Talk: Protoss

Tribes

Can we really consider the listed tribes 'factions' per se? It was every tribe for itself in the AoE and while some tribes stood above others (eg. Akilae Tribe), they were single tribes among many.--Hawki 07:53, 26 November 2007 (UTC)

Photosynthesis

Where does it says that the Protoss are photosynthethic? In Q&A it is said that they absorb water and light through their skin. XEL 16:44, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

It says so, very clearly, in Firstborn. Kimera 757 (talk) 16:46, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Can you quote it? I wonder in what manner is it stated... XEL 16:50, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

From Firstborn (Jake here is Temlaa):

"Not for the first time, Jake thought about the ways other creatures obtained sustenance. For the protoss it was easy-the White Circle of night and the Golden Orb of day showed their favor to the protoss and nourished them. Their light, and that of thier children, the smaller glittering sky gems that appeared at night, was all the protoss needed to flourish.

Other beings killed for food. Sometimes, Jake envied them. How good it would be to take the flesh of a fallen foe and bring it inside the body."

This is what is says in Shadow Hunters, about Raszagal (Jake here is Adun's companion Veltraas):

"Her skin was pallid, and the unhealthy hue told Jake that she had been imprisoned too far away from the life-giving rays of the sun, moon, or stars. The Conclave would not have let her starve to death, of course. But they clearly had permitted her the barest minimum of nourishment." Kimera 757 (talk) 17:03, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Hm, but does it imply the photosynthesis? The nourishment through photosynthesis comes not only from the sunlight. XEL 17:07, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

In photosynthesis, water molecules are broken down, and the oxygen released freshens the air. (The oxygen does not come from carbon dioxide.) No mention of carbon dioxide or minerals are made, but then neither of these protoss were scientists.) The protoss do need water, this was pointed out clearly.

To put it another way, there's no good explanation for why they would be using sunlight as nourishment other than photosynthesis. Kimera 757 (talk) 17:15, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

The second statement was made when the Protoss restored their technological advance and yet minerals and CO2 aren't mentioned. XEL 17:26, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

There was no need to mention them, especially since Veltraas wasn't a scientist. (Minerals would be expected since real-life plants use them. However, said minerals would be present in the water. I'm talking real-life minerals like calcium here.) Kimera 757 (talk) 17:28, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

But why wouldn't Q&A mention nothing about phitisynthesis, then? XEL 17:31, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

To most people, light = food means photosynthesis. Neither Karune nor Golden are scientists. I doubt either of them could walk you through the plant metabolic cycle, nor is it necessary. Karune was also basically copying what Golden said, and I wouldn't expect Golden to say "but clearly they needed to give Raszagal carbon dioxide" when she's breathing the same air as the Conclave. Does light = food mean anything to you other than photosynthesis? Kimera 757 (talk) 17:35, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

To me it doesn't men photosynthesis, because no mention of carbon dioxide (in Q&A) is made. XEL 08:54, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

I think the statement "light+water->energy" doesn't necessarily mean what we know as "photosynthesis". First of all, even with the large body surface area of the Protoss body, it's impossible to obtain such energy from what we call photosynthesis. Perhaps it's something like.. the skin cells converting the light energy to chemical energy without any production of oxygen or intake of carbon dioxide at all or something like that. The Protoss aren't plants, and if this photosynthesis was something that earthen plants did, we'd look out of the window to find walking trees. (His Wrath falls from the Heavens. :Starshade) 12:15, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

I changed it to say "derive sustenance from light". I still think it's photosynthesis, though. (It's unrealistic, but then so are psychic powers.) Kimera 757 (talk) 22:43, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

If you want realistic...play "Axis & Allies" if you want fun, play Starcraft... Dark Templar of Auir 19:41, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

They have no mouth or nose, so how else would they get energy? User:Pvt. Wallace A. Jenkins

How protoss breathe

Protoss breathe buthow.mind helping me out. i think i read somewhere that they have something like gils under where they would have ears. which they also use for vocal communication.or do they breathe trough there skin.PRitender 17:15, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

They don't have gills, and can only communicate telepathically. Kimera 757 (talk) 17:18, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

They don't "breathe" either. They are similar to plants in that they are photosynthetic. They don't require much light to survive (evident by the Dark Templar living on Shakuras, which is extremely cloudy). --Thebrowncloud 23:25, 25 May 2009 (UTC)

They absorb water and oxygen through their skin (like amphibians) and they photosynthesize like plants. They don't have mouths or any kind of nose, or ears.

