Tomb Raider The Legend of Lara Croft Season 2 Ending Explained: Does Lara Defeat Mila?

Created by Tasha Huo, Season 2 of Netflix’s ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ returns to the world of globe-trotting adventures, as this time Lara chances upon a trail of lost Orisha masks, belonging to the Yoruba culture. Each mask is supposed to have divine abilities, and with a ruthless billionaire named Mila determined to collect them all, Lara has her work cut out for her. In the process of outpacing and outmaneuvering Mila, Lara forms friendships with Yoruba deities, who coexist in perfect harmony with humans. However, with Mila not shying away from bloodshed to further her goals, Lara has to put all of her skills and expertise to use and rid the world of evil once again. The sophomore season of this animated action–adventure series reimagines mythological battles in the modern era, as Laura learns the true meaning of being an ethical archaeologist. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft Season 2 Plot Recap

‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ season 2 begins with Lara searching for Sam Nishimura, her best friend, who went missing in the previous season finale. After narrowing her location down, Lara prepares to neutralize a host of gunmen, but is surprised when she receives help from a stranger. This person, named Fig, works for a billion-dollar company called Pithos, which is interested in the talents of both Lara and Sam, hence the rescue. The CEO, Mila, wishes to fund and organize Lara’s ethical archaeology, with the first step being the retrieval of an ancient Orisha mask from the Yoruba religion. While Lara is successful at the task, she hesitates to trust Mila fully, and soon that hunch turns out to be correct. Instead of returning the mask to its original community, Mila dons it herself and kills its rightful owner, harnessing the supernatural powers that lie within.

Realizing the horror of what she has facilitated, Lara quickly gets to work, tracking down the rest of the masks. Lara and Sam’s first step is in Brazil, where the Yoruba water spirit, Yemeja’s mask, is supposed to be hidden. Although Fig is there before them, she fails to capture the spoils, as Yemeja turns out to be an actual Goddess who lives amongst humans and actively uses the mask to defend her realm. The next pit stop is in New Orleans, where Lara learns more about Yoruba mythology, particularly the presence of twin deities. There, they chance upon another God, Eshu, who is known for being a trickster. Still, he manages to guide them towards mask-wielding siblings, Taiwo and Kehinde, only for the crew to arrive too late for the rescue.

Mila reaches the scene first, killing Kehinde and taking over her mask. Desperate for answers, Lara reassembles her team to infiltrate a masked party organized by Mila, where she appears to be planning her next target. While the crew is caught, Lara manages to clear the path for everyone to escape and head to the next location in Africa. Once in Africa, Eshu introduces Lara and Sam to Babalu, a God who has chosen to retire and start a family. While his Orisha mask is amongst the most powerful, capable of killing people with a touch, Babalu seems to be happier without it.

Still, with the entire world at risk, he reveals that he has thrown the mask in the water, prompting Lara to go underwater for the mission. While she does find the mask, victory is only temporary, as Mila strikes once again. Amidst the chaos, Babalu realizes that the only way out is to don the mask once again, and a fierce fight ensues. Ultimately, however, Mila gains the upper hand, forcing Babalu to resort to his last option and sacrifice himself. Except, even that is in vain, as Mila now has the power to reverse injuries, which allows her to retrieve Babalu’s mask as well. With time running out and the cards stacked against her, Lara is forced to think outside the box.

Tomb Raider The Legend of Lara Croft Season 2 Ending: Does Lara Defeat Mila?

Season 2 of ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ ends with Lara joining hands with the Yoruba deities to defeat Mila and retrieve all of the Orisha masks. When Lara gets her hands on Babalu’s mask, which grants its user the power to channel death and disease, she appears to be rendered unstoppable. However, instead of giving in to the feeling of helplessness, Lara confronts the missing piece in this entire puzzle: Eshu. Earlier, we are told that he is the mythic God of mischief, darkness, and chaos, capable of bridging the divine and human realms. While Eshu’s eccentric personality does partially align with this definition, his complete lack of supernatural abilities prompts Lara and company to question his true intentions. It is here that we learn that Eshu lost his mask over a century ago and has been riddled with trauma since.

It is the death of his siblings, Oko, Kehinde, and Babalu, that pushes him to chase his old strength and vanquish Mila for good. With Eshu now rejuvenated, Lara and Sam make their way to the lost city, which Eshu once ruled over. What was once a thriving metropolis was reduced to ash and rubble by British colonizers, and to this day, Eshu bears the guilt of not using his powers to protect his people. While his mask got lost somewhere during the century-old struggle, Lara realizes that it must be stored away as a historical artifact, and shows off her skills as a raider by locating it in no time. With his powers now back, Eshu hatches a plan to win the war against Mila, with the first step being to lure her to the lost city.

When Mila reaches the location with her entire paramilitary arsenal, she is ambushed by not just Lara, Sam, and Eshu, but also Yemeja, the water spirit Goddess, and Taiwo, who has the power to heal others. With the team now in place, the fight truly begins, forcing Mila to go all out with her elemental abilities. In the end, a combination of attacks by Yemeja, Taiwo, and Eshu backs Mila into a corner. Her ability to spread disease is quickly nullified by Taiwo’s healing prowess, and the water Goddess ensures that Mila’s root-based attacks never make it to their target.

