Character Spotlight: Zeratul

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Name: Zeratul
Game(s): Starcraft series, Heroes of the Storm
Archetype: Fighter
Class: Monk
Skills/Attributes:

• Skilled melee combatant.
• Skilled psionic combatant.
• Void abilities.
• Wise.

Overview:

Zeratul is an iconic character from the Starcraft series.  A member of the alien race, the Protoss, Zeratul leads a formerly exiled cast known as the Dark Templars.  Skills in psionic and melee combat, the Protoss worship the ancient alien race, the Xel’Naga, as gods.  While the majority of the Protoss on the homeworld of Aiur chose to merge their consciousness into the Khala, Zeratul and a smaller faction believed in their own individuality over the Khala link, and for this they were exiled.  They developed separately from the rest of the Protoss, leaning the secrets of the Void, though still serving and worshiping the Xel’Naga.

Zeratul’s age, experience, and combat prowess make him one of the most powerful Protoss in existence.  In the Starcraft games, he has some of the highest single-target DPS in the game.  In cutscenes, he goes toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful creatures in the known galaxy, including the Queen of Blades, Sarah Kerrigan.  His stealthiness, combat style, and secretive mannerisms may seem to place him among our gallery of Rogues, however, Zeratul’s greatest strength is his mind.  He is measured, wise, and patient, and seeks to fight only when necessary, and only against those deserving of his wicked justice.  What’s more, as both a leader of his people, and an unlikely ally of other races, his knowledge and wisdom seek to preserve the very future of all sentient life.  For this, he finds his place in the Fighter archetype, within the highest reaches of the Monk class.

In The Zeratul Workout, we’re going to build the body of a leader of the Dark Templar warrior elite.  Zeratul is agile, fast, and powerful.  His psionic blade does absurd damage to anyone he tangles with, and he’s durable to survive encounters with Zerg, Protoss, and Terran elite alike.  While he’s not particularly bulky, he is very strong and muscular, and as such we’re going to be looking to utilize dumbbells and weights, in addition to some bodyweight exercises.

In The Skills of Zeratul we’re going to look at Zeratul’s combat style, which takes advantage of both stealth maneuvers and head-on combat tactics.  We may not be able to Blink, but we sure can take advantage of positioning and strategic attack vectors.  We’re also going to talk about expanding our minds through meditation, and enhancing our brains to near-psionic levels with special focusing techniques.

In The Mind of Zeratul we’re going to take a look at Zeratul’s successes and failures, and explore how they’ve shaped him into the leader and shaper of reality that he has become.  We’re going to discuss what it means to be wise, and how to gain that wisdom.  We’re also going to talk about leadership and compromise, and what they have to do with each other.

I’m excited to work on our first character from the Starcraft universe (and maybe our first Blizzard character as well?)  Rest assured, he may be the first, but he won’t be the last.  Also, just as an additional reminder, How to Be a Game Character is on sale through this Friday, so make sure to grab it at the $10 off price while you still can!

I’ll see you again on Thursday, with The Zeratul Workout.  As always, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace