Was Tassadar really Tassadar?

[Tenebrae]

Well, Tassadar claims that he's never tasted death...but quickly waves that off as a story for another day. We know that the Xel'Naga intended for the Zerg and Protoss to eventually merge to become their next incarnation...but this was intended to be a significant time in the future.

Tassadar and the Overmind were both extremely advanced when it came to their respective races...and Tassadar seemed to express a very strong, almost intimate, respect for the Overmind's sacrifice...on a level that almost seemed as though he, himself, lived it. Again, however, this was left vague...

It's possible that the two did merge...becoming the first newborn Xel'Naga in the process that was truly intended by the Xel'Naga to begin with...though, still, sped along by the actions forced upon them...the conflict that never should have been. We'll have to see for ourselves in the next installments...but I personally think the resulting hybridization between the two would prove to be quite the "Sage-like" character...when it fully presents itself for what it is. Both the Overmind and Tassadar were wise and exceedingly intelligent beings...both holding an almost "grandfather" mentality. That comforting elder who passes down wisdom to the young...they, in my eyes, already seemed like two halves of a whole that reflected one another for their respective races.

[JellyKing]

I don't think Blizzard think about such subtleties as using the Overmind's voice actor for Tassadar as a slight hint at what's ahead in the story. If it turns out like that, I'd say co-incidence.

As for who it actually is, I'd put my money on it really being Tassadar. If Blizzard had thought of something more interesting, I feel like they would have hinted more strongly at it. My favourite explanation for Tassadar not being dead (which is a fact that I loathe) is the he and the Overmind did fuse in some way and have thus begun towards the rebirth of the Xel'Naga. But I don't think it's what's happening.

JK

[Visions of Khas]

Jelly, Tenebrae - one pet hypothesis/plot point I've toyed with is that the essence of Tassadar and the Overmind would fuse and be contained within the Khaydarin crystal around which the Overmind developed. Given that each individual embodied the racial consciousness of their respective races - the Hive Mind and the Khala - this could be used to great effect for or against either Zerg or Protoss, or used as a catalyst for the development for the Hybrids.


This was the central plot around a campaign I worked on before StarCraft II was released... I never got it finished... ;_;

[Gradius]

There's no evidence at all that the Overmind & Tassadar fused to become a Xel'Naga - first time I heard this theory. The Overmind is dead, but Tassadar is alive because of the nature of the Khala. Much like Adun, Tassadar probably ascended to a higher state of reality by gathering so much energy, kind of compared to like how an electron goes to a higher energy state when it gets excited.

My theory is that Tassadar now lives in the psionic matrix, a sort of energy imprint like what you have on Warp Prism crystals, except alive.

[senervo]

I died a little inside when I saw Force Ghost (tm) Tassadar.

''Tassadar! but... you died...(pause for another long pause)

it could have been different...''sigh''

[LordofAscension]

The Overmind was performed by Aldaris' VA, and Tassadar was played by Worf (Michael Dorn).

The only thing I thought about was that, why did Tassadar have to be the only survivor? Couldn't the Overmind technically live, since he was also infused with Templar and Void energies? Perhaps their spirits could have merged?

But ultimately, I don't think that's what happened here.

The original VA was Michael Gough (Cain in Diablo). As much as I enjoyed Michael Dorn on Star Trek, I miss Gough. But yeah - in a way I'm glad to see Tassadar returned (and at least he got a unique model!) but I wish it had been better explained/worked into the story.

~LoA

[Tenebrae]

Of course there's no evidence towards an Overmind and Tassadar merger...but there's no evidence against such either. Tassadar remains quite the enigma at this point, in regards to what transpired to him upon that "sacrifice" and what he's ascended into. It's all purely speculation based upon my own personal preference...the possibility is there, even if it's an improbability.

What better firstborn Xel'Naga though aye? A Tassadar and Overmind hybridization...truly a "born" leader for the new incarnation of the Xel'Naga if I ever thought of one.