Perhaps their inspiration partly came from the aliens from Independence Day. --ZanyDragon (talk) 03:18, July 10, 2014 (UTC)

Despite the 1998 release, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarCraft_(video_game)#Development says the game began developement in 1995, a year prior to the 1996 release of that film, so that seems iffy. I always figured they were based on the "Skinnies" from Starship Troopers, just as the Zerg seem inspired by the "Bugs" (aka Pseudo-Arachnids) from that. The skinnies did have mouths of course so there probably is some other element (or Blizzard just invented it) at play here. Tycio (talk) 16:50, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Capitalized?

The StarCraft 2 website has Protoss, Terran and Zerg capitalized basically everywhere. May I ask why it isn't here?Drakolord7 19:45, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

We write the names of the factions as they would appear in the various forms of official media that portray them. That means the games, books, etc. The terran, zerg, and protoss names have become familiar over time because they are no longer "new" in the universe. The nature of speech in the media forms has changed it from a formal topic to a far more casual one. --Thebrowncloud 21:17, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

I'm still skeptical. Except for the books, I've almost always seen it capitalized.

I see it like this. When we refer to Korean people, we call them Korean, with a capital K. It doesn't matter if its informal, people will use capital K except in extremely casual, such as texting. Its the same with Zerg, Protoss and Terran, and especially Xel'Naga. Just because they've been around for a while doesn't mean we stop capitalizing the K in orean, so why should it be for the Z in Zerg and so on?

Sorry, that was a bit long-winded and confusing, but I hope you see my point. Drakolord7 22:16, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

Wowwiki has the same policy, and for similar reasons. Species names should not be capitalized. We refer to monkeys as monkeys, for instance, not Monkeys. However, ethnic groups (which are based on countries or other political units) are proper names (so Korean people rather than korean people).

Thing is, Blizzard itself is inconsistent on this policy, and the wiki had to pick one side or the other. Between the more recent novels and the proper English way of doing things, the wiki went with using species names as proper nouns.

Note that some other settings/wikis have different rules. Halo always seems to capitalize words (eg Elites, Marines). In Star Trek, most species are named after a world (eg Vulcans, Romulans) but words like Klingon probably shouldn't be capitalized... but still are. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) 22:50, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

So we agree to disagree. Terran isn't the species name and almost is a sort of ethnic group, but as long as as the different factions within are capitalized then it shouldn't irk me too mch. I see the importance of having the whole wikia on one side. But are you sure about the Xel'Naga? They seem to be revered as Gods by the Protoss, at least in the past. Even with your points for the Zerg/Terran/Protoss side, I fell the Xel'Naga are in a separate category and thus should be capitalized.Drakolord7 22:59, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

The term "xel'naga" isn't capitalized in the Dark Templar Saga (the best source we have on them), when the term is used by protoss or by terrans, and terms like Norse gods aren't capitalized (the Norse part is, the god part isn't). Even terms like pharaoh (god-king) isn't capitalized, unless attached to someone's name (eg Pharaoh Tut). The Romans worshiped a set of gods called the lares (something like that in Latin) which, in English, isn't capitalized. But yes, perhaps we can just agree to disagree :) PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) 23:37, 24 June 2009 (UTC)

The word "terran" is also ambiguous as to whether or not it is to be considered a faction or another word for human. "Human" is still used in StarCraft lore which brings the question of why they would want two words for their species. However, considering that humans from Earth (the UED) were also refered to as terrans (showing it is not an exclusive term to the Koprulu Sector) is supporting evidence to state that it is, in fact, a name for their species. My guess would be that the origin of "terran" was to preserve their heritage within their species name for spacial/intergalactic relations (terra is the latin root for earth/Earth.)

I do understand your argument for capitalizing "xel'naga", but in a slightly different way. The xel'naga identified themselves to the protoss as "xel'naga". Whether or not they were representing themselves as a faction or a species is debatable. But when the Overmind linked minds with the xel'naga, it identified them as "xel'naga" based on their own thought patterns. Another piece of evidence that leads me to believe that xel'naga is a species and not a faction is that when the zerg retaliated and attacked their world ships, killing nearly all of them, they are explained to have been on the brink of extinction. This would show that the entire species moved nomadically as a whole, all refered to themselves as xel'naga, and were nearly wiped out entirely.

