is a pair of grenade launches mounted on their bikes.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Spider mines are notorious among marines for their poor tracking systems. If close range units attack you, the mines will blow them up as well as your units. The lore says there has been several movies in universe about Spider Mines gaining sentience and going on a rampage.
* MilitaryMaverick: Goes with the BadassBiker persona.
* MookMaker: One of their upgrades in the sequel allows them to create more Spider mines; of course, you pay 15 minerals for each new mine, but it enables you to create a true mine field without having to create too many vultures.
* ParentheticalSwearing:
-->'''Vulture rider:''' I read you, ''sir''.
* SeeTheInvisible: Their Spider Mines can target cloaked ground units without the aid of a Detector, but it does not reveal them.
* SplashDamage: Their Spider Mines, in the sequel, one of the upgrades gives them a higher damage output and a bigger range.
* SuperPersistentMissile: Once a Spider Mine locks onto a target that comes in range, it'll leap up and chase it until it can explode on them.


!!Siege Tank
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/siegetank18.png]]
-->''"Ready to roll out!"''

One of the iconic units of the series, these are normal tanks complete with treads and turrets...until they switch into Siege Mode, clamping down retractable legs and raising their turrets to the sky to bombard enemies from range with powerful cannon blasts.

* AchillesHeel: Capable of blowing most things on the grounds to smithereens before they get close... but send some air units and watch those Siege Tanks go back to tread mode and haul ass. Or exploit their ArbitraryMinimumRange with melee units.
* AntiFrustrationFeatures: In the sequel, improved AI prevents groups of Siege Tanks from overkilling units -- that is to say, all 10 of your tanks won't fire to kill one Zergling, only one will (making it harder to exploit the reload time).
* ArbitraryMinimumRange: Of 2, which is the same range as the Firebat's flamethrower, for reference.
* BoisterousBruiser: The man loves his job.
-->'''Siege Tank pilot:''' This'll be a blast!\\
'''Siege Tank pilot:''' It's BOOM time!
* FriendlyFireproof: Averted. Your units can and will get caught in the splash damage if they're standing too close to the impact. One of the upgrades in the sequel reduces damage to friendly units by 75%.
* GlassCannon: They can kill pretty much any non-air force, but being unable to move and unable to fire at targets too close means they're very easy to kill.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Their high power and SplashDamage can be turned back on an opponent through the use of melee units, thereby ensuring their units will take just as much damage as yours, if not more. In the sequel, the campaign allows an upgrade that makes the shells more guided in order to steer them away from allied units.
* InstantDeathRadius: You do ''not'' want to wander into its Siege Mode's firing range. If you're a Zealot, however, you can [[FlashStep charge]] into it to exploit the ArbitraryMinimumRange.
* {{Irony}}: "Got no patience for sittin' around!" *switches to Siege Mode where he does exactly that*
* LampshadeHanging: One of its StopPokingMe quotes addresses its minimum range issues in Siege Mode:
-->'''Siege Tank:''' Why don't you walk about thirty yards out and stand still for me?
* LargeHam: One of the hammiest in the game.
* NoIndoorVoice: The Siege Tank driver tries his darndest to make sure he's heard over the engine roar.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: The Siege Tank is a perfectly serviceable anti-armor assault unit in Tank Mode, but it's their Siege Mode that makes them so effective and beloved. Acknowledged in ''Heart of the Swarm'', where Siege Mode does not have to be researched beforehand.
* PimpedOutCar: According to lore, an early operator of the Crucio Siege Tank series (The one in ''Starcraft II'') managed to install a surround-sound system to his tank. Then RealityEnsues hits hard and the operator does not listen to the "fall back" order and gets surrounded by enemy forces.
* {{Pun}}: The pilot has a few good ones.
-->'''Siege Tank Pilot:''' I never ''tread'' lightly!\\
'''Siege Tank Pilot:''' I'll give it my ''best shot!''
* ''Music/RideOfTheValkyries:'' Sings it as a StopPokingMe quote.
* {{Siege Engine|s}}: A Siege Tank's ''real'' strength comes from its ability to either bombard static defenses from well outside retaliatory range or to act as static defenses themselves. Park a group of them outside an enemy base to deny ground unit movement, just watch out for inevitable aerial attacks.
* SplashDamage: Combined with their massive range, its what makes them so deadly. When given the order to move units tend to bunch up and don't spread out to fight until they see an enemy, and few are the units with attack ranges equal to their sight range. Thus odds are they'll still be bunched up and moving in when the Siege Tank opens fire on them, and that splash damage will do more than enough damage to make up for the slow rate of fire.
* TankGoodness: Big heavy tanks with the power to blast small armies of infantry units to bits.
* TransformingMecha: Not quite a mecha, but the way it transitions from vehicle to stationary turret has the transformation part.
* ViolationOfCommonSense: A Siege Tank in Tank Mode occupies four slots in a Medivac. In Siege Mode, they are visibly carried underneath the Medivac, occupying all eight slots.
* TheWorfEffect: In campaign modes, the easiest way to show how powerful a unit is seems to be to effortlessly destroy a Siege Tank.

!! Goliath
[[quoteright:193:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Goliath_6378.png]]
-->''"Goliath on-line."''

Combat walkers, they're all-around solid units specializing as anti-air support.

* AntiAir: From ''Brood War'' onwards, the Goliath's air attack is much more powerful than its ground attack, and it gained a unique upgrade that greatly boosted its air attack range.
* BalanceBuff:
** From the base game to ''Brood War'', they got an upgrade to boost the range of their air attack, and a buff to their damage.
** In the sequel, they get an upgrade to attack ground and air units simultaneously, making them good all-around troops.
* BaldOfAwesome: The pilot in the sequel.
* ChickenWalker: As per {{Expy}}, it has these legs.
* CreatorCameo: In the sequel, the pilot's portrait is based on Blizzard artist Brian Sousa, Spartan Company's portrait on Dustin Browder.
* DavidVersusGoliath: In the first game, Goliaths deal the most damage to large-sized air units; in the second game they deal double damage to armoured units. Either way, this allows a team of Goliaths to take on such giants as [[TheBattlestar Battlecruisers]] and Carriers and come out on top. Their name just adds a layer of {{irony}} to this.
* {{Expy}}: Of the [[Franchise/RoboCop ED-209]]. It even name drops ED in a StopPokingMe quote.
* FunWithAcronyms: Likes to list off several as StopPokingMe quotes.
* GasMaskMooks: In ''VideoGame/StarCraftI'' the pilot's helmet greatly resembles a gas mask.
* JackOfAllStats[=/=]MasterOfNone: In the original game. The Goliath has all-around decent HP, cost and damage output. However, it's outclassed by most other units; Siege Tanks have siege capabilities, Marines have superior DPS, and Wraiths have cloaking and greater speed and mobility. This is why ''Brood War'' gave their air attack a damage buff and a researchable range increase from the base game, as it gave the Goliath a niche use -- long-range anti-air -- that another unit wasn't already better at.
* LightningBruiser: In the ''Wings Of Liberty'' single-player campaign. In tandem with buffs to their damage on both fronts, the Goliath's armory upgrades provide an increase to the range of both their ground and air attacks -- their air attacks can now go even ''further'' than before -- and allow them to attack ground and air enemies simultaneously, making them very effective against mixed armies. In tandem with their relatively low position on the tech tree and early availability in the game, Goliaths can be very useful units. The main drawback is that they don't do too well against lightly armoured units so a Mutalisk Swarm or a crowd of light infantry could fight them at an advantage.
* MoreDakka: Their primary armament is a brace of automatic cannons, and a missile launcher similar to the one on Turrets. In the sequel, merc goliaths have [[GatlingGood miniguns]].
* SimpleYetAwesome. A formula for success: build a mixed army of Siege Tanks and Goliaths; deploy Siege Tanks in Siege Mode and place Goliaths nearby; watch the fireworks as they dominate both the land and the air.

!!Wraith
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Wraith_5099.png]]
-->''"Wraith awaiting launch orders."''

The standard Terran starfighter, armed with missiles and lasers and protected by a personal cloaking field.

* CoolStarship: Fast and maneuverable armed with lasers and missiles.
* DangerDeadpan: In ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'', they remain remarkably calm even when they come under attack while you're focusing on another part of the map.
* FragileSpeedster: Very quick but quickly blasted out of the sky when the opponent can fire on them. This is why their Cloaking Field is so vital to getting good usage out of them. The sequel notices this and offers two unique upgrades to enhance their cloaking, one of which allows them to potentially dodge incoming fire while cloaked.
* FrickinLaserBeams: Their ground attack is a short laser blast.
* InvisibilityCloak: They have cloaking just like the ghost.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: In ''Starcraft II''. They serve as a hybrid between the Banshee (which can only attack ground forces) and the Viking (which, if flying, can only attack air troops.) The Wraith can hit both, but the more specialized forces will kill the enemy faster. However, cloaked Wraiths are a still a viable force with Cloaked Banshees, and can even be a better choice than Vikings on certain missions, like the Nydus Worm variant of "All In" or "Shattering the Sky"
* SpaceFighter: They're perfectly able to operate in space or on the ground.

!! Science Vessel
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Science_Vessel_9042.png]]
-->''"Explorer reporting!"''

A Terran support vessel equipped with technology to study the Zerg and Protoss and weaponry to deal with them.

