Well if Kerrigan will still be Kerrigan in HotS...

[Twilice]

Idd, some of the arts are just fan arts... and should be treated as such.

[Atj3h]

yeah i kinda agree (would like) newcomplex's theory

[Hav0x]

The art we are actually talking about is a campaign complete image from the beta files which (as far as we can tell) looks like Raynor in a marine suit holding an uninfested Kerrigan. Uninfested meaning she no longer has her weird zerg high-heels and normal human colored skin, though her hair still looks very zergish.

[Pandonetho]

I bet that Kerrigan is in a weakened state. And as Raynor carries her, she comes to her senses. When she's about to thank Jimmy for still caring about her, he runs and throws her off a cliff.

She tumbles down and down into what seems like a bottomless hole, but we all know villains never die that way. She becomes bitter and in HotS becomes powerful so she can exact a renewed revenge.

[wat3m3l0n]

stukov serum?? just maybe??

[pure.Wasted]

From the other artwork of her
http://sc2pod.com/img/gallery/161.jpg

She is still clearly very infested. Moreover, we have the video of wounded Zeratul claiming Kerrigan is the key.

This leads me to speculate that Kerrigan was being saved from a critically injured state by a very conflicted, anguished Raynor due to advice from Zeratul. Due to her injuries (evident by her loss of carapace, though if you look at her hair and skin tone, she is still clearly infested), shes lost a substantial amount of her former power, so HoTs will start with you playing a weak kerrigan rebuilding her strenght, also explaining the character progression of "evolutions".

In addition, she appears far more human, which is consistent with HoTs general design direction of humanizing the zerg so it'd be easier/possible to design a coherent campaign where you play as them.

Definitely this.

We (seem to) know that the Dominion will have a presence in the finale, indicated by that shot of Horace Warfield inside what appears to be the same Hive Jimmy's crew was invading.

Horace Warfield isn't just any bad guy though, he's a bad guy whose specialty just happens to be Ghosts (and Spectres, but that's less immediately relevant).

If Kerrigan is seriously wounded, there's a good, good chance it's by Warfield and his gang. If Kerrigan is de-infested, that removes any and all doubt.

[Pandonetho]

We (seem to) know that the Dominion will have a presence in the finale, indicated by that shot of Horace Warfield inside what appears to be the same Hive Jimmy's crew was invading.

I always thought that scene was a flashback to Raynor in QoB when he went to find Kerrigan after she got captured.

[pure.Wasted]

I always thought that scene was a flashback to Raynor in QoB when he went to find Kerrigan after she got captured.

Can't be. First of all, because Warfield wasn't there in QoB and he is there in SC2. Second, because there's 4 cinematics total and one of them has to be at the end (based on common sense). Tychus is beginning, Zeratul vs. Kerrigan is middle, Kerrigan betrayed has to be middle, and so we're missing a conclusion. Everything is accounted for.

[Pandonetho]

I see, I suppose that makes sense.

[pure.Wasted]

Not verbatim, from the new trailer:

Raynor: "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now."
Valerian: "Because I can offer you what you've always wanted."

Valerian has the cure to Zergtitis. Discuss.