Vortigaunt

This article has yet to be cleaned up to a higher standard of quality.

You can help by correcting spelling and grammar, removing factual errors, rewriting sections to ensure they are clear and concise, and moving some elements when appropriate. Visit our Cleanup Project for more details and, please, notify the administrators before removing this template.

This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!

The Vortigaunts (taxonomic designation: Xenotherium subservilia^[2] or "Subservient Alien Beast"), formerly known as "Alien Slaves", "Xen Slaves", or more affectionately known as "Vorts" by their allies, are species of sapient alien found throughout the Half-Life series.

Long before the Black Mesa Incident, the Vortigaunts' homeworld was invaded by the Combine, forcing the survivors to flee to Xen, only to be enslaved by Xen's master: the Nihilanth. When the Incident occurred, the Nihilanth viewed an opened rift as a chance to escape the Combine and directed the Vortigaunts to invade Earth.

Following the Nihilanth's death, the Vortigaunts have allied themselves with the human-led Resistance in their bid to overthrow the Combine's rule over Earth.^[2]

Overview[]

Physiology[]

Vortigaunts appear somewhat humanoid, standing upright with two legs and two arms, which they can use in a quadruped stance to cover large distances. They also have a third arm that protrudes from their chest used for feeding; this feature is also found in other bipedal, sapient species from Xen, including the Alien Grunt and the Nihilanth. This similarity, along with other shared features such as red eyes and digitigrade legs, suggests a common ancestry with other intelligent Xen life forms. Half-Life: Alyx's Vortigaunts use their green energy through this third arm.

Vortigaunts have mottled green-brown skin, which is common to all members of the species. Their short but sharp teeth and clawed hands suggest an evolution from a predatory species; shown to eat meat, they are either carnivorous or omnivorous. Vortigaunts have a hunched posture with their heads at shoulder level, and their faces have three smaller eyes surrounding a dominant large eye with a maroon sclera, a heterochromic red-yellow iris, and a yellow pupil; in Half-Life, however, their large red eye is surrounded by five smaller ones instead. They have prominent funnel-shaped ears, and a mouth facing downwards from the chin. In Half-Life: Alyx, Vortigaunts appear slightly different. Instead of each hand ending in only two digits, they gain an opposable thumb. Their feet, previously a single hoof-like claw, now appear more avian with three clawed digits. Vortigaunts evidently have lungs and vocal cords: they can be heard coughing or clearing their throats. Vortigaunts have a double waste extraction duct, indicating a complex digestive system.

Vortigaunts appear mammalian, with double mammary ducts on each side of their chest and a navel in the lower abdomen suggesting an umbilical cord during fetal development. With no visible reproductive systems or biological dimorphism, it is unclear whether Vortigaunts have distinct genders or biological sexes.

By the time of Half-Life 2, the Vortigaunts learn to speak fluent English, albeit with a strangely archaic vocabulary, a slight speech impediment when using S's and R's ^[3] and using "the" when describing people (for example, "The Freeman" instead of simply "Freeman.)

Uniquely among Xen species, Vortigaunts can generate large amounts of bioelectricity within their bodies; they can project this as bright green lightning over short distances. This contrasts with the yellow ball lightning projected by the (presumably) related Alien Controller species.

Intelligence and culture[]

Vortigaunts are very intelligent and social creatures; often seen in pairs or groups, they can develop intelligent strategies. When faced with a superior enemy, they will either retreat, or, if possible, group together to form a stronger force.^[2]

Vortigaunts display a material culture full of art and creativity, capable of weaving, pottery, painting, sculpting, and cooking (for themselves and others); some individuals even make references to songs and poetry. Their material culture makes repeated use of triangles, which form the basic shapes of artwork and even furniture. However, these crafts, simple or otherwise, are not their only skill: Vortigaunts can easily operate highly complex domestic and foreign technology.

With the exception of Uriah, Vortigaunts reject any form of clothing regardless of social context and are largely unaffected by external temperature changes. Religion in Vortigaunt culture is unclear but their frequent references to the 'Vortessence' and 'the All in One' may indicate some form of supernatural belief system.

Brief glimpses into Vortigaunt culture can be gained by occasional speeches they give in Half-Life 2 and from scenes during the original Half-Life. In the original game, Vortigaunts were enslaved by the Nihilanth and used as workers and drone soldiers.^[2] In Black Mesa, Vortigaunts are oppressed by Alien Grunt overseers who administer brutal beatings; they can also be telepathically enslaved by Alien Controllers. Vortigaunts released from both forms of slavery exhibit symptoms of severe trauma. According to the All-Knowing Vortigaunt, the species has endured slavery for many generations (quote: "We have endured these chafing bonds for eons, yet a single moment of further servitude seems intolerable!"^[3][4]). Enforced servitude appears to have formed the bedrock of Vortigaunt history and culture up to the events of the first Half-Life.

Communication[]

The Vortigaunts possess a native communication system known as "flow-state." This method appears to include a language with auditory components resembling human speech, alongside a sensory component unique to their species. However, flow-state cannot be understood by "those whose vortical inputs are impaired," referring to humans and other species lacking this sensory ability. In Half-Life, the Vortigaunts frequently utter a phrase that sounds like "Ur-talla-tag;" this expression has never been defined in human terms.

