Weighing the Heart (of the Swarm)

A Second Look at Kerrigan

I suppose I consider this post a "remix." I originally wrote this post about a year after the original publication of Kerrigan, Queen of Blades: Pop Culture Symbol of the Daemonic Feminine. The first was originally published on the blog “Hermekate” on May 15, 2020. This post was originally publised on April 9, 2021.

In it, I need to address a very big plot hole that I left. Looking back, I'm glad I did. As a side note, this omission was pointed out to me in feedback from fellow StarCraft fans who had read the post. As such, I dedicate this post to them because they are the reason I am writing it. Also, it comes to mind that some of the themes from the events of the post entitled The Weighing of the Heart showed up as I played through these missions one more time in preparation to write this.

SPOILER ALERT for StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm!

The Primal Zerg

I think that in my previous post about the Queen of Blades, I painted a fairly detailed and evocative picture of the Zerg, with one exception: I had neglected to mention what is probably the most important part of Kerrigan’s story in Heart of the Swarm.

That's okay. Perhaps I had some connecting left to do with my own heart?

Anyhow, yeah, the Zerg had been altered by the Xel'Naga, and I did mention that—but I don't think I gave any voice at all to the fact that she went back to free her people. This was absolutely essential in order for her to properly obtain justice in the wider sense and to balance out her actions thus far. Had she gone after Mengsk prior to accomplishing this, I believe her character would simply "never have gotten around to it," and her legacy would have been unjust in the sense that she would only have achieved a personal sort of justice in defeating Mengsk; here, instead, she makes it so that an entire species—not her native species, but the one she had come to watch over—has a chance to become something it never could have otherwise. On top of that, this is her only path to becoming even more powerful still than she was previously, and that happens to be the only way she becomes powerful enough to fulfill Zeratul's prophecy and defeat the Xel'Naga. So that…might be…important.

[EDIT 1/26/2025: In the time in between these two posts, I had written other posts about the Protoss. I’ll be adding those eventually…when the time is right.]

Who are the Primal Zerg? To recap, the Zerg were a highly psychic species built around a hive mind that evolves by assimilating other species, Kerrigan was a highly psychic human who was uniquely positioned to get captured by them, she was made (without her consent) into their Queen, and then she wrecked a lot of shit and basically had to be put down like a rabid dog. How did they become such a horrific creation?

Key word: Creation.

They were made that way by an ancient alien race called the Xel'Naga.

In their original form, they are still fearsome predators who immediately assimilate the genetic "essence" of the competing Zerg they kill and eat. This settles the Primal Zerg into certain hierarchies despite the element of chance involved here vs. a Zerg Swarm that regiments and controls its evolution via strict delegation and selection, or planning. One theme that runs through the plot of this entire game is the comparison and contrast between these two modes—particularly in dialogue with Abathur, whom I believe is the only Cerebrate left alive from the old Swarm.

Kerrigan (who, let's be fair to the gal, just got attacked by the Emperor of the Terran Dominion and, so far as she believes, has had the love of her life stolen and murdered by that same motherfucker) is shown this in pretty much the only way anyone could show her anything, the way she tears about the Koprulu Sector kicking shit over—he has to sneak up on her and weather the resulting ass-whuppin' she tries to deal him. Alas, he's ready for her (as always) and shows her what he needs to show her: A vision of her home planet and the creatures who wait there to receive their new Queen—if she survives the “Initiation ceremony.”

Part I: Waking the Ancient

After "abducting" the Primal Zerg to genetically twist into a fun science experiment that consumes entire worlds, the Xel'Naga skip off without looking back. While they weren't looking, it would seem, a handful of Primal Zerg including their oldest and most powerful member (which made him effectively their boss), Zurvan, decided to lay low, go to sleep, and wait for better days. As Kerrigan approaches the planet, the Primal Zerg sense her arrival and come right for her. She must immediately establish and defend a hive cluster at the location where Zurvan sleeps, and she must collect enough local biomass to feed and awaken Zurvan. The leader of the local Primal Zerg, Brakk, makes it his mission to destroy any of that biomass first so she can't get to it; as long as Zurvan sleeps, he remains in charge here.

To explain how that works, we need to understand that when a Primal Zerg assimilates prey, that genetic essence is absorbed immediately and the creature will shapeshift accordingly as a new genetic balance takes hold across its quickly—morphing genome. As long as they keep hunting and absorbing essence, they don't die, either--so the most powerful are also the most wise. It would appear that still, the vast majority of members of the Primal Zerg are destined to die, and only a few are going to be hanging around for long.

