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Primal Zerg
"Those left behind are the Primal Zerg. They fight; they kill; they evolve."
— Zeratul
While the Overmind left Zerus with a large force of Zerg under the control of the Swarm, some Zerg remained behind on Zerus separate from the Hive Mind, and became known as the Primal Zerg. Operating by a pack mentality, the Primals were driven by a similar but distinct philosophy to the Swarm — survival of the fittest. The Primals constantly wage war on each other for superiority, consuming the essence of their victims to grow stronger. In Heart of the Swarm, Kerrigan returns to Zerus to attempt to take control of the Primals.
The Primals in general
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Their packs are led by the strongest among them. As a result, they end up joining the Swarm when Kerrigan converts herself into a Primal Zerg and slays their Packleaders.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: Brakk is the smallest of the packleaders, and he is Ultralisk-sized.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: Since they operate on Asskicking Leads to Leadership, their Packleaders tend to be the toughest, tallest, strongest around.
- Cannibalism Superpower: Primal Zerg eat those they kill, any genes they had worth keeping being assimilated and the victor evolving in seconds. Some have been so far in this that they have ended up becoming thousand years old Eldritch Abominations.
- Colour-Coded for Your Convenience: To further differentiate between the Swarm Zerg and Primal Zerg, they have differing coloration: most of official artwork and in-game models for Swarm Zerg are mainly brown with some purple or sickly green accents, while the Primal Zerg range from greens, blues, greys, and black.
- Furthermore, almost all of the Swarm Zerg conform to the brown coloration (as part of a shared hivemind), while the Primal Zerg are more varied from species and individuals (Zerg in the same pack may have similar colors to each other).
- Divergent Character Evolution: Their very existence diversifies the Zerg race from the Swarm, demonstrating a very different side to the species from what was previously known.
- Eldritch Abomination: The eldest among them have ended up becoming this through millennia of evolution. They're vaguely recognizable as being related to Zerg base strains, but heavily mutated.
- Fantastic Racism: Primal Zerg do not think highly of the Swarm Zerg, seeing them as corrupted and weak and referring to them as "The Broken Pack". This is the main reason Kerrigan has to become a Primal Zerg herself if she wants them to join her— they won't follow her unless she is "purified" from Amon's corruption.
- Fatal Flaw: The ancients became too complacent with all the power they consolidated and couldn't comprehend how dangerous the former Queen of Blades is. Dehaka is wise enough to recognize how power is a trap and acts more pragmatically by forming alliances with those who can bring him essence.
- Flunky Boss: All of the packleaders can spawn Primal Zergs to defend themselves in battle.
- King Mook: The packleaders all resemble giant, mutated versions of base strains. Brakk is an Ultralisk, Yagdra is an Ash Worm, Kraith is a mitoscarab, and Slivan is a Swarm Host.
- Life Drinker: As long as a Primal Zerg keeps improving himself by consuming essence, it won't age. Since they are constantly doing it, they never die of old age; those who fail to devour others and evolve get devoured themselves, and those who succeed can survive for entire millennia.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: To the Swarm, posturing they are corrupted and weak while the Primals are pure and strong.
- No-Sell: Since they lack the Hive Mind connection of the main Swarm, they are completely immune to anti-Zerg weaponry targeting this connection - like Mengsk's Psi Destroyer.
- Proud Warrior Race Guy: Compared to the Swarm Zerg. The Primal Zerg believe in the survival of the fittest, live in packs, frequently express pride in how strong they are and follow Asskicking Leads to Leadership to the letter.
- Really 700 Years Old: Since they are in constant evolution, Primal Zerg can prevent their aging by collecting essence on regular basis. As a result, some of them can be several centuries or even millennia.
- The Social Darwinist: Zerg fights Zerg, the victor consumes the loser's essence and assimilates any worthwhile biological traits they had to grow stronger. Rinse and repeat on a planet-wide scale for millennia; welcome to Zerus.
- Time Abyss: While they all look different and have different abilities, one thing in common is that they are all old, as primal zerg don't age provided they continue to consume essence.
Brakk
Voiced by: Jim Ward (English), Victor Bakin (Russian)
"Brakk speaks now! You intrude on my territory, corrupt zerg! We will devour your flesh!"
One of the Primal Zerg leaders on Zerus who first opposes Kerrigan when she tries to awaken Zurvan. Though he is defeated by the end of the mission, his horde continues fighting her later.
