



Woo "Violet" Jung Ho was a StarCraft progamer from South Korea who played Protoss for KT Rolster.

Biography [ edit ]

Like many progamers, Violet entered the scene without fanfare. He was quietly picked up by what was then the KTF MagicNs in 2007, spending some time as one of many faceless B-teamers before working his way to the A-team that same year. His first televised game was an unspectacular loss during a regular season Proleague match of little importance. For the rest of the year, and throughout 2008, Violet faded in and out of the KTF lineup, with some playtime but little success, racking up many more losses than wins. Early exits in qualification rounds of both the MSL and the OSL left very little impression of Violet for most fans.

At the same time, however, KTF was in decline. The aging and impending retirements of flagship veterans such as YellOw, Reach, and Nal_rA left large holes in the KTF roster, and KTF’s homegrown rookies were not quite ready to return the team to its former glory.

In many ways, Violet’s rise mirrored KTF’s resurgence. After a disappointing first two years, Violet surprised everyone in 2009, with the start of the 4th round of the 2008-2009 Proleague, were he went 14-3 and showed a lot of promise. Violet continued his streak in the 09-10 Proleague, scoring an impressive 7-0 in round 1 and leading a revival of the KT Protoss lineup. His nine-win streak was the longest of the season. During this inspiring run, the underdog Violet dispatched a list of formidable opponents: SKT ace Bisu, ZvP specialist HoGiL, as well as seasoned veterans firebathero and Anytime all fell to Violet’s superb play. KTF’s weak performance in the first rounds meant a failure to qualify for the playoffs, but Violet’s breakout performance was a sign of things to come. With the rebirth of The Ultimate Weapon, Flash, and the acquisition of Luxury in late 2008, KTF was in need only of a Protoss to continue the legacy of Reach and Nal_ra. Violet delivered.

In Round 1 of the 2009-2010 Shinhan Bank Proleague, Violet put on a dominant display, pushing the newly renamed KT Rolster to the top of the rankings with a stunning 7-0 performance. A staple of KT’s line-up for the rest of the season, Violet was integral to his team's first place finish and automatic seeding into the Grand Finals. KT's new Protoss superstar also contributed a win in the first set of the Grand Finals, and, a few hours later, Violet held in his hands the first Proleague trophy KT had ever won.

Violet’s outlook was good – continued Proleague success and individual league breakouts were goals within easy reach. Shock and disappointment came quickly, however, as the next three months, and the first two rounds of the 2010-2011 Proleague season, saw a disappointing 5-10 record for Violet, worlds away from his stellar performance just a year before. As January came, Violet looked more his old self, with a pair of three-kills and a 6-2 record in the Winner’s League portion of the season. Unfortunately, his rebound was quickly cut short.

Violet stepped down as captain of KT when Reach returned from ACE. After this he began to have more success, scoring two 3-kills in the '11 Winner's League.

On January 27, 2011 it was announced that Violet had been diagnosed with a form of acute leukemia and would be undergoing chemotherapy.[1] For the next year and a half, Violet faced his struggle with cheer and determination. In times of hardship, the true character of a man shines through – in what was undoubtedly the toughest time of Violet’s life, he remained committed to his team, his fans, and his dream. Violet was one of the few progamers with a TL account. With English that made up for its shortcomings by radiating sincerity and energy, Violet communicated with his fans about his thoughts and his plans – through KT’s second proleague win, the transition to SC2, and the uncertain future ahead, Violet endeared himself to us with his unwavering resolve. After struggling with acute leukemia for over a year, he passed away at the age of 23 on the morning of August 22, 2012.[2]

Facts [ edit ]

Violet said in July 2009 that he believes the current best progamer is Bisu, and watches his VODs to practice. In an interview, he has said "During practice I think to myself, “in this situation, what would Bisu do?” and there are many times when I think of a solution. I also believe his understanding of the races is different from others. I especially think the way he perceives the Zerg race is different from most players. Though I can imitate his play similarly, I can’t perfectly play like him yet. Often, it seems like the Protoss I’m playing with and the Protoss Bisu plays with are two completely different races, and so I feel even more so that he is a great player." [3]

Violet's role model was Reach. [4]

Violet was the first player to have an international fancafe based at TeamLiquid. [5] The fancafe was opened on June 29, 2009 and reached 100 members on July 4, 2009.

The fancafe was opened on June 29, 2009 and reached 100 members on July 4, 2009. In 2011 Violet was diagnosed with acute Leukemia.[6]

Accomplishments [ edit ]

Notable Games [ edit ]

vs Anytime, Shinhan Proleague 08-09 - 2009-05-31

vs Bisu, Shinhan Proleague 08-09 - 2009-05-23

vs HoGiL, Shinhan Proleague 08-09 - 2009-06-06

Gallery [ edit ]

References [ edit ]



