Tomb Raider (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Richard Croft disappeared while searching for Himiko's tomb on the island of Yamatai. As an expert on ancient Japanese history, he had spent years researching Himiko, the legendary queen said to possess the power to control life and death. He traveled to the Devil's Sea to find her entombed remains, but he was captured and held captive on the island for seven years by Mathias Vogel and his Trinity expedition team.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Lara discovering Richard's research tapes that reveal his obsession with finding Himiko's tomb.

• richard croft
• disappearance
• yamatai
• himiko
• trinity

Himiko was Japan's first queen, also known as the Queen of Yamatai, who wielded formidable dark magic capable of controlling life and death. Her power was so devastating that it caused rivers to flow with blood, leading her own generals to capture and entomb her on a mystical island in the Devil's Sea. According to the film, she willingly entombed herself to prevent her deadly power from harming others.

Foreshadowing: Richard's recorded message explains that Himiko's magic was so dangerous it had to be contained.

• himiko
• queen of yamatai
• dark magic
• ancient queen
• tomb

Trinity is a mysterious organization funding Mathias Vogel's expedition to Yamatai. They seek to harness Himiko's supernatural power as a weapon. The organization has infiltrated Croft Holdings, Richard's company, using it as a front. At the end of the film, Lara discovers that Trinity actually controls her father's business, making Ana Miller complicit in their schemes.

Foreshadowing: Vogel mentions being funded by Trinity from the beginning of his expedition.

• trinity
• organization
• weapon
• mathias vogel
• conspiracy

Lara decides to help Vogel unlock the tomb because she believes her father Richard is still alive and may be trapped inside. When Vogel locates the tomb entrance but cannot open it, he persuades Lara that helping him is the only way to find her father. Lara's strong desire to rescue her father overrides her father's warnings about the tomb being a deadly trap.

Foreshadowing: Lara's earlier conversation with Richard emphasizes her determination to find and save him at any cost.

• lara croft
• himiko's tomb
• vogel
• rescue richard
• trap

Richard Croft was held captive on Yamatai by Mathias Vogel and his Trinity team for seven years. Vogel needed Richard's research and knowledge about Himiko to locate and unlock her tomb. Richard was kept alive because his expertise was essential for Vogel to complete his mission. When Lara arrives on the island, she discovers her father is still alive but weakened from years of captivity.

Foreshadowing: Vogel's initial claim that he killed Richard was a lie to manipulate Lara.

• richard croft
• captive
• seven years
• survival
• yamatai

Richard sacrifices himself because he becomes infected with the deadly virus from Himiko's remains. When soldiers touch Himiko's sarcophagus, they disintegrate from a virulent affliction that spreads rapidly. After being exposed, Richard knows there is no cure. He urges Lara to destroy the tomb to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the island and sets off a bomb that seals the tomb with him inside.

Foreshadowing: Richard's earlier warning about the tomb being a trap designed by Himiko foreshadows the deadly consequences of entering.

• richard croft
• sacrifice
• virus
• bomb
• himiko remains

Lara defeats Vogel in a final confrontation on the island by forcing him to ingest a piece of Himiko's remains. As Vogel attempts to escape with a sample of the queen's remains, Lara overpowers him and makes him swallow the contaminated artifact. The same deadly virus that killed the soldiers who touched Himiko's sarcophagus causes Vogel to disintegrate, ending his threat.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes demonstrate that direct contact with Himiko's remains causes rapid disintegration.

• lara croft
• mathias vogel
• final fight
• himiko remains
• victory

Himiko willingly entombed herself to protect her people from the devastating power she possessed. The dark magic that allowed her to control life and death was so dangerous and contagious that it caused widespread destruction. Her own generals finally captured her and sealed her in a tomb designed to contain her remains forever, preventing anyone from accessing her deadly power.

Foreshadowing: Richard's research explains that Himiko's magic was too dangerous to exist in the world.

• himiko
• sacrifice
• entombed
• protective
• power

At the end of the film, Lara discovers that Trinity has been using Croft Holdings as a front organization. When she signs the inheritance papers, she unknowingly gives Trinity control over her father's company. This revelation shows that Ana Miller, Richard's business partner, was complicit in Trinity's schemes, and they manipulated Lara into signing over control of the company.

Foreshadowing: Ana Miller's early involvement in pushing Lara to claim her inheritance hints at her ulterior motives.

• croft holdings
• trinity
• ana miller
• conspiracy
• inheritance

The jade pendant was a precious gift from Lara's father Richard, representing their emotional connection. Lara is forced to pawn it for only 8000 pounds to fund her journey to Hong Kong and hire Lu Ren as captain of the Endurance. The pendant symbolizes her relationship with her father and the personal cost she pays to search for him, making its loss emotionally significant.

Foreshadowing: The pendant appears in early scenes as a keepsake Lara cherishes.

• jade pendant
• pawn
• richard gift
• lara personal item

The island of Yamatai is located in an area known as the Devil's Sea, a treacherous stretch of water notorious for its dangerous currents and mysterious disappearances. Richard's research and coordinates point to this perilous location, which is why few have attempted to reach it. The dangerous journey reflects the deadly nature of the quest that awaits Lara.

Foreshadowing: The Endurance crew expresses fear about sailing into the Devil's Sea.

• devils sea
• yamatai
• dangerous waters
• mysterious island

Yes, Lu Ren survives the film. He washes ashore after the shipwreck and helps Lara throughout her journey on the island. After Lara defeats Vogel, Lu and the other fishermen commandeer a Trinity helicopter and rescue her. Lu's motivation to help Lara was partly driven by his own father disappearing alongside Richard Croft during the original expedition.

Foreshadowing: Lu's personal stake in the mission is revealed when Lara learns his father went missing with Richard.

• lu ren
• survival
• fishermen
• rescue
• helicopter