* BadassLabcoat: In the sequel their pilots wear one in their unit portrait.
* BoringYetPractical: In the sequel, this is why they're generally chosen over Ravens. Although you fight Zerg most of the time, It's not really about Irradiate, and the Detector function is kind of standard. Nano-repair is the real draw -- it's ''that'' useful to have Nano-repair, which heals mechanical units the same way Medics heal biological units for no mineral or vespene cost, that alone is reason enough to pick the Science Vessel over the Raven.
* DeflectorShields: Their Defensive Matrix.
* {{EMP}}: One of their abilities in the first game, which was given to the Ghost in the sequel.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: Science Vessels are basically space stations and are appropriately huge, and an entire mission takes place inside of one. In-game they're not much bigger than any other mechanical unit and smaller than most buildings.
** In the unreleased ''Starcraft: Ghost'' game this was to be averted: Nova wouldn't be able to see the Science Vessel, but could call upon it to irradiate an enemy, lauch an EMP or scan an enemy to display its strengths and weaknesses.
* HerdHittingAttack: Irradiate covers a unit in a cloud of radiological fog that damages any biological units. Since all zerg units are biological, Irradiate is very powerful against them, especially if the zerg has left all their Overlords in a small cluster.
* MythologyGag[=/=]ShoutOut: The Science Vessel's pilot/representative is voiced by Harry Shearer, who voiced Mr Burns on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''. As such, references to this fact were slipped into the unit's quotations -- yes, including his signature, "Excellent!" He is now voiced over by Robin Atkin Downes for a more sinister voice.
* {{Nanomachines}}: Their Nano-Repair in the sequel.
* NonActionGuy: No attack to defend itself, and its abilities only do so much.
** Subverted with the "Eraser" strategy. Have two science vessels cast Defensive Matrix and Irridate on eachother. Then drive them into the middle of a Zerg or Terran mineral line. Fun ensues.
* SupportPartyMember: They are not frontline fighters and are best used by firing off the appropriate abilities and then retreating to safety.
* TrueSight: They can detect cloaked and burrowed units.
* UnitsNotToScale: See above under GameplayAndStorySegregation. To add to it, a Battlecruiser is bigger than the science vessel in gameplay, even though the Science Vessel is bigger in Lore.

!!Dropship
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Dropship_6136.png]]
-->''"Can I take your order?"''

Flying personal carriers used to ferry troops around.

* BalanceBuff: The reason the Medivac exists; it made Dropships more useful and made Medics more mobile and durable at the same time.
* BoringButPractical: Like all transports, all it does is move units around, but it's an invaluable part of strategy.
* DropShip: Taken straight after the ''Alien'' TropeNamer; they carry troops around the map.
* NonActionGuy: No attack and weak armor.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: They were the only female standard unit in the pre-''Brood War'' Terran roster and indeed the entire original game -- Kerrigan also existed, but she was a Hero unit whenever she appeared. ''Brood War'' subverted this by adding the Medic and Valkyrie units.

!!Valkyrie
[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Valkyrie_4891.png]]
-->''"Valkyrie prepared!"''

A Terran starfighter introduced into the sector by the [=UED=]. Piloted by women with thick German accents, they fire clusters of missiles are airborne enemies to decimate opposing fleets.

* CripplingOverspecialization: Their method of attack is to do 6 damage a shot while also doing splash damage at a rapid-fire pace over a large area. Unfortunately, Terran and Protoss ships typically had armor that made the Valkyrie's attacks deal much less damage. Even against the Zerg, the Wraith and Goliath were almost as effective due to their lower cost and tech tree placement, and more versatile since the Valkyrie couldn't attack ground units. Still, they were a much-needed solution for countering Mutalisk swarms, and are ideally suited for chasing down transports since they move quickly and transports generally have very weak armour.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: They only do 6 damage a shot, but they fire so many rockets out at a time that it adds up quickly.
* GratuitousGerman: "Of course, mein Herr!"/"Achtung!"
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Their missiles turn and weave through the air to impact. It's implied this is deliberate by design, to give them their splash damage by having the missiles hit over a large area.
* PutOnABus: They put in no appearance in ''Starcraft II''. Air units named Valkyries appear in a single ''Heart of the Swarm'' mission, but they look and behave totally different and appear to be a separate unit.
* SplashDamage: Their key strength -- they tear up clumped units.
* TheTease: Towards the player, albeit to a much lesser extent than the Medic, and with {{Tsundere}} undertones.
-->'''Valkyrie:''' [Mixed] This is ''very'' interesting... but stupid.\\
'''Valkyrie:''' [Tsun-Tsun] You're being very naughty!/Who's your mommy?\\
'''Valkyrie:''' [Dere-Dere] I am eager to help!/Don't keep me waiting!
* TheWorfEffect: Their introduction in the campaign in ''Brood War'' is to pit seven of them against a Mutalisk swarm that outnumbers them more than 2:1. The Valkyries win with usually five or six ships still flying.

!!Battlecruiser
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Battlecruiser_4343.png]]
-->''"Battlecruiser operational."''

The Terran capital ships, massive flying vessels with a lot of firepower and costing a lot of resources. If there's an important Terran character in the single-player, they're either commanding a Battlecruiser or serve under someone who does.

* TheAlcoholic: The captain, in the sequel.
-->'''Battlecruiser Captain:''' The Yamato is loaded, and so am I...\\
'''Battlecruiser Captain:''' I have an announcement: I am drunk!
* AwesomeButImpractical: In the first game. Battlecruisers attacked at a very slow rate with one shot per attack, so unless you mass-produced them for the use of their Yamato Cannon ability, they didn't live up to their mineral and vespene costs. Averted from ''Starcraft II'' onwards; although they are still most useful when produced in numbers for their Yamato Cannons, Battlecruisers now attack with firestorms of attritional lasers, so they can no longer be downed by massed ground units without dedicated Medivac support.
* BeamSpam: In the original game, Battlecruisers attacked slowly but did high damage (despite supposedly being armed with a battery of lasers). The sequel takes them the exact opposite direction, giving them low base damage but ''very'' high attack speed, resulting in this trope.
* CoolOldGuy: The captain in the Battlecruiser's portrait has white hair and his share of wrinkles but still kicks ass.
* DeflectorShields: You can give them the Science Vessel's Defense Matrix ability as an Armory upgrade in the ''Wings of Liberty'' Campaign.
* ElectronicEye: The captain has one in ''Starcraft II'', among other enhancements.
* {{Expy}}: The unit portrait is one of Captain Henry Gloval from ''Anime/Robotech'', at least for 1 and Brood War.
* FrickinLaserBeams: The second game switched out the slow-firing WaveMotionGun for a BeamSpam barrage instead.
* GratuitousRussian: Averted, but the pilot still has a definite Russian accent.
* HiddenDepths: Apparently, the captain plays ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''.
-->'''Battlecruiser Captain:''' Let's hurry up and finish this attack. It's raid night.
* IneffectualLoner: A single unsupported Battlecruiser isn't accomplishing much on its own (even with its Yamato Cannon). Either bring them in fleet or protect it with a lot of other units as it does it job leveling things.
* TheJuggernaut: The Gorgon-class Battlecruisers encountered in ''Heart Of The Swarm''. They cannot be damaged by any units or abilities (even from Kerrigan) and can only be destroyed by using a Scourge Nest, which releases an entire swarm of Scourges on them. And it's stated the nests have to release everything just to destroy one of them.
* LovableCoward: If they come under attack when they are offscreen, they'll say either "It's a trap!" or "Abandon ship!"
* MacrossMissileMassacre: Missile Pods in ''[=StarCraft=] II''.
* MadeOfIron: In ''[=StarCraft I=]'' they're the only unit able to survive a direct hit from a nuclear missile, having exactly as much HP as the missile does damage, along with 3 points of armor. Granted, unless you get them to an SCV quickly they won't last long after that.
* MightyGlacier: With their high damage output a fleet of them can level a base and the army defending it... once they ''get'' there that is.
* SplashDamage: Missile Pods deal splash damage to air units.
* {{Teleportation}}: In ''Legacy of the Void'' they get a Warp Jump ability to instantly teleport across the map.
* UnitsNotToScale[=/=]GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the lore they're basically flying city-sized [[TheBattlestar Battlestars]] armed with BeamSpam and MoreDakka to [[CutscenePowerToTheMax singlehandedly take on swarms of Zerg]]. In-game they're certainly one of the largest units, but still not to scale, did weaker damage (in ''[=StarCraft=] I'' they only fired a slow and single shot with high damage, in ''[=StarCraft=] II'' they had low base damage but attacking ''very'' quickly) and are smaller than some buildings.
* WaveMotionGun: The iconic Yamato Cannon, [[Anime/SpaceBattleshipYamato inspired by the anime that features the Wave Motion Gun]]. It's easier to list stuff that it won't kill outright than stuff that it will, and that list goes simply: "Archons, Ultralisks, Carriers, enemy Battlecruisers, Immortals, Colossi, Tempests, and Thors." Everything else is toast.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zerg]]
!!Drone
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Drone_9714.png]]

The Zerg worker, in charge of gathering resources. Can lay down on creep to mutate into the Zerg structures.

* ActionSurvivor: As with the other worker units, they are not made to fight but they are able to defend themselves if base raiders come.
* PowerFloats: They hover over the ground slightly.
* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: Justified; Drones do not build buildings, they mutate into them in the same way a larvae mutates into a Zerg unit. It's still very fast, but the Zerg as a whole have HyperactiveMetabolism so the speed of construction is not out of place.
* WorkerUnit: The Zerg's way to gather resources and construct buildings.

!!Zergling
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Zergling_7423.png]]

The basic Zerg unit, a velociraptor-like creature arms with fangs and claws to tear apart anything they can.

* BoringYetPractical: Individually, they're the cheapest units in the game. Much like the Marine and Zealot, [[ZergRush simply mutating a massive force of Zerglings can be a perfectly viable option if the opponent isn't prepared]].
* DependingOnTheArtist: The Zergling's appearance varies from product to product that it appears in, [[WatsonianVersusDoylist though it could simply be differences between strains]] [[FridgeBrilliance or simply showing how the zerg are constantly evolving.]]
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: The Zergling upgrades into either the Raptor or the Swarmling in ''[=StarCraft=] II''. Raptors leap up cliffs and jump at prey at short distances to quickly close in, Swarmlings produce three from an egg rather than two and mutate instantly.
* FragileSpeedster: Their base speed is already higher than either a zealot's or marine's, but they also have an upgrade called Metabolic Boost that almost doubles their speed, and when they're on creep they get the standard Zerg speed bonus to make them the fastest ground unit in the game. However, they have 35 hit points, and need to be at melee range to do anything; they die fast.
* GlassCannon: A pack of Zerglings with their attack rate upgrade and a couple of weapon upgrades will tear apart anything in seconds, as long as the target doesn't fight back.
* MascotMook: By far one of the most famous units of the ''Starcraft'' franchise thanks to the ZergRush meme being known even outside the RTS realm.
* PowerGivesYouWings: When they get their speed upgrade in the sequel they sprout locust-like wings.
* SequenceBreaking: The act of spawning Zerglings as fast as the game allows BEFORE a proper economy can be set up is what lead to the original instances of ZergRush. Nowadays people are wise to early rushes and start setting up defenses accordingly.
* WeaksauceWeakness: In ''Wings of Liberty'', Donny Vermillion claims they are allergic to lemon juice. At first, this seems like more propaganda, but [[EvilutionaryBiologist Abathur]] confirms this in ''Heart of the Swarm''.
* WingsDoNothing: For obvious reasons their wings in the sequel don't actually let the Zergling fly. Averted in ''Heart of the Swarm's'' campaign; the wings are exclusive to the Raptor, who leap up cliffs and jump at enemy units.
* ZergRush: The TropeNamer and TropeCodifier. The Zergling's low cost and the fact they hatch two from an egg makes it quick and cheap to get a massive army of them, but they have only 35 HP and die quickly. The Swarmling in ''Heart of the Swarm'' makes them even better at this trope, mutating in seconds and mutating ''three'' from an egg.

