View source for Lara Croft

{{Short description|Fictional protagonist of Tomb Raider}}
{{about|the video game character|the American model|Laura Croft}}
{{Good article}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox character
| name           =  Lara Croft
| image          =  LaraCroftInfobox.png
| image_upright  =  1.1
| alt  =  Computer generated image of a 3D character model of a woman with a long brown braided ponytail and two pistols wearing a light blue sleeveless shirt, brown shorts, black gun holsters and brown boots.
| caption    =  Lara Croft from ''[[Tomb Raider I-III Remastered]]'' in her signature outfit worn in many games
| series     =  [[Tomb Raider]]
| firstgame  =  ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' (1996)
| creator    =  [[Toby Gard]]
| designer   = 
| lbl1       =  Voiced by
| data1      =  {{Collapsible list|title=Various|{{Plainlist|
* [[Shelley Blond]] (''Tomb Raider'', ''Unfinished Business'',  ''Reloaded'')<ref name="btva">{{cite web |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Tomb-Raider/Lara-Croft/ |title=Behind The Voice Actors – Voice of Lara Croft |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors |access-date=11 September 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924165231/http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/Tomb-Raider/Lara-Croft/ |archive-date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="thegamer">{{cite web |website=thegamer.com |url=https://www.thegamer.com/original-three-lara-croft-voices-tomb-raider-reloaded/ |title=Original Three Lara Croft Voices Join Tomb Raider Reloaded Mobile Game |date=28 October 2021 |publisher=thegamer |access-date=6 January 2022 |archive-date=6 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220106202103/https://www.thegamer.com/original-three-lara-croft-voices-tomb-raider-reloaded/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Judith Gibbins (''Tomb Raider II'' & ''III'', ''Reloaded'')<ref name="btva"/><ref name="thegamer"/>
* Jonell Elliott (''The Last Revelation'', ''Chronicles'', ''The Angel of Darkness'', ''Reloaded'')<ref name="btva"/><ref name="thegamer"/>
* [[Keeley Hawes]] (''Legend'', ''Anniversary'', ''Underworld'', ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light'', ''Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris'', ''Reloaded'', ''Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II'')<ref name="btva"/>
* Charlotte Sparey (''Legend''){{efn|Charlotte Sparey voiced a young Lara Croft in ''Tomb Raider: Legend''.<ref name="btva"/>}}
* [[Minnie Driver]] (''Revisioned: Tomb Raider'')<ref name="btva"/>
* [[Camilla Luddington]] (''Tomb Raider'' 2013, ''Rise of the Tomb Raider'', ''Shadow of the Tomb Raider'')<ref>{{cite web |website=Twitter.com |url=https://twitter.com/camilluddington/status/974297421483163648 |title=Camilla Luddington for SOTTR |publisher=Twitter |access-date=20 April 2018 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032936/https://twitter.com/camilluddington/status/974297421483163648 |url-status=live}}</ref>
* Harriet Perring (''Rise of the Tomb Raider''){{efn| Harriet Letting voiced a young Lara Croft in ''Rise of the Tomb Raider''.<ref name="btva"/>}}
* Francesca Aston (''Shadow of the Tomb Raider''){{efn|Francesca Aston voiced a young Lara Croft in ''Shadow of the Tomb Raider''.<ref name="btva"/>}}
* Abigail Stahlschmidt (''Lara Croft: Relic Run'')<ref name="btva"/>
* [[Emily O'Brien]] (''Dead by Daylight'')
* [[Hayley Atwell]] (''The Legend of Lara Croft'')
* Maggie Lowe (''The Legend of Lara Croft''){{efn|Maggie Lowe voiced a young Lara Croft in ''The Legend of Lara Croft''.<ref name="btva"/>}}
}}}}
| lbl2 = Motion capture
| data2 = {{Collapsible list|title=Various|{{Plainlist |
* Heidi Moneymaker (''Underworld'')
* Camilla Luddington (''Tomb Raider'' 2013, ''Rise of the Tomb Raider'', ''Shadow of the Tomb Raider'')
}}}}
| lbl3 = Portrayed by
| data3 = {{Plainlist |
* [[Angelina Jolie]] (''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider'', ''The Cradle of Life'')
* [[Alicia Vikander]] (2018 film)
* [[Sophie Turner]] (Amazon Series)
{{show|Other:|
* Rachel Appleton (''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider''; young)
* [[Emily Carey]] (2018 film; young)
* Maisy De Freitas (2018 film; young)
}}
}}
| origin = London, England
| nationality = English
}}
'''Lara Croft''' is a character and the main [[protagonist]] of the video game franchise ''[[Tomb Raider]]''. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British adventurer and [[archaeologist]] who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Created by a team at British developer [[Core Design]] that included [[Toby Gard]], the character first appeared in the video game ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' in 1996.

Core Design handled the initial development of the character and the series. Inspired by strong female icons, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. The company modified the character for subsequent titles, which included graphical improvements and gameplay additions. American developer [[Crystal Dynamics]] took over the series after the 2003 sequel ''[[Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness]]'' was received poorly. The new developer [[Reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] the character along with the video game series by altering her physical proportions and giving her additional ways of interacting with game environments.

Lara Croft has further appeared in video game spin-offs, printed adaptations, a series of animated short films, feature films, and merchandise related to the series. The promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model portrayals. She has been licensed for third-party promotion, including television and print advertisements, music-related appearances, and as a spokesmodel.

Critics consider Lara Croft a significant video game character in popular culture. She holds six ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', has a strong fan following, and is among the first video game characters to be successfully adapted to film.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7037574/Lara-Croft-picks-up-six-Guinness-world-records.html |title=Lara Croft picks up six Guinness world records |newspaper=Telegraph |date=21 January 2010 |access-date=18 March 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929070446/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/7037574/Lara-Croft-picks-up-six-Guinness-world-records.html |archive-date=29 September 2015}}</ref> Lara Croft is also considered a [[sex symbol]], one of the earliest in the industry to achieve widespread attention. The character's influence in the industry has been a point of contention among critics; viewpoints range from a positive agent of change in video games to a negative role model for young girls.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/19/business/video-world-is-smitten-by-a-gun-toting-tomb-raiding-sex-symbol.html |title=Video World Is Smitten by a Gun-Toting, Tomb-Raiding Sex Symbol – New York Times |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=19 January 1998 |access-date=19 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111151831/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/19/business/video-world-is-smitten-by-a-gun-toting-tomb-raiding-sex-symbol.html |archive-date=11 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4263302/Boom-raider.html |title=Boom raider |newspaper=Telegraph |access-date=19 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811171906/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/4263302/Boom-raider.html |archive-date=11 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="Edge">{{cite magazine |author=Kris Graft |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/lara-croft-sexist?page=show |title=Is Lara Croft Sexist? – Edge Magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |date=1 September 2008 |access-date=19 July 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728195902/http://www.edge-online.com/features/lara-croft-sexist/?page=show |archive-date=28 July 2014}}</ref>