I apologize for making you read so much. I've thought about it alot. Hehe :) --Thebrowncloud 01:54, 25 June 2009 (UTC)

Protoss naval strength

Is it known how many fleets the protoss possessed and how many capital ships and fighters were in them? Template:Unsigned

No. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 11:26, July 7, 2010 (UTC)

Population

How many protoss are left after the fall of Aiur?--For the Swarm! 17:03, August 4, 2010 (UTC)

After the massacres, hundreds of thousands were killed during the evacuation. Other than that, we only know that Aiur had a population in the billions before it fell. There have been no provided numbers. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 17:06, August 4, 2010 (UTC)

Protoss Empire

I'm wondering, has the term "protoss empire" actually ever been used? Of all the systems of protoss government, I've never seen such a term and as the Protoss Protectorate is the current political term, it seems counterproductive to have it on this page. As such, if it is official, I think it should have its own page. If not, the term and references to it should be removed.--Hawki 11:36, August 7, 2010 (UTC)

Edit: Nevermind, found reference. Will still seperate though.--Hawki 11:43, August 7, 2010 (UTC)

On the subject, by way of removing worlds, I feel an explanation is owed. Effectively it's the same rationale as not listing terran worlds on the terran page, that while the protoss aren't factionalized as heavily, they've been united/divided to the extent that it's not quite as universal as say the zerg, as per their world list. Listing territories easily fits under the Empire, Protectorate and Tal'darim pages.--Hawki 08:49, February 14, 2011 (UTC)

Protoss Size

I think it need more evidences than just the back of a box. Is their size stated in the books? To me they seem more like 2 meters 40, as they are slightly taller than a marine (at most).

Does the SC2 image showing Raynor and Zeratul change the 3 meters statement at all?--74.210.182.77 18:36, August 27, 2012 (UTC)

Queen of Blades gave their size as only 7 feet, once, so there's two conflicting sources. Raynor standing next to Zeratul isn't great evidence though, as Zeratul always stands stooped, and a marine suit raises the wearer's height by a foot. If Zeratul was a foot taller than Raynor in that image, that puts him at eight feet tall... while stooped. (Unless Raynor's not in a suit. Note that we don't know Raynor's height, but he was described as "large" in Liberty's Crusade.) PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 22:32, August 27, 2012 (UTC)

Large doesn't just mean height- Liberty could have meant that Raynor had good-sized muscles- though Findlay seems to be of a good size in their Heaven's Devils photo. Alockwood1 (talk) 01:29, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

I think he was talking about the bit where Zeratul meets Raynor on the Hyperion (I can't think of any other place they met in SC2), where Raynor was not wearing a suit.

That's it. The image called RaynorZeratul SC2 Art1.jpg on this wiki. Zeratul is kneeling, Raynor is stooping, and the former is far less than a meter taller. If a source claims the protoss are 7 feet tall, it is probably right.--74.210.182.77 01:45, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

Try the Starcraft 1 campaign list for the Protoss- I think the image thing tells the height. Alockwood1 (talk) 01:49, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

If visiting Babtech on the Net, Stardestroyer and other such websites have taught me anything, it's that image analysis is filled with risk. We don't know how tall Raynor is, so we can't tell how tall Zeratul is. (The image used isn't good, as we can hardly see anything, eg their feet, or how much crouching is going on, but the video might help one way or another.) PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 01:57, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

Then the back of a cover can't be used as an evidence, and the source PsiSeveredHead is talking about is prevalent. --74.210.182.77 02:05, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

That's a non-sequitur. I didn't get the figure from eyeballing an image on the back of the box, the box actually says 3 meters. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 02:30, August 28, 2012 (UTC)

Some things are tough to figure out by an image- even when the size of one object is known. Let's let Blizzard figure out how tall the characters are, and not bother ourselves. Alockwood1 (talk) 01:15, August 29, 2012 (UTC)

Still not corrected? I'm thinking we could come with definitive proofs from StarCraft Frontline or the comic books. I'm looking at them.--74.210.182.77 16:07, September 2, 2012 (UTC)

Comics and graphic novels run into the same issue as any other visual analysis. None of that is as clear as something stated flatly by Blizzard, and that's part of our canon policy. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 00:17, September 3, 2012 (UTC)

One might know the size of an object or person, but if the image is at an angle, or if the person/object is on something, determining the size of other things can be tricky, as I've stated before. Have Blizzard handle it. Save yourself a headache buddy. Alockwood1 (talk) 02:02, September 3, 2012 (UTC)

According to our policy, if there are two contradictory sources, we must mention both. Even then, I'm not sure if it's the original StarCraft box, but I see no mention of height here [1].