Following Earth's occupation, the Vortigaunts aligned themselves with the Resistance. In doing so, they learned human language. They can speak English in the game's original version; in international versions, they instead speak the local language of the country where the game was released: ie, French in the French release.

When speaking to humans, the Vortigaunts use a distinct manner of expression, with archaic vocabulary and syntax evocative of an older, antiquated literary style and philosophical, resembling Shakespearean phrases and peculiar grammar. Combined with their unique speech patterns, this gives them a distinctive form of communication highlighting both their alien nature and their accumulated wisdom.

Behavior, Skills, and the "Vortessence"[]

The Vortigaunts hold a deep belief in a binding life force that they themselves have referred to, in human terms, as 'Vortessence.' This force is described as the tapestry of existence, composed of 'vortal threads' that connect and intertwine everything. More than a philosophical concept, it has been shown to be a real force and space where the souls of Vortigaunts go upon death, while also containing everything by being the tapestry of existence. Additionally, the Vortessence forms a fundamental component of their culture and permeates all aspects of their daily lives, including their extraordinary abilities

• Electric Discharges: Through the Vortessence, the Vortigaunts can channel and project highly potent energy blasts from their hands. These discharges are powerful enough to destroy resilient materials; in Half-Life the first Vortigaunt encountered at Black Mesa uses it to break through a steel door.
  • Shockwave: When striking the ground, Vortigaunts generate powerful waves of energy derived from the Vortessence. These waves, extremely lethal in close range, have the power to knock down any enemy caught within their radius. Such a technique has been observed in combat against antlions, proving effective for the player by leaving them overturned. This ability appears to be a secondary manifestation of their primary capacity for manipulating electrical rays.
• Gravity Manipulation: Gary, utilizing the energy of the Vortessence, demonstrates an impressive ability to control gravity. He can levitate objects and living beings with great precision. A notable example is when he prevented Eli Vance from falling into the void, saving his life. He has also shown the capability of imbuing objects like pieces of cardboard with anti-gravity properties, allowing them to float independently and create complex three-dimensional images.
  • Telekinesis: In Half-Life: Alyx, the Vortigaunts demonstrate telekinetic abilities tied to the Vortessence; Gary uses this to lift an elevator for Alyx. Although closely related to gravity manipulation, telekinesis appears to be a more specific sub-power focused on directly and precisely moving objects with the mind.
• 4D Spatial-Temporal Awareness: Vortigaunts have a unique perception of time and space, which they consider "false veils" that divide the Vortessence. Thanks to this, they can simultaneously perceive events from the past, present, and future while remaining aware of the temporal sequence in which they occur. Entities like G-Man have demonstrated immunity to this spatial-temporal perception. An example of this limitation is when the Vortigaunts failed to foresee G-Man's reappearance during Alyx's healing in Episode 2, as well as the temporal freezing he employed. When G-Man finished his monologue with Freeman and returned time to normal, the Vortigaunts remained unaware of this event, implying that, to locate Freeman, they might have tracked Gordon's presence through his essence rather than through G-Man himself.
• Telepathy: The Vortigaunts share an innate telepathic link through the Vortessence. This allows them to communicate with minimal verbal language, even across great distances. Their telepathic system functions as a hive mind, ensuring efficient information flow among all members of their species.
• Perspective on Death: The Vortigaunts see death not as an end but as a mere "oscillation" within the Vortessence. This concept suggests they can preserve their consciousness or reincarnate within this universal force. However, this belief does not prevent them from displaying deep sorrow at the death of one of their own.

The Vortigaunts' access to the Vortessence is facilitated by a specific brain region; Gary, who suffered a brain injury, lacks connection to the shared hive mind of his species. A Vortigaunt disconnected from the Vortessence experiences extreme isolation and difficulty distinguishing between past, present, and future events due to their loss of dimensional perception. These effects underscore the critical importance of their biological connection to the Vortessence. Vortigaunts can enhance their connection to the Vortessence by consuming Antlion larva extract, a substance they previously cultivated within their native universe. This extract dramatically amplifies their control over the Vortessence, enabling them to transcend conventional spatial and temporal barriers. This phenomenon was first demonstrated during Alyx Vance's rescue after she was trapped in G-Man's frozen time state following the explosion of the Citadel's Dark Fusion Reactor.