!! Hydralisk
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hydralisk_sc2_devrend2.jpg]]

The Zerg ranged fighter, tensing its muscles to snap out needle spines from its shoulder plates as fast as any bullet.

* AntiAir: Their main purpose is mobile anti-air though they're seen backing up Roaches fighting ground forces.
* BallisticBone: Their spines are missile-shaped bones that they shoot by tensing their muscles.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: The Slothiens from which the Zerg developed the Hydralisk were originally caterpillar-like herbivores.
* JackOfAllStats: In the original game, Hydralisks have all-around decent HP, damage and movement speed, effective upgrades, and usable cost.
* GlassCannon: Indirectly became one in the sequel. They got a damage buff, as well as the new damage system removing their penalty when attacking small units, but they still only have 80 HP despite being higher on the tech tree. They don't get as much use because the Roach has taken the spot as the ranged anti-ground unit, with the Hydralisk now serving as anti-air.
* MascotMook: Used to represent the Zerg faction.
* OrnamentalWeapon: Their claws, which, despite being thoroughly displayed in cutscenes, are rendered useless in the original game: They always use their ranged attack. In the sequel, Hydralisks use them in melee combat as a purely cosmetic attack [[note]]Well, besides being unaffected by Point Defense Drones.[[/note]] with the same effective damage and upgrades as their ranged attack.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Definitely emits a snake vibe.
* SinisterScythe: Has preying mantis-like arms with blades extending from them.
* SpikeShooter: 30 cm long spikes to be exact.

!! Lurker
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lurker.png]]

An evolution of the Hydralisk, they're defenseless above ground. But once burrowed they can unleash waves of spines along the ground to impale enemies from below. In ''Heart of the Swarm'' they're diversified into the Lurker and the Impaler. The Lurker returned to multiplayer in ''Legacy of the Void'', just as effective as ever.

* AchillesHeel: Detectors of any kind, obviously, but especially flying detectors which they can't attack because they can only attack ground units.
* ArmorPiercingAttack: The Impaler deals extra damage to armored targets.
* CombatTentacles: The Impaler's attack, compared to the Lurker's spines.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In ''Heart of the Swarm'' the Lurker is but one of the Hydralisk's two evolutionary paths. The other is the Impaler, which attacks just like the Lurker, but attacks single targets and does bonus damage against armor, while the Lurker chews up clumps of light units.
* GiantSpider: Their design aesthetic, though not with eight limbs.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: The fate of units they attack.
* SiegeEngines: They have greater range in ''Legacy of the Void'' from the original game, letting them out-range base defenses.
* SplashDamage: If you don't have detection, that Lurker will kill your Marine/medic deathball in moments.

!! Overlord
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Overlord_5751.png]]

A flying unit that provides the ability to control Zerg, any Zerg player should have far more of them than needed. They provide numerous other skills including detection and unit transport.

* GiantFlyer: They're massive; cutscenes from ''Starcraft: Ghost'' show a Terran is about the size of their head.
* [[HappinessInSlavery Happiness in Infestation]]/NotBrainwashed: The species from which the overlord were originally derived willingly summonned the Zerg swarm in the face of starvation. There are some hints that they are still sapient. The few remaining overlords who were infested rather than created are definitely sapient.
* LivingGasbag: They're filled with helium and move with psychic power.
* PowerFloats: They're with the Queen as the only Zerg with psionic skills, they use them to help fly.
* PowerGlows: In the sequel.
* RedShirt: Given how Overlords are the only supply counter that can actually move (and fly, no less), they make for great early game scouts. Whichever Overlord encounters the enemy (especially [[AntiAir Terrans]]) is likely to meet this fate though.
* TrueSight: They can detect burrowed and cloaked units in the first game. In the sequel they need to morph into Overseers to do that.
* UnitsNotToScale: Eight Zerglings fit inside? Well comparing the Zergling model to the Overlord, passable. Four Hydralisks? Maybe if they cram in. Two Ultralisks? Yup, this trope must be in effect.

!! Mutalisk
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Mutalisk_3157.png]]

The standard Zerg flier, they move fast and attack enemies by spewing Glaive Wurms at them, which bounce off the initial target to harm nearby enemies as well.

* ArmorPiercingAttack: A potential evolution for ''Heart of the Swarm's'' campaign.
* CrutchCharacter: Highly effective at making an enemy's life hell early on, especially against non-Terrans since they don't have Marines for easy anti-air. Less useful once heavier anti-air splash damage units like Thors take to the field, though they still remain useful for combined-arms attacks and for harassing any base that's lightly guarded.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution
** Before every breed began doing it in ''Heart of the Swarm'', the Mutalisk could evolve into the Guardian, an anti-ground siege unit, or the Devourer, an anti-air armor-corroding support unit. The Mutalisk served as the JackOfAllStats MasterOfNone to the two.
** The ''Heart of the Swarm'' campaign diversifies them into the Brood Lord or Viper strains, and similar to the Guardian and Devourer, the Brood Lord is an anti-ground siege unit and the Viper is an anti-air support unit.
* FragileSpeedster:
** Their hit-and-run tactics makes them deadly in the hands of a skilled player, and a fleet of Mutalisks can level an enemy base, but in a straight-up fight they're likely to get killed since like most Zerg they aren't very durable, and against larger armies they'll likely be shredded unless backed up by more durable units.
** Interestingly, they are ''not'' this case in the first game thanks to damage types: Most air units are considered "Large" by the game, and as a result most AntiAir attacks are considered "Explosive", which deal full damage to them, but have their damage halved against "Small" units... and Mutalisks happen to be the only attacking "Small" air unit (Apart from the Scourge). While units that could deal full damage to Mutalisks make short work of them, only a handful of such units exist.
* HitAndRunTactics: They're infamous for this. Any player that doesn't know to cover their mineral lines with some anti-air versus Zerg will learn very quickly why that's a good idea.
* LeeroyJenkins: In the first game at least, it is dangerous to leave them unsupervised, as the instant they see ''anything'' they can attack, they will hare off to do so. Even if it's, for instance, the entire enemy team.
* PinballProjectile: Does 9 damage to the first target, 3 to the second and 1 to the third.
* SplashDamage: And a campaign upgrade in ''Heart of the Swarm'' lets them hit even more enemies with it.
* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: They invoked this between the base game and ''Brood War''. Air unit stacking was a glitch and not intended to be part of gameplay, but it made Mutalisks particularly dangerous because they could be massed the easiest of the air units and their splash damage wreaked havoc. This is why Brood War introduced a new air unit for each faction that did splash damage to air units, giving each race a response to help with Mutalisk harassment.
* WeaksauceWeakness:
** Armor upgrades. Armor is straight subtractive, so a target with just 1 armor point takes, instead of 9 + 3 + 1 damage, 8 + 2 + 0.
** In the sequel, Spore Crawlers. Muta harass was a little too prevalent in Zerg-v-Zerg matches, and so Spore Crawlers, the Zerg anti-air turret, were buffed to do 45 damage a hit to other Zerg units. A single Spore Crawler can now kill a Mutalisk in 3 hits.

!! Scourge
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Scourge_2416.png]]

Suicidal dive bombers, they sacrifice themselves to inflict heavy damage to enemy fleets.

* ActionBomb: They attack by ramming themselves into units and exploding.
* FragileSpeedster: Only 25 HP but they're very quick.
* GlassCannon: Only 25 HP but 110 damage.
* OneHitKill: Or at least one volley. In II, Scourge Nests are activated in order to take down the Gorgon Battlecruisers with a swarm of these (so huge they take no damage from regular units).
* TakingYouWithMe: At 110 damage, they heavily weaken whatever they hit and make it easy to finish off.
* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: In ''Heart of the Swarm'' Kerrigan brings them in since they're the only artillery she has that can beat the Gorgon battlecruisers.
* ZergRush: An anti-air version, since they also spawn two at a time and rather quickly.

!! Queen
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Queen_1327.png]]

The Zerg flying spellcaster, she supports the swarm with various delibitating abilities. The Queen of ''[=StarCraft=] II'' is listed with the ''[=StarCraft=] II'' units on that page since it is the Queen InNameOnly. They reappeared in the ''[=Starcraft=] II: Legacy of the Void'' Campaign.

* CrazyEnoughToWork: Using Parasite on critters. Since the AI never targets them (And with enough luck, the human player may not be aware of them), they work as invincible scouts.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the lore the Queen was always like the ''Starcraft II'' Queen, overseeing the base and helping the development of the swarm from behind the front lines. This original Queen was a support and harassment caster unit.
* OneHitKill: Spawn Broodling instantly kills any non-robotic, non-psionic ground unit. Only Archons, Dark Archons, Probes and Reavers cannot be targeted by Spawn Broodling, making the spell more versatile that it could seem at first.
* SeeingThroughAnothersEyes: The Parasite spell lets the Queen's controller see what the targeted unit can see, and it can be used on cloaked or burrowed units, keeping them visible while the parasite lives. It can only be removed by a Medic's Restoration.
* SquishyWizard: With Ensnare (Slows down a group of enemies), Parasite, Spawn Broodling and Infest Command Center, the Queen's spells can be very powerful on the battlefield, but it cannot attack and has as much health as a Mutalisk.
* SpawnBroodling: TropeNamer.
* YouWillBeAssimilated: Their Infest Command Center ability, which does exactly what you'd think.

!! Defiler
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Defiler_5294.png]]

A specialized Zerg strain laying at the top of their tech tree, Defilers can support the swarm with the various toxins it can spew.

