The Story of Half-Life's Tragic Hero | Dr. Eli Vance | Full Half-Life Lore

Dr. Eli Vance is an iconic figure in the Half-Life universe. Appearing in each game, his actions and some times, lack of action, had an impact on the future of human history. Through his life, he created a resistance and strong family to help humanity claim back their planet from The Combine.
What is Eli's biggest regret? What happened to his wife and how does his story end? In this deep dive, I explore the lore and story behind Dr. Eli Vance in the Half-Life series.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Early Years & Black Mesa
07:29 The Fall of Humanity & Eli's Resistance
14:30 20 Years Later
18:59 Unforeseen Consequences
23:58 Alternate/ Altered Timeline
24:54 Legacy
25:39 Closing Thoughts
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Standard Sources
Half-Life series playthrough research
Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
Half-Life: Alyx Playthrough
Portal/ Half-Life Fandom
Old Valve Forums
Marc Laidlaw's Twitter
Breengrub Twitter
AUDIO USED
Half-Life 2 OST: Lab Practicum
Half-Life 2 OST: Triage at Dawn
#EliVance #Lore #HalfLife

[@Skyrionn]

I tried something different with the voiceover this week. Do you prefer a faster pace or the slower calmer tone?

[@sgtroach1510]

I don’t mind either but it would be cool if you would do this documentary style lore vids with the cod zombies lore since that is a lot of lore too and the half life 2 beta

[@falloutgamer347]

Both are good tbh

[@standardzombie3454]

Both of them are good in their own ways. 👍

[@rockhound3.14]

Tough choice.

[@valentinopetrozzi9989]

Definitely my favorite video from you 👌

[@samuelantoniocastillomeza5034]

Eli is of my fave characters in HL. Always encouraging and hopeful and like a fun dad. I still remember my shock when I realized that he also knew about the GMan. His death saddened me. Wonder how things will follow with him alive in the modified timeline.

[@Skyrionn]

It was an awful death but I understand why it had to happen. I'm hoping we get a continuation of his story at some point soon

[@TrialDubz]

@@Skyrionn Imagine he beats up a powerless gman in the end lol

[@ran631]

He isn't dead anymore

[@christianamort3062]

​@@ran631 read again

[@citrineelephant6576]

Weren't the Advisors capable of taking the thoughts of their victims? If so, does that make the G-Man a "good" character? Did he need Alyx to prevent Eli's knowledge from being given to the Combine? Eli's death really did hit hard, but maybe this is a good direction.

[@damianlillard1981]

When’s the lore video on Jackson, Dr. Kleiner’s goofy assistant, coming out?

[@Skyrionn]

😂 😂 😂 I literally had to look this up because I thought I'd missed something huge

[@alan_7390]

@@Skyrionn he got JACKed Wait NoooooOoOooOOOoOOOoOooo

[@therealevilmudbug]

Come on, where is the John Freeman video!

[@trebot9292266]

@@therealevilmudbug bro we're still waiting on the John Freeman video... feels bad

[@DaRealBruner]

These videos make me realize just how great Half-Life's writing is.

[@standardzombie3454]

LET'S GO! Eli's one of my best Half-Life character who is a heartwarming, caring, brave father.

[@Skyrionn]

The father that helped us through an alien invasion. ☺

[@falloutgamer347]

Im actually early for once, yay! Thank you for making these videos so in depth and detailed, its very much appreciated

[@Skyrionn]

Thank you for watching. I do enjoy putting them together and I'm glad they're being enjoyed

[@ravick007]

"However, this technology was difficult to perfect." Poor cat. :'C

[@Skyrionn]

Poor cat

[@thecartofvideos4766]

What cat?

[@ninjaguyYT]

@@thecartofvideos4766 uhh WHAT CAT

[@lotusjewell9984]

Okay, one quick thing..... I swear I've seen the final episode of HL. It involves you finding the Borealis, deciding that it was not worth it, go back, deal with another conflict which thusly leads you to make a choice. Lose Alyx, or lose Barney. Most people apparently saved Alyx rather than Barney, so in the end video, you see Alyx and Gordon sitting next to each other while looking at Eli and Barney's tombstones. This was before HL Alyx even existed. I even watched the game play. I don't even know what happened to it, but it definitely existed

[@Skyrionn]

I need to know what you've seen! I can't say I've heard of that!