• Time Manipulation: The Vortigaunts' intervention in the temporal flow is implied during the Citadel reactor explosion. Marc's words allude to the idea that after the G-Man's retreat and temporal unfreezing, the Vortigaunts used their transcendent states to rewind time and freeze it just before Alyx's "death". This allowed them to teleport to her, unfreeze her, and transport her to safety before resuming the flow of time.
• Interaction with Transcendental Entities: In their transcended state, Vortigaunts can directly interact with beings of a transcendental nature, such as the G-Man. Using their collective Vortessence, they have demonstrated the ability to temporarily contain this entity, although this requires a joint effort and the consumption of vast amounts of energy when facing an entity of such magnitude.
• Teleportation: Transcended Vortigaunts possess the ability to travel between universes and dimensions. This is evidenced at the beginning of Episode 1, where they delve into the G-Man's realm to rescue Gordon Freeman and return him to his original universe. They are also capable of transporting other beings through space-time, as they did with Alyx and Gordon.
• Organic Tissue Regeneration: The Vortigaunts have the ability to repair severe physical injuries. When Alyx Vance was impaled in the abdomen by the lower claws of a hunter, the Vortigaunts managed to completely heal her damaged tissues, including blood, organs, and bones.
• Enhanced Soul Manipulation: In their transcended forms, Vortigaunts have confirmed weaving the lives of Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance together. Although the technical details remain a mystery, it is evident that this ability requires manipulating vital and soul energies.
• Vortiescence Shields: When the Vortigaunts restrained G-Man in Episode 1, they created circular Vortiescence shields to hold him still while taking Gordon away. These shields swirl in circles, and due to their bright blue color, they resemble the whirl of a galaxy or, in an extreme case, the spiral of the universe.
  • It is speculated that Vortigaunts who consume extract not only amplify their current powers but unlock new abilities. Although not explicitly shown, indirect evidence suggests that they could manipulate fundamental aspects of existence, just as they do with time, soul, life, and gravity through the Vortessence.

Despite these abilities, these rituals require the cooperation of several Vortigaunts. However, this stems more from their collective nature than from a lack of individual power. For instance, during Gordon's rescue, the Vortigaunts' eyes adopted a distinctive color and glow, and their skin appeared brighter—this was absent during Alyx's healing, indicating they did not use their full power as it wasn’t necessary. In contrast, attempting to hold the G-Man for a few seconds to save Gordon required extreme effort and a considerably larger number of Vortigaunts, underscoring the immense energy and power needed to confront an entity of his caliber. The Alliance is aware of the Vortigaunts' potential and their abilities related to the Vortessence. In Half-Life: Alyx, some Vortigaunts are captured and forced to "sing" to power the Vault containing the G-Man. However, the power fragments generated by Vortigaunts who have not consumed the extract seem ineffective against the G-Man. This is reflected in the distortion of reality and gravity surrounding his confinement, that G-Man retains authority over existence even while contained within a Vortessence-powered prison maintained by multiple Vortigaunts.

Half-Life and its Expansions|[]

In Half-Life, Vortigaunts are common enemies in both Black Mesa and Xen. While they usually attack aggressively, they often become timid when injured, preferring to run away rather than risk further combat and possible death, however, if the player turns their back against them, there's a high chance they become aggressive again. One area in Xen houses a small number of peaceful Vortigaunts, only becoming combative if one is attacked.

Vortigaunts have two modes of attack: an energy attack in which they fire powerful green lightning-like energy arcs that require a vulnerable period of "charging-up" before being unleashed, and when close to opponents, a rapid and powerful claw attack. In Half-Life all of the Vortigaunts wear green collars and wristbands; later events reveal these are a means of enslavement and control by their master, the Nihilanth. Vortigaunts often fight alongside Alien Grunts, the bigger and tougher aliens acting as a distraction while the Vorigaunts support from range. Throughout the game, the Vortigaunts may taunt the player with words that sound like "die" or "Gordon" when the player approaches. Another word sounding like "dumbass" is named "slv_alert3" in the game files. Vortigaunts can use Healing Showers on Xen; when attacked in their passive state, they may run to one and heal up before fighting.

Half-Life 2 and its Episodes[]

In Half-Life 2, their electrical attack is far more devastating, usually killing whatever it hits immediately and hurling it back a considerable distance. Only objects with significant mass can resist being knocked away, such as the Strider (which appears fully immune to the arc) and Antlion Guards. These attacks occur twice during the singleplayer game, once when Gordon's view is restricted by rubble and again when the Vortigaunt extracts Bugbait from the Antlion Guard. Vortigaunts can siphon an opponent's life-force with their energy, saying phrases like "Give over your essence!" or "Empower us!" during some of their attacks in Half-Life 2. In the Half-Life expansion Decay, the player plays as a Vortigaunt in a bonus mission, and the arc attack does indeed 'steal' life-force from enemies.

The arc attack is revealed fully in Episode Two, where a group of Vortigaunts use it to defend an underground outpost from a massive Antlion attack. Powerful enough to easily kill Antlions and Zombies, it causes a shock wave strong enough to knock over other nearby foes. Freeman's Vortigaunt companion uses this to aid his attempt to raid an Antlion nest and extract the larvae egg to heal Alyx. The four Vortigaunts then remain in the area, as they continue their restless search for Advisors, only leaving to show Alyx and Gordon to the Car.

The Vortigaunts can even recharge the battery of Freeman's HEV Suit: if he stands near them, the Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2 can recharge up to 30% of the suit's power with their blue electrical arcs. In Episode Two, the Vortigaunt can recharge the suit to 15 percent, using small green balls (3-4 percent each). This also applies to Half-Life 2 and Episode One after May 26, 2010, update, now giving 30% again instead of 15%.

Tactics[]

Half-Life[]

Vortigaunts are slow and frail, but their attacks should not be underestimated; they can be hard to dodge without cover and can deal a lot of damage, especially if multiple Vortigaunt projectiles hit the player.

