Editing Zerg (section)

=== 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.