Tomb Raider I-III Remastered features numerous intriguing antagonists, all united by a common goal – to defeat Lara Croft for daring to impede their villainous plans. We bring you the Top 5 boss fights. 

05. Mutated Dr. Mark Willard 

Just as Lara entered the Meteorite Cavern, Dr. Willard finished placing the four meteorite artifacts around the crater. This action caused the meteorite to ascend from its core, exposing a pool of toxic green liquid beneath. Dr. Willard, seeking instantaneous evolution, plunged himself into the pool and emerged transformed into a mutated arachnoid. As long as any of the four meteorite artifacts remain in their designated positions around the crater, Willard maintains his immortality.

This boss fight in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is arguably one of the most difficult encounters and can prove quite frustrating if you're unfamiliar with the strategy. Since facing Willard poses a significant challenge for first-time players, here are a couple of useful tips on how to defeat him.

To defeat Willard, Lara must first stun him. While he's incapacitated, she must quickly collect all four meteorite artifacts from their positions around the crater. However, there is only enough time to collect one artifact before Willard is back up again after being stunned. Collecting all four meteorite artifacts lowers the meteorite into the crater, making Willard mortal again. The challenge? Willard can one-shot kill Lara. 

As long as Lara stays within the central ring of the crater and doesn’t cross the white lines while Willard is chasing her, he won’t use the one-shot kill attack. The most effective weapon for this fight is the Desert Eagle, as it takes exactly 10 shots to stun Willard. This is also where the new health bar comes in handy. Once you’ve depleted his health bar, you don’t need to wait for Willard to fall down. Trust the health bar and run to the artifact as soon as you empty the bar. Collect the artifact and quickly head back to the central ring of the crater (after collecting the artifact, jump backwards and perform a mid-air turn for maximum speed). As soon as Lara aims at Willard again, begin shooting, but try to maintain the same distance from Willard when he starts to chase Lara, as he can still physically attack her within the crater ring. 

04. Larson and Pierre

Although they represent two different boss fights, the fighting style remains consistent. Also, it just felt right to bundle them together.

Larson and Pierre were both recruited by Jacqueline Natla to recover the missing pieces of the Atlantean Scion. Larson, Natla’s first henchman, unsuccessfully ambushes Lara after she acquires the first piece of the Scion in the Tomb of Qualopec. After being bested, Larson reveals more than he should, and Lara tracks the second henchman, Pierre, to Greece, where he had left his mark with a can of beans. Pierre persistently taunts Lara until she defeats him in the Tomb of Tihocan, securing the second Scion piece. Lara encounters Larson once more in Egypt's Sanctuary of the Scion, where she triumphs over him and obtains the final piece. Currently, both Larson and Pierre rest where two of the Scion pieces were once safeguarded.

03. Marco Bartoli (Dragon) 

Marco Bartoli plunged the Dagger of Xian into his heart in order to transform himself into a deadly dragon. Lara reached him just in time to face his wrath.  

As the dragon, Marco possesses the ability to breathe fire, presenting a challenge for Lara to evade. Should the flames manage to reach her, there are several water-filled holes in the floor where Lara can swiftly extinguish herself. Additionally, she can take cover behind the pillars to shield herself from the fire. Once Lara inflicts enough damage on the dragon, he topples onto his side, providing a brief opportunity for Lara to access his vulnerable belly and retrieve the dagger. It's worth noting that occasionally, if the dragon collapses on the central platform, Lara may encounter difficulty extracting the dagger due to object collision.

02. Atlantean Torso  

The striking image of the gigantic Torso Atlantean emerging from its gestating pod remains etched in the memories of many players. Its immense size, coupled with its eerie appearance, contributes to the chilling, horror-filled atmosphere of Atlantis. Despite its formidable presence, the giant Torso Atlantean is not yet fully developed, lacking legs and thus forced to drag itself slowly for movement. Lara must maintain distance, as getting too close risks being pummelled by its powerful fists or slammed against the floor. Just as with other Atlantean enemies, upon defeat, the Torso explodes into fragments. Interestingly, the Torso boss is sometimes referred to as Adam, a name found in the official Japanese strategy guide.

01. Jacqueline Natla

Natla is the most recognizable boss in the Tomb Raider franchise, making multiple appearances throughout, so it’s only fitting that she takes first place. 

If you want to learn more about Natla’s origins, you can read our 'Three Rulers of Atlantis' feature. Here, we will focus on the fight itself, which consists of two phases.  

Upon entering the final chamber of the Great Pyramid, Lara is ambushed by Natla, who has integrated part of a winged Atlantean into her own body, granting her the ability to fly and shoot projectiles. Natla proves to be swift and lethal, yet not invincible. Lara succeeds in sending her crashing to the ground, rendering Natla briefly incapacitated before she rises once more, prepared for another round of combat - this time, grounded but armed with a slightly different projectile attack. Lara ultimately prevails, defeating Natla once again and narrowly escaping the impending explosion of the Great Pyramid  

What are some of your favorite boss fights? Sound off on social and let us know!  

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Tomb Raider I-III Remastered

Tomb Raider (1996)

Tomb Raider II

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