== Characteristics ==
Lara Croft is depicted as an athletic woman with brown eyes and dark auburn hair, frequently kept in a [[Braid (hairstyle)|plait]] or [[ponytail]]. The character's classic costume is a turquoise leotard, light brown shorts, calf-high boots, and tall white socks. Accessories include fingerless gloves, a backpack, a utility belt with holsters on either side, and two pistols. The video game sequels introduced new outfits designed for different environments, such as underwater and cold weather. In the later games, Croft wears a [[crop top]], camouflage pants and black or light brown shorts. When exploring, she often carries two pistols, but has used other weaponry throughout the series. She is fluent in several languages.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/930/930908p1.html |title=The Many Looks of Lara Croft: Videogames |website=IGN |date=17 November 2008 |first=Jesse |last=Schedeen |access-date=17 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204212423/http://stars.ign.com/articles/930/930908p1.html |archive-date=4 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="PCGamer-166">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PC Gamer]] |publisher=[[Future US]] |author=Staff |title=She's Had Work Done |page=53 |issue=166 |date=October 2007}}</ref><ref name="CVG-2008">{{cite journal |journal=Computer and Video Games Presents |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |title=Is Tomb Raider in Deep Water? |pages=20–29 |author=Staff |year=2008 |issue=3}}</ref>

Lara's backstory has changed dramatically over the course of the series. During the first era, beginning in ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' (1996), game manuals describe the character as the [[Wimbledon, London|Wimbledon]], London-born daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft<ref>{{cite book |title=Tomb Raider III: The Adventures of Lara Croft Prima Strategy Guide |chapter=Introduction |author=Kip Ward |publisher=Prima Games |location=Roseville, California |pages=2 |isbn=0-7615-1858-4 |date=October 1998}}</ref> (Lord Richard Croft in ''Legend'' and ''Survivor'' timelines).<ref>{{cite book |title=Tomb Raider: Anniversary Prima Strategy Guide |chapter=1: Preparation for Tomb Raiding |author=David S. J. Hodgson |publisher=Prima Games |location=Roseville, California |pages=10 |isbn=978-0-7615-5886-6 |date=27 May 2007}}</ref> She was raised as a British aristocrat and betrothed to the fictitious Earl of Faringdon. Lara attended the Scottish boarding school [[Gordonstoun]] and a Swiss [[finishing school]]. At the age of twenty-one, she survived a plane crash, which left her stranded in the [[Himalayas]] for two weeks; the experience spurred her to shun her former life and seek other adventures around the world. Croft published books and other written works based on her exploits as a mercenary, big-game hunter, and master thief.<ref name="Arcade-1">{{cite journal |title=Lara Swings Again |journal=Arcade: The Videogame Magazine |issue=1 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=December 1998 |pages=46–55 |first=Jonathan |last=Smith}}</ref><ref name="GS-History">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306100124/http://www.gamespot.com/features/tombraider_hist/index.html |archive-date=6 March 2009 |title=History of Tomb Raider |website=[[GameSpot]] |first1=Fabian |last1=Blache |first2=Lauren |last2=Fielder |date=31 October 2000 |access-date=1 June 2010}}</ref> These provided her with a replacement source of income after her father [[disowned]] her over her change in lifestyle.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Polygonal Pinup|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=97 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=August 1997|pages=86–88}}</ref>

During the second era, which began with ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'' (2006), Lara's story was changed to be the daughter of archaeologist Lord Richard Croft, the Earl of Abingdon, and someone who was quickly identified as a highly talented individual while attending the Abingdon Girls School.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sMF0oGCCQhoC |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider Legend: The Complete Guide |last=Piggyback Interactive |date=2006 |publisher=[[Random House Information Group]] |isbn=9780761553243 |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122124819/https://books.google.com/books?id=sMF0oGCCQhoC |archive-date=22 January 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UZglGi-MDZIC&q=%2522Abbingdon%2520Girls%27%2520School%2522%2520%2522Lara%2520Croft%2522&pg=PT49 |title=Game Design Essentials |last=Mitchell |first=Briar Lee |date=5 March 2012 |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |isbn=9781118239339 |language=en |access-date=6 July 2016 |archive-date=13 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113040952/https://books.google.com/books?id=UZglGi-MDZIC&q=%2522Abbingdon%2520Girls%27%2520School%2522%2520%2522Lara%2520Croft%2522&pg=PT49 |url-status=live}}</ref> The plane crash was changed to when Lara was nine years old,<ref name=":0"/> and with her mother, Amelia Croft. While searching for shelter, Lara and her mother took refuge in an ancient Nepalese temple, where Lara witnesses her mother vanish after tampering with an ancient sword. Her father later disappears in search of his wife.<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Tomb Raider: Legend]] |developer=[[Crystal Dynamics]] |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] |date=7 April 2006 |platform=PlayStation 2}}</ref><ref name="IGNhistory">{{cite web |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p1.html |title=IGN Presents: The History of Tomb Raider |website=IGN |last=McLaughlin |first=Rus |date=29 February 2008 |access-date=23 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118132620/http://retro.ign.com/articles/856/856183p1.html |archive-date=18 November 2009}}</ref> This spurs Lara on to seek the reason for her mother's disappearance.

The third era, established in ''[[Tomb Raider (2013 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'' (2013), deviates from the original plot considerably. When Lara was young she travelled with her parents on many of their archaeological expeditions which helped to shape the woman she was becoming. It was on one of these expeditions that her mother, Amelia Croft, vanished and was presumed dead and when her father Richard presumably took his own life a few years later, she was then left in the care of Conrad Roth. Even though she inherited a vast fortune, giving her the means to attend [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] with ease, Lara chose to study at [[University College London]]. Though this was a much tougher choice, it helped her become more grounded and level-headed than she might otherwise have been. She also ended up meeting her best friend, Samantha Nishimura, during her time at UCL. It was because of Sam's free spirit and a wild streak that Lara was able to experience much more of London than just the universities and museums that she loved so much. After travelling the world, both Lara and Sam end up on an expedition to the Dragon's Triangle off the Japanese coast in search of the lost civilization of Yamatai. It is on this expedition that Lara is stranded on a remote island full of natural, human and supernatural dangers, which enables her to develop from an untested young woman to a survivor. After experiencing the supernatural powers of the ancient world, she comes to realise her father was right about his theories and her hunger for adventure awakens.<ref>{{cite book |title=Tomb Raider 2013 BradyGames Strategy Guide |chapter=Introduction |author=Michael Owen and Kenny Sims |publisher=BradyGAMES |location=Indianapolis, Indiana |pages=28–29 |isbn=978-0-7440-1453-2 |date=5 March 2013}}</ref>

