With more than 88 million copies sold worldwide, one thing is certain: people just can’t get enough of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise. Since 2001, this strong-headed and gorgeous archeologist has entered the homes of the fans and looks like she’s not going to leave them anytime soon.
Throughout the years, Lara has given her devoted fans not only joy, but a lot of rages, and a lot of sadness too. But seeing her growing up, loving people, and making mistakes is a part of what makes her such a memorable character.
5 Richard In Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Lord Richard Croft is one of the most important characters in the franchise, as he is Lara’s father and one of the main reasons Lara became, well, Lara. Even though one of the Tomb Raider writers says that Lara needs to have fewer father issues in the next games, the truth is that fans don’t really mind their favorite archeologist's small obsession with her dad, as long as it is portrayed as well in games, as it is in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.
In the game, the player gets to experience a bit of how Lara was before she was the great Tomb Raider, and they get to interact with her father. Lara is going through the house, searching for different things and remembering her mother, when she hears her father arguing with someone and then a gunshot.
Young Lara runs to her father’s study and sees him dead on his desk. She begs him to come back and cries, but it’s too late.
4 Roth In Tomb Raider: A Survivor Is Born
One of the saddest scenes in the Tomb Raider franchise is Conrad Roth’s death. Roth is someone Lara was very close to, since he was a family friend and a mentor, and then ended up becoming her legal guardian.
In the game, fans were horrified to see Lara jumping one of her iconic jumps in order to save herself from falling into the raging sea. She caught Roth’s hand and tried to hold on, but she eventually fell into the water.
Roth reunites with Lara a bit later and guides her as she goes through a couple of rescue missions on her own (he is wounded and can’t move). After all that, they get in a helicopter to save themselves, which, in classic Lara Croft fashion, gets destroyed by a storm.
Coming to his senses after the crash, Roth sees Lara unconscious and performs CPR on her, trying to bring her back. After he manages it, gamers think that it’s finally time for them to catch a break. But no.
Mathias, with a party of the Solarri Brotherhood, finds and attacks them. Mathias throws an axe at Lara, and Roth covers her with his body, ending up taking the blow in his back. Before Roth passes, he gives Lara the iconic dual pistols and leaves Lara freaking out over his dead body.
And in every gamer’s house, there were a lot of onions being cut suddenly. Maybe if the Reboot and the Original games' timelines merge, fans can see a bit more of Roth?
3 Alister In Tomb Raider: Underworld
The scene of Alister Fletcher’s death is emotional for more than the obvious reason, giving the game a darker side that fans were used to until then. Alister is Lara’s research assistant, a lovable walking encyclopedia, and a forever Ph.D. student with a love for everything that he had trouble explaining.
He accompanies Lara in her adventures through her headset, guiding and informing her about what she needs to know, from the comfort of the Croft Manor.
In Underworld, Alister and Lara are exploring the crypt in Croft Manor, but when she returns, she realizes the whole manor is on fire and Alister is missing. This is the first shock that fans get, because who hasn’t loved going around in that beautiful house that has so much history and secrets hidden in it?
Lara goes through the blazing fire trying to find Alister, only to find her evil doppelganger, who shoots Alister before she gets in a fight…with herself. Alister dies in Lara’s hands, and the doppelganger escapes, leaving Lara to carry Alister’s body out of the mansion.
The scene ends with Lara leaving behind Alister’s body along with Zip and Winston (who is undoubtedly one of the best butlers in all the gaming history), and then has to hear Zip saying that she doesn’t really care about Alister being dead and only cares about business. Cruel, Lara, just cruel.
2 Jonah In Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Jonah Maiava is one of Lara’s best friends, and he has been the most constant of all her companions throughout the franchise. That’s why in their big fight scene in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider fans were surprised to hear him being so harsh with the young and panicky Lara.
After Lara has grabbed the Key Of Chak Chel, despite how much Jonah was against it, Trinity gets it, and then to top it up, a flood begins. The flood hits Cozumel, the town that Lara and Jonah were exploring (and meeting a lot of the locals) just moments ago.
Lara tries to save herself by doing what she does best: jumping from thing to thing. She sees a lot of heartbreak as the locals try to save themselves.
When she finally gets on a rooftop, she sees Jonah helping the locals, and relief washes through her. They hug, and then Lara goes on a rant, explaining how she lost the Key and how they must get it back straight away. Jonah has had enough and goes on a rant of his own saying that they must help the people first because they need them and calls her selfish.
1 Jacob In Rise Of The Tomb Raider
In Rise Of The Tomb Raider, Jacob’s death might have been unavoidable and both Lara and the fans knew it, but that didn’t make it any less heart-wrenching. Jacob, also known as The Deathless Prophet Of Constantinople, meets Lara when they are both trapped in cells by Trinity members.
After he saves Lara’s life a couple of times, and she lashes at him for not helping her find Kitezh, Lara discovers that not only he knew where Kitezh was all along, but that he is actually the Deathless Prophet of Constantinople.
A little later, as Ana and Lara fight over the Source, Ana decides to shoot Jacob. He would have made his recovery if Lara didn’t take the Source from Ana and smashed it to the ground. Jacob is happy that she did it, and dies, but not before saying how important Lara’s work is in a very emotional moment. It’s not for nothing that The Rise Of The Tomb Raider has won the WGA award for writing.