Summary
Though some of Lara Croft’s enemies are your run-of-the-mill mercenaries, others are straight out of a horror film. You never know what you’re going to find when you’re raiding tombs, but it’s usually not just treasure. Whether it’s the undead, an ancient subhuman race, or a science experiment gone wrong, Croft has to fight her fair share of unusual beings.
Sometimes, these enemies are just doing their job, like guarding an artifact with mystical powers or protecting an ancient city, while others exist solely for evil purposes like world domination. These are just some of the creepiest enemies in theTomb Raiderseries.
10Thralls
Tomb Raider: Underworld
In Tomb Raider: Underworld, Lara is searching for Helheim, one of the many underworlds in Norse mythology. While trying to find Helheim, Lara encounters enemies called thralls, undead creatures who have been reanimated by a substance called the eitr.
These zombie-like enemies come in all shapes and sizes. Some of these thralls were once animals like tigers, while others are giant Yetis and soldiers from ancient civilizations.
Unlike other enemies, Lara can’t simply shoot them to defeat them. After stunning them, she must stomp on their bones to prevent them from coming back to life.
9Solarii Prisoners
Tomb Raider (2013)
While shipwrecked on the cursed island of Yamatai, Lara must survive constant attacks by the Solarii Brotherhood,a violent cult that worships Himiko, the Sun Queen. A handful of people have been imprisoned by the Solarii, rather than killed.
These prisoners are kept in the Geothermal Caverns underneath the Solarii Shanty Town. Tortured and starved, the prisoners have become desperate and violent. Lara watches in horror as the prisoners eat a man alive. She then has to find her way out of the prison while being stalked by its hungry inhabitants.
8The Oni
Your first encounter with the Oni in Tomb Raider (2013) is absolutely spine-chilling. The Oni are an army of undead Japanese warriors sworn to protect the Sun Queen, Himiko. These warriors are bloodthirsty and will viciously kill anyone who crosses their path, leaving heaps of corpses in their wake.
One of the first times you see them is while strung up above a pile of human remains in a closed room. You can see the shadow of a large figure guarding the doors. As you try to escape through a hole in the wall, the shadowy figure, a Stormguard Stalker, enters the room, dragging a large weapon across the floor.
Though you’ll survive this encounter unnoticed, you’ll have to fight a horde of foot soldiers, archers, and stalkers later on.
7Deathless Ones
Rise Of The Tomb Raider
Most of the time inRise of the Tomb Raider, you’re fighting mercenaries, but once you reach Kitezh, you’ll face a different enemy. Similar to the Oni, there’s a build-up to meeting the Deathless Ones, an army of immortal soldiers from the Byzantine Empire.
These enemies solely exist to protect Kitezh and theDivine Source, an ancient artifact that causes immortality. The Deathless Ones patrol the city in order to guard the Divine Source. They wear heavy armor and are covered from head to toe.
The only physical feature you can see is their eyes, which are soulless, glowing orbs. Because they’re immortal, they can’t be killed. When you do manage to defeat one in combat, they turn to ash, but are later brought back to life.
6The Yaaxil
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
The Yaaxil are one of the enemy factions inShadow of the Tomb Raider. These enemies are great at hiding in the shadows and pouncing on their victims without being noticed. Though they somewhat resemble human beings, the Yaaxil are a unique species created to protect the Silver Box of Ix Chel, the artifact Lara searches for throughout the game.
These protectors are fierce fighters, viciously attacking anyone they perceive as a threat. They often walk on all fours and seem to teeter on the edge of human and nonhuman. Their appearance, fighting style, and the anticipation leading up to meeting them easily make them one of the scariest enemy groups in the series.
5The Atlanteans
Tomb Raider (1996) And Tomb Raider: Anniversary
The Atlanteans are some of the first enemies in the Tomb Raider series, appearing in the very first game in 1996 and again in its remake, Tomb Raider: Anniversary. These enemies were bred byJacqueline Natla, Tomb Raider’s first antagonist.
All the Atlanteans are fleshless mutants that come in multiple forms, including winged creatures, centaurs, and mummies. The most significant of Natla’s mutants is often referred to as the Torso Boss, a giant legless Atlantean that can only move using its arms.
This particular Atlantean is one of the final bosses in both Tomb Raider (1996) and Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and is well known for its incredible strength, large stature, and grotesque appearance.
4Doppelgänger
Tomb Raider (1996) And Tomb Raider: Underworld
Lara Croft’s doppelgänger first appears in Tomb Raider (1996), and again in Tomb Raider: Anniversary, as one of Natla’s genetic experiments. Though she’s skinless like the other Atlanteans, she structurally resembles Croft in shape and height. She’ll mirror your movements until you can trick her into falling into a pit of lava.
She returns in Tomb Raider: Underworld, this time with skin and hair, looking practically identical to Croft. The only thing distinguishing the two characters is the doppelgänger’s dark red hair, piercing eyes, and pale skin. As a mutant, the doppelgänger is incredibly fast and strong and displays superhuman-like agility. She can also anticipate all of Lara’s movements, so she’s always one step ahead of her.
3Dr. Willard Mutant
Tomb Raider 3
During an expedition in Antarctica, scientist Dr. Willard and his team discover the site of a meteorite. Willard learns there are artifacts crafted from the meteorite, and hires Croft to find them.
Willard watches as those directly exposed to the meteorite site in Antarctica mutate into monstrous creatures. Instead of being horrified, this twisted evolution inspires him to force this change on himself by exposing himself to the meteorite. He then becomes one of these creatures, resembling a large spider with a human face.
2Proto-Nephilim
Tomb Raider: Angel Of Darkness
In Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, Lara travels to France, where she discovers the diabolical plans of an ancient group called the Cabal. In pursuit of immortality, the group attempts to resurrect the Nephilim Race, an ancient hybrid human-angel species, using ‘The Sleeper,’ the last true Nephilim body.
However, the group ran into obstacles when it created the Proto-Nephilim. The Proto-Nephilim was a failed attempt to revive the race, creating a dangerous creature. As a result of this failure, the creature was contained in a cell but escaped when Lara shut off the facility’s power. The creature goes on to kill numerous employees working in the building, creepily stalking them from above.
1Unknown Entity
Tomb Raider: Legend
The Unknown Entity makes its first and only appearance in Tomb Raider: Legend. In a flashback, it’s revealed that Lara and her friend, Amanda Evert, excavated an archeological dig site in Peru with their colleagues.
While exploring the site, a dark and demonic entity kills their colleagues and attacks them. When trying to flee, Amanda becomes trapped and drowns as the site floods. Years later, Lara discovers that Amanda survived and has since bonded with the Unknown Entity. Hating Lara for leaving her behind, Amanda uses the Unknown Entity to attack Lara, leading to two separate boss fights.