== Character development history ==
[[File:Neneh Cherry.jpg|thumb|upright|Swedish pop artist [[Neneh Cherry]] was an early inspiration to Lara Croft's creation.]]
[[Core Design]], a subsidiary of Eidos,{{efn|In 1994, [[CentreGold]] acquired the [[Derby]]-based video game developer Core Design. Eidos subsequently acquired CentreGold in April 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/ |title="It felt like robbery": Tomb Raider and the fall of Core Design — Page 1 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=31 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126210720/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/ |archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref>}} created Lara Croft as the lead protagonist of its video game ''Tomb Raider'', which began development in 1994.<ref name=":1" /> Lead graphic artist [[Toby Gard]] went through about five designs before arriving at the character's final appearance.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |last=Howson |first=Greg |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2006/apr/18/larascreators1 |title=Lara's creator speaks |newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 April 2006 |access-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928050731/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2006/apr/18/larascreators1 |archive-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> He initially envisioned a male lead character with a whip and a hat. Core Design co-founder Jeremy Smith characterised Gard's initial design as derivative of [[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]] and asked for more originality.<ref name="dvd-doc">{{cite video |people=[[Toby Gard|Gard, Toby]]; Smith, Jeremy Heath; [[Ian Livingstone|Livingstone, Ian]] (interviews); [[Keeley Hawes|Hawes, Keeley]] (narrator) |title=Unlock the Past: A Retrospective Tomb Raider Documentary |medium=Tomb Raider Anniversary Bonus DVD |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] / [[GameTap#GameTap TV|GameTap]] |date=2007}} Also known as ''[[Ten Years of Tomb Raider: A GameTap Retrospective]]''</ref> Gard decided that a female character would work better from a design standpoint.<ref name="guardian"/> He also cited ''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter]]'' as an influence; Gard noticed that while watching people play the game, players selected one of the two available female characters in the game almost every match he saw.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Thomason |first=Steve |title=The Man Behind the Legend |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |volume=19 |issue=205 |date=July 2006 |page=72}} cf. {{cite interview |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1410480.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021215074846/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1410480.stm |title=Q&A: The man who made Lara |first=Toby |last=Gard |subject-link1=Toby Gard |work=[[BBC News Online]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=28 June 2001 |access-date=12 July 2016 |archive-date=15 December 2002 |url-status=live| quote=It became clear to me watching people play ''Virtua Fighter'', which was kind of the first big 3D-character console game, that even though there were only two female characters in the lineup, in almost every game I saw being played, someone was picking one of the two females.}}</ref> Gard expressed a desire to counter stereotypical female characters, which he has characterised as "bimbos" or "dominatrix" types.<ref name="gamed">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/the-man-behind-lara/ |title=The Man Behind Lara |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |first=Robin |last=Yang |date=27 July 2007 |access-date=5 February 2010 |archive-date=10 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110160127/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/the-man-behind-lara/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Smith was sceptical of a female lead at first because few contemporary games featured them.<ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Highscore |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/21 21–22] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/21}}</ref> He came to regard a female lead as a great hook and put faith in Gard's idea.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros"/> Inspired by pop artist [[Neneh Cherry]] and comic book character [[Tank Girl]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://games.uk.msn.com/gaming/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155890637&page=3 |title=Neneh Cherry – Weird celebrity gaming facts. |author=Verity Burns |publisher=MNS games |date=14 April 2011 |access-date=1 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418142209/http://games.uk.msn.com/gaming/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155890637&page=3 |archive-date=18 April 2011}}</ref> Gard experimented with different designs, including "sociopathic blonds, muscle women, flat topped hip-hopsters and a Nazi-like militant in a baseball cap".<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Highscore |page=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/6 6] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/6}}</ref> He settled on a tough South American latina woman with a braid named Laura Cruz.<ref name="IGNhistory"/>

Tomb Raider co-creator Paul Douglas changed her given name after consulting a baby names book, "Lara had a more interesting derivation than Laura so we chose that. Lara is from the same derivation as Larisa. Which is derived from [[Larissa]] in Greece. Which means “citadel”. I thought that would be apt for her personality—enigmatic and guarded."  Her surname was changed by scriptwriter Vicky Arnold later in development, "Cruz was changed to Croft quite a bit later in the project by Vicky. That came out of the Derby phonebook. Cruz was Spanish/Portuguese for Cross and it wasn’t too far from Cross to Croft. We must have stuck with the Cruz surname for a while as we got into the rut of referring to her as just Lara. In the first game design doc, dated December 1994, Laura is already changed to Lara but even in the final game design documents there are still places where Cruz hadn’t yet changed to Croft."<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Baxter |first=Daryl |title=The Making of Tomb Raider |publisher=White Owl |year=2021 |isbn=978-1399002059}}</ref> Along with the name change, the character's backstory was altered to incorporate a British origin.<ref name="IGNhistory" /><ref name="GWR08">{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 |date=11 March 2008 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=978-1-904994-21-3 |editor=Glenday, Craig |series=[[Guinness World Records]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/58 58–59] |chapter=Record Breaking Games: Tomb Raider |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/58}}</ref>

Gard was keen to animate the character realistically, an aspect he felt the industry at the time had disregarded.<ref name="guardian" /> He sacrificed quick animations in favour of more fluid movement, believing that players would empathise with the character more easily.<ref name="Arcade-1" /><ref name="guardian" /> Lara's dual-wielding of pistols was inspired by the film ''[[Hard Boiled]]'' and an ''[[Æon Flux]]'' short.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |last2=Jones |first2=Darran |date=December 2016 |title=Creating Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=163 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |page=24}}</ref> In the first ''Tomb Raider'', Croft's [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] (3D) [[3D modeling|character model]] is made of around 230&nbsp;[[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygons]].<ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros" /> The character's braid was removed from the model, but added back for subsequent iterations.<ref name="IGNhistory" /> Gavin Rummery, programmer on the first two ''Tomb Raider'' games, explained: "It had been dropped from the original because it just didn't work properly with all the acrobatic moves—it was more like she had an electric eel attached to her head that had a life of its own. But on TRII I came up with a way to get it working and was really pleased how natural it looked".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |last2=Jones |first2=Darran |date=December 2016 |title=20 Years of an Icon: Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=163 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |pages=16–29}}</ref> Although widely reported that, while adjusting the character model, Gard accidentally increased the breasts' dimensions by 150 percent and the rest of the creative team argued to keep the change, Gard has stated that the notion "came out of a silly remark made in an interview".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Faber |first1=Liz |title=Computer Game Graphics |date=1999 |publisher=Watson-Guptill |page=89}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cassidy |first=Ruth |date=2021 |title=Debunking The Myth That Lara Croft's Design Was The Result Of A Bug |url=https://www.thegamer.com/tomb-raider-lara-croft-design-bug-myth-2/}}</ref> Core Design hired [[Shelley Blond]] to voice Croft after the game entered the [[Software release life cycle|beta phase of development]].<ref name="IGNhistory" /> Gard left Core Design after completing ''Tomb Raider'', citing a lack of creative freedom and control over marketing decisions related to the ideas he developed (especially Lara Croft).<ref name="Arcade-1" /><ref name="IGNhistory" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/interview-with-toby-gard |title=Interview with Toby Gard |first=David |last=Jenkins |website=Gamasutra |date=23 October 1998 |access-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511164426/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131700/interview_with_toby_gard.php |archive-date=11 May 2015}}</ref>