The trump card in this battle, however, is Eshu, who not only teleports and attacks the billionaire antagonist from all sides but also takes off her masks one after another. At the same time, Lara, Sam, and the village warriors deal with the army defeating Fig along the way. While she is momentarily incapacitated by Mila’s disease curse getting uncontrollable, Taiwo’s powers restore Fig’s health, allowing her to survive and escape the battle. In the end, Mila is stripped of all her powers, and the collective curse rebounds, causing her body to disintegrate. Thus, Pithos’ cruel saga is brought to an end, and the elements return to their original state of co-existence.

What is Eshu’s Real Ability? Does he Regain His Kingdom?

While Eshu’s move set initially appears to be limited to teleportation, its real applications make it the most powerful ability introduced in the story thus far. The trickster deity’s real power is essentially to apply himself, or anything he desires, on a universal level. Teleportation is one way of achieving omnidirectionality, but the ability’s real usage comes to light when viewed in collaboration with other Yoruba powers. While beings like Babalu can spread death with their touch, Eshu possesses the ability to spread that power throughout the entire world in an abstract manner. Eshu himself remarks that his function on a cosmic scale is to serve as a multiplier, which means that there is no real ceiling to what he can or cannot do.

We see a glimpse into this nigh-omnipotence firsthand in his fight with Mila, where he quickly overpowers all of her attacks and effortlessly gains complete control over the masks. Eshu’s hidden powers explain Taiwo’s earlier remarks in the story about his ability to single-handedly restore balance in the universe. In reality, it is his fear and survivor’s complex that holds him back. With these barriers out of the way, it takes him little time to regain his position as the king of the city and the rightful gatekeeper of the Orisha masks, now that their respective deities are gone.

As such, the season ends with him ruling over his kingdom with a brand new perspective. Although he has still retained his joyous and risk-loving side, he is now more conscious of his duties as a God and a leader, and is unlikely to let evil figures such as Mila rise once again. Eshu’s success is also mapped out in his friendship with Lara, as it mimics her arc from the previous season in many ways. The lessons she has accumulated since the end up positively influencing a real God, in turn saving the world once again.

Who is Eshu Talking to in the End?

While Eshu’s transformative arc marks its conclusion with his reinstatement as king, the final moments of the season tease that things aren’t quite over for the God of mischief. As we see him leap over hurdles and walk through a perilous snow-pathway, Eshu ultimately makes his way to a gigantic deity and bends down in prayer. Although we are never told who this figure is, it is possible that they are meant to parallel Elédùà, the supreme God in Yoruba cosmology. Once there, Eshu distributes all the masks of his fallen siblings, which are then concentrated into energy and returned to this deity. Eshu’s act appears to be reverent in nature, as he laments not being able to protect his fellow Gods.

It suggests that his final appearance on screen is not malicious, but rather meant to provide closure to his character arc, as well as serve as a fitting final send-off to the Yoruba mythos. Notably, the scene also mimics how season 1 of the show ends, where Lara and Jonah Maiva make it to the literal edge of the world, in space, where they encounter the deity known as Nu’wa. Laura returning the peril stones to their creator and keeper parallels, and likely explains what Eshu is doing in the season 2 ending.

It further strengthens the narrative ties between the two characters, as this time it is Eshu who is on a path of self-rediscovery and acceptance. His reunion with the supreme deity indicates that he is now ready to assume the role as a new God of the world, one who will utilize the powers bestowed upon him for the greater good. Lara, not being a part of this supernatural exchange, ends up humanizing her character even further, as her real battle is on the ground. With a whole new set of experiences to learn from, Lara is likely to grow more conscious of and empathetic towards the cultures she is fighting for.

What’s Next For Lara Croft? Who is the Girl in the End?

In the aftermath of the Yoruba’s showdown with Mila, we see Lara and Sam return to England, with a whole new take on what must be done with the Croft legacy. In a surprise move, Lara announces that all the historical artefacts that were unethically taken by her father are to be returned to their original owners, even if it means nearly emptying the Croft Museum. Lara’s decision also comes in light of Mila, who originally started out with similar intentions before turning to the dark. Her arc, in this sense, serves as a cautionary tale for Lara and her companions, enabling them to improve themselves. Zip, in particular, is ready for a journey of his own, as he announces that he is taking a short break to travel to Africa. This comes after Eshu’s words of wisdom about Africa’s natural and spiritual beauty, which appear to have had a profound impact on Zip. Thus, the entire crew sets out on their own paths, but are still sure to return when Lara goes on her next adventure.

While Lara, Sam, and Eshu have their respective happy endings, the final moments of the season suggest that there is an even greater antagonist in the making. Fig, having barely survived the war, makes her way to a desert, where a tomb raider appears to be waiting for her. What makes things particularly striking is a photo of their childhood, revealing that they were friends with Lara at one point. However, in their present, they appear to be brimming with hatred for Lara, as indicated by her present-day pictures with hollowed-out eyes. This mysterious figure appears to be in cahoots with Fig, planning an even bigger attack solely to bring down Lara. The last scene of the finale, which cuts right before a mysterious tomb is opened, suggests that Lara’s next battle might be a very personal one.