Provides examples of:
- Dumb Muscle: He frankly didn't seem to be very intelligent for a packleader. Once he's out of options to prevent Kerrigan from awakening Zurvan, all he can do is just mindlessly attack towards her with his small army, even if she has 100 Mutalisks and thus doesn't stand a chance. Justified in that he wasn't that powerful compared to later packleaders, and nobody was aware of how formidable a psionic Terran prodigy can be.
- Fantastic Racism: Like all the Packleaders, he is openly disdainful of the "Corrupt" Zerg, and this appears to be his sole motivation for trying to stop her from awakening Zurvan.
- Hulk Speak: He clearly wasn't the smartest of the Primal Zerg packleaders.
- Large and in Charge: Common for the pack leaders. Though compared to the ones you meet later in the game, he is actually not that big.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Proudly proclaims himself and his forces superior to the "corrupted" Zerg of the Swarm.
- Starter Villain: Of the Zerus missions; he is the first pack leader Kerrigan is faced with on Zerus, and is strong enough to give an idea of what to expect from the Prima Zerg, yet still small potato compared to future opponents.
Yagdra
"My pack will feast upon your essence!"
The second Packleader to oppose Kerrigan. A Worm-like creatures, he has the ability to dig underground and spit acid. He is first introduced when he tries to fight the Swarm and the remnants of Brakk's tribe at the same time.
Provides examples of:
- Breath Weapon: He can breath a fire-like acid.
- Chekhov's Gunman: He initially appears briefly as he sends his Pack to consume Braak's, and then tries to prevent Kerrigan's mutation into a Primal Zerg. The next mission, he is one of the bosses you have to fight.
- "Get Back Here!" Boss: He has the ability to dig underground in order to escape. He also leaves eggs behind to keep you busy.
- Handicapped Badass: One of his arms is skeletal, held together with only a few remaining tendons.
- Mêlée à Trois: In his first appearance, he commands his pack to simultaneously wipe out the crippled remnants of Brakk's pack and attack Kerrigan.
- Oh, Crap!: He basically has this reaction when he realizes Kerrigan has come for him.Yagdra: The Queen of the Broken Pack? No!
Kerrigan: Is that fear, Yagdra? You do know you never had a chance, right?
Yagdra: Your change means nothing! I will melt the flesh from your bones! - Tunnel King: He's the only pack leader who can burrow underground.
Kraith
"I feel your strength...You will be worth killing, worth the blood!"
The third Packleader to be introduced. The least intelligent of the Packleaders, Kraith is described by Zurvan as "mindless, consumed by hatred."
Provides examples of:
- The Berserker: His main tactic is to rush at you without thinking.
- Be the Ball: An intended attack of his was to curl into a ball and roll around, but it was cut during development.
- Blood Knight: Doesn't seem to care about getting hurt, as long as he's fighting.
- The Brute: He's a mindless, hateful creature who will just charge at you and try to crush you without much thinking.
- Bullfight Boss: His main attack consists of a very telegraphed charge. Kerrigan can easily sidestep him with little trouble.
- Dumb Muscle: Apparently, he is so consumed by rage and hatred that it limits his thinking capacities; while he doesn't use Hulk Speak like Brakk, his dialogues consists entirely of yelling about how he wants to crush and kill you.
- Flechette Storm: When he isn't charging, he will launch a barrage of spikes from his shell at you.
- Hulk Speak: Averted. Despite being dumber than Brakk, he's slightly more eloquent.
- Leeroy Jenkins: His main tactic is to charge right at you.
Slivan
"More! There must be more!"
The fourth Packleader to appear. Basically a giant swarm host, Slivan has the ability to spawn armies of Creepers (essentially primal Banelings) to attack her enemies.
Provides examples of:
- Acid Attack: Her only move besides constantly spawning mooks is to vomit a stream of acid.
- Mook Maker: All Packleaders (minus Braak) have an ability to spawn mooks, but she's the only one to actually make it her main move.
- One Bad Mother: Definitely, seeing how her children blow themselves up to protect her.
- The Smurfette Principle: The only one amongst the Packleaders to be referred as female.
- When All You Have Is a Hammer…: She has an acid breath attack she uses rarely, but mostly her "strategy" when fought is to just run around the arena shedding Creepers for you to fight. Considering, again, Creepers are essentially primal Banelings, this is perfectly effective since one wrong move can result in the obliteration of your entire army in a burst of green acid.
Zurvan
Voiced by: Frank Welker (English), Alexander Novikov (Russian)
An ancient and powerful Zerg sleeping on Zerus. Under the advice of Zeratul, Kerrigan re-awakens him so he can guide her in getting the power of Zerus for herself. After being awoken, he acted as a guide to her, provided her with informations about the Zerg's history and inheritance, and helped her to acquire the power of Zerus.
