History YMMV / Starcraft

** ''[=StarCraft=]: Frontline'': In this four-part comic series, [[MadScientist Dr. Stanley Burgess]] is a sadistic Terran Dominion scientist who personally oversaw the neural resocialization of Jin-ho Lim, a terran of Asian ethnicity who opposed the Terran Dominion but was conscripted into the Dominion Marine Corps. After the operation, Stanley ordered the now-docile Lim to kill his wife and fellow Terran Dominion opposer, Anna, and he complied by shooting her in the face without a moment's hesitation. He also was responsible for the creation of the terran/Protoss Gestalts by implanting the organs of captured Protoss into terrans controlled by neural conditioning and neural inhibitors. His project came to an end after one of his subjects, Gestalt Zero, was freed from his neural inhibitors by a dying Protoss and stabbed him to death, [[IronicEcho ironically echoing one his previous comments]]: "I should warn you...this is probably going to hurt."

* MostAnnoyingSound: Minerals.
--> ''"YOU MUST {{CONSTRUCT ADDITIONAL PYLONS}}!"''

** Kerrigan crosses it when she kills Duke and Fenix, particularly the latter. They, along with Raynor and Mengsk, helped her secure control of her Broods and significantly push back the UED's occupation of the sector, and then she turned on them, killed Duke and Fenix, and decimated their armies, while they were still recovering from the siege of Korhal. Kerrigan's rationale is a weak concern that they might become a threat to her in the future, even though they had no intent to betray her and just didn't trust her, a fear that Kerrigan completely validates with her treachery. This is a major reason Kerrigan became a BaseBreakingCharacter when ''Heart of the Swarm'' gave her CharacterDevelopment from a VillainProtagonist to a NobleDemon -- after her KickTheDog betrayal of her allies and showing no remorse for doing it, some fans felt that she had no hope of earning redemption.

** Kerrigan crosses it when she kills Duke and Fenix, betraying them immediately after allying with them to overthrow the UED, and doing it for little purpose other than they might become a threat to her in the future -- a moot point since they were her allies and had no intention to betray her, they just didn't fully trust her. A major point of contention with ''Heart of the Swarm'' is that it follows Kerrigan's CharacterDevelopment from VillainProtagonist to a NobleDemon, when some fans feel that after ''Brood War'' she had no chance for redemption for what she did.
** Mengsk keeps edging up to it until he finally jumps over it by sacrificing Kerrigan so that the Protoss will be unable to save Tarsonis from the Swarm. An early draft for the ending to ''Heart of the Swarm'' would have Mengsk torture Kerrigan using a device he implies to have had with him even while she worked for him, when telling her that he always considered Kerrigan "an animal". Might very well be true considering how, in novels, Mengsk specifically recruited Kerrigan because she was the assassin who had (while brainwashed) killed his parents, and he had plotted revenge ever since.

* VindicatedByHistory: When ''[=StarCraft=]'' was first released, there were reviewers that saw it as just another formulaic RTS game, one that could not offer complex gameplay, did not have state-of-the-art graphics, and had poor AI - that all it could do was appease the old ''Warcraft'' fans. Yet 20 years later, it has a massively popular esports culture centered around it, and its story is remembered very fondly - not to mention that since its release, ''[=StarCraft=]'' had a custom map and campaign community that few other games could match, thanks to its Campaign Editor.

* FanNickname: "Artie" for Artanis.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome[=/=]StopHavingFunGuys[=/=]TheSocialDarwinist: Apparently the tactics to playing the game in Multiplayer are set in stone. Trying anything new would result in the game quickly ending for you and/or your allies shunning you. Also, some of the seasoned players do not take too well to being teamed up with new players, even going as far as to verbally abuse the newbie and even bullying the newbie into leaving the game, by means of attacking the newbie's base, '''despite the newbie being an ally'''.

** [[TheDragon Amon's follower]] , the unnamed Xel'Naga best known as Samir Duran or Emil Narud, disguised himself as a Terran soldier, allowing the Zerg to overrun the Earth forces in several battles, killing many. When the officer Alexei Stukov realized what Duran had done, Duran [[FrameUp framed Stukov as a traitor]] and had him murdered. Allying with the Zerg, Duran helped the Swarm overrun entire worlds, all while [[MadScientist experimenting on captives]] to create the Protoss-Zerg hybrids Amon sought in order to help free his master from the Void. Devoted to Amon's nihilistic ambitions and seeing all other beings as pawns in his grand game, Duran achieved a level of damage in the galaxy few could match in order to free his master and bring about the end of all other species.