* TheBusCameBack: They return in ''Nova Covert Ops''.
* HerdHittingAttack: Plague damages all enemies in an area of effect.
* HollywoodAcid: Plague is said to be very corrosive.
* MonstrousCannibalism: Devour, which kills a friendly zerg and converts it into 50 energy.
* PoisonIsCorrosive: Plague wears down armor plating and steel supports.
* SquishyWizard: A well-placed Dark Swarm or Plague can punch a nice hole in the enemy's defenses, assuming the 80 HP Defiler can get the ability off safely.
* TheTopicOfCancer: On top of being hideously acidic, Plague is also a carcinogen. Defilers are described as "cancer factories"; In fact, the Defiler Mound is said to be little more than a giant tumor so virulent that it poisons ''mineral crystals''. Apparently the zerg are so adaptable they eat cancer for breakfast and then cook up a way to ruin someone's day with it.
* UniversalPoison: Nothing is immune to Plague. Terran Marines, Protoss Photon Cannons, enemy Zerg -- all get infected and damaged at the same rate.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Plague is usually a terrifyingly potent ability... but what if the player has a dedicated team of [[TheMedic Medics]] on hand? Then a few quick applications of Restore can remove it before it does too much damage. Normally only Terrans get this exception, but if a Protoss player uses MindControl to nab an SCV and build their own Medics, they get it too. The only race who never dispel the plague is their fellow Zerg... and their main selling point is that their units are often cheap, disposable and/or affordable.

!! Ultralisk
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Ultralisk_8971.png]]

A massive Zerg breed that looks like an elephant if it was designed by {{Satan}}, they cleave enemies apart with their Kaiser Blades.

* AbsurdlySharpClaws: Per fluff, they have a [[SharpenedToASingleAtom monomolecular edge]].
* AchillesHeel: All that raw power and it ''still'' can't attack air units. Air-to-ground attackers can have a field day bringing it down unless its commander is savvy enough to send Mutalisk or Hyrdalisk air support.
* BalanceBuff: Consistently so; every game they get stronger and stronger.
** Between the original game and ''Brood War'', they got upgrades for their armor and speed.
** In the sequel, they got to deal splash damage, along with an HP buff and an ability to make them immune to enemy attacks that would stun them, along with the ability to burrow.
** In ''Heart of the Swarm'', they got a damage buff. The campaign does not apply the buff, but gives them the mentioned DivergentCharacterEvolution along with the awesome Burrow Charge ability. It also got an immunity to movement-impairing effects alongside those it got in ''Wings of Liberty''.
** In ''Legacy of the Void'', the armor bonus provided by Chitinous Plating was doubled, letting Ultralisks have an Armor of up to 8.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In ''Heart of the Swarm'' they diversify into the Noxious Ultralisk, which emits toxic gas with its attacks to deal even more SplashDamage, or the Torrasque which enters a cocoon when killed and regenerates.
* EliteMook: They're basically the Zerg's ground-based answer to the Battlecruiser and Carrier. Abathur calls it "ultimate expression of Swarm evolution".
* FromNobodyToNightmare: The Brontoliths who were mutated into the Ultralisks were originally {{Gentle Giant}}s.
* GiantMook: A cutscene in ''Heart of the Swarm'' shows them stomping ''siege tanks''.
* HerdHittingAttack: They deal SplashDamage when attacking in ''[=StarCraft=] II''.
* TheJuggernaut: In the sequel. Trying to hold out an Ultralisk with several weak units like in the first game? SplashDamage would like to have a word with you. Stunning it? Mind Control? Snaring? Freezing it right where it is? NoSell (Although the latter is only the case from ''Heart of the Swarm'' onwards). The only way to stop an Ultralisk is to kill it.
* LightningBruiser: As befits the name, they hit hard and take a lot of damage, yet still move quite quickly. In Brood War, they are given a speed upgrade making them about as fast as zerglings, in Heart of the Swarm, they are given a burrow charge ability to quickly close with enemies.
* SharpenedToASingleAtom: Their blades are said to be this as per AbsurdlySharpClaws.
* SinisterScythe: The aforementioned Kaiser Blades.
* SplashDamage: In the sequel.
* StealthyColossus: In the first game, the Ultralisk was the only Zerg ground unit that couldn't burrow. In the sequal, not only can it burrow like the other units (as can its building-sized KingMook counterpart the Omegalisk), it even has an attack where it burrows when a short distance from the enemy and emerges in the enemy's midst.
* YourSizeMayVary: One Ultralisk in the ''Heart of the Swarm'' trailer is large enough to stomp over ''Siege tanks'' and ignore their shots. Another in the ''Legacy of the Void'' one is small enough for an Archon to grapple with it.

!!Infested Terran
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Infested_Terran_947.png]]
-->''"Live for the Swarm!"''

Have a Queen infect a Command Center and this is the result, a Zerg-controlled Terran that will sacrifice his life for the Overmind. In ''[=StarCraft=] II'' multiplayer, they are instead spawned by Infestors.

* ActionBomb: A very dangerous one at 500 damage.
* AwesomeButImpractical: As described under GlassCannon below, they're too fragile to be of any real use, and that's assuming you can even infest a Command Center to use them in the first place, which requires inflicting considerable damage to it, but not destroy, and then send a queen to infest it, which costs time and resources.
* BalanceBuff: They're ''far'' more useful in ''Stacraft II'' and not just because they're spawned by a MookMaker this time around. They're basically buffed up Marines with higher damage and HP. Their major flaws are their timed life and low speed, both of which are forgiveable if you use them properly.
* BodyHorror: Just look at them.
* CuttingTheKnot: Their one appearance in the original campaign has them acting as what amounts to living land mines in an installation level -- mines that will one-shot any of your troops they see. Fortunately it's a Protoss level, and the Infested Terrans can't tell the difference between a Zealot and a hallucination of one created by Tassadar.
* DrivenToSuicide: In ''II'', if you look closely when their timer runs out, you see them put their guns to their heads and blow out their own brains (literally; it can be seen tumbling free of the corpse).
* EliteZombie: Original Flavour infested terrans are '''Boomer''' subtypes, and they hit like nukes.[[note]]That's NotHyperbole: at 500 damage, they do indeed deal as much damage as a Terran nuke.[[/note]] Abberations fit the '''Brute''' subtypes, and Infested Marines are still in possession of their gauss rifles; now loaded with stingers instead of steel spikes. Infested colonists, fit the '''Person Zombie''' subtype; albeit barely, since they're still lucid enough to [[ICannotSelfTerminate beg to be killed]]. All types of infested terran fit the '''Regenerator''' subtype due to the Zerg HealingFactor. The non-canon Tabletop rpg exclusive Mutates fit into '''Test Subject''' and '''Person Zombie'''.
* EyeScream: In the sequel, they have two tentacles that seem to emerge from their eye sockets.
* ForMassiveDamage: The first game's version deal ''the'' most damage of any unit in either game, 500 to be exact, and SplashDamage to boot.
* GlassCannon:
** With 60 HP they aren't going to survive long. With 500 SplashDamage as an attack, the same can be said of their target if they can get there.
** Likewise in the sequel. They are weaker than fully-upgraded Marines (But still effective if in enough numbers and with Neural Parasite support) and they are '''very''' slow at moving across the battlefield.
* ParasiteZombie
* TakingYouWithMe: ''Nothing'' in the campaign takes 500 damage in one shot and survives save for the Torrasque and the DummiedOut Archon Hero. If the Infested Terran explodes on its target, that target is dead.
* TechnicallyLivingZombie: They aren't technically undead, just living humans infected with Zerg parasites. Sometimes they're still conscious.
* YouWillBeAssimilated: They've suffered this fate.
* ZombieGait: Only move half as fast as regular Marines.

!! Guardian
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Guardian_2703.png]]

A massive and slow-moving unit evolved from the Mutalisk, they fire globs of acid to destroy grounded targets from out of conventional ranges.

* BalanceBuff: The Brood Lord of the sequel is essentially the Guardian with more HP and the ability to {{Spawn Broodling}}s when it attacks. Additionally, the Primal Zerg Guardians fought in ''Heart of the Swarm'' have the ability to attack air units as well.
* GiantEnemyCrab: While most Zerg are insectoid or reptilian, the Guardian carries a crustacean vibe with it.
* GlassCannon: Long range. High damage. 150 HP. Terrible movement rates. It's advised players fly their Mutalisks to the attack location and mutate them into Guardians there, because it'll take a long time for the Guardian to get from your base to the enemy's.
* HollywoodAcid: Unlike the Defiler's Plague, it doesn't actually seem to corrode anything.
* [[SiegeEngines Siege Engine]]: An airborne variation.

!! Devourer
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Corrupter_6024.png]]
Another strain derived from the Mutalisk, they launch corrosive acid at enemy fleets that eat away at them and slow them down.

* CripplingOverspecialization: Why they aren't in the sequel. Once the enemy air units are dealt with, these things are dead weight because they can't attack ground units, meaning players who use them end up investing money to sacrifice their mutalisks ground attack capabilities for a unit that is only useful in certain situations.
* MightyGlacier: They move more slowly than the Mutalisk but do much more damage.
* SplashDamage: A curious variation, while in Brood War the Terrans and Protoss got the Valkyrie and Corsair to add this to their fleets, the Mutalisk already did Splash Damage, but it wasn't that strong. Solution: the Devourer itself doesn't do splash damage, but when it attacks the target and nearby units are splashed with acid spores that cause them to take additional damage and attack slower, the Mutalisk is powered up. Their spores can also reveal cloaked units hit with the splash, letting them serve as alternatives to Overlords for detection.
* SupportPartyMember: See above.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Protoss]]
!! Probe
[[quoteright:175:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Probe_1310.png]]

The Protoss gatherer, they collect resources and can place warp beacons to call in structures.

* ActionSurvivor: Frequently the target of mineral line attacks by Hellions, Reapers, Mutalisks, Stalkers, etc.
* BoringButPractical: Again, you're not getting anything done without them.
* FrickinLaserBeams: Their tools for gathering minerals.
* NonActionGuy: Yes, they can technically attack, but it still takes many of them to zap a Zergling to death.
* RedShirt: The likely fate of the unlucky Probe that gets sent on scouting duty.
* RidiculouslyFastConstruction: Averted compared to the SCV and Drone, as the Probe never actually builds anything. When a build command is issued, it places a beacon to mark the point to open a warp rift, and the "construction time" is actually the time it takes to open the rift fully. Once it finishes, the building warps through the rift and appears pre-constructed from somewhere else.
* ShockAndAwe: They fight (inasmuch as they can) with small bolts of electricity.
* WorkerUnit: The Protoss one.

