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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.ย. 2024
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It's Tomb Raider Tuesday! Join me today as I rank the darkest minds of the classic Tomb Raider games.
A special thanks to:
Dean Kopri for letting me use his beautiful Dark Angel Symphony!
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Number 1 villain to me is the one and only, absolutely immortal, tirelessly relentless and super horrifying mastermind that haunted Lara for many many years..
Winston
I saw that coming XD
Hahahaha... amazing.
You are right though. He's just always there... plotting... We never actually see Lara drink the tea he's offering... maybe that's wise of her...
Lmao
… and she defeats him by locking him in the freezer XD
Lol
Natla was only so terrifying because unlike most of the other villains she was a genius. Her plan was actually a pretty good one and well thought out. She wasn't blinded
Exactly. Good point.
Easily the best Tomb Raider channel on youtube, great video as always.
Wow, thank you SO much for your kind comment, it means a lot to me!
Great list. I'd actually put Marco ahead of Natla, mainly in that he's the only main villain of the original games that doesn't betray Lara, end up helping her or is a villain for only a section. He's front and centre on the main menu of TR2 with Lara herself, a villain from the get-go, and it's the conflict between him and Lara that seems to take centre-stage from the first level.
Natla is great too, but Marco and his cult left more of an impact on me.
That's actually a really good point. Marco is just an unlikable bastard right from the beginning. He's also really creepy. The main reason why I didn't put him higher, is because I wish he had more interactions with Lara.
@@AxMania Thats one thing I really liked about Marco. The fact that Lara didnt have many interactions with him made him seem more mysterious and made her have to find out for herself who the guy was, what he wants, and how to stop him. Since characters like Claudio (the guy from the first level) and the monk tells Lara all she needs to know about his intentions, and what she heard from Marco while stowing away on his plane.
It's interesting when people have a different take. TR2 is definitely my 2nd favourite classic game, but Natla left a far more lasting impression on me. Marco was just a mortal wanting to become a dragon. Natla was practically a god exiled by other gods, and now she wants the power back. I just love the fact that she poses as a mortal, just to reveal herself at the end.
@@nothanks1239 yes
@@AxMania Maybe when they sometime come out with a remake we will see more interactions between them. Only dreaming here
Great vid as always! For me, Von Croy will always be the best villain because he is the most nuanced and complex character as you mentioned. Seth also doesn't possess him until he is on his way to Cairo (at Karnak, Seth just seems to take an interest in Von Croy) so everything up until then is the real Von Croy being antagonistic towards Lara. If you also count AOD, he spans 3 classic TR games, has the biggest impact on Lara's life, and embodies some powerful archetypes: mentor, father-figure, mentor-turned evil, father-figure-turned-evil, and archeological rival. So, for me, he is actually Lara's nemesis. Lara also has the most encounters, confrontations, banter and dialogue with Von Croy, more than any other villain. She never even speaks to Bartoli even once. I love Natla, I love Atlantis, I love TR1, but if we really break it down, she's not that unique or different from the mad-scientist-trying-to-breed-a-master-race archetype like Willard and Eckhardt are. She was simply the first. I think the reason Natla stands out as popular is because of her legacy and how she influenced the LAU games due to Toby Gard's return. But as an actual one-off-villain, I do wish there was more meat to her (pun intended) like with Von Croy.
That's a very good point, I actually agree with you. I definitely think Von Croy is the most important non-Lara character in Tomb Raider. I wish he had been used in the first three games as well, or that he at least was being referenced to, or something. This would have made the emotional weight of his possession and eventual redemption even greater. The reason why I love Natla so much, is mostly because I think the original game EXCELS in story-telling. The other classic Tomb Raider games (with perhaps The Last Revelation being the exception) seemed more gameplay focused, whereas the original game really put a lot of energy into its storytelling (AND gameplay, don't get me wrong). I love how the entire game is centered around Natla.
I wish there was more to Pierre. You're right, he really is the closest thing Lara had to a rival.
I agree, there's a lot of potential to his character that never felt completely explored.
@@AxMania had the game had a bigger budget at the time and I’m sure Pierre would of been more developed and his “magic act” of disappearing would of been handled better.
He was handled better in the Crystal Dynamics remake of the original TR.
@@arcotroll8530 not agree. In anniversary u meet him only in cut scenes and one quicktime event. I acctually loved how Pierre was present in the tr1 and u could have active fight with him. It gave u acctual feeling that u compete with somebody and he seems to be always one step ahead of lara. Never had issues when he escaped(disapear).In my mind he was able to find other way than lara becouse he was as clever.
@@Baseqq Yeah, but his characterization is better.
My dad used to play classic Tomb Raider games on our ps1, all his friends would drop by & we all were watching and thinking what to do next. Wow, it's been 20 years.
You bring me back my childhood, seriously. Thank you. Amazing work.
I love reading about nostalgic Tomb Raider moments like this, thank you for sharing. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! ☺️
I had a frightening maths teacher called exactly the same as Vladimir Kaleta. I thought the guy in Tomb Raider is called that way because devs knew my teacher and thought he was universally scary person. Thought world was very small back then 😅
Natla is just so iconic. I actually really appreciated how they remade her in Anniversary, arguably she came back bigger and better in that game! She has that villainous charisma.
Haha, that's awesome. I wouldn't be surprised if there were math teachers called Marco Bartoli, Werner Von Croy or Sophia Leigh either, as math teacher simply are EVIL creatures no matter where in the world they try to teach us about sine and cosine or whatever.
She is, I think she's a perfect villain character.
Torso Boss/Giant Atlantean is a good shout for one of the best characters/enemies though I don't consider it a villain in the traditional sense. The torso boss as a character is surprisingly deep in that it is a victim of Natla's failed plans, born without legs and having to drag its oversized body around a platform that would be its final resting place even without Lara. The torso boss is evidently extremely smart by the fact that when Lara dies it plays with her body like a slightly aggressive toddler.
The final death animation is also one of the best deaths in Tomb Raider history as it appears to spend the last few moments of its life contemplating its existence and you get a sense of the extreme tragedy of it all. Just for that, Natla is responsible for causing such unnecessary suffering she definitely deserves her spot as number one.
That's a very good point, and I wish I had brought it into my mini-review of Natla. That boss is downright disturbing and sad. The things Natla do are simply bone-chillingly horrifying, the more you think about it.
Dear Ian. I love your analysis of Torso so much that I would like to use part of your description in my script. Is that ok with you? I will of course credit you for helping me with my script in the description of the video.
@@AxMania That would be cool. I look forward to watching it.
So glad you chose Natla as number 1.
I could say so much about how amazing Natla is as a villan and how incredible the overall narrative is in TR1 but I'd need an hour or so.
I will just say this however; I can't help but think of what Tony Guarde would have done with TR2 if he'd stayed. It's incredibly clear from TR1 that he is exceptional when it comes to building a world. I honestly think what makes Tomb Raider as a series so good is how everything from the start was so fleshed out.