Mythically, this mission gives me something of a sense of the "Wild Hunt" motif, just for starters. The awakening of an "Ancient One" is very Lovecraftian. However, one of my favorite motifs comes from a cut scene after Kerrigan succeeds in awakening Zurvan. I had previously mentioned Abathur, the Cerebrate Kerrigan keeps to help her engineer new strains for the Swarm; she has kind of a love-hate relationship with him. She needs him for now, but they have...philosophical disagreements.

I see some mythic gender connotations here that appear to be very clever commentary. In the previous post, I made it clear that I link Kerrigan to kundalini and to myths surrounding "the serpent power." It has occurred to me recently (particularly as I played through the missions leading up to this one again) that the Cerebrates (male "Kings" of the Swarm inherited by Kerrigan) are kind of like "Shiva linga," not only in the way that they're shaped, but in the fact of their immobility, their fixity. By contrast, before arriving on this planet, Kerrigan has implemented some "regime change" in her Swarm. Now there are new creatures to assume that same station, except they are feminine and their new "station" is mobile:

Queens, who can actually whup some serious ass and join Kerrigan on the battlefield. I see them embodying the traits of Shakti by contrast to the Cerebrates—or am I projecting? Anyway, there's an amusing scene in which Abathur—again, the only Cerebrate left, ahem, standing—shows his rage boner at having his beloved Hydralisk "stolen" and "copied," even though his entire life's purpose depends on an arguably more heinous version of the same shit. What an asshole! Calm down, buddy. Like...triggered?

Part II: The Crucible

Oh, how I love this level.

Recently, there's been a time that has been synchronistically significant to me (12:21), and I just happened to begin this mission at 12:21 this afternoon. It's honestly hard to tell whether this mission is the "climax" of the Zerus story arc, or whether it's the next one. Perhaps Blizzard has been generous, and we get two?

The timing is also good because I just got done burning a bunch of stuff in a cauldron before Hekate the other day. Along my path, I remember the theme of "crucible of transformation" coming up and being pointed out to me more than once. There is also a certain "Cerridwyn" resonance here.

In this level, Kerrigan visits the "Primal Spawning Pool," allegedly the alchemical (and all-too-literal) genetic pool in which the Zerg were born. When she was captured by the Zerg Swarm, Kerrigan was placed into a chrysalis and altered—painfully, we learn—to become the Queen of Blades. I think I am sharing this video out of chronological order with the previous Abathur vid, but this interaction covers her feelings about that, which sets the tone for the bravery she is about to exhibit:

More synchronicity: An artist I like to follow and support, Mary Ancilla Martinez, recently shared about different ways of looking at the Persephone myth; one is that she was "abducted" and the other is that she went willingly with Hades. I agree with her that the latter is more empowering. I notice that throughout her story arc in StarCraft and StarCraft II, Kerrigan basically gets to do both. First, she is captured and has this hellish power forced upon her; now, after having it just-as-forcibly removed, she has to face letting the Primal Zerg do it to her all over again. She's pretty sure how it will shake out, but it's going to be a lethal contest:

This is the level that makes me think of the experience related in The Weighing of the Heart. Here, Kerrigan herself is attacked by the very Primal Zerg who also led her here to be transformed. They would rather have this promising new Queen than that shitty Overmind, but she needs to prove she's strong enough for that which stands before her.

Things get Biblical in this mission, which we spend, for the most part, without Kerrigan's power to aid us. Instead, she sleeps in a chrysalis that we must defend from attack. However, due—I think—to her power, the chrysalis is able to periodically release a "plague of locusts" to help us. In fact, if we're quick enough, this can largely carry the mission.

Supreme

So Zurvan has apparently embraced Kerrigan's presence on Zerus, and even led her to the trial that has now resulted in her deeper empowerment as a Queen of Blades fit to transform her Swarm in its original, Primal image. Can she trust him?

Sure she can, but he also knows certain things. There's a reason this guy took a nap once the Xel'Naga left; he knew he wasn't strong enough for them, so he also knows the Primal Zerg have no hope if no one else comes along who is.

This level, as is typical in the three-level planetary story arcs comprising this game, gives us a rest from the typical RTS format. This planet was about Kerrigan's sovereignty, healing, and transformation, so of course, the last level is where she proves it. We only get a few other units as we learn to harness her awesome new powers, which include an insta-heal that even this casual gamer thinks is OP. The whole level plays more like a Diablo III minigame than a StarCraft level, to be honest. However, at the very end—in a battle that is almost a palette—swap of the battle with Belial in DIII—we get to cave Zurvan's face in and show the Primal Zerg who's really Queen.

I'd like to unpack some of the more personal themes this chapter of Kerrigan's story brings up for me, but I think it would be better to do in a separate, more focused post in which we talk about the mental health system.