!! Zealot
[[quoteright:219:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/zealot.png]]
-->''"My life for Aiur!"''

The Protoss base unit, stalwart warriors armed with two psi blades extending from their wrists as an emination of the Zealot's psionic powers. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: The Aiur Zealot (capable of area-effect damage), the Nerazim Centurion (capable of stealth-charging through allied units and stunning any nearby enemy targets) and the Purifier Sentinel (capable of rebuilding itself after death once every 120 seconds).

* AnAxeToGrind: The Aiur Zealots are armed with psionic poleaxes.
* AutoRevive: The Sentinel's ability, though they cannot revive again for 120 seconds.
* {{Badass}}: Dollar for dollar, these guys will usually win against marines and zerglings, not counting other forms of support.
* BalanceBuff: The sequel gave them the Charge ability to make them more effective at closing in on enemies and allow them to chase down fleeing units.
** The Auir Zealots got one in a patch since before their attacks only did as much damage one from a normal Zealot, but only attacked once(normal Zealots attack twice) giving them a lower damage output. After the patch they did as much damage with their one attack as other Zealots did with two, making them much better against armored units.
* BattleCry: Noticeably has several, since most other Protoss units are more stoic about combat or are stealth experts (and therefore not into the business of being loud).
* TheBerserker: [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer When All You Have Is A Laser Blade]], everything becomes a target to charge at.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: Two of them, in fact.
* BladeOnAStick: In the campaign in ''Legacy of the Void'', Aiur Zealots fight with psi-polearms instead of the usual wrist-mounted psi blades.
* BoringYetPractical: As with the Marine and Zergling, even in the late game a group of upgraded Zealots can make short work of an unprepared opponent.
* CloseRangeCombatant: Their main weakness is their melee limitations: slicing up Marines isn't the hard part, '''getting''' to them is. Obtaining their [[FlashStep Charge]] attack through research thus bridges the gap between Zealots and Marines somewhat.
* ChewingTheScenery: Very few of their remarks and none of their battle cries don't involve this.
* DualWielding: In the sequel their base damage is listed as 16, but that's the total output since the zealot makes two attacks of 8 each, however, the drawback of this is that their attacks are more penalized by armor. [[labelnote:Explanation]] In both games, armor reduces attacks in a simple reduction, that means, if someone attacks with 3, and the attacked has 2 of armor, the total damage will be 1; because the zealot does two attacks, that means his attack is reduced each time, so if a zealot of 12 base damage attacks a Firebat of 6 armor, he would do no damage to the Firebat[[/labelnote]].
* FlashStep:
** In ''[=StarCraft=] II'' they get "Charge" which lets them quickly charge in on enemies when they get close.
** The Nerazim Centurion has an improved charge that briefly cloaks the unit, and lets it charge through allied units blocking the way. It fits the trope better than the regular Zealot's Charge since, from the enemy's point of view, they seem to have teleported.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: While strong in gameplay, story wise they are made out to be acrobatic [[LightningBruiser Lightning Bruisers]] who move so fast Terrans have difficulty tracking their movements, and their Psionic Blades are effective even against heavy armor on Siege Tanks and Ultralisks
* IncomingHam: All variants have their creation quotes, but the Centurion takes the cake.
--> ''I '''WALK''' the shadowed path!''
* LargeHam: Always screams about [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy honor and glory]].
** Fittingly, they're voiced by Creator/JamiesonPrice in ''Starcraft II''.
* LaserBlade: Psionic blades, actually.
* LightningBruiser: When the Charge upgrade is researched, they can keep up with Marines while losing none of their toughness.
* MightyGlacier: By far the strongest of the basic units, being as tough as a terran Viking, but they are also by far the slowest when not upgraded. In the first game, even the fellow MightyGlacier Dragoon was faster.
* NinjaRun: With speed upgrades they start running like this: one blade hanging behind them and one arm folded sideways so that the blade is held close to them.
* NoIndoorVoice: Whatever they say, they say it loud and proud.
* NotAfraidToDie: A basic requirement to be a Zealot is to be fanatical (or just plain ''crazy'') enough to charge unflinchingly into heavy fire.
* PoweredArmor: That incorporates a teleportation system when they're too badly hurt (in the first game, at least).
* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The most enthusiastic about combat, in contrast to the more reserved High Templar. Taken up a notch in ''Legacy of the Void'': most units, when attacked, tend to state that they are being attacked or call for retreat. The Zealot?
--> ''"WE EMBRACE THE GLORY OF BATTLE!"''
* ScreamingWarrior: A lot of their lines are battle cries or just angry yelling.
* SpinAttack: In ''Legacy of the Void'', Aiur Zealots can perform one of these to deal area-of-effect damage.
* WeaksauceWeakness: Vulnerable to good kiting if trying to chase down Marines, though less of a problem when they get speed upgrades.

!! Dragoon
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Dragoon_1209.png]]
-->''"I have returned..."''

A Protoss walker unit consisting of a robotic shell driven by the body of a wounded Protoss warrior contained within, they fire phase disruptors to attack. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternate Stalker.

* ArtificialStupidity: In the first game. Just like the Goliath, don't expect Dragoons to navigate all but the most open areas well.
* EnergyBall: Their attack.
* FateWorseThanDeath: Many Protoss regard becoming a Dragoon pilot this way -- as a {{Proud Warrior Race| Guy}}, they see becoming wounded or crippled to the point you have to fight using a robotic walker as an unfortunate or shameful thing. Make no mistake, however, that the Protoss contained within the machine is often just as proud and warlike as they were when they were Zealots and/or High Templars, as demonstrated by [[BloodKnight Fenix]].
* LostTechnology: As of the sequel. The facilities to create them were lost after the fall of Aiur, so whichever ones remain have been modified into Immortals. Their role as ranged units capable of attacking airborne enemies is now filled by the Dark Templar replacement, Stalkers. However, they return as the Templar option in ''Legacy of the Void'' when the ''Spear of Adun'' and its Star Forge are recovered.
* ManInTheMachine: All Dragoons are a wounded Protoss in a robotic shell.
* MightyGlacier: Its perk over the Nerazim Stalker and the Purifier Adept in ''Legacy of the Void''. The Dragoon is the most expensive of the three and it has the worst mobility (Stalkers can Blink and Adepts are small and fast) but it has the highest hit points and range of the three. It also deals respectable damage against all targets, while the Stalker is comparatively weak, and the Adept is specialized against Light units.
* SpiderTank: Four legged robots, ayup.
* TheBusCameBack: In ''Legacy of the Void'', the Protoss manage to recover the means to create them in the Spear of Adun, making them available once again.
* WeCanRebuildHim: Their backstory in the lore.

!! High Templar
[[quoteright:150:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_High_Templar_5104.png]]
-->''"Khassar Detemplari..."''

Protoss mystics that have foregone traditional combat training to hone their psionic abilities. They can manifest illusions and call down storms of psychic energy. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: the Aiur High Templar capable of restoring friendly shields with its larger Psionic Storm, The Nerazim Dark Archon, and the Tal'darim Ascendant, capable of dealing heavy damage to a single enemy, moderate area-effect damage in a large line, and draining a friendly unit's health to replenish its own energy.

* AntiAir: Psionic Storm is useful for zapping large clusters of air units out of the sky.
* BalanceBuff: In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, their Psionic Storms now heal the shields of allied units, making them more effective support troops now that players don't need to fear their own casters.
* FusionDance: Can merge with each other to form an Archon.
* GlassCannon: They can do a lot of damage with Psionic Storm, but can't take much damage themselves. The Ascendant takes it up a notch with abilities that can rip through heavy units and clumps of light units alike, but they still can't take a hit, can't morph into Archons, and have to drain health from your own units to restore energy, indirectly decreasing the durability of your army.
* HerdHittingAttack: Psionic Storm.
* HeroicBSOD: This is why they don't appear early in the ''Legacy'' campaign--[[spoiler:the loss of the Khala]] was devastating for them, and implicitly needed therapy before serving again.
* HeroicSacrifice: How their Archon Morph is seen in the lore.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: In ''[=StarCraft=] II'' they inherit the Dark Archon's Feedback, which lets them drain the energy of an enemy unit to inflict damage to them equal to the energy drained. Given a lot of enemy spellcasters tend to have low HP and are sent out with high energy reserves, this tends to be very effective.
* LifeDrain: The Ascendant can refill energy by draining health from an allied unit. This doesn't kill the unit, [[HPToOne leaving it with a minimum of 1 HP]].
* ManaBurn: Feedback destroys an enemy's Energy and deals damage to them as well.
* MasterOfIllusion: Hallucination, which lets them create copies of a unit as distractions. This power is given to Sentries in Starcraft II.
* NonActionGuy: Spells aside, they don't have regular attacks or weapons. In ''Legacy'', they are finally given regular attacks in campaign.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Actually, you'll probably get fried by lightning before you ever get to see them. They switch to blue eyes in the sequel, but the Ascendant picks up where they left off.
* ShockAndAwe: Their famous Psionic Storm.
* SquishyWizard: With 40 HP and 40 shields and a slow movement speed, they won't last long under fire. But Psionic Storm decimates anything that passes through it, even flying units, and in the sequel their Feedback can quickly cripple enemy spellcasters.

!! Dark Templar
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Dark_Templar_1843.png]]
-->''"Adun Toridas..."''

Long ago, the Dark Templar rejected the [[AssimilationPlot Khala]] and so were branded traitors and outcasts, banished from Aiur. Reunited with their brethren in ''Brood War'', they have learned to channel the energies of the Void to render themselves invisible. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: the Nerazim Dark Templar capable of rapidly attacking multiple enemies in a small area, the Aiur Avenger, capable of returning to a Dark Shrine on death, and the Tal'darim Blood Hunter, capable of placing units and structures in stasis.