Core Design improved and modified the character with each installment.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="CVG-2008"/> Developers for ''Tomb Raider II'' increased the number of polygons in the character's model and added more realistic curves to its design.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="PSM-1-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Tomber Raider 2 Preview |pages=44–45 |issue=1 |date=September 1997}}</ref> Other changes included new outfits and manoeuvres.<ref name="PSM-1-Preview"/> Core Design reportedly planned to implement crawling as a new gameplay option, but the option did not appear until ''Tomb Raider III''.<ref name="PSM-1-Preview"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Tomber Raider III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide |first=Kip |last=Ward |year=1998 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Rocklin, California |page=5 |isbn=0-7615-1858-4}}</ref> Actress Judith Gibbins took over voice acting responsibilities and stayed on through the third game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> For ''Tomb Raider III'', the developers increased the number of polygons in Croft's 3D model to about 300, and introduced more abilities to the gameplay.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros"/> Core Design wanted to reintroduce the character to players in ''Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation'' and included a flashback scenario with a younger Lara. The developers expanded the character's set of moves threefold to allow more interaction with the environment, like swinging on ropes and kicking open doors.<ref name="GI-78">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation Feature |pages=20–21 |issue=78 |date=October 1999}}</ref> The character model was altered to feature more realistic proportions, and Jonell Elliott replaced Gibbins as the voice of Lara Croft.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="IGNhistory"/> By the time development for ''The Last Revelation'' began, Core Design had worked on the series constantly for four years and the staff felt they had exhausted their creativeness. Feeling the series lacked innovation, Core Design decided to kill the character and depicted Croft trapped by a [[cave-in]] during the final scenes of the game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/>

The next title, ''Tomb Raider Chronicles'', depicted the late Lara Croft via her friends' flashbacks.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> The game introduced stealth attacks, which would carry over to the next game, ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness''.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> While the original development team worked on ''Chronicles'', Core Design assigned a new team to develop ''The Angel of Darkness'' for the [[PlayStation 2]].<ref name="IGNhistory"/> Anticipating innovative changes from [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|next-generation consoles]], Adrian Smith—co-founder of Core Design—wanted to reinvent the character to keep pace with the updated technology.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=7 Years of PSM |pages=37–38 |issue=88 |date=September 2004}}</ref> Core Design conducted market research, including fan polls, to aid in ''The Angel of Darkness''{{'}} development. The development team felt it could not alter the character and instead opted to place her in a situation different from previous games.<ref name="OPM-63-Lara">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |issue=63 |date=December 2002 |title=Spin: Where's Lara |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=65 |first=Karen |last=Jones}}</ref> The PlayStation 2 hardware allowed for more manoeuvres and a more detailed character model; the number of polygons in Croft's model increased to 4,400.<ref name="PSM-68-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Tomber Raider: Out of the Darkness |pages=41–46 |issue=68 |date=February 2003}}</ref><ref name="GI-146"/> The team sought to add more melee manoeuvres to better match Lara Croft's portrayal as an expert fighter in her backstory.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> Movement control was switched from the directional pad to the analogue control stick to provide more precision.<ref name="PSM-68-Preview"/> After the original team finished ''Chronicles'', it joined the development of ''The Angel of Darkness''. Excess content, missed production deadlines, and Eidos' desire to time the game's launch to coincide with the release of the 2003 ''Tomb Raider'' film resulted in what was criticized as a poorly designed game; Croft was brought back to life without explanation and the character controls lacked precision.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="OPM-93">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |author=Staff |title=Hype – Tomb Raider: Legend |pages=54–55 |issue=93 |date=June 2005}}</ref>

=== Developer switch to Crystal Dynamics ===
[[File:Toby Gard - E3 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A short-haired man with a beard standing in front of an advertisement poster. The man wears glasses and a light brown jacket over a brown top.|[[Toby Gard]], Lara Croft's original designer, left [[Core Design]] in 1997, but returned to work with [[Crystal Dynamics]] as a consultant.]]
''The Angel of Darkness'' was received poorly, prompting Eidos—fearing financial troubles{{efn|Eidos sought another company to acquire it due to poor financial health in 2004, in a response to which it was acquired by [[SCi Games]] the year after.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/3/ |title="It felt like robbery": Tomb Raider and the fall of Core Design — PAge 3 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=31 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126210813/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/3/ |archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref>}} from another unsuccessful game—to give development duties for future titles to [[Crystal Dynamics]], another Eidos subsidiary.<ref name="OPM-93"/><ref name="PSM-77">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=The Next Tomb Raider |pages=57–60 |issue=77 |date=November 2003}}</ref> The ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' development team began work on a new title (''Tomb Raider: Legend''), which would essentially reboot the franchise, significantly changing her origin story, with Toby Gard returning to work as a consultant.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="GI-146">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend Preview |pages=80–81 |issue=146 |date=June 2005}}</ref> The development team reassessed the brand value of the franchise and its protagonist. Chip Blundell, Eidos's vice-president of brand management, commented that the designers understood that fans saw the character and brand as their own, rather than Eidos's.<ref name="OPM-93"/> With that in mind, the team retooled the franchise and character to emphasise aspects of the original game that made them unique.<ref name="OPM-93"/><ref name="GI-148">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider Legend Preview |page=87 |issue=148 |date=August 2005}}</ref> The storyline intended for a trilogy of games that started with ''The Angel of Darkness'' was abandoned and a new plot was created for ''Legend''.<ref name="OPM-93"/>

Crystal Dynamics focused on believability rather than realism to re-develop the character, posing decisions around the question, "What could Lara do?", and giving her action more freedom.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=October 2008 |issue=11 |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |page=48 |first=Gary |last=Steinman}}</ref> The designers updated Lara Croft's move set to make her movements appear more fluid and continuous. The animations were also updated so the character could better interact with environmental objects.<ref name="GI-146"/> The developers introduced a feature that causes the character's skin and clothing to appear wet after swimming and dirty after rolling on the ground.<ref name="GI-146"/><ref name="PSM-105">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |first=Kaiser |last=Hwang |title=Tomb Raider: Legend Preview |pages=44–45 |issue=105 |date=Winter 2005}}</ref> Responding to criticism directed at the character controls in ''The Angel of Darkness'', Crystal Dynamics redesigned the character's control scheme to provide what it felt was the best third-person action experience.<ref name="OPM-93"/> The developers also introduced close-quarter melee manoeuvres.<ref name="PTOM-3">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=January 2008 |issue=3 |title=Tomb Raider 8 Preview |pages=20–22 |first=Randy |last=Nelson}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics updated the character model to add more realism, but retained past design elements.<ref name="GI-146"/><ref name="PSM-105"/> The polygon count increased to over 9,800. More attention was paid to the character's lip synching and facial expressions to allow for dynamic emotional responses to in-game events.<ref name="GI-146"/> In redesigning the character's appearance, Crystal Dynamics updated Croft's hairstyle, wardrobe, and accessories. Her shirt was changed to a V-neck crop top, her body was given more muscle tone, and her hair braid was switched to a ponytail.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="OPM-93"/> The voice actor for Lara Croft was initially rumoured to be [[Rachel Weisz]], but the role was eventually given to [[Keeley Hawes]].<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/rachel-weisz-voice-lara-croft |title=Rachel Weisz to Voice Lara Croft? |first=Scott |last=Sharkey |website=1UP.com |date=12 January 2006 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017081854/http://www.1up.com/news/rachel-weisz-voice-lara-croft |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/news-snips-0224 |title=News Snips 02/24 |author=Staff |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |date=23 February 2006 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=15 January 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115033913/http://www.edge-online.com/news/news-snips-0224/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Crystal Dynamics retained the design changes for the next game, ''Tomb Raider: Anniversary'', a remake of the first game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="GI-165-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider Anniversary Preview |pages=72–73 |issue=165 |date=January 2007}}</ref> The designers aimed to portray Croft with more emotional depth, and focused on the character's desire to achieve the end goal of the game, culminating in killing one of the antagonists. The developers used the death to evoke guilt in Croft afterward and illustrate that shooting a person should be a difficult choice.<ref>{{cite video game |title=Tomb Raider: Anniversary |developer=Crystal Dynamics |publisher=Eidos Interactive |date=2007 |level=Natla's Mine commentary}}</ref>

