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Slay the Spire 2The Scion
The Scion is the Atlantean artifact Lara Croft hunts in Tomb Raider, split into three pieces found in the Tomb of Qualopec, the Tomb of Tihocan and the Sanctuary of the Scion. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis builds its story around the same hunt.
The Scion is the ancient Atlantean artifact at the center of Tomb Raider: a source of power that the three rulers of Atlantis kept in three pieces, one each, and that Natla hires Lara Croft to recover. In the 1996 game Lara finds the pieces in the Tomb of Qualopec in Peru (level 4), the Tomb of Tihocan in Greece (level 9) and the Sanctuary of the Scion in Egypt (level 12), then destroys the Scion in Atlantis so Natla can never use it. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, out Feb 12, 2027, sends Lara after "the scattered pieces of the Scion, an artifact of immeasurable power" across the same four regions. The clip shows the 1996 game.
Quick facts
| What it is | An Atlantean artifact, kept in three pieces |
| Who held it | The Atlantean rulers Natla, Qualopec and Tihocan |
| Piece 1 | Qualopec's, Tomb of Qualopec (Peru, level 4) |
| Piece 2 | Tihocan's, Tomb of Tihocan (Greece, level 9) |
| Piece 3 | Natla's, Sanctuary of the Scion (Egypt, level 12) |
| What Natla did with it | Bred mutants to overthrow the other two rulers |
| Its end (1996) | Destroyed by Lara at the end of the game |
| In the remake | The pieces are again the goal; details not shown as of Nov 2, 2026 |
Sources: Crystal Dynamics: The Three Rulers of Atlantis, Feb 17, 2024; Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Tomb of Qualopec, Tomb of Tihocan, Sanctuary of the Scion; Steam: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, as of Nov 1, 2026.
What is the Scion?
In the 1996 story, the Atlantean Scion was shared by the three rulers of Atlantis, Natla, Qualopec and Tihocan, each entrusted with one piece (Crystal Dynamics). Natla stole the other two and used the whole Scion to breed a race of mutants against her fellow rulers. Qualopec and Tihocan defeated her, froze her in a cryonic chamber and divided the pieces again: Qualopec took his to Peru, and Tihocan hid Natla's piece in Egypt and kept his own. Freed by the 1945 Trinity atomic test and calling herself Jacqueline Natla, she wants the pieces back, which is why she hires Lara. The Steam page for the original sums up the game the same way: Lara "has been hired to recover the pieces of an ancient artifact known as the Scion". The clip shows the 1996 PlayStation version.
Where is each piece of the Scion?
| Piece | Level | Region | How Lara gets it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualopec's | Tomb of Qualopec (4) | Peru | Taken in Qualopec's tomb, after which Larson ambushes her |
| Tihocan's | Tomb of Tihocan (9) | Greece | Taken after killing Pierre DuPont in the main room |
| Natla's | Sanctuary of the Scion (12) | Egypt | At the top of the stairs past the sphinx, after beating Larson |
Sources: Stella's Tomb Raider Site: Tomb of Qualopec, Tomb of Tihocan and Sanctuary of the Scion, as of Nov 1, 2026; Crystal Dynamics: Top 5 Bosses, Mar 20, 2024.
The first piece sits where Qualopec was entombed in Vilcabamba, his skeleton facing it between two mummified guards (Crystal Dynamics); Lara reaches it through three puzzle rooms and past the series' first rolling boulder. The second lies in Tihocan's tomb under St. Francis' Folly, guarded by two Atlantean centaurs; in the game Pierre has it when Lara kills him. The third, Natla's own piece, was hidden by Tihocan in the City of Khamoon; Lara reaches it inside the great sphinx of the Sanctuary, opening the way with two Ankhs, a Scarab and a Gold Key (Stella's Tomb Raider Site). Crystal Dynamics notes that Larson and Pierre end up resting "where two of the Scion pieces were once safeguarded". The clip shows the 1996 PlayStation version.
What happens to the Scion at the end?
Lara destroys it. In the Atlantis level she has to reach the top of the pyramid and destroy the Scion so that Natla can never use it again (Crystal Dynamics); reaching the Scion ends that level, which holds Natla's Scion cutscene (Crystal Dynamics, Update 1.2). In The Great Pyramid the Scion itself counts as one of the level's kills when it is destroyed, by Stella's count, before Lara fights Natla and escapes the exploding pyramid. The clip shows the 1996 PlayStation version.
The Scion in Legacy of Atlantis
The hunt for the pieces is the remake's whole pitch. The Steam page has Lara racing after them "from the jungles of Peru to the ancient ruins of Greece, the deserts of Egypt, and a mysterious Mediterranean island shrouded in myth", the 1996 game's four regions, with the story "expanded with deeper connections" to her future. The makers say the Peru chapter turns Qualopec and Vilcabamba into a larger Atlantean story about creation, the elements and the Scion (Reimagining Peru, Jun 22, 2026), and Larson is "the first face Lara meets on her search for the scion". The Collector's Edition includes a Triumvirate Talisman Keychain, named for the three rulers (Pre-Orders Are Open); see Legacy of Atlantis Editions and Price.
As of Nov 2, 2026 the makers have not shown where the remake puts each piece, what the Scion looks like in the new game, or how the story ends. Read the remake's changes on What's New in Legacy of Atlantis.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Scion in Tomb Raider? The Scion is an ancient Atlantean artifact of great power, kept in three pieces by the rulers of Atlantis, that Jacqueline Natla hires Lara Croft to find in the 1996 Tomb Raider and in Legacy of Atlantis.