[Gradius]

You can see that this theory can't be true just by looking at what the Xel'Naga cycle is trying to accomplish. The new Xel'Naga were supposed to be formed through a long and drawn out process of natural merging of species. Furthermore, they're supposed to yield living physical creatures, not "force ghosts" or any kind of void entities (i.e. voice in the darkness). The true Xel'Naga cycle is anything but a quick mashing together of the two species - you can read about it in DT Twilight. If Tassadar and the Overmind did indeed merge to become new Xel'Naga, then they would be an abomination, much like the hybrids. But of course, if Blizzard wants to do it, they'll ignore existing lore and do it anyways.

[broodmywarcraft]

You can see that this theory can't be true just by looking at what the Xel'Naga cycle is trying to accomplish. The new Xel'Naga were supposed to be formed through a long and drawn out process of natural merging of species. Furthermore, they're supposed to yield living physical creatures, not "force ghosts" or any kind of void entities (i.e. voice in the darkness). The true Xel'Naga cycle is anything but a quick mashing together of the two species - you can read about it in DT Twilight. If Tassadar and the Overmind did indeed merge to become new Xel'Naga, then they would be an abomination, much like the hybrids. But of course, if Blizzard wants to do it, they'll ignore existing lore and do it anyways.

It's not like they haven't done it already

But man, all these theories and speculations are giving me a brain aneurysm.

I miss simpllicity

[Tenebrae]

You can see that this theory can't be true just by looking at what the Xel'Naga cycle is trying to accomplish. The new Xel'Naga were supposed to be formed through a long and drawn out process of natural merging of species. Furthermore, they're supposed to yield living physical creatures, not "force ghosts" or any kind of void entities (i.e. voice in the darkness). The true Xel'Naga cycle is anything but a quick mashing together of the two species - you can read about it in DT Twilight. If Tassadar and the Overmind did indeed merge to become new Xel'Naga, then they would be an abomination, much like the hybrids. But of course, if Blizzard wants to do it, they'll ignore existing lore and do it anyways.

Currently, we have absolutely no idea as to what the Xel'Naga are, nor what their new incarnations are meant to be. They could be physical, they could be psionic, they could be a hybridization of the two...there's nothing that states anything in regards to their nature beyond the current Hybrids being an abomination in comparison to what was truly intended.

Granted though, it's quite true that the process of merger was suppose to take place well into the future, but Tassadar and the Overmind both represented the strongest of their respective races. It's possible that both of these two entities progressed far more rapidly than the Xel'Naga anticipated...exceeding expectations due to the forced conditions placed upon them. Tassadar did learn to channel both energies of the Void and Khala in order to defeat the Overmind...while the Overmind, itself, strived to perfect itself through the assimilation of countless species in it's quest to defeat the Protoss...including the psioniclly gifted Terrans.

Though it's obviously not what the Xel'Naga wanted, it's possible that this method did speed along the progress of these two entities, even if the rest of their race is still far behind, permitting them the ability to ascend into the new incarnation of the Xel'Naga. The "Tassadar" we seen may have been no more than a hallucination created by the new entity in order to not frighten Zeratul out of not absorbing the vision that it needed to pass along... Had it presented itself as it truly looked...you would have had Zeratul very untrustworthy of the creature...especially knowing that the Overmind was part of it.

Either way, as stated, all just speculation on my part...but there's nothing going against the possibility yet. The two were well ahead of their time, products of a forced situation that might have furthered the goals of the Fallen One...but also made these two rapidly progress when they would have, otherwise, progressed slowly due to having not had the other to push them into exceeding their former states to destroy the other.

It's just as possible that they're a Hybrid that's free of the Fallen One's control. It's also possible that the Overmind is dead and gone, and Tassadar somehow survived... It's possible that he pulled a force trick and lives only in "essence".

Many possibilities...but he says he never tasted death, and quickly waves it on. That statement is what makes me wonder.