[[File:Keeley Hawes phone pic 08.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A blond haired woman in a white dress facing right with a large group of people in the background.|[[Keeley Hawes]] portrayed Lara in the most games, starting with ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'' in 2006.]]
''Tomb Raider: Underworld'' continued the plot line established in ''Legend''.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> Crystal Dynamics used new technology to improve the character for [[Seventh generation of video game consoles|seventh-generation consoles]], focusing on improving realism. The dirt accumulation and water cleansing [[Game mechanics|mechanic]] from ''Legend'' was altered to be a [[Real-time computer graphics|real-time]] mechanic that can involve the entire game environment.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="Play-GoG5-5">{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |title=The Evolution of an Icon |issue=5 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |author=Staff |year=2008|volume=5}}</ref><ref name="GI-183">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |pages=74–75 |issue=183 |date=July 2008}}</ref> To achieve a more natural appearance, the developers added [[spherical harmonics]] to provide indirect lighting to in-game objects like Lara Croft.<ref name="GI-183"/> Crystal Dynamics made the character model more complex and detailed than previous instalments, featuring more texture layers that determine the appearance of shadows and reflective light on it, and using [[skeletal animation]] to portray believable movement.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> The number of polygons in the model increased to 32,000.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/06/lara-croft_3a00_-the-evolution.aspx?PostPageIndex=5 |title=Lara Croft: The Evolution |magazine=Game Informer |first=Meagan |last=Marie |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=27 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211051905/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/06/lara-croft_3a00_-the-evolution.aspx?PostPageIndex=5 |archive-date=11 December 2010}}</ref> The developers enhanced Croft's facial model by increasing the number of polygons, bones used in the animation skeleton, and graphical shaders in the face to add more detail and expressive capabilities. The hair was created as a real-time cloth [[Computer simulation|simulation]] to further add realism to its shape and movement. The developers kept Croft's hair tied back because they felt a real person would not want it flying around while performing dangerous manoeuvres.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> The character's body size was increased and breast size reduced to portray more realistic proportions.<ref name="CVG-2008"/>

The developers tried to redefine Lara Croft's actions by questioning what they felt the character was capable of.<ref name="GI-178">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |pages=66–67 |issue=178 |date=February 2008}}</ref> While previous games used hand-animated movement for the character, ''Underworld'' introduced [[motion capture]]-based animation to display more fluid, realistic movement and facial expressions.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="GI-183"/><ref name="PTOM-9">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=August 2008 |issue=9 |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |page=48 |first=Rob |last=Smith}}</ref> Stuntwoman and Olympic Gold medalist Heidi Moneymaker was the motion capture actress, and advised the designers on practical movements.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> Animators adjusted and blended the recorded animation to create seamless transitions between the separate moves and their simultaneous combinations.<ref name="GI-178"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld |page=95 |author=Staff |date=Christmas 2008 |issue=196}}</ref> The blends and additional animations give the character more flexible movement.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> Actions were overlapped to allow for multitasking, such as aiming at two separate targets and shooting with one hand while the other holds an object collected from the environment.<ref name="PTOM-3"/><ref name="GI-178"/> Other additions include more melee attacks, as well as contextual offensive and climbing manoeuvres.<ref name="GI-178"/><ref name="Edge-186">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld |pages=34–35 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=March 2008 |issue=186}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics sought to make the visual appearance of the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]] versions identical, although the systems used different techniques to achieve this.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> In response to ''Underworld''{{'}}s lackluster sales figures, Eidos reportedly considered altering the character's appearance to appeal more to female fans.<ref name="GI-191">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Connect: Lara Croft's Makeover |page=28 |issue=191 |date=March 2009}}</ref>

=== Publisher switch to Square Enix ===
{{Quote box |width=35% |quote="After crafting the biography, our goal was to make her as believable and relatable as possible. We wanted to make a girl that felt familiar, but still has a special quality about her. Something about the way her eyes look and the expression on her face makes you want to care for her. That was our number one goal. We wanted to have empathy for Lara, and at the same time show the inner strength that made clear she was going to become a hero". |source=—Brian Horton, senior art director of Crystal Dynamics, on the second reboot<ref name="GI-213"/>}}
Japanese game company [[Square Enix]] acquired Eidos in April 2009, restructuring Eidos into [[Square Enix Europe]].<ref name="EidosAcq">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tombraider8/news.html?sid=6213037 |title=Square Enix retires Eidos publishing label |first=Tom |last=Magrino |website=GameSpot |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923050708/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tombraider8/news.html?sid=6213037 |archive-date=23 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="CVG-Eidos">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/219021/news/square-enix-europe-formed/ |title=Square Enix Europe formed |magazine=Computer and Video Games |author=Staff |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026000238/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/219021/square-enix-europe-formed/ |archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics remained as developer of the ''Tomb Raider'' games.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/04/news-lara-croft_2700_s-new-adventure.aspx |title=Lara Croft's New Adventure |magazine=Game Informer |first=Matthew |last=Kato |date=4 March 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708074155/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/04/news-lara-croft_2700_s-new-adventure.aspx |archive-date=8 July 2010}}</ref> ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light'' introduced cooperative  gameplay to the series, a move that brand director Karl Stewart said was meant to "show [Lara] as a more humanistic character" by placing her in a situation that differed from previous instalments. The game uses the same technology featured in the studio's past ''Tomb Raider'' games.<ref name="Euro-Prev"/> Despite the changes implemented in the titles, Crystal Dynamics believed that the series required further reinvention to stay relevant.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/14/the-history-of-crystal-dynamics.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |title=The History of Crystal Dynamics |magazine=Game Informer |first=Matt |last=Miller |date=14 December 2010 |access-date=27 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217133612/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/14/the-history-of-crystal-dynamics.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |archive-date=17 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="GI-213">{{cite magazine |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=GameStop |title=Tomb Raider |first=Meagan |last=Marie |issue=213 |date=January 2011 |pages=42–51}}</ref>