For me, nothing gets close to TR1 in terms of a truly epic narrative in an action game. (Sure I could list dozens of point and clicks, but that would be easy)
For me, what makes Natla so interesting is how intelligent she is but has also lived WAY too long. She's seen too much and this does things to people.
I agree completely obviously. The first Tomb Raider game is like a movie when it comes to the narrative. It's so well told, with the perfect amount of story fit into the game's cutscenes and FMV sequences. That FMV right after Sanctuary of the Scion is so damn bad-ass and cinematic, and it perfectly motivates us, the players, to get back on Natla. We totally relate to Lara in that moment.
I also really appreciate the flashback scenes to Atlantis, which I thought were pretty scary when I was a kid. There's just this ancient evil power-vibe to Natla, that I really like.
the narrative and underlying mythology of the first game is definitely the most impressive of the classic games. last revelation tries to up the stakes but there are just too many inconsistencies (Lara being stupid enough to remove the amulet without checking is a big gripe). I think Tomb Raider 3 is second best but it's a bit too disjointed.
@@northernstar5941 Tomb Raider 2 had a great narrative in terms of Lara chasing down the cult. However, Marco is given such little screen time that it kind of felt like Lara shooting down random bad guys instead of chasing Marco.
I mean, correct me if I'm wrong but I swear there isn't even a scene where Marco and Lara even talk to eachother.
If you are writing a villian in your game and they never speak to the protagonist; you have fucked up writing a compelling story.
@@novelezra true...it's also hampered a lot by incoherency. I literally couldn't follow the story as a kid and didn't even know three factions were searching for the dagger until I read the game booklet. Having to search for the seraph just to get the key to the door in china also felt excessive ..the game makes up for that incoherency with excellent atmosphere which feels quite lonely despite the hundreds of human enemies. The first and third game felt A LOT more coherent so that even as a child I basically understood what was going on. I know parts of the third game have story elements that toby gard drafted during production of the first game so maybe that's why they feel a cut above the others, at least to me.
Very cool list! I was pleasantly surprised to see Sophia ranked so high! Natla is the OG and I think the closest we've ever had to a main villain in the series!
Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your kind words!
I binge watched your videos today and all I can say is: I'm so amazed how professionally made your videos are and you definitely deserve more followers! 💛
Thank you so much for those kind words, I really appreciate it! 🥰
Great video man! I didn't even know the Golden Mask mercenary group were called AVALANCHE. New information. 😇
Haha, thank you so much man, I really appreciate it! I didn't learn about AVALANCHE myself until very recently 😉
I really wonder how Sophia found herself with the 5th artefact. That's something we get no explanation of, anywhere, and would've been interesting to get a little more character development on her.
Also, I would've ranked Willard higher. We get to see relatively more development than most of the game's villains, and he starts off as a kind of likeable guy who seems to appreciate Lara's views, besides hiring her as a "henchwoman"; until the last moment, he kind of aspires that Lara will take interest in deploying the artefacts, along with him.
Willard just kind of turns out of nowhere, and his reveal just seems like a weaker version of the Natla reveal.
I actually find it really interesting to look into how the artefacts spread around the globe. It's such a cool story that surprisingly little is being told about. We're only told how the Ora Dagger came to the tribe in the South Pacific, while the other artefacts seem to be anyone's guess.
Yeah, I get your point regarding Dr. Willard. I think my issue is, that he doesn't have a very strong personality. I think the problem is that he was designed to be a nice guy, so the player wouldn't suspect him to be a villain, but this just results in him not really having a defined personality. He's not a bad villain, but I feel he's underdeveloped.
Yeah, he does come across as a very watered down Natla in some ways. It's kind of similar to how Bond movies often used the exact same villain template, and only changed a few details.
Well Lara just wants the artifacts not a bedtime story.
I always remember thinking that Puna was responsible for the dinosaurs being present in the South Pacific Island levels because of the mutant powers of the artifact. I also thought that he might be the one responsible for turning his people into cannibals by corrupting their minds or something.
That's an interesting point. However, in the Tomb Raider universe, dinosaurs also still exist in Peru and China, don't forget 😉 I think Puna was responsible for the lizard mutants in Madubu Gorge, but I'm not so sure about the dinosaurs. Could be though. I completely agree with your cannibal theory. I think Puna was a horrible leader to those poor people.
I love von croy, always felt like he redeemed himself rescuing Lara from the tomb.
Yeah, I agree.
I liked him too
Verdilet: "I possess horrendous demonic powe---"
AxMania: "Shut up and go to last place!"
Verdilet: *whimpers*
Nice of you to make something new while working on the BIG one (you know what it is). Indeed, villains are just as important to a story as the heroes that face them.
Hahaha!
Yeah, I want to keep the wheels running with videos as much as possible. I hope that I'll be able to have more frequent uploads once I'm done with "the big one". Thank you so much for your interest!
I love how you put so much love into these videos. Its so enjoyable, soothing, highly interesting and entertaining at the same time! Look forward to watching any content youd offer
Thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it!
Natla for me will always be the best villain in Tomb Raider, for sure, and hope they properly return her in the survivor timeline. Great video man, really loving the list content and the lore videos too! :D
I agree, she's so evil and perfect like that, haha. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
This is just a thought but what about a best Tomb Raider FMV cutscene. I used to love catching these cutscenes especially when you've finished a particularly hard level. It was kinda like a reward for all your hard work in the game. Not to mention FMV cutscenes in video games was pretty new at the time.
Oh man, so did I. I was clever with my saves, so I could reload my game and watch both the cutscenes and the FMVs over and over again. Those were the days. This is actually a really fun idea! I alread know which one my #1 is, but maybe I shouldn't spoil that already. Thank you for this suggestion!
@@AxMania Lara Croft on top of the elevator of the Natla building and cutting the wires with the torch. Really cemented how badass Lara is.
"He doesn't really bring anything to the table, but he does flip it." A pun added to one of my favorite TR3 cutscene moments as a kid... perfection 🤣😂🤣
Haha, I'm glad someone likes my stupid jokes! 😂
Great video! Loved Marco Bartoli’s narrative 😁 and yes, I’ve also done a list of the best villains and Natla is indeed the best of all time! Great content as always! 👍
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! You too ;)
It fills my heart with eternal joy whenever you rage about Pierre 😂
😂
I 100% agree with your list. Also your up-convert of the Tomb Raider in-game graphics and FMV sequences is just stunning!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
haha i love this guy, when you ve said worst thing about dr willard is he eating tomato sup with mouth open that was exactly my thoughts playing tomb raider 3. Love the video another thumbs up, keep them coming.
Haha, he needs to learn some manners, jeeez!
Love the #1 choice!! I hope we see them in the series again one day
Me too, I'd like to see several of these villains again, or in remakes! :O
YES!! i can't get enough of your ranking videos) good job, do more)))
Thank you so much man, I really appreciate it!