• The Glock 17 can be used against lone ones; two bullets to the head will quickly kill them.
• The MP5 is useful for killing small groups of Vortigaunts.
• The HECU SPAS-12 is very useful against Vortigaunts, as one shot can kill them at close range.
• When appearing alongside other Xen creatures, such as Alien Controllers and Alien Grunts, the player should often switch between attacking the mentioned enemies and Vortigaunts, as the Vortigaunts can deal a good amount of damage to the player while they are attacking other enemies.

Appearances[]

Half-Life[]

Vortigaunts first appear in Anomalous Materials during the Resonance Cascade. Several Vortigaunts teleport in from the ceiling of the test chamber, disappearing as they near the floor (one will remain if the Crystal is removed from the Anti-Mass Spectrometer).^[3] A few moments later, when Gordon Freeman is briefly teleported to Xen, he appears in a dark room, with four Vortigaunts standing in a half-circle around him; however, they do not attack him. Later on, in Unforeseen Consequences, they can be found as standard enemies, and remain so for the rest of the game.

Half-Life: Opposing Force[]

Vortigaunts first appear in the Introduction, when Adrian Shephard blacks out and regains consciousness. He also observes a Vortigaunt killing a fellow HECU marine and is helpless to assist due to his condition. Later, in Welcome To Black Mesa, a Vortigaunt is found dead and on its back, a Combat Knife protuding from its body. Afterwards, Vortigaunts appear throughout the rest of the game as standard enemies.

Half-Life: Blue Shift[]

Vortigaunts are relatively common enemies in Blue Shift and Barney Calhoun regularly encounters them as he fights to escape Black Mesa.

Half-Life: Decay[]

In the official co-op expansion Half-Life: Decay, Vortigaunts are common enemies in the game. Players who manage to obtain an "A Rank" on all of the regular missions will unlock a bonus mission titled Xen Attacks, where both players play as Vortigaunts. Although short on story, the mission gives some unique insight into the Vortigaunts' role in the Black Mesa Incident. The players control "Drone Subjects" X-8973 and R-4913, two Vortigaunts sent to Earth by the Nihilanth. Both Vortigaunts are able to regain health by damaging objects or enemies.

Half-Life 2[]

In Half-Life 2, Gordon Freeman encounters Vortigaunts again. This time, however, they are friendly and eager to assist in overthrowing the Combine. Due to Gordon killing their master, in the time between the two games the Vortigaunts have been freed from its control; most of them that remain on Earth have joined the human Resistance. The game also reveals that the Vortigaunts are capable of using their electrical attack productively, in the form of a blue energy stream that can recharge batteries, power electronic circuits, fuse objects together and even power up Gordon's HEV Suit. The Vortigaunts credit Gordon Freeman with their freedom, and hold him in almost religious esteem as "The Free-Man".

However, not all Vortigaunts remain free. In the first chapter of Half-Life 2, Point Insertion, it is possible to catch a brief glimpse of a Vortigaunt working under the Combine. Wearing a collar and armbands similar to those worn in Half-Life, the Vortigaunt is shown slowly and meticulously using a push-broom to sweep dirt and garbage in the City 17 Trainstation while being watched by a Metrocop. When exploring Nova Prospekt, the player comes across a dead Vortigaunt, also wearing a collar and armbands, in a restraining chair. Interestingly, this occurs in block A7 where Overwatch had directed shortly before: "De-service all political conscripts in block A7 - prohibit external contact." Seemingly having died during electrical torture, Alyx Vancecomments that the Resistance's only knowledge of Nova Prospekt is through telepathic communications from Vortigaunts taken there.^[4]The Half-Life 2 model was changed to the Half-Life 2: Episode Two model later in development.

Half-Life 2: Episode One[]

In the beginning of Half-Life 2: Episode One, a group of Vortigaunts free Gordon from the G-Man and save Alyx from certain death after the explosion of the Citadel's Dark Fusion Reactor, teleporting both of them to the relative safety of City 17's center just outside the Citadel - revealing the Vortigaunts may be more powerful than previously speculated, even to the point of challenging the G-Man.^[5]

The purple color of the Vortigaunts at the beginning appears to be a side effect of the filters and lighting used in that scene. The supporting evidence is that during the explosion where Alyx is rescued, the Vortigaunts appear purple-colored and semi-translucent although the rest of the scene is unfiltered and lit with realistic lighting.

Half-Life 2: Episode Two[]

Vortigaunts play a much larger role in Half-Life 2: Episode Two. After a Hunter mortally wounds Alyx and traps Freeman under a collapsed building, a Vortigaunt saves Alyx from being eaten by an Antlion. The Vortigaunt then stabilizes Alyx's condition, frees Gordon, and carries her to an underground Resistance outpost, where, with the help of three more Vortigaunts, they beat back a heavy Antlion incursion. A Vortigaunt then accompanies Freeman on a quest to harvest the miraculous larval extract of the Antlions to save Alyx's life. The Vortigaunt proves a valuable companion; he kick-starts generators by giving them an electric jolt, his lightning attack damages and knocks over nearby Antlions, and he also charges up Freeman's HEV Suit on occasion. Eventually, Freeman is able to access the Nectarium, where the Vortigaunt harvests a small quantity of the larval extract. Both Gordon and the Vortigaunt travel back to the outpost and begin a ritual to heal Alyx.

