As always, you understand my poorly word question just fine. ^^
That’s exactly my issue. Do you really think your idea would visually work? We are unfamiliar with the portrait of both Purities. Trying to show a single being with both trait per your suggestion is going to look rather confusing. That’s why I think the artist might opt for a splitting images.
I’ve always felt this was the most straightforward assumption too, yeah. The dots are there, I just wish Blizzard didn’t make them so hidden and thus difficult to connect. Their overt explanation was certainly lacking.
It’s less a retcon and more a sudden twist. Learning that the protoss didn’t have purity of form and the zerg didn’t have purity of essence because of Amon’s tampering was meant to be a heavy and impactful plot twist as opposed to an outright rewrite of canon. Leading the audience to believe the opposite would then be a misdirection. I’m not saying it’s good, mind you. Nor do I think they planned that from the beginning. I’m just saying it doesn’t technically meet the definition of a retcon.
Technically the only definition of Purity of Form we have is “great psionic potential.” That’s not necessarily great psionic ability, either. Just potential. And the terrans have been described that way on multiple occasions.
I interpreted it that Ouros wanted her to continue the infinite cycle, but knew after she ascended that she would not. Whether that’s due to her possible death during the final battle or just her not wanting to continue the cycle because she thinks Xel’naga interference is cruel, who knows?
We didn’t learn that tho. At no point does Amon’s intervention on the Protoss and Zergs be presentes as depriving them of the purity of form and essence, quite the contrary, as the Primals were also modified by him.
Also, an Hybrid was set to become Amon’s physical body, ergo it had both purities.
The problem with saying that Kerrigan’s ascension was just the last turning of the cycle is that it’s contradicted in the epilogue text:
“At long last, Amon is no more more. Kerrigan has become xel’naga and ended the Infinite Cycle.”
And also by Ouros:
“Ouros: With the last of our essence, a new eternity dawns. The Infinite Cycles have come to their end.”
With that interpretation, the cycle would have ended when Kerrigan died, for example, not on the very act of her ascension. But the act of ascending is supposed to continue the cycle per Ouros earlier, which is the whole problem.
Ascending to Xel’Naga and continuing the Infinite Cycle aren’t the same thing. You don’t complete and break something in the same act. Kerrigan’s ascension apparently broke the cycle, which is funny, because that’s all Amon wanted to do. 
A retcon doesn’t have to be some direct & irrefutable contradiction/change that you can point to with your finger. Anything that changes the audience’s interpretation of an event is a retcon. I’d say that one as drastic as this one is a pretty blatant one too.
Sure, in as much as it was the last time it was going to be repeated. Its not a contradiction, Kerrigan ascending was a completion of a cycle, but since she has no intention of continuing it, and may or may not have given up the power entirely, its also broken.
It’s a full blown contradiction.
If Kerrigan completed the cycle and has the power to continue it, then it’s not broken. You can’t declare something broken preemptively if there’s nothing wrong with it. You declare something broken when it actually breaks. 
This is such a ridiculous technical complaint I refuse to believe you actually consider it valid. Im pretty sure youre just complaining for the sake of complaining at this point.
I thought the whole point of the primals is that they were zerg who escaped Amon’s corruption, said corruption being the hivemind.
Au contraire, mon frère, remember the infamous “Amon’s taint” we kept mocking? Say no more.
Perhaps Bent’s prediction that she’s dead is actually true then. It would be one way to clear things up.
For the record on that argument, I think Kelthar’s interpretation is technically valid enough to possibly be their intention.
Say, I just had a thought. What if Blizzard makes the endings to their stories intentionally this f*cked and obfuscated so that nerds like us will debate them ad infinitum, thus keeping us busy for years until the devs finally decide to add story content?
Debates drag on for years because people here grasp at straws to come up with outlandish excuses for lore contradictions that defy common sense. I don’t get why we can’t just admit it’s a contradiction and move on. Not every lore criticism has to be treated like barbarians at the gates.
Kerrigan both completing and breaking the cycle with her ascension is ridiculous and nonsensical. You don’t declare your brand new car broken as soon as you purchase it and roll it off the lot because you know it’s going to break at some point in the future. Think of how stupid that sounds.
Likewise, Ouros can’t declare the cycle both completed and broken on Kerrigan’s ascension. In fact, he doesn’t even know that she won’t just change her mind and continue it in the future anyway, since she actually has the power to do so.
Maybe, but who would write/phrase it like that if that’s what they were really going for? They’ve failed as writers if that’s really what they were trying to convey the whole time. I find the whole explanation to be nonsensical and a huge stretch of the imagination.
This isn’t, nor really has been up for debate for a very long time. 
All Zergs were modified by Amon to survive Zerus’s firestorm, so they are still corrupted by his taint.
A concept only used by Zurvan, who is pretty biased in the whole Swarm Vs Primal, and isn’t someone I would trust in regards about how the Infinite Cycle works.