So happy about this new ranking! I’m commenting before even watching it bc I’ll watch it this weekend with my brother. Thank you for the new video!
Thank you so much, I hope you'll enjoy viewing it with your brother! :)
Personally I’d put Sophia Leigh as #1. TR3 is my favourite and the London levels are my all time fav section in the game. She’s the only villain in the entire series that had an interesting and legit motive to her actions. She owns a beauty mega corporation and her experiments were under the guise of a legit business operation as her day job. The other villains don’t get much more development apart from “theyre evil and want to take over the world”. I found Sophia to be much more interesting than even Natla. She had so much potential, held back by 90s story telling, and TR was never aboit the story, and she was only the villain for 1/5 of the game. If TR3 was hypothetically reimagined I could see her as the main villain and if her role was expanded, she would be incredible. Plus she was so snooty. As sassy as Lara herself.
Yeah, plus, Sophia is pure evil. You could argue that Natla think she's doing the right thing for her race, but Sophia just uses and discards people around her. She's pure unfiltered evil.
Long story short: Watch out for female villains, they are always the most dangerous ones! ^^
I agree with Dr. Willard. As much as I love Tomb Raider 3, but I think there could've been more about Dr. Willard overall. Maybe one or two cutscenes between the optional sections in which Willard calls or meets her and she slowly realizes, that his intentions aren't really positive. That would've been great in my opinion. For a long time, when I watched the cutscenes without playing, but also a while into the game, I thought Tony is the guy on the boat after the India section and got SO confused about the plot. 7:43 oh, I didn't know about that, so far I didn't get TR3 Extension Pack for myself, hopefully one day I will.
I honestly like Pierre somehow, sad he dies so early and isn't in the Pyramid too. I also feel so sorry when he eventually dies in Chronicles too.
11:56 Hm, do you think so? This is probably the most interesting question for me in the whole Tomb Raider 3 game: How did Randy and Rory actually die in the temple? Because only Randy has a hole in his torso shaped like the Infada Stone, meanwhile Rory got slit, presumably by a sword of a Shiva Statue. The question is probably WHEN they died. I thought they'd already be dead when Lara encounters Tony, which would actually mean that Tony isn't the cause of their death. Or did he find the Infada Stone earlier, warned them not to go into the temple, but apparently just wanted to lure them into it to attack them there with his power? But why would the Infada Stone be in Randy's chest then? Okay, enough. I NEED A TR3 SHIVA TEMPLE EXTENSION PACK NOW!
Also, little fun fact: I just recently found out the Infada Stone is actually IN Tony's chest in the Ganges cutscene. I always thought it's medallion....for no reason. I feel so dumb it didn't jump into my eyes earlier.
13:38 It's simply irony of fate that exactly the same thing happens to Lara as 15 years prior to Werner. Both got trapped, the other one tried to rescue, but eventually had to flee to survive, and both eventually survived their accident, but injured (at least it would explain AoD-Lara being so weak a bit).
Natla is an interesting case indeed, and it gets even more interesting in the LAU-trilogy. Natla & Lara are much more similiar to each other than Lara would ever admit. And this is also why I don't really agree with the intro. Yes, Lara saves the world, but always more or less by accident, it's not her intention overall. She also merely tries to find artifacts for her own. In Underworld, Natla and Lara even have to cooperate in order to get the goals they wanted to achieve.
I think that's why I like Lara Croft so much, precisely because she is NOT a (typical) heroine after all. She doesn't do it because she feels like destined to rescue the world, no, she doesn't give a shit and likes to "go over dead people" for her goals too.
Oh my, this comment escalated, I'm sorry. But it just shows how great your video was, how much potential to discuss there is (and that I definitely need more opportunities to express my thoughts about TR 😂). Excellent work, mate!
Not just female villains, specifically BLONDE female villains ;)
Thank you so much for this comment, I love reading your thoughts!
Yup, the story of Tomb Raider III didn't make complete sense to me until I was an adult. It didn't matter much, as I knew enough about it as a kid to care, but I didn't understand all the interesting little details of it back then. I too was confused about Dr. Willard, and the FMV with the sailors and so on.
Haha, yeah, you gotta feel sorry for a character that is killed off TWICE! He's so likeable in Chronicles as well. Sure, he's a con-man, or a villain and so on, but both he and Larson are so entertaining and likeable in that game, that his death feels a little brutal.
Well, now I don't know about my Tony theory, because those are GREAT points. I always imagined that all three of them went mad near the artefact, and Tony ended up getting away with the stone by killing them. But, you're right, it doesn't look like their deaths were caused by Tony, but at the same time, it's a bit unclear what exactly he's capable of doing with the stone in his chest, so maybe he did do these gruesome kills. Maybe Tony used the Infada Stone to wake up the Shiva statues as well? It certainly looks like Randy maybe died because he tried doing the same thing Tony did, but failed - for whatever reason - and that Rory was killed by a Shiva statue. It's all very mysterious, and I love that. There's something spooky in that jungle indeed...
That's another great point about the reversed fate of The Last Revelation. I didn't even think about that. I just really like how Von Croy is portrayed in that, there's something fatherly about him.
Haha, yes. It's never Lara's goal to go out and save the world, she just does that to get her hands on that next wall decoration... but she still does save the world ;)
Thank you so much, and thank you for this comment, I really enjoyed reading it :)
You're quickly becoming one of my favourites :D Another crispy vid my brother
Wow thank you so much, I really appreciate that! Thank you!
You never miss! I always click your videos as soon as I see them in my recommended, they’re always so well-produced!
Thank you so much, I really, really appreciate your kind comment!
I remember going to my cousins house for Xmas day and he’d just got a ps1
And was playing TR1. I was 13. The whole family sat around all day watching him play it. Only been a couple of games in my life where I’d felt that level of awe. I must confess I just don’t play video games anymore. I have a switch and a PS5 but I probably play them once every 3 months. Nothing can capture the magic of the 90s games era for me. It was all so new and exciting
What an awesome childhood memory, thank you for sharing. I have similar memories. I played it on my dad's PC, and when he had friends over, they all came and watched me play it for minutes 😃 I agree. There are still really good games coming out, but they are different. Nothing beats the magic of those classic 90's games.
Great vid, don’t know about anyone else but having played all the classic TR the first time round channels like this definitely brings all the Nostalgia back I think other than the classic resident evil games TR is definitely my favourite series of all time
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I'm a huge Resident Evil fan as well. I'm working on getting a Platinum trophy in every Resident Evil game on PlayStation :D They don't have the classic games unfortunately, but they do have the remakes of 1, 2 and 3 - and 4 next year!!! Can't wait!
@@AxMania funnily enough I did the same a while back but did a timeline play though from RE zero, the classic tomb raider will always remind me of the 90s playing the new game on Christmas morning, looking forward to the next video keep up the great content
It’s always the twist villains that took me by surprise. You should do an enemies ranking.
That's a good idea actually! 😮
Seeing Natla on the first place warms my heart, she is my absolute favourite.
