Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts reintroduces a magic dagger that will make OG fans happy

For better or for worse, many of Lara’s recent adventures have focused on filling out her past by connecting the 2010s Survivor Trilogy, which follows Lara’s earlier years, with the classic games from the ‘90s and into the late 2000s. However, a new comic, Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts, looks to change that by reintroducing an artifact that will make longtime fans very happy.

[Ed. note: Minor spoilers for the first issue of Tomb Raider: Sacred Artifacts.]

Set after 2008’s Tomb Raider: Underworld and written by Casey Gilly with art from Antonio Di Caprio and Taurin Clarke, Sacred Artifacts follows Lara as she reassesses her life in the burning wreckage of Croft Manor. Gilly also playfully leans into Lara as a stunning socialite as she sets about rebuilding the mansion — all while reflecting on her latest adventure in Andalusia, Spain, and her encounter with a mysterious foe.

Like Lara, her foe comes to the same abandoned tomb to look for a dagger — a very similar dagger that’s instantly recognizable to fans: The Dagger of Xian. However, despite the familiar look, Lara’s discovery here is that of its twin, the Scythian Dagger.

The Dagger of Xian was first introduced in Tomb Raider II (1997) as the main artifact that Lara’s enemies, Marco Bartoli and the Fiamma Nera cult, were after. When plunged into the heart of whoever wielded it, it would grant them the power to transform into a fire-breathing dragon. Thankfully, Lara managed to deal with both Bartoli and the cult, and by the end of the second game, the dagger was kept under lock and key in the trophy room at Croft Manor. Since then, outside a few mentions by Lara in Tomb Raider: Underworld and in the 2001 Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie, the artifact hasn’t been brought up.

So why has it appeared again in Sacred Artifacts? It turns out the dagger has a twin that could spell trouble for Lara. While the original was shaped to resemble a snake head at the pommel, this new Scythian dagger’s hilt resembles a wolf head. Considering that the latter transforms its wielder into a powerful dragon, will its twin grant the power to shapeshift into a werewolf? It might sound ludicrous, but this franchise often has Lara going up against literal gods with nothing but bullets and a few grenades. If Tomb Raider wanted to get even more supernatural by adding literal werewolves, I wouldn’t even blink.

The inclusion of a well-known artifact from the classic games in Sacred Artifacts is sure to pique the interest of fans, but it also conveys something important for the future of the Tomb Raider series: The unification of one timeline is a priority. It makes sense that, with a franchise as beloved as Tomb Raider, you want to ensure everything fits into one timeline so you can continue telling Lara Croft’s story without having to scrap everything that came before. Sacred Artifacts looks to do just that by making it abundantly clear with the inclusion of the Dagger of Xian that the events of Tomb Raider II are connected to the 2010s era, ending on an intriguing cliffhanger that has us excited for what’s in store in future issues, while also giving us a new playground to explore while we wait for Tomb Raider: Catalyst.