Editing Zerg (section)

== Attributes ==

=== Biology ===
Zerg have two cell types at birth — one which creates random mutations, and another that hunts these mutations — the result being that any mutations that survive are the strongest of all. Despite being a hive-minded species, the Zerg understand the principles of evolution and incorporate this into the development of their species. Zerg purposely situate themselves in harsh climates in order to further their own evolution through natural selection. Only the strongest with the best mutations survive, and they assimilate only the strongest species into their [[gene pool]].

=== Society ===
It was stated in an interview by [[Blizzard]] employees that the [[Zerg|Zerg Swarm]] are universally feared, hated, and hunted by all the sapient species of the [[Milky Way]].<ref>2011-05-31, http://sclegacy.com/feature/3-events/1018-hots-fansite-interview {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028201712/https://sclegacy.com/feature/3-events/1018-hots-fansite-interview |date=2021-10-28 }} May 2011 HoTS Fansite Interview</ref> The Zerg are a [[collective consciousness]] of a variety of different species assimilated into the Zerg genome. The Swarms' organization, psychological and economic, is more like that of ants or termites: they are communal entities, a people efficiently adapted by evolution. Every thousand Zerg warriors killed at a cost of one Terran soldier was a net victory for the Zerg; the Zerg Swarm didn't care any more about expending warriors than the Terrans cared about expending ammunition.

The Zerg were originally commanded by and unified by their absolute obedience to the Zerg collective sentience known as the [[Characters of StarCraft#The Overmind|Zerg Overmind]], a manifestation of this hive mind, and under the Overmind's control the Zerg strove for genetic perfection by assimilating the favorable traits of other species.<ref name="manual52">{{cite book|chapter=Zerg: History|page=52|author=Underwood, Peter|author2=Roper, Bill |author3=Metzen, Chris |author4= Vaughn, Jeffrey |title=StarCraft (manual)|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|date=1998-04-01}}</ref> Zerg creatures are rapidly and selectively evolved into deadly and efficient killers to further the driving Zerg imperative of achieving absolute domination. After a species has been assimilated into the Swarm, it is mutated toward a different function within its hierarchy, from being a hive worker to a warrior strain. ''StarCraft''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s manual notes that some species bear little resemblance to their original forms after just a short time into assimilation (an example would be the formerly peaceful Slothien species, which was assimilated and mutated into the vicious Hydralisk strain and so on).<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Zerg: Units|page=58|author=Underwood, Peter|author2=Roper, Bill |author3=Metzen, Chris |author4= Vaughn, Jeffrey |title=StarCraft (manual)|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|date=1998-04-01}}</ref> The Overmind controls the Swarm through secondary agents called cerebrates. Cerebrates command an individual brood of Zerg, each with a distinct tactical role within the hierarchy. Cerebrates further delegate power through the use of overlords for battlefield direction and queens for hive watch.<ref name="manual52"/>

The quest for 'genetic perfection' is a pseudo-religious concept to Zerg that drives them on a steady state of evolution and conflict; the Zerg believed there was a state that the zerg could reach where they no longer needed to evolve, that their evolutionary form would never have to change again because they could already adapt to any situation. Abathur, an evolution master, doubted that this was possible, but reasoned that "chasing the illusion of perfection" was, regardless, tactically sound.

The vast majority of the Zerg do not have any free will as they are genetically forced to obey the commands of those further up the Zerg hierarchy, although they are sufficiently intelligent to form strategies and work as a team on the battlefield. Despite this, the average Zerg has no sense of [[self preservation]].<ref>{{cite book| last= Hickman| first=Tracy| title=[[StarCraft: Speed of Darkness]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]. The StarCraft Archive| date=June 2002|chapter=Siege|page=579}}</ref> Along with the Overmind, the cerebrates are the only Zerg with full sapience, each with its own personality and methods, although they too are genetically incapable of disobeying the Overmind.<ref name="manual52"/> The Overmind also possesses the ability to reincarnate its cerebrates should their bodies be killed, although Protoss dark templar energies are capable of disrupting this process. If a cerebrate is completely dead and cannot be reincarnated, the Overmind loses control of the cerebrate's brood, causing it to mindlessly rampage and attack anything. As a result of the Overmind's death in ''StarCraft'' and the subsequent destruction of a new Overmind in ''Brood War'', the remaining cerebrates perished, as they could not survive without an Overmind.  Sarah Kerrigan replaced the cerebrates with "brood mothers".  These creatures fulfil much the same purpose, but are loyal to Kerrigan and could survive her temporary departure during the events of ''Starcraft 2''.{{citation needed|date=April 2015}}

