The Most Significant Location in Half-Life | Kleiner's Lab | FULL Half-Life Lore

The Half-Life series has so many interesting and important locations. The Citadel, Nova Prospekt and the Black Mesa Research Facility are three of many. There was however one more location that may be considered the most important. A small, secret lab in the heart of City 17 ran by Dr. Isaac Kleiner.
How did this location become so significant in the war against The Combine, how Kleiner's Lab evade The Combine? and what happened to it after the fall of The Citadel? In this video, we explore the lore and story behind Kleiner's Lab in Half-Life.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Before
02:37 The Rise of Kleiner's Lab
06:21 Growth & Surveillance
08:59 The Underground Railroad
14:21 Teleportation
17:15 A Red Letter Day
20:49 The Uprising
23:19 Legacy
24:12 Closing Thoughts
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Half-Life & Portal Lore Playlist: • The Borealis | Half-Li...
Standard Sources
Game Manuals
Half-Life Series Playthrough Research
Portal Series Playthrough Research
Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar
Half-Life 2: Raising the Bar (Uncorrected Proof)
Half-Life 2 Prima Guide
Half-Life: Alyx Playthrough
Portal/ Half-Life Fandom
Dev Commentary
Old Valve Forums
Marc Laidlaw's Twitter
Marc Laidlaw Website
Breengrub Twitter
Reddit AMA (w/ HL: Alyx Developers)
Portal 2
Aperture Desk Job
AUDIO USED
Half-Life Alyx OST: Insubordinate Relocation
Half-life 2 OST: Broken Symmetry
Half-Life 2 OST: Lab Practicum
Half-Life 2 OST: Black Mesa Inbound
Black Mesa OST: Catalyst
Half-Life 2 OST: Our Resurrected Teleport
Black Mesa OST: Resonance
Half-Life 2 OST: Nepal Monastery
Half-Life 2 OST: Nova Prospekt
Half-Life 2 OST: Triage At Dawn
#HalfLife #Lore #DrKleiner

[@Skyrionn]

Sometimes I dream about cheese. Like, comment, subscribe for some cheese.

[@sovietdoge1816]

I also dream of cheese you should do DR.COOMER lore

[@hankgaming3]

Same

[@PoopyJoe-tp4vz]

Sometimes I have nightmares about cheese.

[@Preston_Garvey2265]

hamburguh cheeseburgh bigmac whopper

[@villings]

cheese is good, cheese is life.

[@spunkyfunkymonke]

Kleiner had massive balls to put his lab that close to the train station

[@LifeIsPain878]

He is a Black Mesa Incident survivor what you expect 😅

[@pjtheprimalpeashootergamin6159]

Bigger balls = explosive semen

[@Johnny-zi6lw]

Absolutely true. But also it made sense given the surroundings, as Kleiner effectively hid right under the Combine's nose. The lab is located between City 17's main station as well as another major train station, inside an abandoned and disused building. The Combine are much more focused on the security of the stations themselves, especially the second one, as it is a gateway to the Underground Railroad. They don't have use for the building in which the lab is located and they especially don't believe that the Resistance would either. It's a genius move by Dr. Kleiner.

[@Skyrionn]

The best way to get info!

[@anthonygordon9483]

He was the wimpiest scientist in the original. This was his redemption arch in half life 2. The most scared scientist in half life 1 is your biggest ally in 2 . That was the point. And he like the rest of the scientist feel solely responsible for the world's destruction. You and your colleagues are solely responsible for it. The story is pretty much about scientist cleaning up their mess which includes you. You are not a soldier character , your a scientist like the rest of them . You just got more balls as the main character to fix shit . Your also central to the revolution they started. In a way you are used as their propaganda because the gama sign on your suit is the sign the scientist made for the revolution to fight against them. Coming back in half life 2 unaged is like a prophecy you created to motivate people to revolt.

[@krush454]

I always felt like Kleiner's lab was underrated. I spent so much time searching every inch of it. I felt its biggest point was it was in the center of the conflict. It would have been easily found if the combine put their heads to it, but Izzy didnt care. He fought how he could despite nearly insurmountable odds. Great video keep them coming

[@Skyrionn]

It is absolutely an overlooked location.