[@lotusjewell9984]

@@Skyrionn I found it on youtube a few years ago and then it vanished. I definitely remember you having to take Gordon through the Borealis, but there were these warping areas that you had to go through. It was like a giant puzzle that you sometimes had to fight combine units in. All while doing this, you (as Gordon) are aiding humanity in retaking Earth. At one point, Gordon is one area while Alyx and Barney are in others. But something happens and both areas are attacked. You are then given a choice. Go to the area where Alyx is and save her or go save Barney. The playthrough I watched followed the Alyx route. I wish I could remember what the video was named. At the end of the game, you had successfully defeated the Combine and driven them from Earth. The ending video showed Gordon and Alyx embracing each other as they look at Eli and Barney's graves. It was heavily implied that Gordon and Alyx end up together at the end.

[@lotusjewell9984]

another thing I remember is that HL Alyx came out not too long afterwards. I'm assuming it is because people didn't want to see Eli die or something? So they created HL Alyx to save him? As well as tie together why G-man was interested in Alyx? I'm not sure, but that's what I think may have happened. No one liked seeing Eli die. Nor Barney.

[@Buster450]

Am appreciating the black mesa models and and maps. Was waiting for it!

[@codymcgrath2.3bviews3secon7]

Weird I didn't get a notification for this despite having notifications on. Another great video mate!

[@Skyrionn]

KZbin isn't being great atm. No one seems to be getting them which is a little frustrating.

[@diogenesofSinope87]

Absolutely well done mate 👍

[@zenphaz]

Another banger video, like always

[@Skyrionn]

Appreciate it! Thank ye!

[@saifshaikh3191]

I really loved this detailed Lore of overall events which took place from Half Life till half life Alyx. There were many things which I was not aware of and many confusions were cleared after 15 years. Can't wait for beta lore.

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks for watching! I'm looking forward to exploring the beta properly ☺

[@nierax327]

Very nice video, as always.

[@Skyrionn]

Thank ye!

[@grasshopper-ln9us]

Always love your content

[@punished4890]

5:23 It was Gordon who actually said that

[@lotusjewell9984]

The more I keep seeing a younger Dr. Kleiner, the more I keep thinking he looks like the actor that played Dr. House. I've seen so many memes with his face over Gordon's. But a young Isaac Kleiner truly looks like House.

[@Skyrionn]

I'll have to look him up.

[@ringpop6482]

You should do more episodes like this covering Half-Life 2 Beta characters/enemies (Cremator, Alien Assasin, etc) and maybe even some beta locations! (The Depot, Air Exchange, Kraken Base, etc)

[@spacecase13]

Awesome video, I love your work. I dig that Barney is your favorite! I feel he is unappreciated, and he definitely deserves more love. As for pacing, I enjoy both styles, but my preference is for your classic slow meditative pacing and longform videos. I usually listen your videos while working on things.

[@jonathanturner4220]

TY I found this channel by chance after completing ep 2 of half life 2. I was saddened by Eli's death and how it left Alyx in despair. This post really tied up things and gave me a clearer perspective of Eli's roll chatacter in the Half Life Universe.

[@grumpybollox7949]

i like this new pace

[@Proud_Patriot657]

I'll admit I like the dude even though he knew he would die he still tried to battle a Advisor

[@ender-cq1ec]

If Gordon was in that situation he would either pull out a crowbar and beat the shit out of it or pull a rocket launcher out of his ass

[@seatoad951]

This deserves more attention.

[@Skyrionn]

Algorithm isn't being too kind lately. Hope it picks back up again!

[@CrysisYaDig]

pretty convenient timing the G-Man inserted Gordon right when Kleiner figured out how to work his teleporter

[@seventysix2545]

I mean.. yeah it's definitely something he'd have known about

[@alxxz]

Excellent review of the series!

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks very much ☺ I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@alxxz]

@@Skyrionn You covered the series very well indeed. Including some details that I was not aware of and would not have noticed in-game as I would be preoccupied with the gameplay and action it self or was not even mentioned in detail in the story-line so they would be overlooked. By the way, where did you get the footage you used to cover every scene you analyzed? They compliment the review perfectly.

[@Skyrionn]

@@alxxz I captured it myself in the Half-Life games ☺

[@alxxz]

@@Skyrionn Cool! I didn't know you could see Half Life from 3rd Person view and from such camera angles.

[@shayan235]

You dont know how much I wait for half life lore's.

[@Skyrionn]

That's very kind. I'm glad you enjoy them!

[@0bx136]

great vid

[@Skyrionn]

Too kind!