Yet, the Trex should have been the number one! :D
She is wonderfully evil! 😃
Haha!
I really like how most villians are just people who happens to be in the way or just happen to have the same interest regarding the artifact of desire. It is far more realistic. Hopefully we can go back to that. I am tired of human drama thoughout the whole game.
I have no idea how Crystal Dynamic thought that every damn game needs emotional sob story to give Lara a motivation or Lara must have a personal connection to the characters.
Tomb Raiding just for sports is enough.
I completely agree with. The stories of the modern games are so overblown and dramatic. I want simple tales of tomb raiding as well.
Agree
Joke's on you. I happen to like the Crystal Dynamics games better.
@@AxMania disagree, I thought the story of Tomb Raider (2013) was a right mixture of emotion and tomb raiding. the introduction of Trinity in Rise was very good and I'm liking them in Rise (halfway through) .
As for their first trilogy I like the fact that Lara has a stake, Legend Underworld and Aniversery aren't overly emotional but they do give her a motivation for what she does.
@@arcotroll8530 I feel sorry for you. Must be hard to not have taste.
Return of the king!! Fantastic video as always.
Wow, thank you so much! :D I really appreciate it!
oh wow, wasn't expecting an upload already! Looking forward to more as always
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Just discovered your channel and I've already watched all your videos!
First TR series = pure awesomeness
Oh, thank you so much for watching! :D I agree, those games are so damn awesome. I can play them over and over again.
Love your content!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
For me, this one is an easy pick: a villain we never fully see or fight directly, powerful and in the shadows. In the end he even succeeds (if only temporary) in his quest for ultimate power.
To the sins and fortunes of Marco Bartoli!
That's excellent reasoning, I love the way you just described him! The fact that he works from the shadows actually both is the best and "worst" thing about him, if you know what I mean? It unfortunately means he never interacts with Lara, but that's kind of cool, in a way.
Cheers!
Thx. There was something I didn't like back then about Verdilet but you pointed that out. Despite being an undead revenant he was really unscary and lame. The way he spoke like some grumpy old man who didn't get his second help of apple sauce.
Hahaha, that's an awesome description 😂 Yeah, he's a wasted opportunity, I feel.
just found your channel and watched almost every single episode. i love how you stick to classics and keep making interesting content ♥️
Thank you so much, I'm so happy to hear that! Thank you!
I really enjoy this rank. My top 3 would be the same as yours. Maybe Von Croy a little higher. Thank you for these kind of videos. 😊
Thank you so much, I'm happy to hear that!
I know it's still early on, but it would be awesome to have your Tomb Raider series on DVD. Would definitely buy that!
Oh wow, thank you so much! I really appreciate it, that means a lot to me!
This video was a lot of fun. Cheers from Ottawa, Canada🍁
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Cheers!
I'm really enjoying these videos, Thank you!
'Crazy' to think Tony is higher on the list than Willard given he was the main antagonist in the end, but I also agree. Tony just stands out!
Completely agree with your number 1 & 2. Beating either of them would be a tall order!
Also, i'd just like to say that I often put your level ranking video on if I ever want a nice lengthy Tomb Raider vid on in the background :)
Keep up the great work! :D
Wow, thank you so much, I really appreciate that! I'll upload an even longer version some day, with The Last Revelation and Chronicles added, which will probably be close to 3 hours long! :D
So beautiful! I agree with you! I found your channel and lived again my childhood adventures with Lara thanks to your videos!
Thank you so much man, I'm really happy to hear that.
I have learned so much about the Tomb Raider III storyline by watching your videos. English isn't my native language and the lack of subtitles in cutscenes left me not quite understanding the plot of the game. I had no idea what happened in TR3 story, I just kept playing. I had better idea in TR2 and TR1 was pretty clear too.
Thank you so much man, that makes me really happy to hear! I didn't understand the story until years later either, particularly because nothing is actually explained to us in the game. There is a lot of environmental storytelling, and very little exposition.
i love ranking videos so much they are very fun to watch and thanks for locking Winston in the freezer I needed the laugh 😂
Haha, you're welcome :D Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
@@AxMania of course
I like Dr. Willard, his CG model looks exactly like someone from Oman my Dad was friends with at the University of Edinburgh when the game came out - same facial features, same outfit, everything. Should have seen his face when my Dad asked me to show him the opening cutscene. Thanks once again for the nostalgia and jokes :)
Sorry if I mentioned that before. Weed is a hell of a drug.
Hahaha, that's so funny! There must have been someone at Core Design who saw him, and thought he looked like a villain, and just made him Scottish instead ;) - he was at the University of Edinburgh after all.
Haha, cheers!
I love the first game the most. For years and years, the 2nd one was my favorite, but nothing really beats the comedy of Pierre, Larson, The Cowboy, evil Tony Hawk, and The Bald One.
Hahaha, "evil Tony Hawk" 😂
These captions are unhinged in the best way 😂 Pierre Dupong really should be his name as he is a pongy lil rat that pops up in the cistern level 😫
Haha, I probably should sit down and do proper subtitles some day 😅
I find Von Croy a pretty interesting villain, ngl.
It's obvious there was a friendly rivalry between the two in Cambodia. I like to headcanon that Lara won that race to the Iris, and that Von Croy claimed the Iris and refused to hand it over when Lara returned with help, citing that she left him and he deserved the Iris as recompense. That's the start of the animosity between the two. Years later, she would break in to VCI to steal what she viewed as righfully hers, which turns the blood really bad between the two.
I also like to think that Von Croy was 100% conscious and remembers everything during Seth's possession, and this facilitates his change at the end of the game. It's kind of a shame Lara allowed bitterness to take her over after she escaped the Great Pyramid - if she hadn't, she might have realised that Von Croy might have 'left her' (as she reminds him in Paris at the start of AoD), but came back for her. His digs might not have found her, but I think they opened the door for her to escape. Without Von Croy's dig, she would have remained buried alive.
Yeah, he's easily one of the most interesting characters in Tomb Raider. There's a lot of depth to him. I also really like how he tries to teach Lara that carelessness is dangerous, which both Lara and he himself ends up in bad situations for not living by.
Great list!
Thank you! 😊
Pretty entertaining video! 😄
Personally, I would rank the classic villains like this, using your own list as a stepping stone since I agree with some of the rankings:
- Verdilet
- A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E.
- Mikhailov
- Puna
- Natla (although she's one of the most iconic villains in classic Tomb Raider, as well as a pretty fleshed out one, I personally didn't feel her involvement that much. She's involved in the plot but she's on the backseat, most of the time.)
- Larson
- Pierre (you really can't separate these two, plus I liked them when I first saw them in Chronicles, where I began my Tomb Raider journey.)
- Marco Bartoli (another iconic villain of classic Tomb Raider and yes, him stabbing himself with the dagger shows how far he's willing to go for its powers. But Marco, while genuinely threatening, he doesn't leave much of an impact on me. It could also be because I don't have nostalgia for TR2 but that's me)
- Dr. Willard (even though he takes a backseat about as much as Natla, I think the twist in the final section of the game had a bigger impact on me.)