An exception to all of this would be the Primal Zerg, who inhabit the original Zerg homeworld of Zerus (as seen in ''Heart of the Swarm''). The Zerg Hive Mind was created to control the Zerg, and eventually put them under the control of the main antagonist of the series, the fallen Xel'Naga Amon. Some Zerg, however, managed to avoid being subsumed. These are the Primal Zerg, who have much the same genetic abilities but are not bound to the Overmind. These creatures are each independently sapient, and if they follow a leader it is because they choose to. Their lack of a Hive Mind also shields them from specific psionic attacks engineered to counter the Zerg Hive Mind.

=== Zerg worlds ===
Zerg have conquered and/or infested many worlds, but only two of them are important:

*'''Zerus''': A jungle world. It is located in the galactic core's Theta quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy. It is the birthworld of the zerg. The position of Zerus is known from the manual. It is situated near the galaxy's core. The galaxy's disc has a radius of 49,000 lightyears. The Zerg covered around 30-to-40 thousand lightyears during their search for the Protoss homeworld.
*'''Char''': A volcanic world. The current Zerg capital-world. A former Terran Dominions world. The new Overmind grew here, but later it was enslaved by the [[United Earth Directorate]] (UED). Eventually the planet was regained by the Zerg under Sarah Kerrigan's control. During their search for the Protoss homeworld, the Zerg infested other Terran worlds on the borders of the Terran sector. Because the Zerg ran across the Terrans first, it can be inferred that the Koprulu sector lies approximately on the line with Zerus, Char, and Aiur.

=== Depiction ===
The Zerg were created from the native lifeforms of Zerus, who had the natural ability to absorb the "essence" of creatures they killed, transforming their bodies to gain new adaptations. The [[Xel'Naga]] created the Overmind and bound the primal Zerg to its will.  They gave the Overmind a powerful desire to travel across the stars and absorb useful lifeforms into the Swarm, particularly the Protoss, their previous creation, so as to become the ultimate lifeform.

The Zerg are a completely organic race, making no use of lifeless technology and instead using specialized organisms for every function efficiently fulfilled through biological adaptation and planned mutation of the Zerg strains. Their buildings are specialized organs within the living, growing organism of a Zerg nest, as are the Leviathans "space ships" that carry them across space. Zerg colonies produce a carpet of bio-matter referred to as the "creep", which essentially provides nourishment for Zerg structures and creatures.<ref name="manualZOverview">{{cite book|chapter=Zerg: Species Overview|page=55|author=Underwood, Peter|author2=Roper, Bill |author3=Metzen, Chris |author4= Vaughn, Jeffrey |title=StarCraft (manual)|publisher=[[Blizzard Entertainment]]|date=1998-04-01}}</ref> The visual aesthetic of the Zerg greatly resembles that of invertebrates such as crustaceans and insects (and certainly draws inspiration from the creatures from the [[Alien (film)|Alien]] movies). The Zerg are shown to be highly dependent on their command structure: if a Zerg should lose its connection to the hive mind, it may turn passive and incapable of action, or become completely uncontrollable and attack allies and enemies alike.

Zerg buildings and units are entirely organic in-game, and all Zerg can regenerate slowly without assistance (though not as quickly as Protoss shields or Terran medivac). Zerg production is far more centralized than with the Terrans and Protoss; a central [[hatchery]] must be utilized to create new Zerg, with other structures providing the necessary [[technology tree]] assets, whereas the other two races can produce units from several structures. Zerg units tend to be weaker than those of the other two races, but are also cheaper, allowing for [[rush (video gaming)|rush tactics]] to be used. Some Zerg units are capable of infesting enemies with various parasites that range from being able to see what an enemy unit sees to spawning Zerg inside an enemy unit. In addition, Zerg can infest some Terran buildings, allowing for the production of special infested Terran units.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/starcraft_sg/zerg_units.html|title=The Zerg Swarm – Units and Structures|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|work=StarCraft Strategy Guide|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|access-date=2008-09-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203092207/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/starcraft_sg/zerg_units.html|archive-date=2013-02-03}}</ref>