[@quack0i991]

There's actually a group of characters that are often forgotten. They're from "Half-Life: Video Rescale: Awesome Installment." (2014) These characters are "Dr. Harold P. Coomer," "Bubby," "Tommy Coolatta," and "Benry." They're quite interesting characters!

[@michol3235]

it seems a bit pay to win to me I mean 5 dolars for 1 playcoin and for getting away from dead end 3 playcoins looks a bit predatory

[@mistahj8968]

Why not 2160p 60fps this time tho? P.S Great vid nonetheless!

[@Skyrionn]

I believe I exported it the correct way - maybe I didn't check a box. I'm glad you enjoyed it ☺

[@neonpegasi5009]

While talking to a friend about HL lore i had the sudden theory that his wife was the one in the radio song and is working against the gman. I thought he also saved her from black mesa. Im not sure its explicitly said she died and was fpr sure found by eli.

[@nexusshark]

Will you do a lore video about Alyx?

[@birdarmy9934]

I've said it once, but it doesn't matter. So I think you could make a theory video of what happened to the apeture science after portal 2. 😁 My theory: So you can see posters about robot workers (that might just be because of glados) and the game have a robot arm easter egg, so I think Glados built such robots to do the work that only humans can do, so apeture is like it used to be only without people.😄

[@tazerfnaf4402]

Video Idea: The Lore behind the Crab Synth.

[@epicgams5406]

I also thought why'd Skyrionn make a private video on the same topic, to change the title. From Beloved to Tragic

[@Skyrionn]

I posted the original video as KZbin melted down yesterday and thought of a better title when I reposted it 😂

[@xalvinthegreat5626]

I just finished my yearly play through pf hl2.

[@Skyrionn]

Nice! Maybe one of these years we'll get another HL game

[@Gator159]

I prefer the pace of speaking that you were speaking at in this video.

[@bonnierobloxrip]

I feel like i watched this video illegaly because earlier was released as "Linked"

[@Skyrionn]

😂 😂 A few people managed to see it.

[@bonnierobloxrip]

@@Skyrionn I was amongst the choosen ones :0

[@MrSeong-kr2dj]

Now the only way for Eli to save Alyx is using the Borealis. That’s part of G Man plan…… Destroying Borealis is against the G Man Plan. I was really hoping to see the Combine Empire falls. Their empire is as big as a Sun 😅. The only way is back in time and destroy them. That’s the only thing Borealis can do.

[@xBruceLee88x]

The voice actor also plays as Mr Big Nose in the land before time series.

[@Skyrionn]

Thats interesting :)

[@xBruceLee88x]

@@Skyrionn haha yeah. I thought it sounded familiar when I heard his voice while my kids were watching it. Also, he's also freaking Rafiki from lion King! Oh and it's thicknose not bignose.

[@therealevilmudbug]

Eli is one of the coolest characters in Half Life 2 IMO but he's never gonna be as cool as John Freeman, Gordon's brother

[@handfullofbees]

Will there be a Freeman lore video? He built a butane powered tennis ball launcher when he was a kid so...

[@Skyrionn]

There could be one in the future....

[@reeferbrownie4220]

It isn't a alternate timeline with Alyx saving her Dad. You said it yourself "All events after HL:A remains the same." So yes, she saw her dad die 5 years prior and saved him, but does the things she did in HL2. G-man is supposedly omnipotent and 4th dimensional as he sees the future, all events played out until right at that moment were Eli is going to die, G-man was basically like "Alright your contract is now validated Alyx, your father is alive but now you are mine >:)" in short, everything is normal until Eli's death happens and Alyx has to fulfill her promise to G-man so the ol' switcheroo took place

[@adamx9065]

So then what happens when I play episode 2? We can assume everything up until the end is consistent with HL:A, but then Eli still dies. If it's not an alternate timeline, then it's just a retcon.

[@reeferbrownie4220]

@@adamx9065 think of it like this. Alyx made a Promise with the GMAN 5 years prior to have her father NOT die but she will work for him. So, GMAN took that promise and basically was like "Aight, once you get to that point, I'll swap ELIs death with the advisor, and you're coming with me" So when you play HL2EP2, ELI dies as Gordon passes out, if you played HL:A and watched the end cutscenes, you wake up as Gordon Freeman and ELI alive explaining how he knows it was the GMAN "Goddamn him and his unforseen consequences" so all is the same until that point, then the GMAN himself swapped the outcome after ELI dies and keeps him alive but takes Alyx with him. This happened because of what aylx did 5 years prior

[@adamx9065]

@@reeferbrownie4220 So in this single, consistent timeline: Eli gets killed and Alyx cries over his body. Then Gordon passes out. Then G-man shows up and reverses time, but only for Eli, Alyx, and the advisor. Then past Alyx shows up and kills the advisor with lightning hands. Gordon wakes up with Eli intact and present Alyx taken away by G-man. That sound about right?