- Tony (even though Tony has a much smaller role than Willard, Tony left a better impression on me.)
- Sophia Leigh (same explanation as Tony.)
- Von Croy (best villain/rival in classic Tomb Raider, in my book. And also the most influential character in Lara's life. Werner's probably one of the more complex villains in the classic timeline and I love his role in TR4 and how influential he was, for Lara.)
- Pieter Van Eckhardt (I know you didn't include him in the list, but I am, since I consider AoD part of the classic timeline. Eckhardt is the most intimidating of the classic villains, in my book. From his design to his demeanor to his backstory to his actions throughout the game, being around for a very long time, obsessed with reviving the Nephilim and going as far as to murder in cold blood and collecting organs from his victims, one of which was Werner, and framing Lara for that murder in the process.)
Thank you so much! Great list as well, very similar to mine. I really should've included Eckhardt ☹️ The thing is, I haven't even got around to play Angel of Darkness again. I will probably redo the ranking some day, with all of the villains.
@@AxMania Oh it's all good. It's your list, after all! I personally just thought I'd add Eckhardt to the equation.
Like I said, I agreed with most of the rankings on your list, so I used it as a stepping stone for me. 😄
i've been waiting for more content from you since i found the level rankings video hell yeah brother
Thank you so much man, I really appreciate it!
@@AxMania my favourite villain was always bartoli for being dripped out in the back of the tomb raider 2 menu, he looks cool as hell
Loved this video so much! I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you for all the work you do for us Tomb Raider fans 🥰
I really agree with your list. Natla and Sophia would be my top picks too. They are just pure evil. There’s no redeeming features to them and that’s what makes them so great. They are by far the more memorable ones in the series ☺️ and I laughed so much at your Verdilet comments. He is the cringiest of the cringe. So sad Ireland got such a lame villain. We have so many terrifying creatures in our mythology and lore that they could have used.
Wow, thank you so much Suzanne, I really appreciate it! Thank you. And you too! I could learn something from your frequent upload rate. There's just always something new from you, and it's awesome!
Absolutely, and they are quite terrifying as well! I would have chills down my spine if I met Sophia or Natla in real life.
Hahaha, that's the perfect way of describing him... "the cringiest of cringe". I agree :( At least the Ireland levels have AMAZING atmosphere. The sound design in those levels is so well done.
@@AxMania Thank you 😃 I had a lot of free time recently so I filmed a lot, but playthrough videos do not take as long to make as these type of videos, so I think you’re doing amazing 🤩
For sure they seem like such cold and scary villains 🦹♀️
Haha 😂 yes I love all other aspects to the Ireland levels. The atmosphere is so creepy and the sounds and the feeling of each place has you on edge. Love it 🥰
Another great video! Very glad Natla is also your #1
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
Oh man, one of my earliest memories of TR3 was Tony's laugh. Even now it seriously creeps me out. Still, kudos to the VA, whoever it was!
With Von Croy, I wonder if one bone of contention between him and Lara was envy for Lara's natural talent. He's into the business of tomb raiding for fame and fortune, whereas Lara does it simply for the fun of it, and even as a teenager she was much more of a natural at it than him. It would explain his actions in Last Revelation. He's just so focused on beating Lara for once and thinks all that stuff about Set is just a bunch of nonsense. And it's that blind ambition that makes him vulnerable to possession.
I personally always felt Marco Bartoli had a more threatening air about him, and his final dragon form is the stuff of legend! But whereas he was trying to become a god essentially, Natla already was one. So much so that (at least in the Crystal games) it ultimately took the Underworld doppelganger (or Doppel-Lara as I like to call her) to defeat her once and for all.
A little disappointed Torso wasn't included here, though I get why in that it's basically just a monster. But dang it if that abomination isn't the stuff of nightmares!
Thank you so much for your interesting comment! I agree completely, I was genuinely terrified of Tony. I think it's the mix of the jungle, which feels far from home and unsafe, and then you meet this maniacally laughing nut, and it's just scary.
Very good analysis on Von Croy. I agree completely. I think he saw the potential in Lara, and this made him insecure. I agree on your opinion of Marco Bartoli as well. I wish we had gotten more of him in Tomb Raider II, like... at least one confrontation between Lara and him.
Yeah, the thing about Torso is, that it's more of an enemy than a villain. I don't think Torso is driven by any motivations, so it can't really be measured as main villain, if you know what I mean? Still, I probably should have featured it in the Natla section. I'll do a video about Torso some day though, as I have had a plan to do that for some time.
@@AxMania If anything the body-horror aesthetic of Atlantis makes Natla even more demented seeing as how she apparently thinks no skin or legs is a perfectly acceptable fashion statement. X)
Hope you bring up the doppelganger (or Bacon Lara) as well! It is probably just the developers being creative but you could also argue it's Natla's out-of-the-box thinking when it comes to traps for Lara.
In fact, if I may make a suggestion, just make it about Tomb Raider monsters in general! But you know, it's your video. :)
Love this a lot! I love your insight of all the villans, keep it up man, love your channel!
Thank you so much man, I really appreciate it! Thank you!
A great compilation Sir, thank you ! 👍
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I still think you ought to have included Set. He was the main villain of The Last Revelation and he does appear in solid form at the end boss fight. Its also the only time I can recall that Lara went toe to toe with an actual God.
Yeah, maybe. I think you are right.
Amazing video as always ! I understand why you put natla on 1st place but. I would personally put von croy as the first. His story arc is really unforgettable for the 3 last games of the classic series.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Yes, I understand. Von Croy is a great villain, but he's also very much in a grey zone, where I feel Natla is more black and white. She's just bad.
@@AxMania yeah you're probably right about that 😅
Hi there, AxMania! 😊
This video, that I’m commenting now, was in my recommended list, and I got very interested, since I love classic Tomb Raider so much. And then I decided to watch all your videos that I found in the list of videos on your ”profile”. At least some of them begin with very interesting questions, like
”What happens after your death? What is the purpose of existence?”
”Does extraterrestrial life exist, or are we all alone?”
That, and the titles of your videos, really interest me, so I decided to give each and one of your videos a like, and subscribe to your channel. 🙂
Anyway, speaking of the classic Tomb Raider villains, that this video is all about, I have some things to get off my chest:
1a. I never really cared for Tomb Raider 1, it has been too hard for me to ”learn” the game Tomb Raider: Chronicles, but I have been lucky, when I have successfully learned Tomb Raider 2, 3 and Last Revelation, and I love those three games so much, and you have no idea how lucky I feel for having got to know about them, and being such a big fan to them.
1b. So I have no opinion about Natla or the villains from TR1 and TR:C. But in my opinion, Marco Bartoli is the best villain, since the Fiamma Nera symbol is so fine, Marco is evil in a way that is likable for the players, and some more that is pretty hard to explain.