In late 2010, Square Enix announced a franchise reboot titled ''[[Tomb Raider (2013 video game)|Tomb Raider]]''; the new Lara Croft would be a darker, grittier reimagining of the character.<ref name="GI-213"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/07/tomb-raider-rebooted |title=Tomb Raider reboot brings new Lara Croft |magazine=[[Wired News]] |first=Mark |last=Brown |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205105123/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/07/tomb-raider-rebooted |archive-date=5 February 2011}}</ref> In examining the character, Crystal Dynamics concluded that Croft's largest failing was her "Teflon coating", and that it needed a more human version that players would care about.<ref name="GI-213"/> The studio sought a new voice actress, trialling dozens of relatively unknown performers.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcasts/archive/2010/12/21/special-edition-podcast-tomb-raider.aspx |title=Special Edition Podcast: Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=Game Informer Show |host=Helgeson, Matt; Stewart, Karl; and Longo, Tim |date=21 December 2010 |access-date=21 December 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223155908/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcasts/archive/2010/12/21/special-edition-podcast-tomb-raider.aspx |archive-date=23 December 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Lara Croft (2013).png|thumb|upright|Lara Croft's redesign as she appears in the 2013 reboot]]
The second reboot focuses on the origin of the character, and as a result, changes the previous back story. Staff opted to first work on the character's biography rather than cosmetic aspects. Crystal Dynamics sought to avoid the embellished physique of past renditions and pushed for realistic proportions. In redesigning the character's appearance, the designers began with simple concepts and added features that it felt made Lara Croft iconic: a ponytail, "M-shaped" lips, and the spatial relationship between her eyes, mouth, and nose. The company also changed the character's wardrobe, focusing on what it believed was more functional and practical. In designing the outfits, staff aimed to create a look that was "relevant" and "youthful", but not too "trendy" or "hip". To gauge the redesign, Crystal Dynamics conducted [[eye tracking]] studies on subjects who viewed the new version and previous ones.<ref name="GI-213"/> [[Camilla Luddington]] voiced Lara Croft in the reboot.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/interview_with_lara_croft_voice_mSrzGWjl71fjc1RuBUJ2uM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502004940/http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/interview_with_lara_croft_voice_mSrzGWjl71fjc1RuBUJ2uM |archive-date=2 May 2013 |title=Interview with Lara Croft voice actress Camilla Luddington |last=Sulla-Heffinger |first=Anthony |work=[[New York Post]] |publisher=News Corporation |date=3 April 2013 |issn=1090-3321}}</ref>

Similar to ''Underworld'', the new ''Tomb Raider'' features motion capture-based animation. In an effort to present realism and emotion in the character, Crystal Dynamics captured face and voice performances to accompany the body performances. The company revamped Croft's in-game combat abilities. Crystal Dynamics aimed to make the "combat fresh to the franchise, competitive amongst [similar games], and relevant to the story". Among the changes is the implementation of a free aiming system. The studio reasoned that such a system would cause players to be more invested in the action by fostering a "raw, brutal, and desperate" style. Global brand director Karl Stewart stated that such desperation relates to the updated character's inexperience with violence. He further commented that Lara Croft is thrust into a situation where she is forced to kill, which will be a traumatic and defining moment for her.<ref name="GI-213"/>

== Appearances ==
{{See also|List of Tomb Raider media}}

=== In video games ===
Lara Croft primarily appears in the ''[[Tomb Raider]]'' video game series published by [[Square Enix Europe]] (previously [[Eidos Interactive]]). The [[action-adventure game]]s feature the protagonist travelling the world in search of rare objects and mystical artefacts.<ref name="VirtSed-Games">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Tomb Raider |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/122 122–123] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/122}}</ref> Croft first appeared in the 1996 video game ''[[Tomb Raider (1996 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'', in which she competes against a rival archaeologist in search of an [[Atlantis|Atlantean]] artefact.<ref name="VirtSed-Games"/><ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Tomb Raider]] |developer=[[Core Design]] |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] |platform=PlayStation |date=November 1996}}</ref> ''[[Tomb Raider II]]'' (1997) centres on the search for the Dagger of Xian, which is sought by thieves. ''[[Tomb Raider III]]'' (1998) focuses on meteorite fragments that endow humans with supernatural powers. In ''[[Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation]]'' (1999), the first depiction of a young Croft, she is accompanied by her mentor, Werner Von Croy.<ref name="VirtSed-Games"/> Lara searches for artefacts associated with the Egyptian god [[Horus]], and later encounters Von Croy as an antagonist.<ref name="VirtSed-Games"/><ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation]] |developer=[[Core Design]] |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] |platform=PlayStation |date=November 1999}}</ref> In ''[[Tomb Raider: Chronicles]]'' (2000), most of the game relates adventures told via flashbacks.<ref name="GS-History"/> The first portable game, ''[[Tomb Raider (Game Boy Color)|Tomb Raider]]'' (2000), was released on the [[Game Boy Color]], and follows the character's search for the Nightmare Stone.<ref name="VirtSed-Games"/> A second Game Boy Color title, ''[[Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword]]'' (2001), sees Lara Croft facing off against a cult.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166498p1.html |title=Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword |website=IGN |date=6 July 2001 |first=Craig |last=Harris |access-date=1 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323100714/http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/166/166498p1.html |archive-date=23 March 2010}}</ref> The next portable game, ''[[Tomb Raider: The Prophecy]]'' (2002), was released on the [[Game Boy Advance]], and focuses on three magical stones.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gba/action/laracrofttombraidertp/review.html |title=Tomb Raider: The Prophecy Review |website=[[GameSpot]] |first=Frank |last=Provo |date=2 December 2002 |access-date=2 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806132051/http://www.gamespot.com/gba/action/laracrofttombraidertp/review.html |archive-date=6 August 2010}}</ref> ''[[Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness]]'' (2003) was released on home platforms, centring on the murder of Professor Von Croy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6071468/index.html |title=Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Game Guide |website=[[GameSpot]] |first=Doug |last=Radcliffe |access-date=2 June 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228182710/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6071468/index.html |archive-date=28 February 2010}}</ref>

Eidos [[reboot (fiction)|rebooted]] the series with ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'' (2006), which focuses on Lara Croft's search for [[Excalibur]] and her mother, altering the character's backstory as part of the redesign. ''[[Tomb Raider: Anniversary]]'' (2007), a remake of the first game in the series, carried over design elements from ''Legend''.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> ''[[Tomb Raider: Underworld]]'' (2008) continues the plot introduced in ''Legend''. The story centres on Croft's search for information about her mother's disappearance. In the process she learns of the existence of [[Thor]]'s hammer, [[Mjölnir]].<ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Tomb Raider: Underworld]] |developer=[[Crystal Dynamics]] |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] |platform=Xbox 360 |date=November 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ps3.ign.com/articles/931/931785p1.html |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Review |date=19 November 2008 |first=Jeff |last=Haynes |website=IGN |access-date=14 May 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317022344/http://ps3.ign.com/articles/931/931785p1.html |archive-date=17 March 2011}}</ref> ''[[Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light]]'' (2010) is a [[Downloadable content|downloadable game]] that is set in a Central American jungle, and features an ancient warrior who works with Lara Croft.<ref name="Euro-Prev">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-hands-on |title=Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Preview |first=Ellie |last=Gibson |website=[[Eurogamer]] |date=18 March 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604020513/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/lara-croft-and-the-guardian-of-light-hands-on |archive-date=4 June 2010}}</ref> In 2013, the series was rebooted a second time with the game ''[[Tomb Raider (2013 video game)|Tomb Raider]]'', which retold the story of Lara's origins and began a new continuity.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/113/1138626p1.html?_ |title=New Tomb Raider Unveiled |last=Robinson |first=Martin |work=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] |date=6 December 2010 |access-date=6 December 2010}}</ref> Its sequel ''[[Rise of the Tomb Raider]]'' was released in 2015, and the third game, ''[[Shadow of the Tomb Raider]]'', in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vg247.com/2015/06/15/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-release-date-announced/ |title=Rise of the Tomb Raider release date announced, gameplay footage shown |first=Sherif |last=Saed |work=[[VG247]] |date=15 June 2015 |access-date=3 February 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925051548/http://www.vg247.com/2015/06/15/rise-of-the-tomb-raider-release-date-announced/ |archive-date=25 September 2015}}</ref>

