what would you like to see Kerrigan's arc in heart of the swarm

[DarthYam]

I made my guess based on the fact that the over mind itself was implanted with the directive. Why would he do so with Kerrigan?

You'd be surprised at how unlikely things can happen (believe me sometimes things really can line up.

Here's a similar scenario in a book from the Dresden files.

When they try to find records on how to locate a kidnapped girl, the few records that make it out intact contain shipping records for ritual gear the same day the girl was abducted, pointing to a shipping base. When they raid the base, the villains did the smart thing and purged that shipments records, but as luck would have it the shipment was incomplete because the minions in charge of shipping got careless (they forgot to include some key components on the list, and they were overlooked) and because the villains don't want another fuck up they have a copy of the records for shipment 2 in the truck to use as a final checkup. The heroes happen to break into the exact same truck (I don't remember exactly but they were in a hurry and the bay was closest to the main office), figure out what's happening, and by examining the copy of the records and the mexican cash the goons were going to use (again, it's possible that it would save time by just leaving everything you want in the truck) they figure out the girl's in mexico. As such, when another faction investigates on his behalf they find out where the evil ritual of doom the baddies plan to use the girls for will take place obscenely quickly because they know what to look for and where to look.)

They got obscenely lucky but again it is possible for that kind of chance to happen. It's rare, but possible. You're just screwed if you count on it. And it's wholly possible things didn't wholly work out.


In this case, the universe threw him a freebee.

[Turalyon]

I made my guess based on the fact that the over mind itself was implanted with the directive. Why would he do so with Kerrigan?

Granted that there isn't any information on the exact specifics and nature of the directive, we can only both speculate. However, you have to consider the Overmind is not just a generic individual that is physically set apart from the rest of the Zerg. It was the collective will/consciousness of the entire Zerg Swarm - the Overmind is essentially the Zerg. Therefore you can assume that anything that the Zerg brings into their fold would be part of the Overmind in some form or another. If the directive has infected the processes of the Overmind - then anything connected/associated with it would likely be prone to this corruption as well, wouldn't you think?

You also ask the question of why the Overmind would let Kerrigan have this directive in the first place. However, you've also mentioned that the Overmind has no choice or is unable to take action against the directive. Remember, the Overmind has very limited allowed actions - making Kerrigan retain a semblance of freedom is dangerous afterall to the directive. By this logic, Kerrigan should by default be instilled with this directive when first inducted into the Swarm by the Overmind. Besides, Kerrigan was not free when the Overmind was around - the Overmind clearly states this to Zasz when Zasz became worried about Kerrigan's methods.

Here's a similar scenario in a book from the Dresden files.

They got obscenely lucky but again it is possible for that kind of chance to happen. It's rare, but possible. You're just screwed if you count on it. And it's wholly possible things didn't wholly work out.

I fail to see how this parallels the Overmind situation given that the 'heroes' in your example have free agency to pursue their plans whilst the Overmind does not. This lucky situation you describe more closely resembles the Overmind's search (which for all intents and purposes had free agency before WoL's 'revelations') for a psionic weapon which happened to bear fruit in the form of the Terrans happening to abandon a psychic directly to it. Otherwise, none of the fortuitous sequence of events (for the Overmind's perspective that is) is actually due to any direct action of the Overmind enacting its own plan.

In this case, the universe threw him a freebee.

Not just one, but a whole series of unlikely events that could've individually failed at any time but miraculously went in favour of the Overmind beyond its wildest dreams!

[DarthYam]

though he did have the luck of an angel, I counted about three freebies at most.

The first was Kerrigan, the second was the DT giving him a super convenient excuse (and given that they could have screwed him by existing I'm doubtful) to keep his chosen successor out of harms way while the third was Aldaris's arrival forcing Kerrigan to flee rather than be annihilated before tassadar and zeratul were killed. Everything else depended on the skills of his enemies. It wasn't so much luck as that his foes were strong enough to triumph, as well as the iron will required. That's not luck, that's skill; it's only that now the other side has it.

[Turalyon]

You still don't seem to realise that your rationalisation of the directive's influence on the Overmind would make the possibility of anything turning out the way the Overmind really wanted is nil.

That Kerrigan, as an individual, specifically and being the only one capable of leading the Zerg to freedom and defeating the DV is one thing (or rather 2) but you also have to factor in that the Overmind was able to find and integrate her (let alone trust that that Kerrigan is indeed the 'one' - it could've been wrong afterall), then remove itself from the equation (this is a must because Kerrigan cannot be free from the directive if the Overmind is still around to control her), somehow ensure her safety when itself was out of the picture and also somehow make her be free enough 'inside' so she decides to hopefully help Overmind achieve its own hidden goal of freeing the Zerg whilst all being powerless to act in itself. One cannot even hope that this would be possible and yet what we have now is the realisation of the Overmind's goal: Kerrigan in a position to free the Zerg and defeat the DV. Suspension of disbelief/logic can only go so far....

[eternallight]

In response to the original question:

For HotS I'd like to see a return to quality storytelling (the artform), as well as some kind of salvage operation of the horrendous plot. Obviously, this is wishful thinking on my part, as I have no idea how they could possibly smooth over the literary absurdities in WoL. They could drop the cheesy, unintelligent, "money-shot" dialogue and nonsensical actions, though.

As DarthYam said, I wouldn't have minded some kind of story of struggle for redemption, or an attempt thereof. But not like this. Tastefully, please. I can pull something out of my ass on the spot that's far more tasteful than what Blizzard did. Regardless, the premise could have made for interesting character and plot development. There are many stories of redemption that are very well done. Sadly, I do not foresee SC2 being one of them.