How many Scion pieces are there in Tomb Raider? There are three pieces of the Scion in Tomb Raider, one for each Atlantean ruler: Qualopec, Tihocan and Natla.
Where are the Scion pieces in Tomb Raider 1? In the 1996 Tomb Raider the Scion pieces are in the Tomb of Qualopec (level 4, Peru), the Tomb of Tihocan (level 9, Greece) and the Sanctuary of the Scion (level 12, Egypt).
What did Natla want the Scion for? In the 1996 Tomb Raider, Natla had used the Scion to breed mutants against her fellow Atlantean rulers; she hires Lara to recover the pieces, and Lara destroys it so Natla can never use it again.
Sources
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Lore: The Three Rulers of Atlantis, Crystal Dynamics, Feb 17, 2024
- Tomb Raider (1996) Top 5 Levels, Crystal Dynamics, Feb 26, 2024
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Top 5 Bosses, Crystal Dynamics, Mar 20, 2024
- Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Update 1.2 Patch Notes, Crystal Dynamics, Apr 11, 2024
- Tomb Raider I, Steam, as of Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb of Qualopec, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, as of Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb of Tihocan, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, as of Nov 1, 2026
- Sanctuary of the Scion, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, as of Nov 1, 2026
- The Great Pyramid, Stella's Tomb Raider Site, as of Nov 1, 2026
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Steam, as of Nov 1, 2026
- Pre-Orders Are Open, Amazon Game Studios, Jun 2, 2026
- Reimagining Peru, Amazon Game Studios, Jun 22, 2026
- Meet Larson, Amazon Game Studios, Oct 5, 2026
- History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018), Nick930, Sep 7, 2018 (video)
- Was it Good? - Tomb Raider 1, Josh Strife Plays, Jan 22, 2022 (video)
- Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis - New Gameplay, Details, Release Date & Collector's Edition, Arekkz Gaming, Jun 4, 2026 (video)
Moments
History of Tomb Raider (1996 - 2018)
Nick930
Was it Good? - Tomb Raider 1
Josh Strife Plays
- In the 1996 story, the Atlantean Scion was shared by the three rulers of Atlantis, Natla, Qualopec and Tihocan, each…
- The first piece sits where Qualopec was entombed in Vilcabamba, his skeleton facing it between two mummified guards…
- Lara destroys it. In the Atlantis level she has to reach the top of the pyramid and destroy the Scion so that Natla…
Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis - New Gameplay, Details, Release Date & Collector's Edition
Arekkz Gaming
Related
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CavesCaves is level 1 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, a snowy Peruvian cave system with wolves, bats, a bear, dart traps and 3 secrets, all small or large medi packs. Legacy of Atlantis remakes it as Mountain Caves, opening on snow and an ice slide.
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CisternThe Cistern is level 8 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, a flooded underground reservoir in Greece where Lara raises and lowers the water with one switch to reach 5 keys (2 Rusty, 2 Silver, 1 Gold), with 3 secrets. It ends with a fall into the Tomb of Tihocan.
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City of VilcabambaCity of Vilcabamba is level 2 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, a lost Inca village in Peru where Lara finds the Silver Key and the Gold Idol to open the exit gate, with 3 secrets. Legacy of Atlantis keeps the City of Vilcabamba and expands its Atlantean story.
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ColosseumColosseum is level 6 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, a ruined arena in Greece full of lions, gorillas and crocodiles, where Lara finds the magnums in a secret and the Rusty Key that opens the way out. It has 3 secrets; Legacy of Atlantis has not shown it as of Nov 2, 2026.
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Lara's HomeLara's Home is the optional training level of the 1996 Tomb Raider, set in Croft Manor, where Lara's own voice teaches jumping, swan dives, ledge grabs, shimmying and swimming in her music room, hall, ballroom gym and pool. It has no enemies and no secrets.
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Natla's MinesNatla's Mines is level 13 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, where Lara starts with no weapons and wins them back from three of Natla's henchmen, the Cowboy, the Skater Boy and a bald man with a shotgun, before opening the Atlantean pyramid. It has 3 secrets, by Stella's count for the Remastered version.
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Obelisk of KhamoonObelisk of Khamoon is level 11 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, where Lara lowers four bridges around an obelisk and collects the Eye of Horus, the Ankh, the Scarab and the Seal of Anubis. It has 3 secrets, by Stella's count for the Remastered version.
See also
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Tomb of QualopecTomb of Qualopec is level 4 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, the Atlantean ruler's tomb behind a waterfall in Peru, where Lara raises three gates, takes the first piece of the Scion and fights Larson. It has 3 secrets and introduces the rolling boulder.
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Tomb of TihocanTomb of Tihocan is level 9 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, the last in Greece, where Lara fights two Atlantean centaur statues, kills Pierre DuPont for good and takes the second piece of the Scion and his magnums. It has 2 secrets.
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Sanctuary of the ScionSanctuary of the Scion is level 12 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, the last Egypt level, where Lara climbs a great sphinx, finds the Uzis in the level's one secret, beats Larson again and takes the third piece of the Scion.
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AtlantisAtlantis is the lost civilization behind Tomb Raider's story and the last region of the 1996 game, played in three levels: Natla's Mines, Atlantis and The Great Pyramid. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis calls it a mysterious Mediterranean island and has not shown it as of Nov 2, 2026.
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Atlantis LevelAtlantis is level 14 of the 1996 Tomb Raider, a living city of flesh, lava and mutant hatcheries inside Natla's pyramid, where Lara beats her own fleshy doppelganger by luring it into lava and takes the Scion. It has 3 secrets, by Stella's count for the Remastered version.