[@reeferbrownie4220]

@@adamx9065 it's not reversing time, just changing the outcome with a little nudge in a different direction. GMAN is omnipotent and 4th dimensiononal. I say nudge cause it's literally how the GMAN states what he can do in the HL:A ending. And when it says the status of Alyx Vance at the end of the game, it says she is Hired: Awaiting Assignment. Her assignment began right as ELI was gonna die, then the past self saved the day, then modern day Alyx got taken with GMAN

[@adamx9065]

@@reeferbrownie4220 Okay, but G-man has to use his powers to "undo" the death of Eli somehow. It doesn't really matter whether he reverses time for those characters or just swaps out dead Eli for living Eli. I think the way the episode 2 ending should have played out is with past Alyx showing up to zap the advisor before Eli gets killed. This would then be totally consistent with Half Life Alyx. Obviously the writers didn't plan for all of that at the time, so we've got what we've got. You can make sense of it with enough G-man magic, but I'm comfortable with calling it a retcon.

[@dtatge1]

Does anyone know how Eli, Dr. Kliener, and Barney (and Breen)went from being in the New Mexio desert to City 17 in Eastern Europe?

[@A_Black_hoodie]

They were probably moved there after the combine invasion

[@Laxhoop]

Since I’m so early, I just want to take the opportunity to say that I hate that you have to download a mod to add Dr. Breen and Magnusson into the first two characters of Blacl Mesa. Their respective locations make total sense, and like the recreation of the tutorial that you also have to download, should just be made to be part of the base game.

[@Skyrionn]

I can't say I knew there was a mod tbh! Should make capturing footage of these characters easier in the future

[@carmelosgro6413]

If half life 3 was made, I would like the story to continue in the alternative time line, where Gordon & others destroy the rest of the combine

[@ender-cq1ec]

And barny gets that beer I'd die for that ending

[@luki188]

It starts with One -

[@skumomcbee9280]

ONE THING I DON'T KNOW WHY

[@maxkupleoni1459]

Oh yeah baby, early squad

[@Skyrionn]

Hey hey

[@lunalunita975]

I thought his leg was lost by a particle storm

[@johnnysatanseed4770]

I wonder if dog was similar to glados and its just a dogs intelligence and personality installed on a genetic lifeform and disk operating system 🤔

[@walterbeech501]

Prepare for unforeseen consequences

[@armandom132]

When are we getting the lore on John Freeman

[@itsgeegra]

Petition to make Full-Life Consequences canon - have HL: Alyx 2 retcon it in.

[@Stellarcrete]

I agree with you that they should not have introduced time travel. Once you introduce time travel, cannon goes out the window. Every story teller or group of story tellers in history thinks they can have time travel and finally figure it out and keep it consistent, but it's just not possible. There is only a tiny thread of imagination that keeps a story alive in the minds of its fans, espicially after decades of decay by the story-tellers, and that is forever and irrevocably cut once time travel is introduced. Alternate timelines, by definition, mean cannon isn't cannon, characters aren't characters, and plot is diluted. Yes, the timelines were merged, but now we know that the G-man go anytime, in addition to anywhere, and nothing is certain. Why does he even need Alyx or Gordon? He can just timetravel there himself. I think it's a mute point, because not even my grandchildren will get to play Half Life 3, but if they were to create the next chapter in this story, they should say that Half-Life: Alyx was a fever dream that Alyx had as a result of being thrown against the wall by the combine advisor. Then they could say that the G-Man appeared to take her away, and Eli could be either be alive or dead, having been saved by dog, not a vortigaunt blast from Alyx if he is alive. Giving G-man the ability to portal at will is over-powered, but it's an ability that we already knew he had. Giving him time-travel abilities just outright breaks the universe. On the other hand, smart people like myself already knew G-Man could time travel, because we won't see him again for another 100 years.

[@reeferbrownie4220]

I explained how it isn't a alternate timeline in my own comment, but reading this I gotta give you some extra perspective. In short G-man is a mysterious entity we can't explain and seems to be omnipotent and 4th dimensional. In half life Alyx at the end, she made basically a promise to the G-man that she will become his asset if she can not have her dad die which she kills the advisor. Alright so this "Promise or Contract" so-to-speak only will be enacted when she gets to that real point in time. She does all her normal stuff in the HL2 games, gets stabbed by the hunter n so on. When she gets to the point of her dad dying, G-man was Essentially like "alright contract is enacted, I'll save your dad, you are coming with me!" And so gman took her as she accepted 5 years ago. I hope this makes sense.

