7 Theories That Completely Change Starcraft

StarCraft has an expansive and impressive sci-fi lore, with plenty of mysterious elements left purposefully ambiguous while the player remains focused more on the power struggles at the heart of the game. These larger-scale elements became more prevalent in the later games, however, with the battles against the rogue Xel’Naga Amon taking prominence. As a result, there were plenty of theories among fans about what it all means.

Even a decade after Legacy of the Void and Nova: Covert Opts concluded the StarCraft story, there are plenty of questions that continue to haunt the fanbase. This ranges from the fate of certain characters to the purpose of entire species in the grand scheme of things. Some theories even suggest that StarCraft may share a world with other Blizzard titles. Here are some of the fan theories about StarCraft that completely change the narrative.

Tosh Is Killed No Matter What The Player Does

In one of the most distinct character choices in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the player is forced to choose between Nova or Tosh during a mission. Choosing to ally with Nova leads to Tosh’s demise, but working with him allows him to survive. Although the character has a minor appearance in Heart of the Swarm if spared in the previous game, Tosh’s ultimate fate is left somewhat ambiguous due to Blizzard’s decision to leave it open for either option.

One explanation for his eventual fate suggests that Tosh dies no matter what. In Legacy of the Void, the Möbius Spectre Corps fell under the control of Amon and his hybrids and was largely wiped out by the end of the conflict. Some fans theorize that Tosh, if still alive during this point of the narrative, was among those brainwashed. This means that regardless of the player’s choices, Tosh is doomed.

Diablo And StarCraft Are Part Of The Same Infinity Cycle

Both produced by Blizzard, Diablo and StarCraft‘s wildly different settings initially seem to have nothing in common. However, some fans theorize that the Infinite Cycle at the heart of StarCraft‘s overarching lore is connected to the way that demons and angels come into conflict within the world of Diablo. The Infinite Cycle is a process by which the ancient Xel’Naga wipe the universe clean and begin new forms of life.

The theory argues that the Angels and the Demons, aka the Purity of Form and the Purity of Essence, are derived from the same core characteristics that would go on to define the Protoss and the Zerg, respectively. The theory also argues that Trag’Oul’s apparent abilities to shield itself from the Angels and Demons are because it is actually a member of the Xel’Naga race and therefore possesses great psychic abilities.

Zerus Is A Prehistoric Azeroth

Another theory that connects StarCraft to another Blizzard franchise is the one positing that the Titans of Warcraft‘s lore are actually members of the Xel’Naga. In this theory, the Xel’Naga eventually traveled to the world of Azaroth and, discovering various races with great magical potential, wiped them out before they could grow into a genuine threat.

The only species to survive this culling was the humans, who gradually became the Terran race of StarCraft. This theory also argues that humanity’s latent psychic abilities, as displayed by the Spectres, are actually extensions of that magical potential that remained within humanity. It’s a tragic theory, suggesting that the eventual fate of Warcraft is to be wiped out by the Xel’Naga.

The Overmind Never Truly Died

The Overmind is the primary threat of the first StarCraft. While other characters are more specific dangers to the players, the Overmind is the force hive mind behind the Zerg. The Overmind was seemingly killed at the conclusion of the first Protoss campaign, with the Brood War expansion following efforts to establish a replacement.

However, an intriguing fan theory argues that the Overmind was never fully destroyed. While the physical body was wiped out by Tassadar’s sacrifice and the dominant personality was lost, the Hive Mind’s collective consciousness remained as an inactive force within the species. This is how someone like Kerrigan was able to take control of the Swarm, as she was able to harness that lingering unconscious connection between all Zerg and bend it to her will.

The Player Character In StarCraft’s First Campaign Is Matt Horner

The player character in the first StarCraft campaign is only ever referred to as the Magistrate in the first game, leaving plenty of possibilities for their true identity. Some fans like to speculate that this was actually Matt Horner, who becomes a major supporting character in StarCraft II. While tie-in novels from Blizzard suggest Horner joined Raynor’s forces after the initial game, it’s a clever theory that makes Horner retroactively more important.

For one, it explains why Horner and Raynor are such close allies in StarCraft II, as they had been betrayed by the Confederacy at the same time and worked together to confront the dangers of the world. It also gives Horner’s hatred towards Mengstk more thematic weight, as he’s seen firsthand how ruthless the leader can be. Even if the formal canon argues against it, it’s a clever way to make Horner an even more important character.

Most Of StarCraft’s Player Characters Are Killed

Another theory is that the unnamed player characters in StarCraft and Brood War are largely killed off. While the Executor of the first Protoss campaign was retroactively revealed to be Artanis, and some fans argued that Horner made sense as the Magistrate, another likely explanation is that the player characters were killed after their respective campaigns. This was at least confirmed to be the fate of the Cerebrate from the first Zerg campaign, as they were killed by Tassadar and Zeratul during the Protoss campaign in the first game.

The Magistrate may have been captured by Mengsk after helping Raynor escape and would have likely been executed. Similarly, the unnamed UED Captain from Brood War’s Terran campaign was likely caught up in the destruction of the fleet, while the unnamed Cerebrate was likely among the ones Kerrigan destroyed before the events of StarCraft II. The only lingering one is the unnamed Executor of the Brood War Protoss campaign, although some fans believe that this is actually Selendis, who goes on to become an important Protoss character in StarCraft II.

The Terran Are The True “Purity Of Form”

One of the more interesting theories within the StarCraft fandom argues that despite their many differences, the Protoss and the Terran are actually connected on a deeper level. While the Protoss were meant to be the species known as the “Purity of Form” created by the Xel’Naga, it’s possible that this was never their true fate. The theory instead argues that it was humanity who was intended to be the true replacement for the ancient race.

This would explain why the Terrans are such an important race in the overall cosmology of the franchise. It gives Amon’s agent Duran extra motivation for manipulating humanity into the correct position, and why their fused being is a combination of two flawed species (the Zerg and the Protoss) rather than risking overpowering the creatures by introducing human DNA. It also explains why former humans like Kerrigan or human technologies designed by the UED are able to interact with and even overwhelm the Overmind, when other races believe it takes uniquely powerful Protoss to do so.