The G-Man uses this as an opportunity to reestablish contact with Freeman, stating "...but I had to wait until your... 'friends' [laughs slightly] were otherwise occupied...", suggesting up until then the Vortigaunts had somehow been keeping the G-Man at bay. He also refers to Half-Life when he says "There was a time when their only experience with humanity was a crowbar coming at them down a steel corridor" The Vortigaunts are unaware of the intrusion, and they never mention the G-Man, nor the service they rendered Freeman and Alyx at the beginning of Episode One.

The Vortigaunt then accompanies Freeman and Alyx a little further on before heading back, mentioning that he and his cohorts are occupied with searching for Combine Advisor pods. Another Vortigaunt, given the name Uriah by Arne Magnusson, aids Freeman briefly later on in the Episode at White Forest.

For gameplay purposes, if Gordon strays too far from Alyx during the course of Episode Two to some specific places where she cannot reach, the screen briefly shows the text 'The Freeman must proceed with the Alyx Vance, else our struggle is doomed to failure. Those who do not learn from their mistakes are doomed to an endless Vortal Loop.' Then the game reloads (Referencing that those who continue to leave Alyx will keep reloading the game).

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch[]

• Vortigaunts are the same as in the Half-Life 2 series and are only enemies in co-op servers.
• Vortigaunts have a four-second reaction before they attack players.
• At point blank, they will usually run instead of clawing a player. This only applies to versions of the game including the May 26, 2010, update.

Half-Life: Alyx[]

While navigating the Quarantine Zone, Alyx Vance discovers graffiti depicting Gordon Freeman's defeat of the Nihilanth and liberation of the Vortigaunts. This leads her to a bizarre shelter inhabited by an eccentric Vortigaunt named Gary who explains he has brain damage and lacks some of his full abilities. When Alyx explains she is trying to rescue her father, Gary tells Alyx Eli Vance will die (much to her horror) only to then correct himself upon realizing he is referring to a future event. He then offers his assistance however he can, telling Alyx to follow "the Northern Star" to rescue his kin, which she reluctantly agrees to. He then provides her "sustenance" for the trip: a Headcrab he was previously shown cooking. Gary later arrives at the last second when Eli nearly falls to his death while Alyx is trying to rescue him, narrowly saving him and pledging to escort him to safety.

Alyx soon discovers that the Vault, a massive Combine prison ship, uses energy harvested from trapped Vortigaunts to imprison whatever it contains. She frees one of the Vortigaunts at one of these power stations at the Northern Star hotel: he gratefully thanks her and pledges to assist by freeing his kin at the other substations.

The ultimate reason for the Combine's use of trapped Vortigaunts to power the Vault is soon revealed: the Vault is a prison designed to contain the G-Man, with Vortigaunt energy being the only means to capture him.

The Vortigaunts in Half-Life: Alyx curiously display a degree of telekinetic powers not observed in the other games. It is possible that these powers were suppressed by the Nihilanth in Half-Life, and by the Combine in Half-Life 2. It may also simply be a retcon on Valve's behalf, as a means to make the Vortigaunts more interesting and potent as allied characters.

Known Vortigaunts[]

• Resistance Members
  • The All-Knowing Vortigaunt
  • Gary
  • Sweepy
  • Uriah
  • The Victory Mine Vortigaunt
  • The Vortigaunt Shepherd

• Nihilanth Slaves
  • X-8973
  • R-4913

Quotes[]

This is a list of all the sentences said by the Vortigaunts during Half-Life 2, as well as some from both Episodes, most notably the All-Knowing Vortigaunt.

In English[]

• "All in one and one in all."
• "All we have is yours."
• "Calm yourself!"
• "Comes a man? It is! The Freeman!"
• "Communion of the Vortessence. And that other: a deeper mystery. No deeper than the void itself."
• "There is no distance between us. No false veil of time or space may intervene."
• "We are a tapestry woven of Vortessence. It is the same for you if only you would see it."
• "Could you but see the eyes inside your own, the minds in your mind, you would see how much we share."
• "Far distant eyes look out through yours."
• "For a brief time you joined with us. You are one. Between the worlds."
• "How many are there in you? Whose hopes and dreams do you encompass?"
• "How often have we slipped our yoke, only to find it choking us again."
• "If you are truly the Freeman, we salute you."
• "Is this the Freeman we see before our eyes?"
• "Let this war end in either total victory or our extinction. No further compromise shall we allow."
• "No pit is complete without a Freeman coming out of it."
• "Node and nexus, feed upon this life!"
• "Our cause seems hopeless."
• "Our life is worthless unless spent on freedom."
• "Our purpose is mutual."
• "Perhaps we will serve you better here."
• "Something secret steers us both. We shall not name it."
• "That sharp spur of hope has not dulled to this day. For once the lesser master lay defeated, we knew the greater must also fall in time."
• "The Combine will pay in kind for their depravity."
• "The way ahead is dark for the moment."
• "There is more to the Freeman than meets the eye."
• "This is more than anyone can bear, but we will persevere."
• "Undeserving of consciousness."
• "Unity of purpose, the shattering of common shackles, a single road we tread."
• "We are still here."
• "We are there still, in observance of your final stroke."
• "We are you, Freeman. And you are us."
• "We bear witness to the bright eternity of the Nihilanth's demise. You leap, you fall, we see you flash beyond the barriers."
• "We call you sib, although your mind and meaning are a mystery to us."
• "We cannot forget those whose cords you cut. Forgiveness is not ours to bestow."
• "We cannot read the Freeman's optical buds."
• "We dedicate ourselves to your purpose."
• "We deem this company inviolable."
• "We fear we have failed you."
• "We have dreamed of this moment."
• "We have endured these chafing bonds for eons, yet a single moment of further servitude seems intolerable!"
• "We have lost all dear to us."
• "We have survived darker times."
• "We have survived worse across the ages."
• "We know you."
• "We never dreamed to meet you in corporeal form."
• "We remember the Freeman. We are coterminous."
• "We see you still in Black Mesa. Clearly we see you in the Nihilanth's chamber."
• "We serve the same mystery."
• "We take our stand beside you, here, upon this miserable rock."
• "We will put aside Black Mesa... for now."
• "What seems to you a sacrifice is merely, to us, an oscillation. We do not fear the interval of darkness."
• "While our own lay scattered at your feet, you severed the vortal cord that bound the Nihilanth to life, and to us."
• "With you beside us, a talisman of victory, the day of freedom draws nigh."
• "You have brought us grief and jubilation beyond measure."
• "You humans, always in the qualidity."
• "You must remember us from Black Mesa."
• "Your bright face obscures your darker mask."
• "Your companionship is greatly belabored."
• "Your mind is opaque."
• "Your song we sing and shall sing for eternity. No matter the consequences of this struggle."
• "Almost vortal, this bond between you."
• "The Freeman is an invaluable companion."
• "Our bonds are of nature and require no gratitude."