Outside of ''Tomb Raider''. Lara Croft also appears as a Diana DLC crossover skin in the fighting game ''[[Brawlhalla]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Good|first=Owen|date=1 March 2020|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/1/21160164/brawlhalla-lara-croft-tomb-raider-crossover-event-skins-stage-ps4-xbox-one-pc-nintendo-switch|title=Ubisoft/Tomb Raider crossovers continue with Lara Croft in Brawlhalla|publisher=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|access-date=4 October 2020|archive-date=7 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007173904/https://www.polygon.com/2020/3/1/21160164/brawlhalla-lara-croft-tomb-raider-crossover-event-skins-stage-ps4-xbox-one-pc-nintendo-switch|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=McFerran|first=Damien|date=26 February 2020|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/02/tomb_raiders_lara_croft_is_joining_brawlhalla|title=Tomb Raider's Lara Croft Is Joining Brawlhalla|publisher=[[Nintendo Life]]|access-date=4 October 2020|archive-date=10 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201010171723/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/02/tomb_raiders_lara_croft_is_joining_brawlhalla|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, Croft makes a cameo appearance in the [[PlayStation 5]] game ''[[Astro's Playroom]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamepur.com/guides/every-cameraman-reference-in-astros-playroom|title=Every cameraman reference in Astro's Playroom|website=Gamepur|language=en|access-date=12 November 2020|archive-date=9 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209122822/https://www.gamepur.com/guides/every-cameraman-reference-in-astros-playroom|url-status=live}}</ref> Lara Croft appears in ''[[Fortnite Battle Royale]]''{{'s}} sixth season of the second chapter and was featured in a "Team Up!" mode with [[Aloy]] from ''[[Horizon Zero Dawn]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Phillips, Tom|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-16-fortnites-new-battle-pass-includes-lara-croft|title=Fortnite's New Battle Pass Includes Lara Croft|date=16 March 2021|website=[[Eurogamer]]|access-date=16 March 2021|archive-date=16 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316102404/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-03-16-fortnites-new-battle-pass-includes-lara-croft|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/aloy-from-horizon-zero-dawn-arrives-in-fortnite-this-week|title=ALOY FROM HORIZON ZERO DAWN ARRIVES IN FORTNITE THIS WEEK|website=Epic Games|language=en|access-date=14 April 2021|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413223247/https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/news/aloy-from-horizon-zero-dawn-arrives-in-fortnite-this-week|url-status=live}}</ref> Lara Croft also made an appearance in ''[[Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022 video game)|Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II]]''{{'}}s Season 5 Reloaded update.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/27/full-intel-on-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-ii-and-warzone-season-05-out-august-2/|title=Full intel on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone Season 05, out August 2|date=27 July 2023|website=PlayStation|access-date=28 July 2023|archive-date=27 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230727232152/https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/27/full-intel-on-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-ii-and-warzone-season-05-out-august-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Lara Croft appears as a playable character in ''[[Hero Wars (video game)|Hero Wars: Alliance]]'' and ''Hero Wars: Dominion Era'' as part of a special time-limited event.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tombraider.com/news/collaborations/lara-croft-raids-the-world-of-hero-wars-in-a-special-limited-time-event|title=Lara Croft Raids the World of Hero Wars in a Special Limited-Time Event|website=TombRaider.com|language=en|access-date=6 April 2024}}</ref> Croft became a playable survivor in the asymmetrical horror game ''[[Dead by Daylight]]'' in the ''Tomb Raider'' DLC on 16 July 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lyles |first=Taylor |date=2024-06-25 |title=Tomb Raider's Lara Croft Is the Newest Survivor Joining the Dead by Daylight Roster |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/tomb-raiders-lara-croft-is-the-newest-survivor-joining-the-dead-by-daylight-roster |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>

=== In films ===
{{multiple image|footer=[[Angelina Jolie]] (left) portrayed Lara Croft in the 2001 and 2003 original films. [[Alicia Vikander]] (right) played the character in the 2018 reboot film. |image1=Angelina Jolie Cannes 2011.jpg |alt1=A brown haired woman looking away from the camera. |image2=Alicia Vikander - Tokyo International Film Festival 2019 (49013506278) (cropped).jpg |alt2=A brown haired woman looking at the camera.|total_width=350}}

[[Paramount Pictures]] acquired the film rights for ''Tomb Raider'' in 1998,<ref name="VirtSed-Short">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Shortcuts |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/110 110–111] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/110}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Tidbits... |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=107|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=June 1998|page=21}}</ref> and released ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]'' in 2001. Producer [[Lloyd Levin]] stated that the filmmakers tried to capture the essence of the video game elements rather than duplicate them. Acknowledging the character's "huge fan base" and recognisable appearance, director [[Simon West]] sought an actress with acting ability as well as physical attributes similar to Croft.<ref name="Film-Visi">{{cite web |url=http://www.visimag.com/exclusive/fb3_laratomb_display.htm |title=The Movie – Lara Croft: Tomb Raider |publisher=[[Visual Imagination]] |date=June 2001 |first=Anwar |last=Brett |access-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528124407/http://www.visimag.com/exclusive/fb3_laratomb_display.htm |archive-date=28 May 2011}}</ref> Paramount also received input from developer Core Design on casting.<ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros"/> Rumoured actresses included [[Pamela Anderson]], [[Demi Moore]] and [[Jeri Ryan]].<ref name="VirtSed-Short"/> Academy Award-winning actress [[Angelina Jolie]] was eventually cast to play Lara Croft. She had not been a fan of the character, but considered the role as a "big responsibility", citing anxiety about fans' high expectations.<ref name="GWR08"/><ref name="SB-274">{{cite journal |journal=[[Starburst (magazine)|Starburst]] |title=Team Raider |publisher=[[Visual Imagination]] |first=Anwar |last=Brett |date=June 2001 |issue=274 |url=http://www.visimag.com/starburst/274_display_f.htm |access-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528134419/http://www.visimag.com/starburst/274_display_f.htm |archive-date=28 May 2011}}</ref> Producer [[Lawrence Gordon (producer)|Lawrence Gordon]] felt she was a perfect fit for the role. Jolie braided her hair and used minimal padding to increase her bust a cup size to 36D for the role.<ref name="Film-Visi"/><ref name="OPM-78">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |title=Coming Attractions |page=47 |issue=78 |date=March 2004 |first=John |last=Gaudiosi}}</ref> She felt that Croft's video game proportions were unrealistic, and wanted to avoid showing such proportions to young girls. Jolie trained rigorously for the action scenes required for the role, occasionally sustaining injuries.<ref name="Film-Visi"/> Her training focused on practising the physical skills necessary to perform the film's stunts.<ref name="SB-274"/> The difficulty of the training and injuries discouraged her, but she continued working through production. Jolie also encountered difficulties when working the guns, bungee jumping, and maneuvering with the braid.<ref name="Film-Visi"/> West had not anticipated that Jolie would do her own stunts, and was impressed, as was stunt coordinator Simon Crane, by the effort she put into them.<ref name="Film-Visi"/><ref name="SB-274"/>

