"The races of Starcraft are now renowned for their balance and distinctive features but all started as being influenced by other science fiction properties and tropes. The Terrans were conceived of as “outlaw cowboys,” who would have a clunky, heavy feel to them, Art Director Sam Didier explains. “We wanted our human race, the Terrans, to be a bit more of scoundrels, rather than the uptight and polished humans of most science fiction stories.” The Protoss, in contrast, were meant to embody the trope of the little “gray aliens” you see in science-fiction films. They were designed to be the “most intelligent, advanced race in the game, but also the highest evolved warriors,” Didier explains. These “little gray aliens” ended up being seven feet tall and resembling “space samurai” where everything— their buildings, units, and armor— all were “ aesthetically pleasing to the eye.” The Zerg, finally, were always meant to be these frighteningly adaptive aliens that were heavily influenced by Aliens and Robert A. Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. “They devoured and consumed and then took what was special about you and made it a part of their race. Oh, and they had teeth…lots of teeth,” Didier says."