EPTThe Conqueror - MVP
I think it's time MVP got a new nickname. I mean, I don't think "Game Genie" cuts it anymore. He needs something with more gravitas. This is the man with four GSL trophies and the ability to just win. Injuries mean nothing to him. The metagame is a shade that follows his footsteps in mimicry of his divinity. He's suffered, he's shown weakness, and he's risen again. Watch out, GSL: MVP is coming for you again, and he's not going to stop.
The Silver Surfer - MarineKing
He once aspired to be Emperor, but now he's a rogue King struggling to show the faithful that he is all they believe him to be. He seemed poised to claim his mantle, conquering foreign lands in the face of the strongest competition at the start of this year. Yet, in his home territory of the GSL, he has tasted Silver, again and again, and the face of his defeat (see above) showed him second place in the Ro16 group stage just this tournament. Still, this prodigy has mechanics, he has spirit, and he's got popularity on his side. Could he face down his nemesis in the finals and finally overthrow him?
The Leenocktopus
Here's a kid who's been through more in his StarCraft 2 career than some players twice his age. After playing well in two of the three GSL Open tournaments, he qualified for the first Code S season, where a little bad luck saw him fall to Code A, even though the consensus was that he was definitely Code S caliber. Yet, season after season, he remained in Code A. He even dropped out, only to make it through the qualifiers the following season. The Leenocktopus refused to give up, and finally, it paid off. He's now a Code S regular and a two-time MLG champion. I'm sure nothing would be sweeter to him than a GSL championship, but rest assured: even without it, he'll be back.
The Elephant in the Room - Rain
Not to be confused with the former Terran finalist who's now cheesing in America, this Rain is a Protoss pachyderm of a different nature. Before the rest of the Korean eSports Association finds their way into GSL, Rain is doubtless planning to walk the royal road laid forth in front of him. His trophy box of GomTV allstars taken down includes Taeja and MarineKing (both in this top 8) already, along with DongRaeGu, Polt, Genius, and ByuN. His macro and multitask are championship-level. His mistakes are few and far between. And most of all, as a KeSPA player, he commands an aura of fear unmatched by anyone left in this tournament but MVP.
The Wrecking Ball - Symbol
When the Iron Squid tournament started, nobody thought to worry about Symbol. He was just another generic player on a downtrodden team, with barely a token appearance in Code A to his name. But his second place there wasn't a fluke: it was a warning. Not long after, he showed GSTL its first Reverse All-Kill on the way to a 10-2 season record. Last Code S he only lost when eventual champion Seed came back from a 0-2 deficit. It's not clear that he has the mind of a champion yet, but he has the skill, and he can plausibly wreck anyone he runs across.
The Pretty Boy - HerO
Take a look at HerO's results page on Liquipedia. Before transferring to Liquid, the sum total of his achievements was qualifying for Code A and getting knocked out in the first round. Now he's a constant threat in tournaments worldwide, including top 4 of GSL just two seasons ago and his Dreamhack win last November. His innovative, multitask PvZ style has changed the metagame. This pretty boy can walk the walk, and his nerves are a thing of the past... almost. But he'll be facing a tough challenge in a PvP series against The Elephant, his worst matchup in both senses.
The Heir Apparent - Taeja
The other Liquid, or if you've been watching IPL TAC, the only Liquid. Seriously, this guy almost took down a massive league of the best teams in StarCraft 2 by himself, with a 23-3 record. He's been on top of the world (and TLPD), with championships in three different premiere events and constant GSL Top 8 performances since July. It's easy to see the SlayerS influence when watching him play: unreal micro, outrageous strategies (out-expanding Zergs with mass orbitals?!), and dogged determination. Forget MMA, forget Ryung, forget Ganzi -- this guy took BoxeR's legacy and ran with it. All that's left to complete his takeover is that GSL trophy.
The Crazy Kid - Life
It's easy to underestimate Life. For one, he's young, and his only meaningful appearance until recently was as the ad-hoc ace of failing ZeNEX. But more importantly, he's a loose cannon. The second place finisher at TSL4, he started off that tournament by losing two straight to elfi in a series that left viewers' heads spinning. But he went last in group selection, and then he made last season's champion look like a chump in straight-up games while ditching school. He's someone that no one wants to face, because anything is possible.
Will Rain, or even Life, finally tread all the way up the royal road where all other challengers have stopped short? Will 5th Gold crush 4th Silver in a heartbreaker of a finals? Will Leenock's long, long road finally reach the trophy, or will Symbol beat him to the punch? Will TeamLiquid's two Korean stars (sorry Zenio) finally meet in the finals? No matter the outcome, this much is clear: GomTV couldn't have hoped to put together something this good when they revamped their tournament format for 2012. This is a magical season, and any SC2 fan would be nuts to turn their eyes away from what's about to transpire.