The source for the 7 feet statement seem to be the Queen of Blades novel. Can anyone confirm?

In the Galatic Editor, at least, Zeratul is smaller than Tychus in armor [2][3]. This is for sure not the ideal source (hell, Kerrigan would be many meters tall), but I though the smaller units scale relatively well.--74.210.182.77 21:06, September 3, 2012 (UTC)

I don't know if that's the oldest version of the StarCraft box. I'm a Canadian, and got it here, which is probably why the figure was given in meters. (Then again, they may have given that figure due to the metric system seeming more futuristic.) This was back in 1998. (The Canadian version also used British/Canadian spelling in the manual. I don't know why.)

I've updated the article to take into account the books as well.

Tychus Findlay is 6-1/2 feet tall, and his armor should raise his height by a foot. His official statue is 9 inches tall. Zeratul's statue is 10 inches tall, making him about 8 feet. Alas, the statues don't give you their canon heights. PSH aka Kimera 757 (talk) contribs) 23:36, September 3, 2012 (UTC)

A figurine wouldn't be a good source for scale anyways- nothing is set in stone for them. Alockwood1 (talk) 00:36, September 4, 2012 (UTC)

Angry Protoss?

Someone changed title name, would someone change it back?Xbon (talk) 06:25, January 1, 2013 (UTC)

Done.--Hawki (talk) 12:59, January 1, 2013 (UTC)

Reference 8

We need to find something to replace [8] with. It's referenced throughout the article, and the video was brought down some time ago. 68.110.0.171 14:05, November 24, 2015 (UTC)

Nerve cords

StarCraft_II:_Legacy_of_the_Void_campaign_quotations/Aiur_missions:

Zeratul: Is that not impossible? Your kind cannot disappear from the Khala unless your nerve cords are severed.

Zeratul: With our nerve cords severed, only we Nerazim remain unaffected.

Zeratul: He has corrupted the Khala! Your nerve cords chain you to his will. They must be removed.

Has any other term ever been used for these? Like maybe a Terran nicknames them? I always thought of them as the "Protoss Ponytail" and it seems strange that for such an important aspect of the anatomy they don't just shorten it to just "Cords" or similar because what other cords other than nerve cords would they be referring to?

I notice besides the main ponytail of cords in the back that some of them have shorter "side dreadlocks" or something along those lines which don't seem as important because they didn't get severed. Tycio (talk) 15:46, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

speaking via video to Raynor

If the mouthless speaking that Protoss do is implied to be them telepathically transmitting their thoughts, then is there some kind of range limit for that?

It's one thing to speak in-person to Terrans, but I notice they also do this in ship-to-ship conversations with Raynor in Legacy of the Void, which would seem like a long range to telepathically transmit for creatures with their nerve cords severed.

I realized Kerrigan is capable of long-distance telepathy like this (ie contacting brood mothers in other star systems telling them which planets to attack) but that happens after she's evolved BEYOND the class-twelve psi she was a QOB (not sure if she could project that far prior)

Even before the severing of their cords there was a limit to the communication range via using the Khala, as I remember a mission where Kerrigan had to destroy range-boosting structures they had for amplifying their signals to call the Golden Army.

It seems like maybe Protoss can communicate basic ideas via telepathy without nerve cords, maybe at the range of a mile or so (explaining how they can talk to Raynor via vid despite lacking mouths... the video feed only transmits their image to Raynor, they're not actually vibrating air to make sound?) but they lack empathy/empathic transmission without the Khala.

The way the engineer talks about it though in the [convo]:

Without the Khala, it is as if I am blind. I cannot sense your feeling, know the true depth of your thoughts. I cannot call upon the surety of other phase-smiths.

At first I thought he meant "getting ideas from other phase smiths" but if they can telepath w/ Raynor I guess they can still share ideas, just not the CONFIDENCE they have in their abilities, I guess? Withouty surety you are unsure... you still share the thoughts but they don't seem whole / genuine I guess? Tycio (talk) 16:45, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

When you mentioned "amplify the signal", you answered your own question: telepathy toward communication objects get turned into a signal, that can be interpreted by receiver. I mean if Zerg manage to communicate through a terran ship communication device, there's no way a more brainy race like protoss would be unable to do something like that.

The Khala contains thoughts and emotions and knowledge from living and dead protoss alike. For the later, Preservers are the specialists to access it at a crazy scale, but for phase-smiths, they can still get access to a few ancestors as well as their living brethren through the khala.

-- UndeadStarSC (talk) 23:36, 24 May 2021 (UTC)