[@Batchall_Accepted]

I love that in the picture of young Izzy hes rocking the 70s muttonchops and thick frame glasses. Still discovering great details like that

[@ZachariahJ]

You mentioned how Lamarr got it's name! Thank you! Seen other lore vids that never noticed any significance in the name. As you say, Hedy wasn't just a Hollywood starlet, she worked on radio guidance signals for torpedoes etc. She was considered pretty outrageous back home in Europe! Did some quite racy movies in Germany. (She was born in Vienna, but moved around a fair bit). And she was quite a looker, even by Hollywood standards.

[@Skyrionn]

It is a detail I've often overlooked in earlier videos but it was time it was mentioned!

[@Batchall_Accepted]

That's the best part of it for me. It's not just a clever pun, but she actually would have been a historical figure Kleiner really respected

[@ZachariahJ]

@@Skyrionn I know - I corrected it in an earlier video of yours! 😀 But it's all good stuff - I very much enjoy your lore videos. The thing is, I'm an old fart - a pensioner in the UK. I remember watching old black and white movies on my gran's bakelite TV. And Hedy Lamarr always stood out as an outstanding beauty, along with Veronica Lake and Jean Harlow. So It's good to see the record set straight. ;-)

[@kaisertrinityt.m.i.s1607]

i do wonder what would have happened if Kleiners Lab was destroyed or his teleporter dismantled right after alyx and gordon escaped from nova prospect. remember they needed a week to arrive in kleiners teleporter, so in that time anything could have happened to it. my best guess is that they either landed in the worlds of zen or never arrive at all and will be lost for all eternity

[@aussiefreeman9829]

if only Lamarr didnt try anything stupid, the outcome woulda been so much different like no shit

[@miloddvoranak8900]

my guess would be, someone nugged Lamar in particular direction...

[@Skyrionn]

Maybe Lamarr is another secret G-Man agent haha

[@Batchall_Accepted]

I feel like Hedy interfering was something that had to happen for the resistance to win. Like things had a specific way they had to play out in order for things to work. Gordon arriving at Black Mesa East too early would have meant he maybe never ends up going to nova prospekt, which turns out to accidentally be key to the entire uprising, or maybe even something as small as not having the gravity gun with him when he leaves, he only gets to keep it because he happened to be holding it when the raid comes.

[@epicalworlds2775]

If Lamarr didnt try anything the rest of the game literally would've been Gordon working in a lab and making machines for the resistance

[@BlazeOfGlory2003]

I'm still suprised how the Combine hasn't found it before Gordon accidentally teleported outside of the lab😂😂 and they somehow took over the galaxy with such birdbrains😂😂😂😂

[@crylune]

What’s left on Earth is a police force, nothing compared to actual Combine forces. Earth is nothing but a resource well now. As Russel said in HL:A, they’ve already won this war. Also, they don’t conquer galaxies but entire dimensions and universes, making them the most powerful faction in science fiction.

[@TheFullswordslord]

Honestly I haven't played Half-Life for years, but I will faithfully watch these videos because of your outstanding narration talent and soothing voice...

[@Skyrionn]

I love these kinds of comments! I appreciate you watching them

[@OfficerWolfy-]

What I love about the modding community for example, stuff like entropy zero 1, entropy zero 2, and entropy zero uprising, they can portray essentially the same exact speculations of stories on the side without interfering with the main story at all, well entropy zero 2 takes that to a whole new level, like valve level story telling which I love about it

[@DS-wl5pk]

The way he looks at me in the thumbnail….

[@Skyrionn]

Best thumbnail this year

[@ThunderingEagleJediBob51]

We need einstein lore i wanna know where he is in hl2

[@maximilian_at7919]

Hes dead i think

[@ThunderingEagleJediBob51]

​@@maximilian_at7919 everyone says that but I want a definitive answer

[@ImperialEmbers]

Might have died before the Resonance Cascade, could be wrong, though. xD

[@brigo1744]

I mean idk who canonically the Einstein-like scientist was in hl1 but if he was actually Einstein that’d be funny. I’m more wondering where Rosenberg from blue-shift is

[@Skyrionn]

It'll be a 10 second video haha

[@dxfan18]

It's incredible how you can make such a cool, detailed video about just one room in the HL universe. I loved your used of Vague Voices and Nepal Monastery in the video. The Half-Life soundtrack adds to the game so perfectly.

[@ferdinandh2196]

based.

[@Raven]

I wonder if there are more resistance teleporter locations than Kleiner's Lab and Eli's Lab.