In Vortigese[]

• "Our finest poet describes it thus: Gallum galla gilla ma."
• "We are mindful of the words of our greatest philosopher: companum gannennen vorgenot!"
• "Ah ghurrrr..."
• "Chur lung gong chella gurr..."
• "Churr galing chur alla gung..."
• "Ga la lung..."
• "Galanga..."
• "Gong..."
• "Lung gah..."
• "Riiit..."
• "Taaar..."

Behind the scenes[]

• In Half-Life, Gordon Freeman was originally to win the Vortigaunts over as allies on Xen, then lead them to outright rebellion. This plan proved impractical but was reused for Half-Life 2,^[1] although Vortigaunts are benign when met in the Alien Grunt cloning facility in the Half-Life chapter Interloper, until a Controller forces them to attack.

• If you run into a teleportation orb of a Vortigaunt, you will instantly die when it spawns.

• In the playable Half-Life 2 Beta, Vortigaunts have a voice closer to that of their Half-Life voice and sound very similar to that of Yoda in Star Wars.^[6][7]

• Friendly fire was also originally to be authorized on Half-Life 2's Citizens and Vortigaunts, like with the Black Mesa Personnel in Half-Life. The feature can be experienced in the playable Half-Life 2 Beta; upon being hit, Vortigaunts will answer with statements such as, "You have given me no choice but to eliminate you", "Let me return your gift", "This pains me" or "Now, I unmake you", although they do not fight back. This is also heard in the final version when attacking Metrocops just after Alyx and Gordon are separated at Black Mesa East.^[6] Furthermore, Joe would originally say, "Hey, stop that! The Vorts are on our side now!" if the player would harm the nearby Vortigaunt in the boxcar.^[8]

• In the playable Half-Life 2 Beta files, a texture of a burned Vortigaunt body can be found, suggesting that scorched Vortigaunt corpses were also to be seen, along with those of Citizens, during the course of the game.

• City 17 was originally to be filled with "Vorti-Cells", Combine devices used as stations siphoning power from trapped Vortigaunts. This concept was later re-used in Half-Life: Alyx, with the Vortigaunts being used to power the Substations connected to the Vault .^[1]

• If you use the console to create a Vortigaunt with a weapon (npc_create_equipment weaponname) the weapon will be held in the middle of their stomach going right through them. This can be experienced in some mods as well, most notably the Garry's Mod.

• The late comedian Robin Williams, a fan of the original game, was approached by Valve after he visited the Half-Life 2 booth at E3 2003 about voicing the Vortigaunts, but scheduling conflicts prevented him from playing the role.^[9][10]

• Some of their skills and sequences were cut by release. Vortigaunts had the ability to destroy grenades with their electrical beams in a special defend mode. They could stomp Headcrabs and crush them with their feet. The crushed Headcrabs were to use unique squashed version of their models. The Scout Car's attached Tau Cannon was apparently supposed to be removed from the vehicle by a Vortigaunt. An unused animation shows an individual firing the gun. According to David Speyrer, the dead Vortigaunt discovered in Nova Prospekt was actually a change made late into the development of the game as it was originally intended to be found alive in its cell. The player could free the Vortigaunt who would then tag along as an ally in combat. As there was not enough time to complete the necessary work, the sequence was deleted, but they kept the concept in mind for the future. The leftover entities still present in the map indicate that this sequence was to feature the Tau Cannon. Their Half-Life 2 iteration also has unused animations for being grabbed and eaten by a Barnacle.

• In Half-Life, Vortigaunts were planned with an ability to resurrect their fallen ones with electrical arcs. This ability was cut in the final release.