* AchillesHeel: Vulnerable to TrueSight like other stealth units.
* AscendedExtra: They go from campaign only units in the original to regular units in ''Brood War''.
* BadassBaritone: They're top-tier Protoss fighters and speaks with a low, intimidating voice, as opposed to the LargeHam Khalai Protoss. Averted in the sequel where they're just as hammy.
* BadassBoast: "You could no more evade my wrath than you could your own shadow."
* BadassCape: Their standard attire.
* BladeBelowTheShoulder: While Zealots have dual-blades, the Dark Templar have one.
* CloseRangeCombatant: No ranged abilities, just a LaserBlade and a skilled hand wielding it.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: Merging with other Templars to form Archons is seen in-universe as a dangerous action, reserved only for the greatest of perils.
* DarkIsNotEvil: The Dark Templars are no less heroic than the High Templars -- they just use a different source of power.
* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: The Avenger are recalled back to a Dark Shrine and can be used again after "death" (as long as the cooldown isn't active).
* DiagonalCut: Even heavily armored units are bisected by a single, deep slice.
* DoubleWeapon: After ''Wings'', Dark Templar can appear as either their classic Lenassa form (pictured) or a double-bladed warp scythe wielding Zer'atai form.
* FlashStep: In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, base Nerazim Dark Templar gain an ability that lets them rapidly teleport around an area, attacking enemies multiple times. Vorazun in Co-op Mode retains this upgrade for them and adds in the Stalker's Blink, a short-range teleport.
* {{Foil}}: Fast moving heavy-hitting attacker to contrast the High Templar's slow-moving heavy-hitting spellcaster.
* GlassCannon: Move at a respectable pace and do heavy damage, but very easy to kill if detected due to their low HP and shields.
* TheHeretic: In the lore, but they're actually heroic, friendly and ironically can be more reasonable than some of the Khalai Protoss, especially [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Aldaris]]. By the time of ''Brood War'' they became [[EnemyMine an undeniable part of the Protoss military]] due to their ability to assassinate Cerebrates permanently.
* HitAndRunTactics: They can only be seen by Detectors due to their permanent cloaking ability, which makes them ideal for harassment and dirty tactics like this.
* IAmTheNoun: In ''II'', they say "I am the darkness" in one of their quotes.
* ImportantHaircut: Sort of. Those long, hairlike appendages regular Protoss have at the top of their skulls serves as their psychic link to the Khala. The Dark Templars' are noticeably cut short in a kind of SamuraiPonytail.
* InstantAwesomeJustAddNinja: How they tend to act in the lore, where they're treated as shadowy assassins. Also carries into the game, since they're best used in small teams as base raiders and scouts, wreaking havoc on an unprepared opponent then retreating into the shadows before they can react.
* InvisibilityCloak: Permanently invisible without using energy.
* LaserBlade: They wield Warp Blades, similar to the Zealot's Psi Blades but formed from void energies.
* NinjaRun: They do this just like the Zealots, though more fittingly since they are effectively ninja.
* PowerOfTheVoid: Their source of energy and how they cloak themselves.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Too bad you can't see them before the Dark Templar carves you up.
* SinisterScythe: In ''Starcraft II'', though it has no effect on gameplay, Dark Templar randomly spawn armed with their original wrist-mounted Warp blades, or these.
* SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset: In II, they wear Zerg carapaces and mandibles as armor, giving one variant a Predator look.
* StealthExpert: Though they stay cloaked even when it's highly obvious that a Dark Templar has infiltrated (unless revealed using TrueSight).
* TacticalRockPaperScissors: In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, they get a Shadow Fury ability that hits up to 5 targets for 35 spell damage. Spell damage ignores armor, making Dark Templar perfect for slicing up Zergling swarms with ease.

!! Archon
[[quoteright:200:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Archon_6438.png]]
-->''"The merging is complete..."''

The pinnacle of Protoss psionic power, formed by two High Templar sacrificing their bodies to manifest as an orb of pure energy. They can decimate enemies with bolts of energy.

* CastFromLifespan: Within the lore Archons usually burn themselves out shortly after being created, which is why it is a...
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: The sacrifice is seen as one of the highest a Protoss can make, and Archons are greatly honored for their valor.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
** In the sequel, any two Templar can merge to form a normal Archon. No story explanation has been given for how this is possible, as two Dark Templar merging used to create a Dark Archon, and one of each Templar merging tends to [[YinYangBomb have explosive results]]. While the outlawing of the Dark Archon [[GodzillaThreshold has an excuse]], the changed results of the merging Templar does not.
** The creation of an Archon is supposedly the ultimate sacrifice the High Templar can make... in-game, they're basically the next step in using High Templar once they're out of energy.
* KryptoniteFactor: Archons are really beefy, with hundreds of HP. Unfortunately, almost all of those are shields, so in both games they're highly vulnerable to [=EMPs=].
* LightningBruiser: They hit hard and have a lot of shields. They aren't very speedy, but are far from slow.
* PowerFloats: They technically hover over the ground rather than walk.
* PureEnergy: They're an embodiment of it.
* ShockAndAwe: Their attack is a bolt of psionic lightning.
* SplashDamage: They deal it with their normal attacks.
* WeaksauceWeakness: For all their power and huge amounts of shields, they're still highly vulnerable to an EMP. They have a grand total of 10 real hit points, as much as a Zerg larva without the armor.

!! Dark Archon
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Dark_Archon_3715.png]]
-->''"We are as one..."''

An ancient secret long forbidden to the Dark Templar for the sheer danger of it, the Dark Archon is formed by the dark energy of two Dark Templar merging together. They can shroud enemies in a paralyzing maelstrom and drain their energy reserves, but the greatest expression of their great power is the ability to dominate enemy minds. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternate High Templar.

* AndIMustScream: StopPokingMe quotes include screams of agony and "Adun save me..." [[HorrorHunger They're also consumed by a need to feed]], but no LifeDrain, unfortunately.
* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In ''Legacy of the Void'', they swap out Maelstrom for Confusion, which causes enemies to attack each other for a short time. They also keep their MindControl ability.
* CastFromLifespan: Same as the original Archon.
* DangerousForbiddenTechnique: InUniverse, the creation of a Dark Archon is this. In-game, using Mind Control makes the Archon lose its shields and leaves them very vulnerable.
* DifficultButAwesome: The Dark Archon's Mind Control can be used to capture the enemy's [=SCVs=], Drones and/or Probes. Doing so allows you to create buildings and units from that unit's TechTree. While this could be called AwesomeButImpractical due to the difficulty in manning 2-3 separate tech-trees (and thus extra expansions which would have to be defended in the same way as existing expansions), you don't actually have to build up entire additional armies -- you can settle for building units which shore up holes in the Protoss ranks. Zealots, High Templars and Dark Templars benefit from a Terran Medic's Healing just as much as Marines, Firebats and Ghosts, and their Restore ability provides an otherwise unobtainable counter to the Zerg's [[TheTopicOfCancer Plague]] debuff (and others likewise), for example, and a Zealot-Dragoon charge would be just as intimidating with a few Zerg Ultralisks bolstering their push. Really, the player's economy is the main obstacle to overcome and ultimately the only real skills required to make this strategy work are due diligence to prevent your opponent destroying your Terran/Zerg allies and a little creativity with the units you field.
* EldritchAbomination: Let's see, look at it itself.
* {{Foil}}: Reversed from the two Templar types, the Dark Archon is a potent spellcaster but has no attack, while the standard Archon has only pure brute attack power and no spells. Averted in the Legacy of the Void Campaign, where Dark Archons are spellcasters ''and'' attackers.
* GodzillaThreshold: In the lore, they were finally allowed to be born when [[spoiler:Aldaris]] rebelled and lead a Protoss force headed by Archons against the Dark Templar. None of the involved parties were particularly joyous that their war had come to this, which is why by ''Stacraft II'' the Dark Archon's creation is outlawed again, until things get even worse in ''Legacy of the Void''.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Their Feedback drains the energy of enemy units and deals damage equal to the energy lost. Against many units this is a OneHitKO, since most spellcasters aren't very durable and are going to be sent out with lots of energy.
* ManaBurn: Feedback, which causes energy to be converted into equivalent damage.
* MindControl: One of their powers, actually named exactly that. All units seized in this manner get their own supply level separate from the player's, which means that if an enemy worker is mind-controlled, they can be used to construct buildings for their separate race using resources from the player's pool and produce units of that race as selected.
* PowerFloats: As with the original Archon.
* PureEnergy: Ditto.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Red ''everything'', including yes, the eyes.
* TheBusCameBack: Dark Archons are available as alternate units to the High Templar in the LoTV Campaign. Since having a Dark Archon means you don't have Archons (Dark Templars can't merge into Protoss in the Legacy of the Void campaign) either, the Dark Archon has Mind Control, Confusion, and the attacking capabilities of an Archon!

!! Reaver
[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Reaver_9735.png]]

A Protoss robot equipped with on-board manufacturing facilities used to construct bombs called Scarabs. They move slowly but can decimate enemies. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternative to the Colossus.

* AnimalMecha: Unambiguously a giant slug.
* BalanceBuff: In the sequel campaign, they can auto-manufacture Scarabs and do it without a mineral cost.
* HitAndRunTactics: [[CombinationAttack Combined it with a Shuttle]] it can do this, able to slip into enemy lines, launch its scarabs, then re-enter the Shuttle and escape before defenders arrive. Reaver Drops are used in professional games as a form of devastating harassment tactic.
* MightyGlacier: A couple of good scarab shots can cripple armies and destroy worker lines and the Reaver is tough as nails, but it's the slowest unit in the game. This is why Shuttles are so vital to getting proper use out of them.
* MobileFactory: They're armed with on-board facilities to manufacture scarabs in the field.
* MookMaker: Unlike the Carrier's, the scarabs can't be targeted by enemies.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: They were initially in ''Starcraft II'', but their role overlapped with the Colossus (splash-damage siege unit), and despite the fan love for the Reaver, Colossi were simply better at their job than them, so they were cut. ''Legacy of the Void'' adds them back to the campaign as an alternative to the Colossus for robotic siege units, but it cannot avoid falling to this trope despite getting some major buffs - in particular, the fact the Tal'darim Vanguard does everything the Reaver can with support from Havocs, except better, while being lower on the TechTree. The unavailability of the Warp Prism to the player also prevents using the Reaver's trademark HitAndRunTactics, with the only alternative being the expensive Arbiter.
* [[SiegeEngines Siege Engine]]: Attacks from outside the range of conventional defenses and can hit without being seen by enemy units.
* SplashDamage: Their scarabs deal damage across a large area.
* StuffBlowingUp: The fate of anything they aim at, more likely than not.
* TheBusCameBack: Like Dragoons, the Spear of Adun allows the Protoss to bring them back in ''Legacy of the Void''.

