diff --git a/cli/src/tests/query_test.rs b/cli/src/tests/query_test.rs
index 945b3b1f..5c98c959 100644
--- a/cli/src/tests/query_test.rs
+++ b/cli/src/tests/query_test.rs
@@ -381,8 +381,8 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_named_wildcard() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-            (return_statement (*) @the-return-value)
-            (binary_expression operator: * @the-operator)
+            (return_statement (_) @the-return-value)
+            (binary_expression operator: _ @the-operator)
             ",
         )
         .unwrap();
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_wildcard_at_the_root() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-            (*
+            (_
                 (comment) @doc
                 .
                 (function_declaration
@@ -432,10 +432,10 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_wildcard_at_the_root() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-                (* (string) @a)
-                (* (number) @b)
-                (* (true) @c)
-                (* (false) @d)
+                (_ (string) @a)
+                (_ (number) @b)
+                (_ (true) @c)
+                (_ (false) @d)
             ",
         )
         .unwrap();
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_immediate_siblings() {
                 .)
             (list
                 .
-                (*) @first-element)
+                (_) @first-element)
             ",
         )
         .unwrap();
@@ -506,17 +506,19 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_repeated_leaf_nodes() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-            (*
+            (
                 (comment)+ @doc
                 .
                 (class_declaration
-                    name: (identifier) @name))
+                    name: (identifier) @name)
+            )
 
-            (*
+            (
                 (comment)+ @doc
                 .
                 (function_declaration
-                    name: (identifier) @name))
+                    name: (identifier) @name)
+            )
             ",
         )
         .unwrap();
@@ -618,7 +620,7 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_non_terminal_repetitions_within_root() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             r#"
-            (*
+            (_
                 (expression_statement
                   (identifier) @id)+)
             "#,
@@ -673,18 +675,19 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_nested_repetitions() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn test_query_matches_with_leading_optional_repeated_leaf_nodes() {
+fn test_query_matches_with_leading_zero_or_more_repeated_leaf_nodes() {
     allocations::record(|| {
         let language = get_language("javascript");
 
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-            (*
-                (comment)+? @doc
+            (
+                (comment)* @doc
                 .
                 (function_declaration
-                    name: (identifier) @name))
+                    name: (identifier) @name)
+            )
             ",
         )
         .unwrap();
@@ -808,7 +811,7 @@ fn test_query_matches_with_repeated_internal_nodes() {
         let query = Query::new(
             language,
             "
-            (*
+            (_
                 (method_definition
                     (decorator (identifier) @deco)+
                     name: (property_identifier) @name))
@@ -1099,12 +1102,12 @@ fn test_query_captures_basic() {
             language,
             r#"
             (pair
-              key: * @method.def
+              key: _ @method.def
               (function
                 name: (identifier) @method.alias))
 
             (variable_declarator
-              name: * @function.def
+              name: _ @function.def
               value: (function
                 name: (identifier) @function.alias))
 
@@ -1352,7 +1355,7 @@ fn test_query_captures_with_many_nested_results_without_fields() {
             language,
             r#"
             (pair
-              key: * @method-def
+              key: _ @method-def
               (arrow_function))
 
             ":" @colon
@@ -1612,7 +1615,7 @@ fn test_query_captures_with_matches_removed() {
             r#"
             (binary_expression
                 left: (identifier) @left
-                operator: * @op
+                operator: _ @op
                 right: (identifier) @right)
             "#,
         )
@@ -1735,13 +1738,13 @@ fn test_query_capture_names() {
             r#"
             (if_statement
               condition: (binary_expression
-                left: * @left-operand
+                left: _ @left-operand
                 operator: "||"
-                right: * @right-operand)
+                right: _ @right-operand)
               consequence: (statement_block) @body)
 
             (while_statement
-              condition:* @loop-condition)
+              condition: _ @loop-condition)
             "#,
         )
         .unwrap();
diff --git a/cli/src/tests/tags_test.rs b/cli/src/tests/tags_test.rs
index 9bfd1f56..fad8ebd8 100644
--- a/cli/src/tests/tags_test.rs
+++ b/cli/src/tests/tags_test.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ const PYTHON_TAG_QUERY: &'static str = r#"
 
 const JS_TAG_QUERY: &'static str = r#"
 (
-    (comment)+ @doc .
+    (comment)* @doc .
     (class_declaration
         name: (identifier) @name) @class
     (#select-adjacent! @doc @class)
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ const JS_TAG_QUERY: &'static str = r#"
 )
 
