Vortigaunt

Vortigaunt
Half-Life character
A Vortigaunt, as seen in Half-Life 2: Episode Two
First game	Half-Life (1998)
Designed by	Dhabih Eng Chuck Jones
Voiced by	Louis Gossett, Jr. Tony Todd

Vortigaunts are a fictional extra-dimensional species in the Half-Life series of video games by Valve Corporation. In Half-Life and its three expansions, Vortigaunts are frequently encountered by the player as hostile non-player characters in Half-Life and later as allies in Half-Life 2. The Vortigaunts are depicted in Half-Life as being an enslaved race in an alternative dimension called Xen, subservient to a large creature called the Nihilanth, which itself is a slave to undisclosed masters. In Half-Life 2, the Vortigaunts have broken free of their slavery, and actively assist the player and other humans in resisting the Combine occupation of Earth.

Vortigaunts are shown as a very communal and cultural race, believing in a force that binds the fabric of the universe and each Vortigaunt together, as well as producing a tradition of poetry and music. Vortigaunts also display the ability to summon and command electrical energy without the need for technology. This ability is used for various activities, such as a means of attack, powering electrical equipment, and healing.

The fictional creatures have received a range of critical responses from their various appearances. In addition to their role within the Half-Life series, Vortigaunts have been adapted for machinima productions and have been made into a plush toy by Valve.

Louis Gossett, Jr. provides the voice for the Vortigaunts in Half-Life 2, and was partially chosen due to his role as the alien in the film Enemy Mine. In Episode Two, the Vortigaunts' voicing was done by Tony Todd. Graphically, the Vortigaunts in both Half-Life and Half-Life 2 were designed by concept artists Dhabih Eng and Chuck Jones.