Father Grigori
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Father Grigori, voiced by Jim French, is a character in Valve Software's hit computer game sequel Half-Life 2, appearing throughout the Ravenholm chapter (Chapter 6) of the game. He is a balding middle-aged man, dressed in gloomy clothing and Converse sneakers. The destruction of Ravenholm and his subsequent survival within the town seem to have left him somewhat mentally unbalanced.
The name Grigori (Григо́рий) is common in Russia; it derives from Greek egrḗgoroi, meaning "watchful" or "vigilant." It may also be a reference to the Grigori, a mythical group of fallen angels.
His name, nationality, religion, and somewhat eccentric personality could also be a reference to Grigori Rasputin, a Russian holy man who was known as the "Mad Monk". Rasputin was also famous for his ability to survive, the circumstances in which he finally did die becoming legendary. Further evidence of this reference could be the fact that the model file for Father Grigori is named monk.mdl.
Role in Half-Life 2
The dishevelled, unshaven Father Grigori is seemingly the only remaining human occupant of Ravenholm. Seen as an ordinary Russian Orthodox (because of the design of his church) priest, he witnessed the Combine's bombardment of his town with headcrab-containing artillery. Most of the town's residents either died or became zombies in the subsequent devastation.
Based on a scene involving headcrab-less zombies lying on tables surrounded by med kits, it seems that (at one time) Grigori attempted to remove the headcrabs from their hosts. Unsuccessful at doing so without killing the victim, Grigori realized that saving the person's body was impossible.
However, Grigori could not help but realize that these monsters were, at least in part, his former friends and family. Instead of saving their bodies, he would save their souls by destroying the abominations they had become. Much of his combat dialogue consists of him speaking of redeeming the zombie's soul, or that he remembers the person's "true face".
He speaks enthusiastically in his Eastern European accent about "tending to his flock" while dispatching the remaining zombie inhabitants of the city, using a Winchester Model 94 rifle and homemade traps. One of his traps is made of old Eastern bloc cars, which along with his typically Russian name and accent suggests that he is Russian. He helps Gordon Freeman intermittently in Ravenholm, both through actions, including giving Freeman a SPAS-12 shotgun and combat tips. Eventually, Grigori escorts Freeman through a cemetery infested with zombies to show him a hidden passage out of the haunted city.
Speculation of Grigori's fate and identity
After the player leaves Father Grigori, he runs to an area which subsequently catches on fire, and hordes of headcrab zombies congregate on that area. The player also hears what has both been interpreted as insane laughter or screams of pain, leaving Father Grigori's death unknown. Some players have reported seeing Grigori slaughter his attackers, while others have heard screams of pain that seem to indicate his death. Others still say that Grigori's "screams" are insane laughter, as Grigori can no longer accept the idea of killing those who used to be his "flock". If he does "die", the player might find it interesting (or just disturbing) to know that he dies laughing [link]. Some even speculate that Grigori escapes through a secret passage in a large tomb.Using the noclip cheat in the game, or by using the zoom ability of the HEV suit in the right place, it is possible to see that after igniting the flame traps Grigori retreats into a tomb, fighting off a group of zombies, stays inside for about 2 minutes, then steps into a dark corner (out of player's view) and disappears. Clearly, Valve intended to make his fate uncertain, possibly to return Father Grigori as a character in one of the later episodes of Half-Life 2.
A few context clues have led to speculation that Grigori may not be an ordained priest. While explaining his traps to the player, he points out that they were the work of a man with too much time on his hands, and that now he only has time for the Lord's work, suggesting he did not find God (or at least didn't run around in priest's garb) prior to the infestation. It is entirely possible that Grigori's crusade caused him to choose to become a priest, and in the absence of any authority, he simply put on the clothes. This would explain his bizarre choice of footwear (somewhat identical to Converse shoes), and seems more credible in light of his obvious insanity. However, both Raising the Bar and the official Prima Half-Life 2 strategy guide indicate that he did minister to the citizens of Ravenholm before the town was overrun. The Prima game guide also specifies him as once being a pastor of the town church.
Notes
Father Grigori also has an additional cross-shaped scar on the back of his right hand [link].
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