!! Scout
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Scout_4991.png]]
-->''"Teleport successful."''

The Protoss aircraft and the backbone of their fleet, they launch anti-matter missiles at aerial foes and photon blasters at ground targes.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Their armaments makes them the best of the three base air units in battle, but they have much higher resource costs at 275/125 compared to 150/100 for the Wraith and 100/100 for the Mutalisk. As well, while the Mutalisk is an effective hit-and-run attacker and the Wraith's cloaking lets it be a base raider, the Scout has... nothing. All it has is its superior firepower, which isn't ''that'' superior to make up for the much higher resource cost. For a point of comparison, a single Scout costs more to build than two Dragoons or a single Reaver, and either one is far more cost-effective and useful than the Scout.
* CoolStarship: Sleek, fast, and well-armed.
* DemotedToExtra: Seen in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'' a few times as a campaign unit but is otherwise replaced by the Phoenix. They don't even appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as a player-available unit; AI enemies have them, but the player never does.
* NonindicativeName:
** They're fast, well-armed and armored, and capable of beating a Wraith or Mutalisk in a 1-on-1 fight with ease, but the Protoss only consider them "scouts." Lore flavor text explains it's because of the vast difference in power -- for the Protoss, the Scout ''is'' a lightly armored scout flyer, but against the "inferior technology" of the Terrans, it's seen as a powerful fighter craft.
** In a gameplay sense, Scouts are far too expensive and slow to build to be used as scouts. Observers are more cost effective and are cloaked to boot.
* SpaceFighter: As with the Wraith, they're used in space and on planetfall.
* SpacePlane: It's design aesthetic.

!! Corsair
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Corsair_2229.png]]
-->''"It is a good day to die!"''

Spacecraft designed by the Dark Templar, they move fast and launch neutral flares from their hull to rapidly attack enemies. They can also project disruption webs, creating electromagnetic fields on the ground that prevent units and structures from attacking. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternate Phoenix.

* AIBreaker: In ''Legacy of the Void'', casting Disruption Web will make whatever enemy AI ground units were in its area escape. In a choke point, clever placement of multiple webs can make the enemy units run in circles, never doing anything.
* CoolStarship: One of the speediest units in the game with a powerful ability.
* FragileSpeedster: Fastest ship in the Protoss military, but easier to destroy than the Scout and not much on the offensive. When compared to the Wraith or Mutalisk however, that doesn't mean much.
* SplashDamage: Their flares deal it to tear up stacked units.
* SupportPartyMember: They're best used for their Disruption Webs to neutralize ground targets.
* TheBusCameBack: They return in ''Legacy of the Void'' as the Nerazim variant of the Phoenix.

!! Shuttle
[[quoteright:60:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Shuttle_8137.png]]

The Protoss transport, a simple carrier vessel that has the distinction of being the fastest transport of the races with its speed upgrade.

In the sequel's first expansion, ''Heart of the Swarm'', a flier called the Shuttle appears during one campaign mission. However, [[InNameOnly it's a huge, slow-moving, fairly beefy, different-looking ship, and is a mission objective to be destroyed rather than a typical techtree unit used to drop off ground units]].

* BoringYetPractical: With their speed boost, in the original game they were the fastest of the three transports. But much like the Terran Dropship, transportation is all it did.
* DropShip: Their role as unit transport.
* NonActionGuy: No attack and easily killed by air turrets. Find a safe place for the drop then get it out.
* PutOnABus: The Warp Prism took its place in ''VideoGame/StarCraftII''.

!! Observer
[[quoteright:110:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Observer_2609.png]]

A small flying drone armed with a cloaking field, it acts as a spy and escort, detecting invisible and burrowed units and watching points of interest.

* BoringButPractical: They don't do anything except act as detectors, but their low cost, fast build time and decent movement rate makes them quick and simple to deploy. Their cloaking ability meanwhile makes them the ideal scout, able to slip into an opponent's base and see what they're doing without being caught, and they can be sent out in numbers to watch points of interest for opposing armies on the move or expansions under construction.
* CoolButInefficient: In the first game, they were cheap and readily available once you unlocked them but required their own building on the Protoss TechTree -- the Observatory -- to be unlocked. This was removed in ''Starcraft II''.
* InvisibilityCloak: Same as the Dark Templar.
* NonActionGuy: No basic attack, no armour and if spotted and attacked, they'll go down in seconds.
* SpyBot: Their role.
* {{Spy Satellite|s}}: They're also used as this in the lore.
* TrueSight: The Protoss detector for burrowed and cloaked units.

!! Carrier
[[quoteright:225:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Carrier_6429.png]]
-->''"Carrier has arrived."''

The Protoss flagship. Although they aren't armed with weapons of their own, they house swarms of small robotic drones called Interceptors that can be launched to fight for them. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: the Aiur Carrier capable of repairing nearby mechanical units, the Purifier Tempest, and the Tal'darim Mothership.

* AIBreaker: By default, units would target the interceptors rather than the Carrier that is launching them. If you ensure they do not return, your Carriers will be safe from most danger.
* AttackDrone: The dozens of Interceptors it launches do the real damage.
* BalanceBuff: [[CoolButInefficient A very necessary one]] in ''Legacy of the Void''. Carriers now have the ability to launch all of its interceptors from and to anywhere, self-destructing after 60 seconds. This lets Carriers attack without exposing themselves to the enemy. After all, interceptors only cost 25 minerals.
* TheBattlestar: The lore indicates that they are also armed with {{Wave Motion Gun}}s used for [[EarthShatteringKaboom purifying Zerg-infested planets]]. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation You don't ever have one of these kinds]].
* CombatMedic: The ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign gives the Carrier repair drones which restore HP to nearby mechanical units, allowing them to keep your Void Rays/Colossi/Immortals alive while sending swarms of Interceptors at the enemy.
* CoolButInefficient: On the one hand, having a ship that can fire off drones to deal with enemies is pretty cool. On the other hand, they are high up on the tech tree, very expensive, don't deal super-high damage given that their drones deal barely any damage against anything with armor, and pretty much any mobile anti-air unit in sufficient quantities can counter them for less cost. They don't even get AwesomeButImpractical because they don't do enough to qualify as "Awesome".
** Finally averted in ''Legacy of the Void'' with the shorter Interceptor build time and the Release Interceptors ability. Carriers are still a late-game unit, but if a game actually ''gets'' to the late game, they become one of the best weapons the Protoss have at their disposal. Some have even gone so far as to compare them to the pre-nerf Swarm Hosts from ''Heart of the Swarm''.
* DeathOfAThousandCuts: Interceptors will wear down enemies bit by bit, meaning it can take a while to finally take down an enemy capital ship.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: An InvokedTrope for WordOfGod. Even though they're useless competitively, and Blizzard has acknowledged this, they can't seem to bring themselves to give it the axe for the sequel. They were initially cut, then came back, were going to be cut in ''Heart of the Swarm'', and then were brought back again. Both times the reason sited was emotional attachment to the original unit. In a developer's post after the release of ''Legacy of the Void'' they pretty much acknowledged the trope, noting that Carriers currently don't see much use, but that's what makes them "cool" on the rare times they ''are'' used in competitive matches.
* MagikarpPower: An unconventional example for the entire army. A single Carrier is much less dangerous than a single Battlecruiser since their interceptors don't have great DPS and the Carrier is easily focused down. With a ''fleet'' of Carriers however, their DPS reaches very high levels, and if the opponent tries to focus down a Carrier it can retreat out of and let its allies fight, then stop and relaunch its interceptors from safety. In short, Carriers get exponentially more dangerous the more of them you have.
* MightyGlacier: They move very slowly but deal a lot of damage.
* MobileFactory: Constructs interceptors while in flight.
* MookMaker: Interceptors actually count as units that can be targeted and shot down, though their speed makes it hard to focus them down one by one.
* WaveMotionGun: Lore-wise they carry Purifier beams that can pierce a planet's crust, but of course they don't have them in gameplay.

!! Arbiter
[[quoteright:65:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Starcraft_Arbiter_6655.png]]
-->''"Warp fields stabilized."''
Support vessels piloted by members of the Judicator Caste, they act as anchors in reality for time-space rifts that render nearby allies invisible and warp in reinforcements from a distance. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternate Void Ray.

* AwesomeButImpractical:
** As with the Ghost higher up the page, they're very powerful when fully upgraded but lie at the top of the tech tree and require a large investment of time and resources to deploy. Their stealth ability also renders other powerful units invulnerable except for themselves, meaning that if there's any arbiters around, they get focus-fired.
** In Protoss vs Terran match up, the Arbiter is the staple unit when dealing with Terran Mech army death ball at the late game. Stasis Field is useful to cut Terran's army in half when you engaging Terran's army head on. And the [[MassTeleportation Recall]] is very useful to attack Terran's expansion and force Terran player to stretch their defenses. The only gripe is you need to have enough APM and micro to utilize their skill effectively. At that point Arbiter will become DifficultButAwesome.
* EnergyBall: Their attack, which is a weaker version of the Dragoon's.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation:
** Their pilots, as members of the Judicator Caste, outrank you (the Executor). One of their StopPokingMe quotes lampshades this, as they accuse you of procrastinating and threaten to take control if you don't get moving.
* InvisibilityCloak: Cloaks nearby units without using any energy, though this doesn't affect other Arbiters.
* MassTeleportation: Recall brings a group of allied units right below the Arbiter.
* NonActionGuy: Though they have an attack, they are definitely not fit for fighting.
* TheBusCameBack: The Daelaam recover the Arbiter schematics in ''Legacy of the Void'' when they find the Spear of Adun, and they can be built in the campaign.
* TimeStandsStill: Stasis Field makes a group of enemy units invulnerable, but also unable to do anything.
[[/folder]]

----

* EliteZombie: Original Flavour infested terrans are '''Boomer''' subtypes; and they hit like nukes. Abberations fit the '''Brute''' subtypes, and Infested Marines are still in possession of their gauss rifles; now loaded with stingers instead of steel spikes. Infested colonists, fit the '''Person Zombie''' subtype; albeit barely, since they're still lucid enough to [[ICannotSelfTerminate beg to be killed]]. All types of infested terran fit the '''Regenerator''' subtype due to the Zerg HealingFactor. The non-canon Tabletop rpg exclusive Mutates fit into '''Test Subject''' and '''Person zombie'''.