2. There is no ”main antagonist” or boss of the Nevada section in TR3, which I consider a pity, a little. And also, the Underwater section of TR2 (40 Fathoms, Wreck of the Maria Doria, Living Quarters and The Deck) doesn’t contain any boss/main antagonist either, and believe me when I say it would have been cool if there were a suitable boss in the end of the level The Deck.
3. Dr. Mark Willard is cool and fits as a good guy of TR3 or also the whole classic TR franchise. First, I even thought he fitted as Lara’s boyfriend, until I read on Lara Croft Wiki that Willard is born in the year 1957, and Lara in the year 1968 or 1971, and thus it’s a too high age difference between them for them to be in a couple.
4. Werner von Croy is pure awesome as a male archaeologist, I love his voice and his Austrian accent, and he is way cooler than Indiana Jones. Unless the reason is that Lara abandoned him when his leg got trapped after the events of ”Race for the Iris”, I really can’t understand how he became evil after the events of ”Race for the Iris”.
5. The best male archaeologists I know, are Dr. Mark Willard from TR3, and Werner von Croy. Dr. Mark Willard may not work as an archaeologist (he works as the CEO of the RX-Tech company), but if there’s any man besides Von Croy who fits for going on adventures in nature areas, pre-historic areas and stuff (like Lara constantly does), it’s Willard.
Dear Jfso Loasjd, thank you so much for this comment, and your interesting points! And thank you for your likes, and subscribing. I really appreciate it!
1a. I really think you should give the first game a second try, I think it's a perfect game. I understand if you can't get into Chronicles, but the first game gets better and better the more you play it.
1b. I understand your opinion about Marco Bartoli, I think he's great too. The only reason why he's a bit lower on the list, is because he doesn't have any interactions with Lara, which makes their relationship a bit less personal.
2. Yes, I agree completely. I've always been annoyed, that Nevada just ends without a boss fight. I've always read, that a 4th level was intended to be there, set inside the UFO, with some sort of really advanced armored solider as a boss, but evidently it was cut :( Yes, some of the Tomb Raider sections are a little inconsistent when it comes to boss fights.
3. Interesting observations on Dr. Willard! He's definitely designed to make you think, that "hey, this is a nice guy", which works well when he turns later.
4. Yeah, I think the reason for their animosity is, that Lara had to flee Angkor Wat. I can only imagine that Lara brought a rescue team back to the place, to help Werner out, but who knows? They clearly aren't on speaking terms during the events of The Last Revelation, and the only event we know about between Angkor Wat and The Last Revelation, is the VCI Headquarters section of Chronicles, in which Lara steals an artefact from him.
5. That's true! And if we explore his castle in The Lost Artefact-expansion, Dr. Willard was clearly a very succesful archeologist or scientist, or whatever he is.
Thank you so much for your comment!
@@AxMania Thank you too for taking time and reading my comment and replying to most of the stuff in it. That makes me really happy. 😊
1a. Yeah, I understand I should, but I have that problem, that it’s too hard for me to learn new games that I didn’t play as a child. I am born in the year 1993, and thus I was too little for classic Tomb Raider when it was new, but extremely luckily for me, my dad was nice to me and showed me stuff from TR2, TR3 and TR:LR that are NOT (too) child prohibited (like Lara’s Home and don’t shoot with the pistols), and when I got bigger, my dad ”teached me” how to beat most levels in those games. And so I successfully learned TR2, TR3 and TR:LE before I got ”too old to learn new games”. And one other problem for me when I play classic Tomb Raider, is that I hate thinking when I play, and I get stuck and quite frustrated when I don’t know where to go and stuff. Although I love the soundtrack from all five TR games for PS1, that I have downloaded as MP3 files from a safe website.
1b. And also, speaking of that Tomb Raider is child prohibited, very many people on the internet, comment that they played Tomb Raider as kids, and that Tomb Raider are their childhood. When I was about 16 years old, I talked to my dad about it, and then he answered
”Then they must have been dreaming nightmares (when they were sleeping for the night).”
(You know, everything that can happen to a child when you let him/her see child prohibited stuff.)
2. Oh yes. Now that I post this reply to your comment, I figure out one reasonable reason why the Nevada section had just three levels and not four, and no boss fight. There wasn’t enough space on the disc for a fourth level and a boss fight in the Nevada section, when they originally developed TR3 for PS1 back in the year 1998. It’s probably the same with the Underwater section from TR2.
3. Yes. And one thing that I forgot to include in my previous comment - yeah, Sophia Leigh may be pure evil, but she is hot and pretty, and makes me feel 😍. So then I imagine if she was good, then there would be two pretty female Tomb Raider heroines. Sophia also talks very smoothly and prettily.
4. Well, if you say so. 🙂
5. Yep. 🙂
Love all your vids! And you ranked the villains pretty much how I would :D
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! That's good to hear 😎
Another great video. I love your enthusiasm for all things Tomb Raider. They still attract so many people. Looking for all your Videos. My Favourite villain is Natla. In the Anniversary game she's even better. Steve 👍
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Natla is great, she's so wonderfully evil. In Anniversary, she even looks more evil as well.
Haha, never thought of Lara as Larson's horse!
He sure got a good kicking in the head there, though ;)
as a kid i always thought that Verdilet line where he says “this dungeon hall” was him saying “this dark shithole” 😅
Hahaha, he might as well have :D
Great video as always! Cant wait for more
Thank you, I really appreciate it!
This guy is so underrated. Like and follow him so his channel can grow. Best tomb raider content on youtube. I wait patiently for each video.
Seriously, thank you so much for your kind words, I really appreciate it. This comment has made my day 🥰
20:00 did you notice that Qualopec comes to life in TR Anniversary where Lara takes the piece of the scion? That's creepy and wasn't explored at all in the rest of the game
No, I've never noticed that! :O That sounds creepy as hell! I haven't played Anniversary for over 10 years, so I need to play it again soon.
Great video! Unfortunately I missed the big eagle monster in TR 2😃
Thank you so much! Haha, you're right! Also the double-shotgun wielding boss of Opera House, and several minor bosses in Last Revelation. I had a hard time deciding whether I should include these or not, but ultimately decided against it, as they aren't really "main" villains per se. Garuda (the eagle monster) is more just a guardian, than a villain, if you know what I mean?
Some of the classic villains had so much potential but I always felt that they seemed almost pointless characters other than to serve as rivals racing to the artifact of the specific game. I liked the dynamic between Pierre and Larson in Chronicles - if Core had done more with them for example it would have made them more memorable.
Yes, unfortunately I agree. I, too, would've liked to have much more of them. In particular, I find Marco Bartoli to be underdeveloped. I mean, he's a really cool character, but we should've seen much more of him.
As classic Lara we are focused to obtain the artifact. If you buy something from ebay do you care about the whole story of the seller how he/she got that article you buy from him?