* VindicatedByHistory: When ''[=StarCraft=]'' was first released, there were reviewers that saw it as just another formulaic RTS game, one that could not offer complex gameplay, did not have state-of-the-art graphics, and had poor AI - that all it could do was appease the old ''Warcraft'' fans. Yet 20 years later, it has a massively popular esports culture centered around it, and its story is remembered very fondly - not to mention that since its release, ''[=StarCraft=]'' had a custom map and campaign community that few other games could match.

* VindicatedByHistory: When ''[=StarCraft=]'' was first released, there were reviewers that saw it as just another formulaic RTS game, one that could not offer complex gameplay, did not have state-of-the-art graphics, and had poor AI - that all it could do was appease the old ''Warcraft'' fans. Yet 20 years later, it has a massively popular esports culture centered around it, and its story is remembered very fondly.

* VindicatedByHistory: When ''[=StarCraft=]'' was first released, there were reviewers that saw it as just another formulaic RTS game, one that could not offer complex gameplay, did not have state-of-the-art graphics, and had poor AI - that all it could do was appease the old ''Warcraft'' fans. Yet 20 years later, and it has a massively popular esports culture centered around it, and its story is remembered very fondly.

* MagnificentBastard:
** While Raynor himself is not this trope from a narrative standpoint, he is considered this in-universe by General Horace Warfield:
-->'''Warfield:''' "You magnificent son-of-a-bitch, heheh, you're the last man I expected to see."
** A straighter example would be Arcturus Mengsk. By exploiting fear and hatred of the Confederacy he rallies allies to his cause to fight them, building up to ever-more inhumane acts in his war and keeping it from those he knows he can't trust. By the end of a single mission chain, he's shattered the heart of the Confederacy and crowned himself Emperor of the newly formed Dominion, and blames the loss of the Confederacy on the Zerg so most of the remnants of the government will join him willingly out of fear of the Swarm.
** Infested Kerrigan. The entirety of ''Brood War'' is her going from a BloodKnight to an EvilOverlord, and she does so by manipulating every other faction in the game. By the end of the expansion, all of her enemies are marginalized or dead, and she reigns supreme as Queen of the Zerg. And to boot, she was able to accomplish this because everyone either underestimated her or thought she was reformed. Kerrigan herself notes this to Zeratul:
-->"[she] made the mistake of underestimating my power, just like everyone else did."
** Valerian Mengsk. Though some of it is a result of others, the fact remains he instigated and took part in a grand plan that culminated with [[spoiler:Valerian sitting on the Dominion throne, and Raynor's Raiders and Kerrigan, previously the biggest threats to Arcturus's reign, are his allies.]] ''And'' it's public knowledge that he [[spoiler:helped de-infest Kerrigan]] and coordinated the [[spoiler:evacuation of Korhal's cities during her attack]], so he was hailed as a war hero that helped bring peace and stability to the sector. He may be a far better man for it, but Valerian is definitely his father's son when it comes to planning and acquiring power.

* {{Mondegreen}}: Some of the unit quotes seem to fall into this. For example, the Protoss Zealot's speech when created, "My life for Aiur!", can be heard as '''[[MemeticMutation MY WIFE FOR HIRE!]]''' or "[[ProfessionalKiller MY LIFE FOR HIRE!]]"
** "Nedowoyesca?" AKA "Need a light?" from the Firebats.
** Also from the Zealot; "SHE... HUNTS!"
** Hey there Goliath. Wait, who's Tank kong? Sorry, what's this medatong you're locking?

* MostWonderfulSound:

* FranchiseOriginalSin: The sequel's story has been criticized by a faction of the fanbase for problems such as retcons, plot holes, and cheesy and cliched dialogue. The original game had the same problems in smaller doses (especially when it comes to the Brood War expansion), but fans don't get as upset about it as the sequel's instances.

* CompleteMonster: See [[Monster/StarCraft here]].

* JustHereForGodzilla: Some players themselves think NoPlotNoProblem. You do not have to play through the single player campaigns to enjoy the multiplayer aspect of the game.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation: Fans disagree on if Arcturus Mengsk started out as a genuinely well-meaning rebel who fell victim to HeWhoFightsMonsters, or if he was always just interested in personal power and used his rebellion to acquire it. For those that think he started off well-meaning, by the time of his downfall it's obvious he's cast off the pretenses of good intentions behind his evil acts, at which point it's up for discussion ''when'' HeWhoFightsMonsters. Fans also argue if he's actually AffablyEvil or just FauxAffablyEvil. Helping to feed the discussion is the fact that the writers who have worked on the game scripts and novels for the franchise can't seem to agree on such things themselves.