* GlassCannon: They can do a lot of damage with Psionic Storm, but can't take much damage themselves.

* RedEyesTakeWarning: Actually, you'll probably get fried by lightning before you ever get to see them.

* WaveMotionGun: Lore-wise they carry Purifier beams that can pierce a planet's crust, but of course they have them in gameplay.

* BalanceBuff: A minor one in ''Legacy of the Void'', but significant enough for HitAndRunTactics: Medivacs can carry Siege Tanks in Siege Mode. Just make sure the enemy does not see the Medivac carrying it, as much like a Thor, the Siege Tank will be visible.

Long ago, the Dark Templar rejected the [[{{Instrumentality}} Khala]] and so were branded traitors and outcasts, banished from Aiur. Reunited with their brethren in ''Brood War'', they have learned to channel the energies of the Void to render themselves invisible. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: the Nerazim Dark Templar capable of rapidly attacking multiple enemies in a small area, the Aiur Avenger, capable of returning to a Dark Shrine on death, and the Tal'darim Blood Hunter, capable of placing units and structures in stasis.

* MightyGlacier: A couple of good scarab shots can cripple armies and destroy worker lines, but the Reaver is the slowest unit in the game. This is why Shuttles are so vital to getting proper use out of them.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: They were initially in ''Starcraft II'', but their role overlapped with the Colossus (splash-damage siege unit), and despite the fan love for the Reaver, Colossi were simply better at their job than them, so they were cut. ''Legacy of the Void'' adds them back to the campaign as an alternative to the Colossus for robotic siege units, but it cannot avoid falling to this trope despite getting some major buffs - in particular, the fact the Tal'darim Vanguard does everything the Reaver can, except better, while being lower on the TechTree. The unavailability of the Warp Prism to the player also prevents using the Reaver's trademark HitAndRunTactics, with the only alternative being the expensive Arbiter.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: In ''Starcraft II''. Their real selling point is their speed, which doesn't matter much when the units with the most firepower are too slow to keep up with them, as are most other aircraft. You'd get better results from building a mix of Vikings and Banshees, which would fulfil the same purpose while dealing better damage on both fronts due to both units being more specialised.

* OneHitKill: In II, Scourge Nests are activated in order to take down the Gorgon Battlecruisers (so huge they take no damage from regular units).

* NotAfraidToDie: A basic requirement to be a Zealot is to be fanatical (or just plain ''crazy'') to charge unflinchingly into heavy fire.

* ProudWarriorRaceGuy: The most enthusiastic about combat, in contrast to the more reserved High Templar.

* ForMassiveDamage: They deal ''the'' most damage of any unit in either game, 500 to be exact, and SplashDamage to boot.

* SpinAttack: In ''Legacy of the Void'', Aiur Zealots can perform one of these to deal area-of-effect dmaage.

* FateWorseThanDeath: Many Protoss regard becoming a Dragoon pilot this way -- as a {{Proud Warrior Race| Guy}}, they see becoming wounded or crippled to the point you have to fight using a robotic walker as an unfortunate or shameful thing. Make no mistake, however, that the Protoss contained within the machine is often just as proud and warrior-like as they were when they were Zealots and/or High Templars, as demonstrated by [[BloodKnight Fenix]].

* SquishyWizard: With 40 HP and 40 shields and a slow movement speed, they won;t last long under fire. But Psionic Storm decimates anything that passes through it, even flying units, and in the sequel their Feedback can quickly cripple enemy spellcasters.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: The Avenger are recalled back to a Dark Shrine and can be used again after "death".

* GlassCannon: Move at a respectable pace and do heavy damage, but very easy to kill due to their low HP and shields.

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the sequel, any two Templar can merge to form a normal Archon. No story explanation has been given for how this is possible, as two Dark Templar merging used to create a Dark Archon, and one of each Templar merging tends to [[YinYangBomb have explosive results]]. While the outlawing of the Dark Archon [[GodzillaThreshold has an excuse]], the changed results of the merging Templar does not.

* WeaksauceWeakness: For all their power and huge amounts of shields, they're still higly vulnerable to an EMP. They have a grand total of 10 real hit points, as much as a Zerg larva without the armor.

* {{Foil}}: Reversed from the two Templar types, the Dark Archon is a potent spellcaster but has no attack, while the standard Archon has only pure brute attack power and no spells. Averted in the Legacy of the Void Campaign, where Dark Archons are spellcasters and attackers.

A Protoss robot equipped with on-board manufacturing facilities used to construct bombs called Scarabs. They move slowly but can decimate enemies. They appear in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign as an alternate Colossus.

** In Protoss vs Terran match up, the Arbiter is the staple unit when dealing with Terran Mech army death ball at the late game. Stasis Field is useful to cut Terran's army in half when you engaging Terran's army head on. And the [[MassTeleportation Recall]] is very useful to attack Terran's expansion and force Terran player to stretch their defenses. The only gripe is you need to have enough APM and micro to utilize their skill effectively. At that point Arbiter will become DifficultButAwesome

* BadassBaritone: They're top-tier Protoss fighters and speaks with a low, intimidating voice, as opposed to the LargeHam khalai Protoss.

* PowerArmor: Like all Terran infantry, the PowerArmor is designed to survive space vacuum first, [[BoxedCrook miniature prison]] second, and actual protection third. The result is that Marines' gauss rifles will tear straight through the glorified space suits and they don't fare any better against heavier weapons.

* TechnicallyLivingZombie: They aren't technically undead, just living humans infected with Zerg parasites.

* BoringButPractical: Again, you're not getting anything done with them.

* ChewingTheScenery: Very few of their remarks and none of their battle cries involve this.

** Fittingly, they're voiced by Creator/JamiesonPrice in ''Starcraft II''

The Protoss base unit, stalwart warriors armed with two psi blades extending from their wrists as an emination of the Zealot's psionic powers. In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, there are three variants: The Aiur Zealot capable of area-effect damage, the Nerazim Centurion, capable stealth-charging through allied units and stunning any nearby enemy targets, and the Purifier Sentinel, capable of rebuilding itself after death once every 120 seconds.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Their armaments makes them the best of the three base air units in battle, but they have much higher resource costs at 275/125 compared to 150/100 for the Wraith and 100/100 for the Mutalisk. As well, while the Mutalisk is an effective hit-and-run attacker and the Wraith's cloaking lets it be a base raider, the Scout has... nothing. All it has is its superior firepower, which isn't ''that'' superior. If you need an anti-air fighter, you're better off with the Corsair; much cheaper (150/100), much faster, it has Disruption Web, and it builds in half the time as a Scout.

* NonindicativeName: They're fast, well-armed and armored, and capable of beating a Wraith or Mutalisk in a 1-on-1 fight with ease and the Protoss only consider them ''scouts''. In a gameplay sense, they are are also too expensive to be used as scouts. Observers are more cost effective and are cloaked to boot.

* MagneticWeapons: Their "rifles" are actually coilguns, which is how they can fire in space. Though they still make noise like regular rifles, they don't eject shells and fire very small bits of ammunition, which is how their magazines can hold such [[MoreDakka ludicrous amounts of ammunition]] [[BottomlessMagazines without running dry]]. Theoretically, anyway. (The art team didn't always get the memo; which has grown an [[{{EpilepticTrees}} Epilectic Tree]] about them being hybrids of old-fashioned cartridge-based assault rifle and fancy space gun.)
** Actually, some of the newest lore, namely Starcraft Field Manual, confirms the hybrid guns theory to be true.

* FlashStep: In the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign, base Nerazim Dark Templar gain an ability that lets them rapidly teleport around an area, attacking enemies multiple times.

* TookALevelInBadass: In the sequel they not only have ''much'' higher HP, but they have an armor upgrade for a base 3 armor, making them much better at being the Marine support fighters they were intended to be all along.

* TookALevelInBadass: A minor one in ''Legacy of the Void'', but significant enough for HitAndRunTactics: Medivacs can carry Siege Tanks in Siege Mode. Just make sure the enemy does not see the Medivac carrying it, as much like a Thor, the Siege Tank will be visible.

* TookALevelInBadass: Take one Dropship. Give it the Medic's Heal ability, thereby freeing up supply for more units since you don't need Medics and making your healer more durable and able to access injured troops more easily. Behold the Medivac. (Just...[[BerserkButton don't call it a Heal Bus]].)

* TookALevelInBadass: The Raptor strain; which is faster, tougher, and can scale cliffs; and can pull off a DeadlyLunge

* TookALevelInBadass: It seems every time the Ultralisk appears, they just get more and more awesome.
** Between the original game and ''Brood War'', they got upgrades for their armor and speed.
** In the sequel, they got to deal splash damage, along with an HP buff and an ability to make them immune to enemy attacks that would stun them, along with the ability to burrow.
** In ''Heart of the Swarm'', they got a damage buff. The campaign does not apply the buff, but gives them the mentioned DivergentCharacterEvolution along with the awesome Burrow Charge ability. It also got an immunity to movement-impairing effects alongside those it got in ''Wings of Liberty''.
** In ''Legacy of the Void'', the armor bonus provided by Chitinous Plating was doubled, letting Ultralisks have an Armor of up to 8.

* TookALevelInBadass: They're ''far'' more useful in ''Stacraft II'' and not just because they're spawned by a MookMaker this time around. They're basically buffed up Marines with higher damage and HP. Their major flaws are their timed life and low speed, both of which are forgiveable if you use them properly.

* TookALevelInBadass: The Brood Lord of the sequel is essentially the Guardian with more HP and the ability to {{Spawn Broodling}}s when it attacks. Additionally, the Primal Zerg Guardians fought in ''Heart of the Swarm'' have the ability to attack air units as well.

* TookALevelInBadass: Not exactly the High Templar, but their Psionic Storm takes one in the ''Legacy of the Void'' campaign - not only it becomes FriendlyFireproof, but ''it restores your units' shields''.

* TookALevelInBadass: [[CoolButInefficient A very necessary one]] in ''Legacy of the Void''. Carriers now have the ability to launch all of its interceptors from and to anywhere, self-destructing after 60 seconds. This lets Carriers attack without exposing themselves to the enemy. After all, interceptors only cost 25 minerals.