@@BlackCroft666 absolutely not, totally get your point. Saying that though, the rivals are in so many cutscenes and mentioned throughout the story enough that it makes players curious to learn more about them
Great video! I agree with most of it, though I'd say that I would put Sophia so much lower on the list. While her actions are terrible I think she is just not part of the game long enough to define her very well, unlike Marco or Natla. She's not as memorable IMO.
I'd also say that while I think Natla is an excellent villain and is fleshed out very well, I probably would put Marco even higher because of how much more involved he seems to be in the story. It's a race and we're actively trying to outrun him, which puts stakes to the story. We see how he is just one step ahead of us all the time and his henchmen are actively trying to stop us from getting the upper hand.
Natla is great but she is just not as active in the story, if you know what I mean, and the stakes just don't seem as high that way.
Also, I never really saw Werner as a villain. I mean he was clearly possessed, so how can you blame the man, lol. I'd say he is in this position because of how reckless Lara was in TR4 and now she is trying to fix her wrongs, so in some way she is a villain as well. If she didn't try to take the Amulet of Horus or read what was written on it before taking it out (which you'd assume a smart woman like Lara would do, lol) nothing would have happened. This doesn't change the placement in the list, though, just something I had to think about.
Thank you so much!
I actually agree with everything you say, and I had some of the same things into consideration when I made the ranking. The reason why Marco Bartoli isn't higher, is due to the fact that he has so few appearances throughout the game. That's not necessarily a bad thing (I mean, Sophia Leigh only appears once in Tomb Raider III), but he has no interactions with Lara. All of our dealings with him, until that epic final moment, is through his henchmen. This almost makes the Fiamma Nera the main villain, and not Marco, if you know what I mean?
I agree about Von Croy as well, I had the same thoughts. Initially, I had both Seth and Von Croy on this list, but it just felt so strange to include Seth, as, like I say in the video, Seth feels more like a concept, than a character. In that game, the "concept" is applied on Von Croy, due to his possession. I justified having Von Croy as the main villain, due to the fact that he's the main villain of the VCI Headquarters in Chronicles, and the fact the employs people who try to kill Lara. So while perhaps not a villain per se, he definitely opposes Lara in that game, even before the possession. But it was a difficult choice.
@@AxMania Wait but Lara and Natla meet face to face in Egypt first. Before that, Lara only ever interacts with Natla's henchmen either. Or did I miss something? I understand that Natla asks Lara to get the artifact for her in Peru but other than that we don't really see her until Lara gets out of the tomb in Egypt. Though I agree that in the last levels they talk to each other and interact much more directly. But with Marco, he's there from the beginning, so that's why he is little more involved imo.
Not saying I don't understand your reasoning but I just think that Natla is absent for most of the game and she's kept in mind only by name dropping and flashbacks, lol.
You explained why you didn't put Seth on the list in the video very well and I agree, I wouldn't put Seth in the list as, like you said, he's more of a concept.
Though in TR5 he's definitely a villain, lol
@@ebeee I think it works really well that she basically hires Lara for the job at the very beginning of the game (first interaction - not face to face, but still an interaction), then turns on Lara in the post-Egypt FMV (second interaction), then has a cutscene with Lara before The Great Pyramid (third interaction), and then the final boss fight (fourth interaction). In-between these interactions, Lara is reading up on Natla after the Peru section, and getting flashbacks about Natla back in her Atlantis days, which does an excellent job of fleshing out her character. So I'd say they have numerous interactions, and Natla is consistently the "goal", or the antagonist. Every single FMV is spent learning more about Natla (well, and the Scion). Lara only knows about the Scion because Natla revealed it to her, I think. Marco is "just" someone who's looking for the same artefact that Lara is looking for, at the same time. They don't interact with each other, and it's not really personal between them, if you know what I mean. It gets personal between Lara and Natla, when she sends Larson to kill her (for no reason), and even worse when she robs her.
At least that's what I think.
@@AxMania Yes, yes, I see what you mean. Like I said I agree with you, I think Marco and Natla are quite good villains, so I understand the ranking completely. I mean once Lara and Natla come face to face the story gets more stakes and Natla feels like an actual threat. So, I do agree, lol.
@@ebeee Haha, my long comment was just as much to map it out for myself. I actually wanted to find out how much they do interact 😅 They are indeed both great.
Great list! I agree with most of it, but I would change Werner von Croy and Sopia Leigh. There is no real reason for it, I just really disliked her as a kid and I always liked Werner. She still is a great villain. I just think that Werner is more relatable and memorable. The man that took Lara to her "first" adventure, later tried to kill her and then, in the end, turning back to a good guy, more or less.
I'm also a little sad that Pierre doesn't have more character. He really is a good rival.
I agree with Natla, of course. She's just an evil witch.
Your videos always make me very happy, I love the watch them. There are so many details I never noticed in these games.
Will you make other rankings as well? For example ranking the different weapons Lara has? Or the different areas she visits (For example I like the south pacific section in TR III the most and the Egypt section in TR I). Or even the different outfits she wears throughout the first five games. Oh, and the different boss fights of course. I'd love to see that.
I don't write comments often, but I always watch your videos. :)
Thanks so much for all the effort you put in your videos!
Thank you SO much for your kind comment, I really appreciate it! I completely understand, as Von Croy easily is one of the most fleshed out characters. As a character, he's definitely better than Sophia Leigh, but as a villain, it's a bit more complicated due to him kinda not being a real villain. I love his arc as well. I kind of wish he would've been introduced earlier in the series.
Thank you so much for your great suggestions and your interest in my videos!
It depends how granted you take the Chonicles stories since they are told by her friends. It is possible that those stories are spiced up by them.
here from that stunt you pulled earlier today with the bats :P
Haha! 😉
This channel is CRIMINALLY underviewed
Thank you so much, I really appreciate that!
This Channel Is Criminally Bad!
I find Marco Bartoli quite amusing. There's a surprising amount of backstory going on with Tomb Raider 2 in regards to the Fiamma Nera cult, their conflict with the Barkhang monks, Marco and his father, and how the Seraph was involved, yet nothing as to why Marco and the Fiamma Nera wanted the Dagger of Xian so badly, or what Marco was wanting to do after turning himself into a dragon. Like you said, maybe it's just Marco's boyhood dream of wanting to be a dragon in and of itself, which I find kind of hilarious. Wonder how a verbal confrontation would go down between them?
Lara: So, what would your business with the dagger be?
Marco: Ever since I was a child, I had always dreamed of soaring in the sky and incinerating anyone who dared to disrespect me!
Lara: Compared to Natla, you are...most disappointing.
Marco: That's rich coming from the one who would merely use it as an ornament in her mansion!
Hahahaha! Amazing. Just the thought of Marco and Lara having a sort of casual (but passive-aggressive) conversation is hilarious.
The biggest villain in the Tomb Raider series is the person who made up that code myth (you know the one).
Haha, I know exactly what you mean 😉
Would love a video ranking tomb raider 4 and 5 levels
It's coming, I've been working on it for months now 😅 I hope it'll be out before the end of this summer. Thank you so much for your interest!