Provies examples of:
- Arc Villain: Of the Zerus quest line in Heart of the Swarm, but he doesn't face Kerrigan until the final mission, after she kills off the other pack leaders.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: His head alone is building-sized. Even the other pack leaders are puny by comparison.
- Because Destiny Says So: In an odd sense. Given that consuming other beings is what Zerg are meant to do, he seems to be of the opinion that fighting each other and devouring the loser's essence is the destiny of all Zerg.
- Big Eater: You wake this guy up with food.
- Breath Weapon: His Desperation Attack is to exhale a cone of lightning.
- Combat Tentacles: Strikes with his limbs from behind in battle.
- Eldritch Abomination: An ancient and powerful Zerg who remembers the creation of the Overmind, older than any existing Zerg save for perhaps Abathur, and so evolved and primal that his base breed is unrecognizable.
- Evil Sounds Deep: With Power Echoes for good measure.
- Expy: In-game, he's like Belial of Diablo III. Word of God also admits his final design looks like Mr. Waternoose.
- Graceful Loser: He is of the opinion that it is natural that he and Kerrigan will fight to prove their power and the winner will consume the loser and grow stronger, and if he loses and is absorbed, it's just how things are.
- The Mentor: Sort of acts like one to Kerrigan, teaching her about the Zerg inheritance and helping her to become a Primal Zerg.
- Mr. Exposition: He conveys a lot of information on the nature of Zerg, Amon's influence on them, and how Kerrigan can control the planet.
- My Species Doth Protest Too Much: While he does acknowledges the Swarm Zerg's "corruption" like other Primal Zerg, he doesn't become hostile on sight and explains Kerrigan how to get stronger rather than just try to kill her.
- Pivotal Boss: Somewhat. His boss arena's walkable space is a semicircular area with Zurvan at the center.
- The Social Darwinist: Like Dehaka, he sees such as the way of life for Primal Zerg. It's how he rationalizes fighting Kerrigan. The only reason he didn't before was because Kerrigan didn't have much essence for him to take
- The Starscream: A very weird example; he helped Kerrigan only so she would grow strong enough for him to consume after she would be done with the Packleaders, but he does it more in a case of Blue-and-Orange Morality than out of treachery, and Kerrigan isn't the least bit surprised by it. He even offers Kerrigan encouragement during their fight. When asked by her if he knew that would happen, Dehaka pretty much answers he did but didn't bother telling Kerrigan because Primal Zerg consider such an attitude normal.
- Time Abyss: His age is never specifically stated, but he's the oldest primal zerg alive, old enough to witness the birth of the Overmind and remember the Xel'Naga, and it's been mentioned some of them are million years old.
- Top-Heavy Guy: A variation. He's massive, but his rear legs are disproportionally small compared to his arms and head, though he's sitting on an even bigger mass of tentacles.
- Turns Red: Inverted. He will change his attack pattern when brought to low health, but the fight itself actually becomes easier when it happens, as he stops summoning aids (who can be quite deadly if not dealt with as quickly as possible) and starts blasting you with an easily avoided Breath Weapon.
Other Zerg
Feral Zerg
They came, crying out for blood and death, crazed with the lack of guidance from their missing queen.... He had never seen independent thought in their actions or movements, but he had often seen intelligence. Kerrigan’s intelligence, directing and maneuvering them. Now, he saw only chaos and insanity glinting in their tiny, bright eyes.
— James Raynor
The default state of the zerg in the absence of a greater ruling intelligence. Feral zerg hives operate independently of one another without higher organization, and work on a more basic, animalistic intelligence. The only sapient beings within these hives are the Overlords, who take the leadership role in the absence of higher forms.
- Always Chaotic Evil: They're basically just ravenous beasts; you can't even talk to them as you can to the guiding intelligences of the Swarm.
- Bit Part Bad Guys: In various works not dealing with any of the main Swarms, they serve as a convenient source of cannon fodder for the protagonists without affecting the metaplot majorly. They don't get the high-end zerg varieties, either.