If an Hybrid can become the physical incarnation of a Xel’Naga, then clearly both Zerg and Protoss have the purities.
@Spirit I think my idea of the “split” representing either-or Purity not only works, but is what we’re seeing.
@Samariyu We know for a fact that Protoss do have Purity of Form and Zerg do have Purity of Essence. Aside from the fact that it’s stated in the original manual, it’s also stated in “Legacy of the Void.”
Artanis comes to, and voices that, conclusion, and even if we can’t rely on him, one of the Xel’Naga constructs Artanis and Kerrigan fight actually says: “Purity of Form, Purity of Essence, prove your worth.” or something like that.
It was talking to Artanis and Kerrigan, Protoss and Zerg.
One step back, perhaps that’s the status what Blizzard wanted to. To leave a controversial ending just for someone would talking about it long and long, expecting perhaps the next-generation of the series would explain everything.
On a very surface level, it’s a happy-ending for everyone. Amon is dead, same as Narud. The threat had been terminated forever. Dominion goes prospering, Zerg got a new queen, Zagara. Even Alarak has learned something about free will. Lots of barren planets regrowth lives on it. Most important, Kerrigan choose to becoming original form and has found Raynor. You can even add a last words like “They all lived happily ever after” if you want.
But underneath there are literally full of contradiction. Why only Kerrigan was chosen to ascend? Does Kerrigan died during destroying Amon in the Void? If yes, who is the one masquerading as Kerrigan standing in front of the bar’s gate? Is it just Raynor’s imagination? If not, what does Kerrigan did in the past 2 years? (in the bar, the subtitle shows there has been 2 years since Amon’s falls) Why does she choose to becoming a original terran form? Did Narud died? because according to somewhere before, a Xel’naga could only be killed by another Xel’naga, and at that point, Kerrigan is not a Xel’naga yet.
You can continually list those questions, I believe those are something foreshadowing next-gen. They probably leave that on purpose. So, I think better we stop guessing all around because those are unsolvable questions until next-gen was released.
Leaving plot holes to set up future is not a smart way to set up future.
My experience is that it’s just TBO is a devoted and passionate fan who comes up with stuff when he’s procrastinating (I do the same, albeit primarily with my own creation)
^- Kelthar, you were saying earlier that SC2 had a dark tone and the fates of the characters were as grim as SC1.
Doubt it. They’re just going to retcon more stuff or tell a completely unrelated story.
I stand by my position. You can choose to ignore the number of character deaths and failures if you choose to, but they are there.
Yeah but compare it to SC1 though:
Raynor - Family died. Home planet infested by zerg. Fought against Confederacy only to replace it with someone worse. Comrade in arms (or love interest) betrayed and turned into an evil zombie. Best alien friend died. Left defeated with only revenge to keep him going. Oh, and Mengsk is still alive.
Kerrigan - betrayed by father figure. Put through brutal torture by zerg and infested. Lashed out against the world to get her power back and a sense of control. But in the end her victory felt hollow and she alienated the one person that cared about her (Raynor). She now lives her life as a disgusting bug creature who’s only pleasure is to bring as much pain to others as she has felt herself.
Artanis - Loses his homeworld. Gets tricked by Kerrigan into doing her bidding. Gets defeated at Talematros and Omega. Goes in defeat to rebuild his once glorious civilization, knowing that the zerg could descend on them at any time.
Zeratul - Holy crap. Persecuted his whole life. Responsible for leading zerg to Aiur. Watches the zerg invade his home planet. Fails to see Kerrigan’s manipulation of Raszagal and watches his civilization get destroyed. Has to kill his own Matriarch. Then he finds out about the hybrids and is left so unsettled he can’t even rejoin protoss society, which is in a bad place even without his help.
Ghost is right. In SC2 they get everything they ever wanted. Kerrigan and Raynor get to live out the rest of their lives together in eternal matrimonial bliss. Only the protoss characters get screwed over as much in SC2, but at least Artanis gets a happier ending and has achieved peace with his civilization no longer being under threat.
SC2 has deaths yes, which is commendable. But the overall tone of the story and experiences of the characters that are still alive is far different between the games.
Of course it does. SC1 and BW were deliberately leaving things open for a sequel. SC2 on the other hand was resolving things. It features the completion of character arcs and storylines, its like complaining that Return of the Jedi ends on a different note than Empire Strikes Back.
I agree that the original game and expansion had a darker tone, and an overall darker/less certain ending. For the sequel though, they were wrapping up the overall story arc, where StarCraft: Brood War was setting the stage for a future title.
Overall though, good breakdown of the characters. My only critic would be the first point for Raynor, as his family was killed before the game.
If you can so easily read my mind bifrost, then you know I shall never give up, so long as hope remains 
In all seriousness there is no way that Blizzard actually goes in my theroys direction. On the other hand none of you guys can prove it wrong until SC3 comes out 20 years from now.