[@youngdonald4109]

i hate what they did with the alyx story interferring with hl2

[@FightingMachineTripod]

I hope hunter-choppers are next

[@Skyrionn]

Something special is next, but not that sorry!

[@FightingMachineTripod]

@@Skyrionn I'm talking about the next half life 2 lore

[@khaledomar6019]

Half life alyx timeline isnt an alternate Its gman fixing à flaw in his so called investment because Gordon failed to protect Eli even after that warning and almost lost alyx too thats why Hé did it and made sure the timeline goes as planned

[@catsarekindacoolngl]

on my thoughts

[@mrmalos4194]

i have a request Skyrionn, i know it would be short but hear me out okay?

[@britishrailclass4767]

The Story of the Green Flu

[@mattstansbeary3068]

Really I think Valve Tried to do the Other way. With Alyx Father dead and they couldn't do it after 12 years they fail to make HL 3. So in the way Alyx was made to undo that and make a new Game (Like the old guard said whatever HL3 is it will not be our HL3 after years of trying we just couldn't hopefully now They can) that was said by a retired Developer of Valve. They tryed to make it. They all think we just sat and did nothing but we did try and in the end we had to redcon the Series.

[@LittleBlockyCube]

Valve loved him so much that they pulled a jesus for him.

[@solysteri]

one thing

[@rockhound3.14]

Dont be sorry about Barney Calhoun he is a very underrated character

[@Skyrionn]

I was expecting some salty comments tbh 😂 😂

[@Zeppelee]

Barney is an "underrated" character? I don't think so.

[@tactial_bonkz3711]

So when will wolfenstein happen?

[@Skyrionn]

I'm not sure if I'm going to go down that route. Anything could happen though ☺

[@tactial_bonkz3711]

@@Skyrionn alr, but what happened to fallout lore 🤔

[@McImTheBear]

faster pace

[@chickenassasintk]

my like and comment

[@skumomcbee9280]

One thing.

[@Skyrionn]

hahaa

[@A_very_tinly_can]

(It starts with one) One thing, I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme To explain in due time all I know Time is a valuable thing Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings Watch it count down to the end of the day The clock ticks life away, it's so unreal (It's so unreal) Didn't look out below Watch the time go right out the window Tryin' to hold on, didn't even know I wasted it all just to watch you go [Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda] I kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually be A memory of a time when I tried so hard [Chorus: Chester Bennington] I tried so hard and got so far But in the end it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end it doesn't even matter [Verse 2: Mike Shinoda & Chester Bennington] One thing, I don't know why It doesn't even matter how hard you try Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme To remind myself how I tried so hard In spite of the way you were mockin' me Actin' like I was part of your property Rememberin' all the times you fought with me I'm surprised it got so far Things aren't the way they were before You wouldn't even recognize me anymore Not that you knew me back then But it all comes back to me in the end [Pre-Chorus: Mike Shinoda] You kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually be A memory of a time when I tried so hard [Chorus: Chester Bennington] I tried so hard and got so far But in the end it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end it doesn't matter I've put my trust in you Pushed as far as I can go For all this There's only one thing you should know I've put my trust in you Pushed as far as I can go For all this There's only one thing you should know [Chorus: Chester Bennington] I tried so hard and got so far But in the end it doesn't even matter I had to fall to lose it all But in the end it doesn't even matter

[@brandonpearson2987]

i much more prefer your faster paced voice

[@ziongite]

Half Life Alyx isn't even canon, it wasn't written by Laidlaw, the creator of Half Life's story. Half Life Alyx is like a cheap cop out to spin-off. It's kind of like Final Fantasy X-2, where the company square became fully fused with Enix at that time and new writers decided to simply bring Tidus back to life in a cop out game Final Fantasy X-2. Most true fans of the original game don't even consider X-2 as canon because of this. This is the same with Half Life Alyx, heck they will probably try to bring Azian back to life somehow also and they will all be playing together in a little happy ending in the new half life spinoffs.

[@AppleManiagaming]

salty you can't afford a VR headset huh.

[@jgblkshot8375]

Man it sure does feel amazing spreading lies, doesn't it?

[@DONG-502]

Angry 4 year old be like

[@missingno2401]

one thing

[@Skyrionn]

I don't know why