- Easily Thwarted Alien Invasion: Feral zerg hives have firmly established themselves on many Dominion fringe worlds. But without the strengths of the Swarms, they're little threat. Basic units are as dangerous as usual, but they have no unit cohesion beyond the pack level, lack access to the highest-level breeds, and can't travel at FTL speeds unless the pack is lucky enough to have broken off with a Leviathan. Feral colonies have had their assaults repulsed by little more than outnumbered civilians with improvised weapons and small arms (e.g. Broken Wide, Liberty's Crusade), "Green Eyes" has trouble dealing with a single squad of Marines, and Wings of Liberty reveals that some of their "invasions" are so weak that local rednecks hunt them for sport.
- Enemy Civil War: Feral zerg hives have no issue attacking other zerg for nourishment.
- Just Desserts: Feral zerg stand-in for chicken at truck stops. For example, a singe pair of mutalisk wings is as good as a pound of chicken wings.
- The Usual Adversaries: Even in stories where the protagonists journey outside the Koprulu sector and the influence of the Overmind/Kerrigan/Amon/Zagara, there's usually a hive of ferals around to ruin their day.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Most feral zerg swarms may not have the tactical advantage of broods with a command-strain leading them, but they are dangerous all the same, thanks to how many of them there are.
- Unwitting Pawn: In Nova Covert Ops, the Defenders of Man lure many feral zerg broods to attack Dominion planets, specifically just enough to defeat the Dominion garrisons with heavy casualties that then leave them vulnerable to getting cleaned up by the Defenders themselves, so they can claim credit for "saving" the planet.
"Green Eyes"
"Green Eyes"
A feral Overlord on Tarsonis. Without the hive mind to guide it, it recovered its memories from its time as a Gargantis proximae, the species the zerg assimilated to create the Overlord strain. When "Purple Eyes," its mate from its time as a Gargantis proximae, is killed by a Dominion training team that lands on the planet, Green Eyes takes vengeance.
- Death Seeker: It ultimately asks (non-verbally) Gage to kill it, because it doesn't want to live without its mate. When Gage refuses, Green Eyes returns to the swarm and the hive mind so it can lose its sentience and forget.
- Determinator: Controlling other Zerg strains itself is physically painful for it, but it endures it and keeps building more forces to destroy the Terrans.
- Foil: Gage turns out to be its foil in the end - Green Eyes chooses to let itself be assimilated to forget the pain. Gage won't call for extraction because that would mean neural resocialisation (read: assimilation) and he does not want to forget.
- Happiness in Slavery: When Gage, the marine that killed its mate, refuses to kill it, Green Eyes surrenders to its zerg instincts and lets its sentience be lost so it can forget the pain of losing its mate.
- It Can Think: Its entire short story demonstrates how sentient Overlords actually are. Green Eyes is actually quite intelligent, if struggling to hold onto its sanity against its Zerg instincts. Green Eyes is intelligent enough to recognize faces and to use the different Zerg breeds to attack the Dominion training team with simple but efficient tactics, like sending a Mutalisk swarm at them when they're out in the open and sending a Roach to get them in the depths of the building they hide it since the Roach can tunnel through the dirt and steel.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: The Dominion team dismisses the idea it could be dangerous because Overlords are harmless. On their own, they are — but Green Eyes takes control of a Drone, starts building a small hive cluster, and proves the Dominion very wrong.
- Really 700 Years Old: Green Eyes was one of the original gargantis proximae that were assimilated into the Swarm to become Zerg Overlords. Contrast this to most in-game overlords which are literally born within a few minutes. It's because of this that when they go feral, they actually regain their independence, to an extent.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: For the death of its mate, Green Eyes dedicates itself to destroying the Dominion team save for the Marine who did the deed, so he can know pain and madness like Green Eyes does.
Ethan Stewart
A powerful and rich criminal leader on Dead Man's Port and Rosemary's on-and-off lover and employer. He tried to sell Jake out to the Dominion and was shot in the chest for his efforts. When Dead Man's Port was invaded by the zerg, his alive but wounded body was taken by the swarm to be reborn as an advanced Infested Terran.
- Aborted Arc: His retention of his sapience upon infestation was a breakthrough for Kerrigan in a series of experiments for her to create a new generation of infested terrans. This has never been brought up again.
- Aroused by Their Voice: It's emphasized he has a smooth, rich voice that remains unaltered after infestation.
- The Dragon: To Kerrigan.
- Dragon-in-Chief: As Kerrigan is back on Char, and he's the one actively pursuing the heroes.
- Mad Love: After his infestation he becomes madly in love with Kerrigan.
- Multi-Armed and Dangerous: Post-infestation, he grows an extra pair of limbs like Hydralisk arms.
- Sinister Scythe: His secondary set of limbs are Hydralisk scythes.
- You Have Failed Me: Pulled by Kerrigan.
