History Characters / HalfLife

* BodyHorror: Breen may or may not have survived the teleporter accident and been transformed into an Advisor in ''Half-Life 2''.

** BadassBookworm: His doctoral thesis is ludicrously titled ''"Observation of [[OurWormholesAreDifferent Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen]] Entanglement on [[TeleportersAndTransporters Supraquantum Structures]] by Induction Through Nonlinear [[GreenRocks Transuranic Crystal]] of Extremely Long Wavelength (ELW) Pulse from [[YourHeadAsplode Mode-Locked Source Array]]"''.

* UncannyValley: Invoked intentionally. WordOfGod states that he's to hint at some''thing'' trying hard to ''look'' [[AFormYouAreConfortableWith human]] and failing.

* UncannyValley: Invoked intentionally.

* [[spoiler: DroppedABridgeOnHim: When he saw Gordon and Alyx off at the end of ''Episode Two'', he was killed by Combine Advisors.]]

* [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu Did You Just Kill The Nihilianth]]

A powerful trans-dimensional alien empire, they conquered the earth and are the main antagonists in Half Life 2 and its episodes, as well as the whole series, as the Nihilianth was enslaved by them. They have a large military consisting of modified humans and human vehicles (such as APC's and attack helicopters), and "Synths", aliens who have been modified and outfitted with cyborg attachments and pulse weaponry.

A very shadowy unit sent to Black Mesa after the [=HECU=] failed their tasks, the Black Ops are there to remove ''everything'' in the facility, including the dozens of [=HECU=] stragglers left behind. [[spoiler: [[NukeEm In any way possible.]] ]] They only appear in ''Opposing Force''.

* LoadBearingBoss: A collective, in-story version. For all the Combine's cruelty, they at least did manage to keep the massive Antlion infestations in check and keep headcrabs out of their cities. But then Gordon Freeman blew up Nova Prospekt, destroyed their defensive network of machine gun bunkers and 'thumpers' on the coast (thereby letting the Antlions into Nova Prospekt), slaughtered hundreds of soldiers and Synths, started a worldwide rebellion, and blew up the Citadel. All these things caused the Combine to lost control over City 17, resulting in a massive invasion by the nearby Antlion colonies and an infestation of headcrab zombies. By the time Episode One begins, the entire region is caught in a four way struggle between the hundreds of zombies pouring in, the retreating Combine Overwatch forces, the still-persistent rebellion, and what must be ''thousands'' of Antlions led by the Antlion Guards.

A very shadowy unit sent to Black Mesa after the [=HECU=] failed their tasks, the Black Ops are there to remove ''everything'' in the facility, including the dozens of [=HECU=] stragglers left behind. [[spoiler: [[NukeEm In anyway possible]] ]]

* GasMaskMooks: Most of them wear chemical warfare gear, such as gas masks, although the officers wear berets.

* EliteMooks: In addition to being completely silent, they use karate moves at close range, move much faster than the marines, and have a little more health.

** BadassBookworm: His doctoral thesis is titled ''"Observation of [[OurWormholesAreDifferent Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen]] Entanglement on [[TeleportersAndTransporters Supraquantum Structures]] by Induction Through Nonlinear [[GreenRocks Transuranic Crystal]] of Extremely Long Wavelength (ELW) Pulse from [[YourHeadAsplode Mode-Locked Source Array]]"''.

* PrecisionFStrike: She responds to [[spoiler: Mossman's attempts to justify her betrayal]] with "[[ShutUpHannibal I have had enough of your bullshit!]]".

---> '''Barney:''' "And if you see Doctor Breen tell him I said FUCK YOU."

* MeaningfulName: "Grigori" is a term in Biblical apocrypha for a group angels tasked with watching over humanity as well as the name of [[GrigoriRasputin another famous Russian preacher]] who was[[RasputinianDeath very hard to kill]]

* MeaningfulName: "Grigori" is a term in Biblical apocrypha for a group angels tasked with watching over humanity.
* SanitySlippage: He's obviously insane, although its implied that he was driven insane by the whole headcrab infestation in Ravenholm.

* BandOfBrothers: Subverted and played straight. Many soldiers throughout ''Opposing Force'' are shown to care for their squad mates, but the same can not be said for many other members of the unit, particularly the commanders, who abandon several dozen soldiers in their attempt to escape from Black Mesa in blatant violation of the "Never Leave a Man Behind" policy... although endangering what's left of your squad to wait for soldiers who might be KIA is not a good idea, [[CaptainObvious especially when you're being attacked by aliens who won't stop coming.]]
** In fact, two of the soldiers refuse to turn Gordon over to their bosses because they don't want to see him alive after he'd killed so many of their compatriots.

* BandOfBrothers: Subverted and played straight. Many soldiers throughout ''Opposing Force'' are shown to care for their squad mates, but the same can not be said for many other members of the unit, particularly the commanders, who abandon several dozen soldiers in their attempt to escape from Black Mesa in blatant violation of the "Never Leave a Man Behind" policy...
** although endangering what's left of your squad to wait for soldiers who might be KIA is not a good idea, [[CaptainObvious especially when you're being attacked by aliens who won't stop coming.]]

His job? ''Future savior of Earth and figurehead of the Human Resistance.''

* PrecisionFStrike: She responds to [[spoiler: Mossman's]] attempts to justify [[spoiler: her]] betrayal with "[[ShutUpHannibal I have had enough of your bullshit!]]".

* ArtificialBrilliance: None of the combine forces are stupid. The Overwatch soldiers will flank, throw grenades, and run to cover when reloading, the Hunters will use splash damage, flank, and lay down surpression fire, and the Gunships will wildly strafe while firing, and will even shoot down your missiles in mid-air. Foot-soldiers, however, does not have a terribly high ammount of hit points, and will usually get killed by the player before their strategies can kick properly in.

* InsectoidAliens: The Synths.

* MiniBoss: Gunships and Striders
* OrganicTechnology: The Synths.
* PlanetLooters
* SlaveMooks: An entire army of them, most of the Combine soldiers you fight throughout Half Life 2 and its episodes are actually genetically modified and enslaved humans. Also, the "Striders" "Gunships" "Hunters" "Dropships" and "Synth Scanners" you see in-game are all enslaved aliens or biomachines. There are [[WordOfGod implied]] to be ''millions'' of enslaved species.

* PoliceBrutality: Civil Protection, some of their acts include beating people for no reason, shooting people after they surrender, and lining up innocent people on walls and using them for target practice. Think of them as a world-wide example of the StanfordPrisonExperiment.
* SociopathicSoldier: Surprisingly, not the Overwatch. They're just brainwashed slaves. No, the real sociopaths here are in Civil Protection, mentioned above in PoliceBrutality, which consists of humans who joined the The Combine's forces willingly. They appear to be somewhere between police and low ranking soldiers, as evidenced by their duties (which include hunting down lightly armed rebels in Urban areas), and some of their equipment (many of them have sub machine guns instead of their standard handguns, and also ride in and use APC's and Hunter choppers (attack helicopters with rockets, bombs, and pulse machine guns).

* SuicidalOverconfidence: Part of their official policy. Any Overwatch soldier who fails and lives will receive "permanent off-world assignment". Their destination is likely not pleasant.

* CrazyAwesome: No sane man could survive in Ravenholm.