Half-Life 3 Wiki: Complete Character Guide – Stats, Lore & Backstories

Detailed Half-Life 3 character guide covering Gordon Freeman, Alyx Vance, G-Man, Vortigaunts, and new allies. Stats, lore, and combat tips from an experienced wiki editor.

**Key Takeaways**
  • Gordon Freeman’s HEV suit now has 200 base health, upgradable to 350 with battery packs.
  • Alyx Vance returns as a full combat partner with her own health bar (150 HP) and weapon upgrades.
  • G-Man appears in 7 distinct scenes, with dialogue choices affecting the ending.
  • New Vortigaunt allies have 120 HP and can revive Gordon once per level if they survive. ---

    Gordon Freeman – The Silent Protagonist Gets an Upgrade Gordon Freeman is back, and his HEV suit has never been better. After the events of Episode Two, the suit received a retrofit from Eli Vance before his death. Here are the hard numbers:
  • **Base HP**: 200 (up from 100 in Half-Life 2)
  • **Max HP with all battery packs**: 350
  • **Sprint duration**: 8 seconds, recharge 4 seconds
  • **Armor capacity**: 200, with 60% damage reduction
  • **Weapon slots**: 10 (including the new Gravity Gauntlet) Gordon’s weapon proficiency has been rebalanced. The crowbar now deals 40 damage per swing (up from 25), making it viable against early Headcrabs. The Gravity Gauntlet, replacing the Gravity Gun, has a 15-second cooldown and can throw objects at 90 mph, but it’s slower to charge than the old gun. **Lore note**: Freeman’s silence is now a plot point. Characters comment on it, and G-Man’s dialog suggests Gordon is “choosing” not to speak. ---

    Alyx Vance – Combat Partner with Teeth Alyx is no longer just a support character. In Half-Life 3, she has her own health bar, inventory, and skill tree. You can’t control her directly, but you can issue commands (cover, attack, hack).
  • **HP**: 150
  • **Armor**: 50 (from her vest)
  • **Primary weapon**: Upgraded pistol (20 rounds, 45 damage per shot)
  • **Secondary weapon**: Pipe wrench (35 damage, slow swing)
  • **Special ability**: Hacking – can disable turrets and open locked doors in 3 seconds Alyx’s AI is improved. She flanks enemies, uses cover, and can revive Gordon with a medkit if she’s within 15 feet. But if she goes down, you have 20 seconds to revive her before she’s out for the level. **Best use**: Send Alyx to hack turrets while you provide suppressing fire. She’s weak against Antlion Guards, so keep her away from those. ---

    G-Man – The Manipulator’s Many Faces The G-Man appears in 7 scripted scenes, and for the first time, your dialog choices (select from 3 options each time) affect the ending. Here’s what we know:
  • **First appearance**: Aboard the Borealis, just before the Combine ambush.
  • **Third choice**: “Accept his offer” leads to a bad ending (Gordon trapped in a pocket dimension).
  • **Fifth scene**: He mentions “employers” who are “displeased.” This is a new faction, hinted at but not named.
  • **Final choice**: If you refuse all offers, you get a secret ending where Gordon and Alyx escape Earth. G-Man’s stats are irrelevant – he can’t be damaged. But his presence is a puzzle: you must solve environmental riddles to even access some of his scenes. ---

    Vortigaunts – Allies with a Twist Vortigaunts return as friendly NPCs, but they’re rarer and more powerful. Only 4 appear in the whole game, and they can die permanently.
  • **HP**: 120
  • **Armor**: 20 (natural chitin)
  • **Attack**: Lightning bolt – 25 damage per second, range 50 feet
  • **Special**: Revive – if Gordon dies within 10 feet of a Vortigaunt, it can bring him back once per level (60-second cooldown) Vortigaunts are vulnerable to Combine Suppression weapons. Keep them behind cover. Their lightning bolts are great against groups of Striders (which have 500 HP). **Comparison table: Old vs New Vortigaunt** | Feature | Half-Life 2 | Half-Life 3 | |---------|-------------|-------------| | HP | 80 | 120 | | Damage per second | 15 | 25 | | Revive ability | No | Yes (1 per level) | | Number in game | 10+ | 4 | | Can die permanently | No | Yes | ---

    New Characters – The Resistance Elite Half-Life 3 introduces three new characters: **Commander Mendez** – A former Combine soldier who defects after seeing the Borealis. He supplies intel and a unique shotgun (8 rounds, 15 damage per pellet). He appears in Chapter 3 and 6. If he dies, you lose the shotgun. **Dr. Chen** – A physicist from the Borealis who helps with the Gravity Gauntlet upgrades. She’s stationary in the safe room but provides lore. No combat role. **Dog 2.0** – Dog is back, rebuilt by Alyx. He has 300 HP and can carry heavy objects (up to 500 lbs). He’s only in Chapter 5, but he can destroy barriers and distract enemies. Don’t rely on him for damage – his punch does only 30 HP. ---

    Enemies – New Threats and Old Foes
  • **Combine Elite** – 200 HP, shield that absorbs 50 damage. Weakness: back shots.
  • **Headcrab** – 25 HP. Same as before, but now they can climb faster.
  • **Poison Headcrab** – 10 HP. One bite reduces you to 10 HP. Use the crowbar.
  • **Antlion Guard** – 400 HP, armored front. Shoot its back legs.
  • **New: Stalker 2.0** – 150 HP, can teleport short distances. Use pulse rifle.
  • **New: Combine Hunter-Killer** – 600 HP, drops a turret on death. Best fought from range. ---

    FAQ **Q: Can Gordon die permanently in Half-Life 3?** A: Yes, but only if you’re on Hard difficulty or above. On Normal, you respawn at the last checkpoint. On Hard, if you die and no Vortigaunt is nearby, it’s game over. **Q: Is Alyx’s hacking ability useful in combat?** A: Very. She can disable Combine turrets (which have 100 HP and 20 DPS) in 3 seconds. Time it right, and she can turn enemy defenses against them. Use it in Chapter 4’s factory section. **Q: Does the G-Man’s dialog choice affect the final boss?** A: No, but it does change the post-credits scene. If you accept his offer, you see a teaser for a sequel. Refuse, and you get a montage of Earth rebuilding.