Saint Kerrigan of Starcraft

It has been quite a while since I finished the Starcraft 2 trilogy – up to the epilogue of Legacy of the Void (LotV). For those who are not familiar, Starcraft 2 (SC2) is a sci-fi real time strategy (RTS) game by Blizzard Entertainment, whereby players wage battles with armies among 3 different races: Terran (more or less humans), Zerg (continuously evolving insect-like aliens) and Protoss (technologically superior aliens).

As can be inferred from the title of the post, I am going to highlight a character from Starcraft – which is none other than Sarah Kerrigan. She is the one of the most interesting characters throughout the first Starcraft (SC1) instalment in the late 90s right up to LotV: beginning as a protagonist in the early stages of SC1, portrayed as a primary antagonist throughout the remainder and right up to the end of SC2: Wings of Liberty (the first game in the SC2 trilogy), and returning back as a main protagonist in for the remainder of the series.

Before I explicate the title of my post, I would like to provide a significantly lengthy background of Sarah Kerrigan (major spoilers below).

Kerrigan before her infestation

Sarah Kerrigan was initially a Terran ghost, a specialised covert operative under the rebel force Sons of Korhal aiming to overthrow the powerful yet corrupt Terran Confederacy. On her last mission, she was heartlessly abandoned by Arcturus Mengsk, leader of the Sons of Korhal and captured by the Zerg. The Overmind, leader of the Zerg Swarm recognised her potential and, instead of killing her mutated Kerrigan into one of them.

Infested Kerrigan

As Infested Kerrigan, she became a major threat to both the Terran and Protoss. Even after being freed from control after the death of the Overmind, she took it upon herself to unite the Zerg under her command and killed many (Terran, Zerg and Protoss) that (potentially) stood in her way. By the end of the SC1, she had practically eliminated all of her major threats from the Terran and Protoss, and her Swarm became arguably the dominant superpower in the galaxy.

Kerrigan remained as the primary antagonist in the first installment of SC2 until her deinfestation in the final chapter of Wings of Liberty by her former partner and love interest Jim Raynor. However, the threat of Mengsk (now emperor of the Terran Dominion) who wanted her dead as well as the apparent death of Jim Raynor (later revealed to be hoax) prompted her to reunite the scattered Zerg and reinfest herself to exact her vengeance. During this period, Kerrigan became aware of Amon, a fallen Xel’Naga whose presence threatens the entire galaxy. After killing Mengsk with the help of Jim Raynor, she left to face Amon and his minions. 

Kerrigan after deinfestation (left) and subsequent reinfestation (right)

           

In the epilogue of LotV, the combined forces of Zerg, Terran and Protoss united to decisively put an end to Amon once and for all. Laying siege in the realm of the void, they discovered and subsequently released Ouros, one of the last remaining Xel’Naga. He revealed the only way to permanently defeat Amon was for him to transfer his essence to Kerrigan, thereby becoming Xel’Naga herself. She did so, and was finally able to slay Amon with the help of her allies.

Kerrigan as Xel’Naga

One may ask, how is it possible for us to relate to a human-made-monster-turned-human-turned-monster-turned-godlike being? If we take some time in examining Kerrigan’s life as a whole however, we may see her story pretty much summarises a Christian’s journey towards God. When I was a child, I mostly believed and followed what my parents say and do. Growing up, I began to be exposed to different environments as well as other people, which further influenced the way I act. Fast forward to adolescence, I entered the rebellious age, seeking something that would define me as me. And finally, at the age of fifteen, I experienced God’s loving redemption and made a conscious effort to live the life of the Gospel.

In a similar manner – though more fantastically told – a bird’s eye view on Kerrigan’s life sees her run through the same steps of trusting loyalty as a Terran ghost; external influence by her environment under the Overmind; self-gratification as the freed and individualistic Queen of Blades; and her slow (albeit skewed) path of making amends after her reinfestation.

But it is at the epilogue chapters of LotV, her final moments in the void, which I intend to highlight in this post. As her final act to end Amon and safeguard the future from certain doom, she sacrificed herself to become Xel’Naga. In doing so she was forced to abandon her Swarm, her remaining identity and her love for Jim Raynor – in short, everything she had, knew and love. Imagine how hard it is, to leave behind all that we are familiar and comfortable with, to tread a road full of uncertainty. Perhaps we may be able to appreciate just how much Abraham had put in stake when he casted his lot to leave his people and follow God in Genesis 12:1-4.

It becomes so tempting to seek a compromise in order to hold on to as much as we can while appeasing our conscience. Raynor attempted to persuade Kerrigan with just that: to find an alternative so that she would not need to “be mutilated again.” Here one may connect this with the analogy of Peter trying to prevent Jesus from the Cross (Matthew 16:22). Coupled with Kerrigan’s reply however, I feel it relates keener in our lives and the lives of the saints:

“With all I’ve done, the lives ruined…there’s blood on my hands. I need to cleanse it.”

A saint’s journey towards God is wrought with temptations and hard choices. There are those who would discourage and distract us (sometimes unknowingly) along the way. Oft times we impede ourselves by putting off/delaying certain decisions that would inconvenience us. An official, for instance, may ask for a bribe in order to secure a certain project for us. Perhaps our friends may invite us to hangout during our prayer meetings. Or we could be reluctant to pray before/after each and every activity in our daily lives (eg: recreation/games, studies/work, mealtimes etc).

Under such situations, will we be able to hold fast to the Gospel values? If we catch our superior/friend committing an offence, will we voice it out? If we found a major error in our exam answers that will alter our grades from a ‘Pass’ to ‘Fail’, will we still seek to correct it?

In my own journey, I have been through many similar situations, and have likely fallen more than the amount of leaves of a tree in autumn. Nevertheless, Scripture and the Church (through the Sacrament of Reconciliation) constantly remind me that the first step is to acknowledge my sin, to seek to correct it, and to strive to live as God calls us to.

As a late millennial used to the comforts of technology and constantly occupied in his own daydreams, I find it a bit difficult to relate to historical saints with their solemn faces in iconographies. Going by how I imagine myself akin to a certain character in an anime/game even until today, I could even say that I occasionally find fictional characters more impressionable than God’s chosen in Heaven. Kerrigan’s story is something people in the same boat as me can relate to. Like Kerrigan I am far from perfect, but by acknowledging I am just a man with a pair of sinful hands, I should seek to atone for my mistakes and walk in the footsteps of the Lord.

RFG always.