* {{Mondegreen}}: Some of the unit quotes seem to fall into this. For example, the Protoss battle cry "My life for Aiur!" can be heard as '''[[MemeticMutation MY WIFE FOR HIRE!]]''' or "[[ProfessionalKiller MY LIFE FOR HIRE!]]"

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Competitive ''Franchise/StarCraft'' is absolutely dominated by South Koreans. Of the ten most successful tournament players in the world (as measured in dollars earned via tournament play), only one of them is a "foreigner"--that is, a player who grew up outside Korea. It's something of a RiteOfPassage now for a foreign player to defeat a Korean in tournament play.

** Valerian Mengsk. Though some of it is a result of others, the fact remains he instigated and took part in a grand plan that has currently culminated with [[spoiler:Valerian sitting on the Dominion throne, and Raynor and Kerrigan, previously the biggest threats to Arcturus's reign, are his allies, or at least are not his enemies anymore.]] ''And'' it's public knowledge that he [[spoiler:helped de-infest Kerrigan]] and coordinated the [[spoiler:evacuation of Korhal's cities during her attack]], so he's likely going to be hailed as a war hero that helped bring peace and stability to the sector. He may be a far better man for it, but Valerian is definitely his father's son when it comes to planning and acquiring power.

* CreatorsPet: Blizzard loves Nova. She's repeatedly emphasized to be one of the most powerful Ghost agents in history, with psionic powers rivaling Kerrigan before her infestation and completing training in a record two and a half years; she received two novels and a graphic novel series focusing on her; and she features in ''Starcraft II'' in cameos that serve no real purpose except to have her in the game, then is the focus of the trilogy's first mission pack. Yet for all the attention Blizzard gives her, fans have a lukewarm reception and don't care for her.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: For someone who is the star of a game that never comes out, having her appearance path being minor and then considered non-canon in ''VideoGame/StarcraftIIWingsOfLiberty'', and then only being a OneSceneWonder in ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm''... Nova has garnered a lot of popularity. Must be [[MsFanservice because of her looks]]. Eventually Blizzard answered on that, and gave Nova something to star on... well not exactly a game, but DLC missions as a post-release content of ''VideoGame/StarCraftIILegacyOfTheVoid''

** Zeratul is put into basically a living hell in the first game, where almost every single choice he did led to doom for what he cared for the most. His first in-game action was killing Zasz on Char, which while definetly {{Badass}} as no one thought cerebrates could be permanently slain, it gave the Overmind information on where Aiur was, leading the vast majority of the Zerg Swarm there, while Zeratul was stranded on Char with Tassadar and Raynor due to Kerrigan's presence. He finally arrives on Aiur... only to find out the Conclave wants to arrest Tassadar. After this problem is solved, Zeratul lends a hand in killing some cerebrates and aiding on the Overmind's destruction to send the zerg in disarray... which ends up dooming Aiur, and forcing the survivors to take Zeratul's idea of using Aiur's warp gate and going to Shakuras, the then-safe Dark Templar homeworld... which gets invaded by the zerg due to that plan. After activating the Xel'naga temple, Zeratul does not appear until Kerrigan kidnaps Raszagal to have Zeratul kill the new Overmind in exchange of letting the matriarch go, which he does... only to find out Raszagal was {{Brainwashed}} long before he met with her back in Shakuras. As a result, Zeratul decides he would rather see Raszagal dead than brainwashed, takes her back and kills her - something he could not forgive himself for (Even though Raszagal did so). With a remnant of the Protoss fleet that was alongside him, Zeratul finds a dark moon, believing Artanis's forces are there... but Samir Duran and his hybrids-in-development were what his fleet detected. It's as if there had been a CosmicPlaything on Zeratul in the first game. While the second game is much nicer to him, [[spoiler: ''Legacy of the Void'' reveals he had a very poor reputation among most Protoss for what he did in the first game - letting the zerg invade Aiur and killing Raszagal - and it's not until his researching of the prophecy turning out to be right that he got some respect. Shame he had to die to [[DemonicPossession an Amon-controlled Artanis]] beforehand]].