[@Skyrionn]

I'd like to think there's also one in White Forest but I can't find anything to confirm it

[@drake52]

I think that in an early version in the half life 2 story there was another base run by Judith Mossman, and the plan was to teleport Gordon there instead of black mesa east.

[@KamiCorp2953]

Amazing how much good content can be made for such an old game! Keep it up!

[@king_kiff3969]

Love your stuff mate, I don't care what you cover next I'll be watching and giving it a thumb up as I enjoy it.

[@rascal3554]

The place we get the HEV suit..Truly amazing.

[@jusesjimmybars]

i will never understand how kleiner had the hazardous environment suit in his lab when gordon went into statis wearing it...

[@kostya8764]

maybe it's another hev suit from another person

[@drake52]

I think that the g man gave it to him or put it somewhere where Kleiner could find it.

[@carlosbustos8096]

At the part where you meet him, he says he recreated AND upgraded the hev suit, though, i think that upon entering city 17 gman removed gordon's suit because he would immediatly be recognized.

[@cubescihist6737]

The HEV suit from HL2 is a different model from the one in HL1. In HL1, Gordon wears the Mark IV HEV suit, while in HL2, it is the Mark V. So it means that the HL2 suit must have been developed by Kleiner himself.

[@drake52]

@@cubescihist6737 ok but it is entirely possible that the HEV suit from the first game was upgraded by Kleiner. also if Kleiner had the resources to be able to build an entirely new HEV suit then why is Gordon freeman the only person with one.

[@jackporter815]

Amazing vid as allways keep up the good work man 👍

[@dadozero4851]

Fantastic lore video as always👍🙌

[@RaschhoferConsumer]

i just love ur work... got two half life tattooes... love ur voice and please keep up the good work!!!

[@maxamillionjazzhands4034]

13:28 Funny that she invented the radio guidance system, because thats where its implied that Llamar the headcrab gets stuck right before the launch.

[@Gator159]

16:50 What always bothered me was Kleiner's teleportation device is locked away behind a retinal scanner but it's available for any floating scanner to take pictures of which technically happens after the teleportation malfunction at the beginning of Half-Life 2. I mean, I know it's important to have daylight from time to time but it feels like a very avoidable flaw in the age of 1984 inspired cameras everywhere. But hey, narratively it had to happen that way so Eli could point out Gordon teleported right behind him.

[@rufusthehunalprophet6648]

You learn something new with every one of these videos! I didn't know Lamarr was named after a real person. I simply thought the name "Hedy" in the subtitles was a typo of "heady" since I assumed that was an obvious intended nickname for a headcrab

[@MP-hz3ye]

Amazing work

[@azzam-iv3vq]

Good video,by the way can you making a video about city 17 lore(remastered ver) ??

[@MisterCake]

it's a bold move to put the Lab in the middle of Combine Territory & under their nose but Clever having a base right under their Augmented nose, as it'd be the last place the Enemy would expect

[@snavellet5612]

I suggest making a video regarding the world of Scorn; I think that would be awesome as there are many mysteries and unexplainable nightmarish creatures to discuss

[@codymcgrath2.3bviews3secon7]

Can’t wait to watch this one! One I’ve been the most excited about

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks Cody!

[@zekromfan1]

Kleiner is without a doubt one of the most important characters in the entire Half-Life universe. Without him or Eli, this entire story wouldn’t have gone anywhere, the resistance wouldn’t exist, at least not in the capacity it does currently. Humanity would still be under Combine rule, and Gordon would never have been able to do any of what he did in HL2. Half-Life 1 would also be radically changed without two of the most important members of the Anomalous Materials Team being on it, hell without Kleiner Gordon wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of what he did in Half-Life, let’s not forget who kept locking himself out of his lab which caused Gordon to race Barney through the vents. Also Kleiner has a pet Headcrab, Lamar is the most pivotal character in Half-Life 2’s story, she is the key to everything! I mean when Lamar broke the teleporter, Gordon was sent into Breen’s office thereby alerting the Combine to Gordon’s return and the threat he posed. So while I may have been joking, it wasn’t entirely a joke.

[@ventrexstudios33]

another good half life lore vid keep it up

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks, will do!

[@halfmaul2095]

Magnificent video!

