The Great Pyramid

1:08:11 The Great Pyramid is the 15th and final level of the 1996 Tomb Raider: it opens with the Torso, a giant legless mutant that hatches from its pod and drags itself at Lara, then runs a gauntlet of traps over lava to the heart of the pyramid, where Lara shoots The Scion to pieces and fights Natla, first with wings, then on the ground, before climbing out and sliding down the pyramid's side to end the game. Stella's Tomb Raider Site counts 3 secrets, 31 pickups and 6 kills in the Remastered version, the Scion among the kills. Crystal Dynamics says the Torso is sometimes called Adam, a name from the official Japanese strategy guide. The clip is Josh Strife Plays on the 1996 PlayStation version.

Quick facts

Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: The Great Pyramid (Remastered counts).

How do you beat the Torso boss?

1:07:46 The egg hatches as the level loads, and the fight is on a platform with drops all around. The danger is not damage so much as being grabbed or knocked off the edge, so keep Lara moving: standing still lets it seize her. It takes a lot of punishment, about 800 Uzi rounds or 25 shotgun blasts by Stella's estimate. Her safer method is hit and hang: fire briefly, drop to hang from the edge of the platform (the far corners are best), and wait for the creature to go back toward its door before climbing up to fire again. Save a few magnum rounds for Natla. When it dies, the exit opens and six Uzi clip pickups appear on the platform. In Remastered, the kill gives "Kind of Evolution on Steroids", and the boss has a health bar, one of the remaster's additions.

Walkthrough

1:08:41 The trap halls. Past the Torso's chamber, movable blocks, chomping blades and break-away tiles lead through the first halls. Then come rolling boulders, a timed drawbridge over lava (the first secret is behind it), swinging blades, dart crevices, lava flows and pillars of fire. A tiny pool hides an underwater passage with Uzi ammo. Three mutants can be lured out of the walkways and a fleshy hallway near the drawbridge if you want the full kill count; they are optional.

The Scion. In the heart of the pyramid, shoot the Scion. Destroying it opens a door and sets off tremors, which only hurt Lara if she falls, and it counts as a kill on the statistics screen. Crystal Dynamics' summary of the game's goal in Atlantis is to destroy the Scion so Natla can never use it again.

1:09:44 Natla, phase one. Natla, fused with part of a winged Atlantean, flies and throws fireballs. Keep dodging with backflips and side flips and fire whenever she is in the open; she can hide behind pillars or follow Lara into tunnels. A tunnel in the west wall holds six Uzi clip pickups for resupply.

Natla, phase two. About 15 seconds after she falls, she rises again without wings and fires energy darts. Stella recommends switching to the magnums to finish her. Finishing her with the magnums gives the Remastered achievement "Curses, Like Chickens, Come Home to Roost"; any weapon gives "Yes, I Can!". If she dies on the high golden ledge she is harder to reach, and sitting on a pillar leaves Lara exposed.

1:10:10 The escape. Pick up any Uzi clips left in the west tunnel. Climb through the pillars and openings of the pyramid to a red and gold ledge, then slide down the long ramp outside. That slide finishes the level and the game, as Lara escapes the exploding pyramid.

Where are the three secrets?

1. Behind the drawbridge. Behind the timed drawbridge over lava: a large medi pack, magnum clips and shotgun shells.
2. The lava crevice. In a crevice across a lava pool: Uzi ammo and three large medi packs.
3. Under the swinging blade. Under a swinging blade in a red and gold structure: a large medi pack and two sets of Uzi clips.

Source: Stella's Tomb Raider Site. Finding every secret in the Atlantis levels counts toward the Remastered achievement "Codex of Atlantis", and every pickup in the game toward "Tomb Cleaner". More on Secrets.

What comes after the ending?

Lara's story continues in Unfinished Business, the four bonus levels added in 1998, two of which send her back to Atlantis to destroy the surviving mutants. In the original game, finishing it unlocked a New Game+ with every weapon and unlimited ammunition; in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, New Game+ is a harder mode instead, with no medi packs, tougher enemies and saving only at blue save crystals.

The Great Pyramid in Legacy of Atlantis

Nothing has been shown, as of Nov 2, 2026. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis describes its last region only as a mysterious Mediterranean island shrouded in myth, and the only boss its makers have named is the T-Rex; no other boss appears in their text. Natla returns, played by Adrienne Wilkinson and written as the CEO of Natla Technologies, but how her final fight plays has not been revealed. See Jacqueline Natla and Legacy of Atlantis Release Date.

Frequently asked questions

How do you beat the Torso in Tomb Raider? In Tomb Raider's Great Pyramid, keep moving so the legless giant cannot grab you, and use Stella's hit-and-hang method: shoot, drop to hang from the platform's edge, and climb back when it retreats. It takes about 800 Uzi rounds or 25 shotgun blasts.

What is the Torso boss called? The giant legless mutant at the start of Tomb Raider's last level is usually called the Torso; Crystal Dynamics notes it is sometimes called Adam, a name from the official Japanese strategy guide.

How do you beat Natla in Tomb Raider? In Tomb Raider (1996), Natla fights twice in the Great Pyramid: first flying and throwing fireballs, then on foot with energy darts. Dodge with backflips and side flips, resupply from the Uzi clips in the west tunnel, and switch to the magnums for the second phase.

How does Tomb Raider (1996) end? After Natla falls, Lara climbs out of the Great Pyramid and slides down its side as it explodes, which ends Tomb Raider. The story continues in the Unfinished Business bonus levels.

How many secrets are in The Great Pyramid? The Great Pyramid, the last level of Tomb Raider (1996), has 3 secrets by Stella's count, all holding medi packs and ammunition.

Do you have to destroy the Scion? Yes. In Tomb Raider's last level, shooting the Scion opens the door onward; it even counts as a kill on the statistics screen.

Sources

• The Great Pyramid, Stella's Tomb Raider Site
• Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Top 5 Bosses, Crystal Dynamics, Mar 20, 2024
• Tomb Raider (1996) Top 5 Levels, Crystal Dynamics, Feb 26, 2024
• Everything you Need to Know about Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, Crystal Dynamics, Feb 8, 2024
• Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Steam
• Enemies of Egypt, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis official site, Sep 28, 2026
• Meet Natla, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis official site, Aug 31, 2026
• Was it Good? - Tomb Raider 1, Josh Strife Plays, Jan 22, 2022 (video)