Changeling

A changeling

Changeling is a zerg spy produced by the overseer

Overview

Changelings have an ability to shapeshift into any basic enemy unit, a marine, zealot or zergling. In StarCrafts, a marine is often chosen since the zerg's main adversary is the terran more than protoss (and even red zerg). They appear to leave their creator the overseers so that they can spy anywhere around the base. However, they cannot reshape their current form due to in-game logic.

After spying the enemy base by going inside the structure, and peeking through windows, they write down information quickly on a notepad, and give it to overseer so the zerg will know the whereabouts under the fog of war. When they time-out, they explode into a messy goo, similar to what infested terrans do. One of the changelings mockingly laugh at the the enemy before bursting itself, when the spying is successful.

First appeared in "Attention Seeker", a changeling appears to be used as a towel when queen wipes zergling swam from spawning pool.

Sometimes a changeling marine team up with terrans as shown in "TvT," but actually it is spying for the massive terran army standoff.

In "A Worm Welcome", an overseer releases a changeling that morphs into a zealot for the first time. Aside from sketching the enemy protoss base, it draws an X mark to prepare a nydus rush.

Appearance

Changelings are fully team-colored but the contrast is darker to indicate their unique color apart from any other zerg unit (however, in StarCrafts Mod, their team-color is normal) They shape like a blob creeping around the ground, unlike in StarCraft II where they have arms.

Transforming into a marine as shown in "I Spy", one of the changelings shape like a real marine until they have teeth on visor. In later episodes like "You Fired", its teeth are now visible like infested terran without wings.

"NASL 4 Grand Finals" shows a zealot that turns out to be a changeling, but "A Worm Welcome" is the first episode in the main series that features a changeling clearly morphing into a zealot. From a distance, its appearance doesn't look very different from a real zealot, except for the fact that they walk in a humorous manner. In the epilogue, the close-up of the changeling reveals that it also retains teeth-like lines on the "collar".

Trivia

• Changeling can shapeshift into Arthas or an orc in StarCrafts Mod. Also, two more forms other than marine are revealed, a zealot and a zergling, acting the same way.
  • However, changeling appears in "NASL 4 Grand Finals" as a suspicious zealot.
• In StarCrafts Plus mode, a changeling can get inside the medivac dropship and attack units on board.

See Also

• Changeling on StarCraft wiki.