Trivia[]

• The Panther Eye, an enemy cut from Half-Life, is very similar to the original Vortigaunt. Also, as shown in some mods, panther eye has a very similar arc attack as vortigaunts.

• Towards the end of Half-Life (in the chapter Interloper), there are many Vortigaunts working. Although they are aware of Gordon's presence (they sometimes even outright stare at him), they do not attacking him, possibly rebelling against the Nihilanth. They resume their normal behavior in the presence of Alien Controllers.

• It is interesting to note that despite the Vortigaunts' entity name being alien_slave in Half-Life and its expansions, the entity name monster_vortigaunt will also spawn them. The game files refer to them as islave or ISlave in the skill.cfg file for Half-Life and Half-Life: Blue Shift, though it is unknown why. However, given the fact that they were enslaved by the Nihilanth, the developers may have chosen to use these names. The skill1, skill2, and skill3 cfg files for Half-Life: Source says "Vortigaunt" instead of "ISlave"

• In the Half-Life mod Point of View, one can play as a Vortigaunt during the Black Mesa Incident.

• The smoother, shinier and slug-like Vortigaunt appearance originally introduced in Half-Life 2: Episode Two have been added into Half-Life 2 and its Episodes in The Orange Box as part of a retcon.

• Despite being part of the Resistance, some Citizens still distrust the Vortigaunts, as can be heard in a rebel safe house during Episode One or in Episode Two (by spawning a Citizen).

• The Vortigaunt's attack style are very similar to that of the Shambler, from the Quake series.

• Many Vortigaunt lines seem to break the fourth wall and refer to the player rather than the character they play, i.e., "Far distant eyes look out through yours." It should be noted that these lines could just as easily refer to the G-man, or whoever his "employers" may be.

• In Episode Two, when climbing out of a deep pit with water at the bottom, Victory Mine Vortigaunt says, "No pit is complete without a Freeman coming out of it." This line is identical to one stated by the All-Knowing Vortigaunt.

• In Half-Life: Blue Shift, there is a bug after Barney Calhoun activates the Xen triangulation device, if the player touches a Vortigaunt during their dying animation, they will kill the player instantly.

• The Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2 have a slower recharge time before they can fire their arc, however they can attack enemies with their claws like in Half-Life, and stomp a Headcrab at point blank range, appearing more aggressive on par level in Half-Life. However, in Episode Two, their recharge time is near instant, and a green energy ball can be seen on their hand when they fire their arc. Their arcs are much lighter in color compared to the Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2, they have a faster attack rate and some special instant kill attack, also unlike the Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2, they can strafe while charging the arc that otherwise cannot be done in Half-Life 2. However, the Vortigaunts cannot attack enemies with their claws like normal, or stomp on the Headcrabs when at close range. But when surrounded by Antlions, the Vortigaunts can use a larger, more powerful shock wave that can kill all Antlions within the range, these Vortigaunts appear to be slightly less aggressive.

• Although they run away from grenades in Half-Life, they will only run after the grenade has stopped moving and has landed.
• In Half-Life: Alyx, the Vortigaunt's claws were given an additional third digit, as opposed to their two digit claws in previous games. Their single-toed hooves also become three-toed clawed feet.
• Gary's Mural shows that the Antlions are from the same world as the Vortigaunts, and harvest the extract from them. It also shows that their homeworld was attacked in the first wave by Striders and Dropships along with other unknown humanoid units of the Alliance, forcing the Vortigaunts to flee to Xen, where they encountered the Nihilanth and were subsequently enslaved.
  • Analyzing Gary's mural, it tells us that the Vortigaunts used the extract at a certain point in the battle, forcing the Alliance to bring a more powerful army than in its first wave, which ended up defeating the Vortigaunts in their transcended states, who had to flee to Xen, taking the antlions with them. Taking into account that they only demonstrate the ability to travel to other universes and dimensions in their transcended states and that they had to use their best weapon to defend themselves.

Gallery[]

Concept art[]

Screenshots[]

Pre-release[]

Retail[]

Models[]

Half-Life and its expansions[]

Half-Life 2 and its episodes (sometimes changed)[]

Half-Life: Alyx[]

Voice actors[]

List of appearances[]

• Half-Life: Day One (First appearance)
• Half-Life
• Half-Life: Uplink (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life: Opposing Force
• Half-Life: Blue Shift
• Half-Life: Decay
• Half-Life 2 (First identified as Vortigaunt)
• Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
• Half-Life 2: Episode One
• Source Particle Benchmark (Game files only) (Non-canonical appearance)
• Half-Life 2: Episode Two
• Half-Life: Alyx

References[]

The Half-Life Wiki has more images related to Vortigaunt.