[@bankaiiibankaaa4573]

I just want to say that I adore your calm voice👌

[@Big_Boney]

Me love this video 🥰 your Half-Life content is the best!!!

[@good-questions]

my body is so ready for this video

[@pp3k07]

i just thought you'd like to know mate that your voice in those 3 hour videos has sent me drifting off to the land of nod many times now. (No homo) xD I have watched them in full while awake too!!

[@Skyrionn]

I'm glad you're watching them!

[@pp3k07]

​@@SkyrionnIt's great content mate. You do a great job at explaining it all so my tiny mind can get a clearer understanding of the universe. Great visuals to go with it. 🙏

[@Headcrabsfm]

are you going to do a video on the combine gunship?

[@MDMDMDMDMDMDMDMDMD]

23:52 Everything within miles of the Citadel had its organs removed. Whoa, that's crazy.

[@LifeIsPain878]

That Uncle Kleiner doodle is so cute

[@Skyrionn]

It really is

[@Nobody_1.]

I always wondered, do you play games often? or did you just play some half life when you were younger and it captivated you?

[@SwebHat]

I am once again asking for aftermath of black mesa video

[@m15tly]

Do you mean the seven hour war?

[@ImperialEmbers]

Blew up harder than Ishowspeed and 7 hour war occurred, end.

[@LifeIsPain878]

I recommend watching neinfeld's video on it

[@chadinbrackets]

your voice is perfect for commentaries.

[@AC20sAkimbo]

So where was the power for the teleporter coming from? I think that thing might spike the grid a bit.

[@thecoldlemonade3532]

The Half Life and Portal games hove some of the best lore I've ever seen. If there not going to release 3rd installments, they should write a book!

[@halronius]

your research into half-life awesome!

[@CrysisYaDig]

ur lore videos make my days better 🥲

[@Skyrionn]

Best comment

[@thesmilingman7576]

21:48 wonder if Kleiner was the first scientist Gordon met at the Lambda lab in Half Life 1

[@InterstellarStarSailor]

Rest in peace kleiner eyes thumbnail

[@iwinjerrudouyourmum8415]

Basically gonna design my house to look like Kliener's lab now

[@DONG-502]

Skibidi Toilet is cringe

[@TheExpertProcrastinator]

one of the many fundamental rules of the world, grass is green, the worlds round, water is wet and skibidi toilet is cringe

[@ventrexstudios33]

agreed

[@NovaProspekt19]

Dafuqboom is the antichrist and he brought it upon himself

[@jonahstewart1541]

Love half life lore vids

[@jackporter815]

Hey skyrionn you might not see this but what happened to your playthrough of half life opposing force?

[@Skyrionn]

I felt that it didn't really fit in with the channel so I removed it :)

[@jackporter815]

@@Skyrionn awww I really enjoyed it :(

[@diegooro8780]

At 24:13 I expected Alyx to explode.

[@hankgaming3]

Kleiner had a haircut compared to his half life 1 discount einstien hair

[@chrexxie]

17:17 which OST is starting here? Please someone 😩

[@HarryJCook]

yo, sky, you should start a series on the walking dead saints & sinners! I think it has a lot of interesting locations, characters, etc. the hospital, the tower, the tourist.

[@caglayanozdemir348]

I wanna set your HL videos in infinite loop and die listening to them

[@Skyrionn]

Dew it

[@eliptical7033]

Guys will be like “I know a place” and take you to The Most Significant Location in Half Life | Kleiner’s Lab.

[@TamTroll]

if it's kleiner's home, i wonder where he sleeps. does he have a whole bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom behind a door we just can't hopen?

[@erikheijden9828]

He is a videogame character, doesnt need sleep

[@music_holds_my_fading_soul]

Lamar survived the lab!

[@SaintRedFox]

i wonder where did kleiner sleep if that was his house.

[@mcdonaldsvr]

I never paid this much attention to Kleiners lab

[@Skyrionn]

It's a really important location! Next time you pass through, just linger and explore next time you go through

[@Gutymut]

You should really do half life vr but the ai is self aware lore that would be great

[@ameenurrehman3750]

Quite irrelevant, but I just wanted to suggest if you could add subtitles to your videos? I've been watch your videos for more than a year and have never a single one with subtitles.

[@Skyrionn]

Just hit the captions button. I manually add them every week ☺

[@villings]

yesss new Skyrionn video

[@villings]

never made the Hedy Lamarr connection I'm so lame *smacks head

[@N0TJAKE]

just in time for breakfast 😎

[@Skyrionn]

I hope you enjoyed it!