Incredible video! Like alwayss!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Bartoli could have been a much better villain if he was given more dialogue and involvement in the game. When you think about it, we only hear him talk in one cutscene in the entire game! For a main villain that's quite pathetic. Even his appearances are very scarce altogether. Tomb Raider 2 really suffers from a storytelling perspective. It's almost as if they didn't have enough time to flesh out the story more, which was probably the case.
Yes, that's exactly why I didn't put him higher. Unlike Natla, Willard, Von Croy etc., he doesn't really have any interactions with Lara whatsoever. All of our dealings with him, are through his goons, which is fine, but I would've liked at least one sort of face-off moment between the two. Maybe he could've adressed Lara in a cutscene, while in her Offshore Rig prison cell or something.
@@AxMania Exactly. There were so many good opportunities, but all they really cared about in TR2 was the gameplay.
@@AxMania There was an analysis of TR2 story with Bartoli which to put it simply, was working behind the scenes and was manipulating Lara to get what he wanted later on. It also mentions of him working with the chinese mafia which i say its more believeable since in Diving Area before the end of the level you hear a dialogue between Marco and someone else followed by slaps. That someone is actually the leader of the mafia who was interrogating the monk.
As for how he looks, well its most likely the dude you see at the title screen which also makes an appearance in the end level FMV cutscene where he was chasing Lara and died in a crash.
11:36
You were afraid as a kid, but whenever he laughed I laughed.
I guess I react differently to others. Just like horror games never scared me. Yawn from Resident Evil 1. Mr X from R.E. 2. Nemesis from Resident Evil 3: every time he appeared for another match, it was like meeting a good buddy again.
I can go on with plenty of other games, but Tony was almost the same, I saw him again in cutscenes or even the last fight, and it was seeing an old friend again. And that crazy laugh XD
There is no reason to be scared, you are in front of a TV where your life isn't in danger: so I never understood that fear.
And they say girls are scared of everything and worthless etc.....
Haha, you are right about everything, but here's the thing: I LOVE being scared. Being scared is not a bad thing in my opinion, and I actually seek out being scared in games, because I like the thrill. I play horror games at night with the lights off, because I enjoy it so much more like that.
These moments don't traumatize me, they entertain me 😉
@@AxMania Thank you for your reply.
I really like Sophia Leigh in TRIII (which was my first Tomb Raider game btw), Werner von Croy in The Last Revelation, and Larson & Pierre in Chronicles as villains (with a shoutout to Admiral Yarofef from Chronicles), but from the Core Design era only The Angel of Darkness managed to truly captivate/enchant me, and this is where I got really attached to the overarching story and villains (Pieter van Eckhardt _The Black Alchemist_ and the sinister Cabal in their never-ending battle with The Lux Veritatis) for the first time. (From the subsequent Crystal Dynamics era (only) Legend, and TR:2013-Rise-Shadow managed to do the same.)
Thank you for making this video! As always, I liked hearing your opinions and enjoying your sense of humor :)
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! Trust me, I can't WAIT to get my hands on The Angel of Darkness again. Unfortunately, I had to make Chronicles the "cut-off", as I don't have any gameplay footage from The Angel of Darkness and onwards yet - I'm still desperately trying to finish my TR1-5 level ranking video :P I think I might do a grand villain ranking video some day, when I have gameplay footage from all the games.
Once again, thank you so much.
@@AxMania You're very welcome, it is the least I can do in return for your hard work making all these videos. Try not to stress too much about these large projects - just take as much time as you need, these games and its fans are not going anywhere :) and the end result will be truly something you can be proud of, I'm sure of it (that's all what counts in the end). Doing these smaller projects/videos in the meantime is really clever - it gives you a break from and new enthusiasm for the long projects, and at the same time there is new content for us viewers.
I think you made the right decision to make Chronicles the cut-off, since TR1-TR5 is seen by most people as classic TR (or the PS1 era) (because the engine is/graphics are (relatively) similar), while AoD is the clear outlier from the Core Design period (also if you consider all released games really) - it is a different beast entirely ;)
Focussing on the classic games (at least for now) clearly is the way to go for your channel, but ultimately you should do what you want/like the most. Good luck!
Great video. Really really hated Marco Bartoli when I was a kid😅❤
Thank you so much! Haha, well, he's an evil bastard, and he wants to be a dragon of all things. I think his ego is pretty terrifying 😂
I think I speak for everyone when I say we need an "All Bats Ranked" video!
There's... there's something wrong with this comment? I can't read it for some reason. What a shame...
;)
Ah, an unexpected surprise.
Why thank you :)
You're welcome, and thank you! 😊
Red eyes Bartoli holy heck that was terrifying 😮
Haha, agreed! Thank you for all your comments today! 😃🙏
My favourite TR Villains:
Tony (What an epic boss fight theme), Pierre and Larson, Sophia, Bartoli and Natla (What an epic boss fight theme).
Thank you for sharing! All of these villains you mention are kind of iconic, aren't they?
Oh sweet nostalgia
Verdelect was awesome. He wasn't just a robot like enemy to begin with. He had a personality and could interact with Lara and Father pretty easily. He may not look like a threat but while playing the game the first time I definitely was scared because he could've been unpredictable.
I have a really hard time with Verdilet unfortunately. He's just too goofy to be taken seriously, I think. In theory, he's really scary, but I think they camped him way over the top.
Keep it up man very enjoyable
Thanks man, I really appreciate it!
I agree, it's cool seeing Natla's real winged form and fighting her in the pyramid after thinking the 'abomination' boss from the egg was the final boss. I really hope Crystal Dynamics (I'm sure they made the reboots) will make the next game similar to TR1 with Natla, now we've seen Lara's past in the reboot trilogy.
I agree completely. Whatever they can do to make the new game feel more like a classic Tomb Raider game, I'm onboard for.
Another great vídeo legend! Valeu mesmo
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Re watching this I just realised the foreshadowing of your Bat Ranking vid! I'm curious if that was intentional or you thought of making the Bat Ranking after the fact?? Either way its a good laugh xD
Haha, somebody commented that I should do a bat ranking back then, when I released it, and that made me think it could be a fun April Fools video 😂 So I had not planned it to happen, back then. Thank you so much!
Wish you would include the Crystal Dynamics games as part of the classics now...
Underworld was short but it was still good...
So was Legend.
Loved those.
Btw... Dark Angel did have its flaws... but... as it went on it did get better (yeah once she had her "full power" (sigh.. hated that training BS)...
The end boss was very tough
I plan on covering Angel of Darkness and the Crystal Dynamics games this year ☺️ I haven't played those games for over 10 years, so I'm very excited to do so.
I think this ranking is pretty good. I agree with most of them, especially having Natla at the top
Thank you! :)
Not to mention Natla's triumphant return as the main villain in Tomb Raider Underworld. And prettier than ever!
True! I actually think she looks really scary as well, in Underworld.