Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015 video game)
A year after the harrowing events on the island of Yamatai, archaeologist Lara Croft is still haunted. She struggles with trauma and PTSD, plagued by memories of the supernatural forces she encountered. The world, however, remains skeptical. No one believes what she lived through, and she finds herself increasingly isolated. Desperate for clarity, Lara dives into her late father Lord Richard Croft’s research. Among his notes, she uncovers a new lead—an ancient legend surrounding the lost city of Kitezh and an artifact known as the Divine Source, said to grant immortality. Convinced that her father’s work holds answers, Lara becomes consumed by the mystery he left behind.
Lara’s determination brings her into conflict with Ana, her father’s former partner. Ana warns her that Lord Croft’s obsession with Kitezh consumed him, ultimately driving him to ruin and suicide. But Lara refuses to believe it. She’s convinced there was more to his death and his research. Ignoring Ana’s concerns, she sets out on an expedition to the Forgotten Cities in northwestern Syria in hopes of locating the tomb of the Prophet of Constantinople, a central figure in the Kitezh myth.
Inside the tomb, Lara navigates ancient traps and elaborate puzzles, only to discover it empty. But her search is far from over. She’s ambushed by a heavily armed paramilitary group known as Trinity, an ancient order now operating in the shadows with a mission to control divine relics. Their leader in the field, the cold and ruthless Konstantin, corners Lara. She narrowly escapes, but not before discovering a mysterious symbol etched into the tomb’s stone. Back at Croft Manor, she cross-references the symbol with a book on Russian religious history and uncovers more about the Divine Source. It’s real, and Trinity is after it.
When she tells her close friend Jonah Maiava about the artifact, he expresses concern, doubting its existence. Their disagreement is cut short when a Trinity assassin breaks into the manor and steals the book. Realizing they’re running out of time, Lara and Jonah set off for Siberia, the next location tied to the Source.
As they scale a treacherous Siberian mountain, an avalanche strikes, separating them. Lara presses on alone, eventually discovering a remote Soviet installation that Trinity has converted into a base. Her attempt to retrieve the stolen book ends in her capture. She is thrown into a cell alongside Ana, who pretends to be a fellow prisoner. But the charade quickly falls apart. In a brutal interrogation, Konstantin nearly strangles Ana to force Lara into talking. When it’s clear Lara doesn’t have the information they seek, Ana reveals the truth: she is a Trinity agent, and Konstantin is her brother. Ana offers Lara a place within Trinity, which she firmly refuses. She’s locked in the Gulag cells, where she meets a mysterious prisoner named Jacob.
Together, they escape from Trinity's pursuit. During their flight, Lara nearly drowns, but Jacob saves her. She agrees to help him and his people—the Remnants—defend their valley against Trinity’s invasion. Upon reaching the valley, Lara learns Jacob is their leader. The Remnants are the last descendants of the Prophet’s followers, and they are sworn to protect the Divine Source.
Trinity attacks the Remnants relentlessly, claiming divine mandate. Lara learns that Ana is dying of a terminal illness and sees the Divine Source as her last hope. Jacob warns Lara that the Source is not what she thinks—that it grants immortality, but at a steep cost. Despite his caution, Lara presses forward. She begins searching for the Atlas, an artifact said to reveal the location of Kitezh. Jacob’s daughter, Sofia, warns Lara of the Deathless Ones—immortal guardians that protect the city.
Lara finds the Atlas hidden beneath the ruins of a grand Cathedral. Soon after, she is reunited with Jonah, who had been found and rescued by the Remnants. But their reunion is short-lived. Trinity raids the valley again, seizes the Atlas, and kidnaps Jonah. Determined to save him, Lara returns to the Gulag. In a brutal encounter, Konstantin wounds Jonah badly. Lara escapes with Jonah and returns him to Jacob, who miraculously heals him. The speed of Jonah’s recovery confirms what Lara suspected: Jacob is the Prophet himself, granted immortality by the Divine Source.
With Trinity preparing to storm Kitezh, Lara must enter the city via a perilous route over a glacial ridge. Along the way, she uncovers logs from a Trinity operative that reveal the truth behind Jacob’s warning—the Divine Source does indeed grant eternal life, but it does so by capturing the soul of the user, binding it to the artifact.
Trinity eventually breaches Kitezh, breaking into the chamber that holds the Divine Source. With the help of Sofia and the Remnants, Lara fights her way through Trinity forces. In a final confrontation, Konstantin ambushes her, but Lara gains the upper hand and mortally wounds him. As he dies, he reveals a devastating truth: Lord Croft did not kill himself—Trinity assassinated him.
Lara reaches the chamber, where Ana has already retrieved the Divine Source. Jacob and Lara plead with her to stop, but she refuses. As the Deathless Ones descend upon them, Ana activates the Source. Its power overwhelms her, giving Lara the chance to act. She grabs the artifact and smashes it. The Source shatters, destroying the Deathless Ones and ending Jacob’s immortality. Grateful, Jacob tells Lara she has done the right thing. With a peaceful smile, he fades into dust, finally free.
Two weeks later, Lara and Jonah regroup at Croft Manor. Though the Divine Source is gone, Lara is more determined than ever. She vows to continue her father’s work—not to seek power, but to uncover the truth and stop Trinity from exploiting the world’s secrets.
In a post-credits scene, we are taken back two weeks before Lara and Jonah left Siberia. Lara confronts Ana, asking her if she killed Lord Croft. Ana insists she didn’t—though Trinity gave the order, she couldn’t go through with it because she loved him. Before she can say more, she is shot by a sniper. The sniper radios in, asking whether he should kill Lara, too. His unseen superior responds with a chilling command: “Not yet.” The hunt is far from over.
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