See also[]

• Half-Life series retcons
• Panther Eye

Vortigaunts
General	Vorti-Cell • Vortigaunt • Vortigaunt Camp • Vortigese
GoldSrc era	Banjo and Kazooie • R-4913 and X-8973
Source era	All-Knowing Vortigaunt • Chef Vortigaunt • Sweepy • Uriah • Victory Mine Vortigaunt • Vortigaunt Shepherd
Source 2 era	Gary

Xen
Creatures	Alien Aircraft • Alien Controller • Alien Grunt • Archer (cut) • Armored Headcrab • Barnacle • Boid • Bullsquid • Charger (cut) • Chumtoad • Fast Headcrab • Fast Walker (cut) • Flocking Floater (cut) • Gargantua• Gonarch • Headcrab • Houndeye • Ichthyosaur • Kingpin (cut) • Leech • Lightning Dog • Mr. Friendly (cut) • Nihilanth • Panther Eye (cut) • Poison Headcrab • Protozoan • Prrobot (cut) • Quiver Creature (cut) • Sand Barnacle (cut) • Snapbug (cut) • Snark • Sphere (cut) • Standard Headcrab • Stukabat (cut) • Tentacle • Unidentified Quiver Creature (cut) • Vortigaunt • Zombie
Weapons	Black Hole Gun (cut) • Ceiling Turret • Grenade • Hivehand • Sentry Cannon • Snark • Snark Mine
Technology	Healing Shower • Thumper
Other	Crystal • Fungus • Healing Pool • Light Stalk • Trampoline • Tree

Creatures
Antlions	Antlion • Antlion Grub • Antlion Guard • Antlion Guardian • Antlion King (cut) • Antlion Rollergrub (cut) • Antlion Soldier • Antlion Worker
Headcrabs	Headcrab • Fast Headcrab • Gonarch • Poison Headcrab • Standard Headcrab • Headcrab Shell • Armored Headcrab • Reviver • Bloody Headcrab • Big Momma Pod (cut)
Race X	Gene Worm • Pit Drone • Pit Worm • Shock Roach • Shock Trooper • Spore Launcher • Sprite • Voltigore
Synths	Synth • Advisor Pod • Attack Synth (cut) • Combine Guard (cut) • Combine Mobile Mine (cut) • Combine Super Soldier (cut) • Combine Synth Elite Soldier (cut) • Crab Synth • Cremator (cut) • Combine Dropship • Combine Gunship • Hunter • Mortar Synth • Sacktick (cut) • Shield Scanner • Strider • Unidentified cut Synth (cut) • Wasteland Scanner (cut)
Xen	Alien Aircraft • Alien Controller • Alien Grunt • Archer (cut) • Barnacle • Boid • Bullsquid • Charger (cut) • Chumtoad • Fast Walker (cut) • Flocking Floater (cut) • Gargantua • Headcrab • Houndeye • Ichthyosaur • Kingpin (cut) • Leech • Mr. Friendly (cut) • Nihilanth • Panther Eye (cut) • Protozoan • Prrobot (cut) • Sand Barnacle (cut) • Snapbug (cut) • Snark • Sphere (cut) • Stukabat (cut) • Tentacle • Unidentified Quiver Creature (cut) • Vortigaunt
Zombies	Zombie • Fast Zombie • Gonome • Poison Zombie • Standard Zombie • Zombine • Zombie Assassin (cut) • Jeff • Lightning Dog Zombie • Bloody Headcrab Zombie • Armored Zombie
Other	Alien Fauna (cut) • Combine Advisor • Earth creatures • Hydra (cut) • Jeff • Jelly Blobber (cut) • Mantis Man • Skitch (cut) • Stampeder (cut) • Test Subject 042 • Tripod Hopper (cut)

The Resistance
Leaders / key members	Barney Calhoun • Odessa Cubbage • Gordon Freeman • Isaac Kleiner • Arne Magnusson • Eli Maxwell (cut) • Helena Mossman (cut) • Judith Mossman • Odell (cut) • Russell • Vance (cut) • Alyx Vance • Eli Vance
Minor members	All-Knowing Vortigaunt • Animal (cut) • Consoling Couple • Dog • Father Grigori • Griggs • Johanson (cut) • Lamarr • Laszlo • Leon • Mambridge (cut) • MIRT • Nigel (cut) • Olga • Peters (cut) • Sandy • Sheckley • Skitch (cut) • Unidentified deaf character (cut) • Uriah • Victory Mine Vortigaunt
Weapons	Alyx's Gun • Brickbat (cut) • Colt Python • Crossbow • Crowbar • Flare Gun (cut) • Ice Axe (cut) • Magnusson Device • Molotov Cocktail (cut) • Pheropods • Physgun (cut) • RPG • Ravenholm traps • Tau Cannon • Zero Point Energy Field Manipulator • Socket Wrench (cut)
Vehicles	Airboat • Borealis (cut) • C-130 (cut) • Jet Ski (cut) • Jalopy (cut) • Mil Mi-8 • Muscle Car • Scout Car • Submarine (cut) • V-22 Osprey (cut)
Technology	Car battery • Communication • Antlion Detector • Dog • EMP Tool • Fire Extinguisher (cut) • Generator trailer • Drawbridge • Retinal scanner • Supply Crate • Teleportation • Television • Transponder • White Forest rocket
Locations	Black Mesa East • Bridge Point • Dock 137 • Kleiner's Lab • Lighthouse Point • New Little Odessa • Radio Tower • Ravenholm • Shorepoint Base • Station 1 • Station 6 • Station 7 • Station 8 • Station 9 • Station 12 • Station 21 • Underground Railroad • Victory Mine • Vortigaunt Camp • White Forest • The White Forest Inn • See cut locations
Other	Conscripts (cut) • Lambda logo • Vortigaunt • Vance (cut) • Citizen • Children • Lamarr