 (
-    (comment)+ @doc .
+    (comment)* @doc .
     (method_definition
         name: (property_identifier) @name) @method
     (#select-adjacent! @doc @method)
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ const JS_TAG_QUERY: &'static str = r#"
 )
 
 (
-    (comment)+ @doc .
+    (comment)* @doc .
     (function_declaration
         name: (identifier) @name) @function
     (#select-adjacent! @doc @function)
     (#strip! @doc "(^[/\\*\\s]*)|([/\\*\\s]*$)")
 )
 
-(call_expression function: (identifier) @name) @call
+(call_expression
+    function: (identifier) @name) @call
 "#;
 
 const RUBY_TAG_QUERY: &'static str = r#"
diff --git a/lib/src/query.c b/lib/src/query.c
index 49cbb92f..9c5677bf 100644
--- a/lib/src/query.c
+++ b/lib/src/query.c
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ typedef struct {
  * represented as a sequence of these steps. Fields:
  *
  * - `symbol` - The grammar symbol to match. A zero value represents the
- *    wildcard symbol, '*'.
+ *    wildcard symbol, '_'.
  * - `field` - The field name to match. A zero value means that a field name
  *    was not specified.
  * - `capture_id` - An integer representing the name of the capture associated
@@ -761,7 +761,7 @@ static TSQueryError ts_query__parse_pattern(
       TSSymbol symbol;
 
       // Parse the wildcard symbol
-      if (stream->next == '*') {
+      if (stream->next == '_') {
         symbol = depth > 0 ? NAMED_WILDCARD_SYMBOL : WILDCARD_SYMBOL;
         stream_advance(stream);
       }
@@ -821,6 +821,15 @@ static TSQueryError ts_query__parse_pattern(
     }
   }
 
+  // Parse a wildcard pattern
+  else if (stream->next == '_') {
+    stream_advance(stream);
+    stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
+
+    // Add a step that matches any kind of node
+    array_push(&self->steps, query_step__new(WILDCARD_SYMBOL, depth, is_immediate));
+  }
+
   // Parse a double-quoted anonymous leaf node expression
   else if (stream->next == '"') {
     stream_advance(stream);
@@ -892,15 +901,6 @@ static TSQueryError ts_query__parse_pattern(
     self->steps.contents[step_index].field = field_id;
   }
 
-  // Parse a wildcard pattern
-  else if (stream->next == '*') {
-    stream_advance(stream);
-    stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
-
-    // Add a step that matches any kind of node
-    array_push(&self->steps, query_step__new(WILDCARD_SYMBOL, depth, is_immediate));
-  }
-
   else {
     return TSQueryErrorSyntax;
   }
@@ -913,18 +913,29 @@ static TSQueryError ts_query__parse_pattern(
 
     if (stream->next == '+') {
       stream_advance(stream);
+      stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
       QueryStep repeat_step = query_step__new(WILDCARD_SYMBOL, depth, false);
       repeat_step.alternative_index = starting_step_index;
       repeat_step.is_placeholder = true;
       repeat_step.alternative_is_immediate = true;
       array_push(&self->steps, repeat_step);
-      stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
     }
 
     else if (stream->next == '?') {
       stream_advance(stream);
-      step->alternative_index = self->steps.size;
       stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
+      step->alternative_index = self->steps.size;
+    }
+
+    else if (stream->next == '*') {
+      stream_advance(stream);
+      stream_skip_whitespace(stream);
+      QueryStep repeat_step = query_step__new(WILDCARD_SYMBOL, depth, false);
+      repeat_step.alternative_index = starting_step_index;
+      repeat_step.is_placeholder = true;
+      repeat_step.alternative_is_immediate = true;
+      array_push(&self->steps, repeat_step);
+      step->alternative_index = self->steps.size;
     }
 
     // Parse an '@'-prefixed capture pattern