Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftis an animated series that premiered on Netflix on July 31, 2025, and continued the journey of Lara Croft after the events of the 2018 gameShadow of the Tomb Raider. In the game, Lara closed the book on the Trinity organization and confronted her demons, including the guilt over her father’s death. The series picks up from this point and explores the aftermath of these events, setting the stage for new adventures.
With Lara’s fate no longer tied to Trinity, the animated series dives deeper into her life as a seasoned adventurer, following her pursuit of ancient artifacts and dangerous mysteries. However, it also gives room for emotional and personal stakes that were left hanging from earlier installments. A notable aspect of the show is how it hints at the unresolved storyline surrounding Samantha Nishimura (Sam), Lara’s best friend, who played a key role in the 2013Tomb Raiderreboot.
What To Know about Lara’s Best Friend Samantha Nishimura
Samantha Nishimura was a crucial character in the 2013Tomb Raiderreboot, where she was revealed to be a descendant of the Sun Queen Himiko, making her the target of a cult that aimed to resurrect the queen. In fact, she was kidnapped and almost sacrificed. Although she was rescued byLara Croft, Sam’s story ended up becoming darker for being haunted by Himiko’s spirit, which ultimately led to her institutionalization.
However, in the new Netflix series, Sam appears briefly toward the end of Season 1, through a mysterious phone call. This little tease setting could be a major plotline moving forward should the show get renewed for a Season 2. Aside from Sam’s brief appearance inTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft,Season 1 ends by teasing an artifact smuggling operation, which hints at a larger global conspiracy – another cliffhanger that needs to be circled back to moving forward.
What if the Show Does Not Get Renewed for Season 2?
If the series does not receive a second season, the unresolved threads, especially around Sam’s fate, could be addressed in the nextTomb Raidergame. Sam’s history of possession and her connection to Himiko presents rich emotional and narrative stakes for Lara and has to be canon. The games have already established their bond, and the series teases that Sam’s return could lead to new mysteries and potentially darker adventures for Lara, making it imperative that future entries in the franchise continue this storyline.
Sam Is Linked to Lara’s Past and Potentially Unresolved Guilt and Fear
The series sets the stage for a potential story arc where Sam’s influence on Lara cannot be ignored. At this point, she’s not just an old friend but a symbol of Lara’s past, and possibly, her unresolved guilt and fear. Lara carries the weight of her decisions and the losses she’s experienced throughout her adventures and this one adds to it. Plus, in theTomb Raider (2013)reboot, Sam was the emotional anchor that grounded Lara, but the unfinished supernatural elements surrounding her story, such as her possible connection to Himiko, still linger and are not well understood.
Ultimately, if theTomb Raideranimated seriesends without further exploring Sam’s role in Lara’s life, the next game will need to pick up the pieces. It can’t leave this relationship hanging. The emotional weight of Sam’s story deserves closure, and the supernatural threads that were hinted at in the reboot and touched upon in the series deserve to be explored.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
WHERE TO PLAY
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition experience the final chapter of Lara’s origin as she is forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Combining the base game, all seven DLC challenge tombs, as well as all downloadable weapons, outfits, and skills, Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition is the ultimate way to experience Lara’s defining moment.Survive and Thrive In the Deadliest Place on Earth:Master an unforgiving jungle setting to survive. Explore underwater environments filled with crevasses and deep tunnel systems.Become One With the Jungle:Outgunned and outnumbered, Lara must use the jungle to her advantage. Strike suddenly and disappear like a jaguar, use mud as camouflage, and instill fear in enemies to sow chaos.Discover Dark and Brutal Tombs:Tombs are more terrifying than ever before, requiring advanced traversal techniques to reach them, and once inside they are filled with deadly puzzles.Uncover Living History:Discover a hidden city and explore the biggest hub space ever found in a Tomb Raider game.