[@Ginger_FoxxVT]

A wonderful lab it was

[@brigo1744]

Im so curious if rebellion started in the other cities and who led them. Maybe other black mesa scientists?

[@Skyrionn]

I'd love Valve to explore the other cities

[@brigo1744]

@@Skyrionn would there be any characters you’d like to see returning from the previous games if they did?

[@SaintRedFox]

imagine Dr. Rosenberg in city 13 or 10

[@shinymk6562]

Hey quick question to anyone who can help. I'm trying to play Half Life for the first time, but when I went to steam to buy half life 2 I was a bit confused because Steam has Half Life 2 HL2 Ep 1 HL2 Ep 2 Is the first a bundle of the episodes or is something else going on here?

[@tt5hd395]

10:41 ehm *Mud Skipper

[@AntibodyProtectionForce]

yo dudes the empire is pretty chill maybe you could like join it or something

[@thomasfalkenberg8549]

The opening quote is much better if you remove the "in".

[@ricewolf9750]

Lets get photo proof of em

[@seniadelapena7806]

Sky iron i hope you realized that the combine invasion didnt have the humanoid combine that most people think the combine soldiers were already a part of the combines military when they invaded earth and the other planets

[@Skyrionn]

Of course they didn't have the human combine units during the invasion of Earth. From a mural in HLA, they did, at one point have some sort of humanoid warrior though.

[@sdwone]

OK Sweethearts! You heard the man (Skyrionn) and you know the drill! (Cuppa tea... Biscuits... Wrapped up in blankets and a hot water bottle!) ... Hehe... Can't say the rest of that Aliens line incase that pesky KZbin algo bars me! 😂😅😊 But yeah... You know what do to when it comes to Skyrionn!👍🏼

[@colesherman9060]

Up up Lamarr

[@Thekatbo]

who are all the ppl in the photo of staff in black mesa

[@RenGraes]

I believe there's the main 5. Magnusson, Kleiner, Freeman, Eli and Breen. The others were scientists that died in the Black Mesa incident.

[@Thekatbo]

i know but whos the rest@@RenGraes

[@Skyrionn]

It'd be interesting to see if they did have names

[@AMBATUKAMceo]

​@@SkyrionnDr coomer and Dr Walter

[@Thekatbo]

yea@@Skyrionn

[@blametheghost]

Headcrabs had eyes? HEADCRABS HAD EYES?! SINCE WHEN

[@NovaProspekt19]

Since.. the first game?

[@blametheghost]

literally WHERE ARE THE EYES ON THE HALF LIFE 1 HEADCRAB@@NovaProspekt19

[@SaintRedFox]

they had 3 eyes on each side next to their front legs

[@Preston_Garvey2265]

guys genuine question, if you could and would do will you do if would?

[@BlazeOfGlory2003]

Video Idea for a future video: The Fauna of XEN and how it got there

[@BlazeOfGlory2003]

Or The Story of Eli Vance

[@C.A._Old]

*i wish valve can make seqeuls... so sad... 😞*

[@ukraine_supporter_777]

Id love to see you do halo videos

[@einname220]

Im here for the Cheese Th yu as always

[@Skyrionn]

We'll have all the cheese

[@suomiperkele311]

cool 👍

[@Skyrionn]

Thanks!

[@alansmit9198]

What cat?

[@GenTristan]

where he sleep tho

[@carlosgalaviz349]

My wife left me, my family is dead and just got fired, but at least

[@Mono_Guy]

#HALFLIFE3

[@Mono_Guy]

We need to make it happen it cant end like this

[@Aliamus_]

Obligatory algorithm comment.

[@SimplyWaffle]

I love you

[@jonahstewart1541]

Comment for the algo

[@DONG-502]

R

[@baimo_ofc]

this video is such a rebellion propaganda. smh

[@hamishfox]

Very fitting that they use the lambda for the resistance given it's historical use in the LGBTQ+ community to symbolise unity under oppression and also in physics to denote wavelength which can also be thought of as a cycle of change. Very apt.

[@untitled4542]

The most significant place in the half life story was the test chamber in Black Mesa sector C test labs. Kleiners lab is a nothingburger.

[@TempinoTuMadre]

L Take