[TheEconomist]

Well I seem to have lost my respect for you...
Rock paper scissors?

He's absolutely right. SC2 at the Bronze league level is entirely based on "rock, paper, scissors" gameplay and luck. Fortunately, the game gets better silver and above.

[Twilice]

lmao!
Good one.

[The_Blade]

I'm really not sure if I want to see Blizzard handle Kerrigan's arc in heart of the Swarm just as they did with Raynor, but I believe the following will happen:

• HotS will still move around a love story between Raynor and the girl known as Sarah
• Kerrigan will have to find retribution or die
• She will be unable tu understand any of her pasts, but will remember fragments of them. Her current current personality is but a manifestation of her unconscious mind.
• Regardless o her current condition, she needs the Queen of Blades back.

More detail:

Judging by Warfield's presence on Char, I'll guess it's been a couple of weeks or months since Kerrigan was uninfested. Warfield's state of the art installation was perhaps where Kerrigan was contained, before Nova broke in. As an ally to Valerian, Raynor was stationed in Char too.

Kerrigan is hostile to most. Her personality has changed a lot from Sarah's naive believes to Kerrigan's fierce attitude, but still rejects the killing instinct of the Queen of Blades. She might still care for Raynor, but she can't love him. Her memories and her guilt prevent her from doing so.

Raynor has been fighting an internal conflict since he brought Kerrigan in. He wonders if he actually saved Sarah or just brought a different monster back with him. Moreover, his crew in uneasy about their current alliance with Valerian and Kerrigan herself.

Valerian has kept Raynor away from Kerrigan most of the time, and wishes to uninfest her completely. He either has a group of scientists who developed an antidote or persuaded Ariel into his cause. Ever since, Kerrigan has been kept drugged with this antidotes.

Kerrigan is not free. She is now a prisoner to her past. She wants to kill Mengsk with all her might, but must also protect those she cares for. As she fights for the Zerg's control she will also have to embrace the Queen of Blades once again. The Zerg will only follow her once she is strong enough, and won't let go so easily. These decisions will be truly her own, but there will be strong emotional consequences involved.

The killing will never stop, but will this girl survive the guilt of killing even more people as the persona of Kerrigan?

[Turalyon]

She wants to kill Mengsk with all her might

The reasons for her wanting to kill Mengsk are patently obvious, however, I do hope they meaningfully address the reason for "why now in HotS?" when she has had plenty of opportunity (and power mind you) beforehand. Somehow, uninfested Kerrigan waking up and saying "Because I now want to" just doesn't seem to sit right.

I'm thinking (or rather hoping) that her actual motivation to kill Mengsk "now" in HotS does not actually arise until partway into HotS. Whatever form that will take is anyone's guess though I'm hoping it's not another Macguffin, uninspired plot device or retcon (as that leaked ending tends to suggest).

The killing will never stop, but will this girl survive the guilt of killing even more people as the persona of Kerrigan?

Much as this being an interesting route to take for any other character, I don't think this would be appropriate for Kerrigan's character. There is an argument that WoL is sexist toward women since the recent portrayal of Kerrigan in WoL gives a strong vibe of a defenceless and aimless woman who needs to be saved by men thereby reinforcing a negative stereotype. Your question of whether this "girl can survive the guilt of killing more people" tends to feed off that I think and it has the potential to cheapen her.

Regardless of the above, you do have to also remember what she was, from the beginning, a highly trained assassin with numerous kills even before being the Queen of Blades. Assassins are generally not shrinking violets and have rather pragmatic views about life, otherwise they'd find another area of expertise or be rooted out in some way or another.

She has also been in a similar position (guilt over mass killing) before in SC1 where she was partly responsible for planting psi-emitters. Sure she had her own protestations and that you can blame it all on Mengsk, but there's a difference between being accountable and responsible. I think Kerrigan would be the type of person to own that responsibility and harden up from such lesson like this. Having her back-flip back to a naive girl would be a disservice and a retread, especially in light that her time as the Queen of Blades doesn't count (character growth-wise) because it is a disparate personality.

[DarthYam]

Kerrigan was a killer, but she was never a monster. Kerrigan i think will have to warring instincts.

1.) Achieve Redemption for her sins and atone for the atrocities committed to the koprulu sector now that she's aware of her role in potentially stopping the DV's plan. She also wants to help those she loves (Raynor was the only person who truly treated her with compassion in a very long time).

2.) Get revenge on Mengsk not just for abandoning but for indirectly getting her turned into the Queen of Blades. The problem is that some elements of her infestation remain, which combined with the fact that she's now hunted ensure that she'll need to fight to survive.

Also, the official press release claims that HOTS takes place two years after WOL (or at least 2506).
The leaked ending implies that Kerrigan's motives shift. Initially she wants revenge not just for betraying her, but for enabling the Zerg to turn her into the monster who slaughtered billions. Throughout the story Kerrigan will manage to finally let go of her past, so that when she kills mengsk it is because he's a monster who needs to be stopped for the good of the universe rather than because she wants vengeance.
That's why I think her "keep my end of the bargain" was included. She's in the same spot where she committed one of her greatest crimes.....only know she's a better person than she once was.

I think her time as QOB will have an even more massive effect. With the Psi emitters she hadn't been wholly willing, and didn't take joy. QOB kerrigan took sadistic glee in murdering her foes while laughing maniacally. Those kinds of crimes will haunt her for years.

they also confirmed that Fenix's death will be addressed in HOTS, and that Raynor will have to face his doubts.