Angelina Jolie reprised her role for a sequel, ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life]]''.<ref name="MTV-CradleOfLife">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/231574/moviemain.jhtml |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life |publisher=MTV |author=Staff |access-date=15 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221021327/http://www.mtv.com/movies/movie/231574/moviemain.jhtml |archive-date=21 February 2009}}</ref> Directed by [[Jan de Bont]], the 2003 film focused more on the character's development.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |issue=63 |date=December 2002 |title=Spin: Now Playing |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=72 |first=John |last=Gaudiosi}}</ref> De Bont praised Jolie's understanding of Lara Croft, as well as the character's strength, saying he "hates women in distress". Producer Levin commented that the film staff tried to handle the character properly, and consulted with the video game developers on what would be appropriate.<ref name="OPM-63-Lara"/> Despite the second film's poor reception, Paramount remained open to releasing a third.<ref name="OPM-78"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-film |title=Third Tomb Raider Film Likely in the Works |first=Philip |last=Kollar |website=1UP.com |date=14 May 2007 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018215930/http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-film |url-status=dead}}</ref> Jolie was still optioned to play the character in a third film as late as 2007, though she had commented in 2004 that she had no intention of reprising the role again.<ref name="AccessHolly">{{cite web |url=http://www.accesshollywood.com/lara-croft-lives-on-in-tomb-raider-reboot-is-angelina-jolie-involved_article_44932 |title=Lara Croft Lives on In 'Tomb Raider' Reboot |author=Staff |publisher=Access Hollywood |date=8 March 2011 |access-date=9 March 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311091002/http://www.accesshollywood.com/lara-croft-lives-on-in-tomb-raider-reboot-is-angelina-jolie-involved_article_44932 |archive-date=11 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-films-hold |title=Tomb Raider Films on Hold |first=Patrick |last=Klepek |website=1UP.com |date=3 March 2006 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=18 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018215946/http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-films-hold |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Development for a third film was announced in 2009, with [[Dan Lin]] as the producer. Lin intended to reboot the film series with a young Croft in an origin story.<ref name="PTOM-25">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=November 2009 |issue=25 |title=Hollywood Remains Game Crazy |page=57 |first=John |last=Gaudiosi}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-film-reboot-origin |title=Tomb Raider Film Reboot To Be An Origin Story |first=Kat |last=Bailey |website=1UP.com |date=19 May 2009 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=12 July 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120712002541/http://www.1up.com/news/tomb-raider-film-reboot-origin |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2011, [[Olivia Wilde]] denied rumours that she would play the role, but still expressed interest.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/new-tomb-raider-movie-gets-iron-man-writers-olivia-wilde-denies-rumors-that-shes-the-next-lara-croft/ |title=New Tomb Raider movie gets Iron Man writers. Olivia Wilde denies rumors that she's the next Lara Croft |first=Tom |last=Goulter |date=5 May 2011 |publisher=GamesRadar |access-date=23 August 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320230617/http://www.gamesradar.com/new-tomb-raider-movie-gets-iron-man-writers-olivia-wilde-denies-rumors-that-shes-the-next-lara-croft/ |archive-date=20 March 2012}}</ref> The film, originally meant for a 2013 release,<ref name="AccessHolly"/> was to be produced by [[Graham King]], written by [[Marti Noxon]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://variety.com/2013/film/news/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-marti-noxon-tomb-raider-mgm-1200496236/ |title=Marti Noxon to Rev Up 'Tomb Raider' Reboot for MGM (EXCLUSIVE) |author=Justin Kroll |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=12 June 2013 |access-date=12 June 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615195719/http://variety.com/2013/film/news/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-marti-noxon-tomb-raider-mgm-1200496236/ |archive-date=15 June 2013}}</ref> and produced by [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] in partnership with King's studio GK Films. [[Alicia Vikander]] was cast in 2016 to play Lara in the next film adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alicia-vikander-star-as-lara-888593 |title=Alicia Vikander to Star as Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider' |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=28 April 2016 |access-date=29 September 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160828131755/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/alicia-vikander-star-as-lara-888593 |archive-date=28 August 2016}}</ref> ''[[Tomb Raider (film)|Tomb Raider]]'', directed by [[Roar Uthaug]], was released in 2018 and takes inspiration mostly from the rebooted series that started in 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/14/17119790/tomb-raider-movie-review-2018-alicia-vikander |title=The 2018 Tomb Raider movie dials down the franchise's tackiness |author=Tobias, Scott |date=14 March 2018 |website=The Verge |access-date=19 March 2018 |archive-date=18 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318092705/https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/14/17119790/tomb-raider-movie-review-2018-alicia-vikander |url-status=live}}</ref> A sequel was in development,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/misha-grenn-tomb-raider-sequel-mgm-alicia-vikander-1234891945/|title=Misha Green to Make Feature Directorial Debut With 'Tomb Raider' Sequel for MGM|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=25 January 2021|archive-date=26 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126040946/https://variety.com/2021/film/news/misha-grenn-tomb-raider-sequel-mgm-alicia-vikander-1234891945/|url-status=live}}</ref> but was cancelled in July 2022 after MGM lost the film rights to the franchise due to its expiration.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 28, 2022 |title=Tomb Raider Bidding War Erupts as MGM Loses Film Rights |url=https://www.thewrap.com/mgm-tomb-raider-movie-rights-bidding-war-exclusive/ |access-date=July 29, 2022 |website=[[The Wrap]] |archive-date=29 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729000850/https://www.thewrap.com/mgm-tomb-raider-movie-rights-bidding-war-exclusive/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== In other adaptations ===
Beginning in 1997, the character regularly appeared in comics by [[Top Cow Productions]]. Lara Croft first appeared in a crossover in [[Sara Pezzini]]'s ''[[Witchblade]]'', and later starred in her [[Tomb Raider (comics)|own comic book series]] in 1999.<ref name="OPM-71">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |author=Staff |title=Spin: Toon Raider |page=50 |issue=71 |date=August 2003}}</ref> The series began with [[Dan Jurgens]] as the writer, featuring artwork by [[Andy Park (artist)|Andy Park]] and Jon Sibal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2461005.html |title=Tomb Raider Gets Monthly Comic |first=Joe |last=Fielder |website=GameSpot |date=8 September 1999 |access-date=8 March 2010 |archive-date=13 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113040951/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/tomb-raider-gets-monthly-comic/1100-2461005/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The stories were unrelated to the video games until issue 32 of the ''Tomb Raider'' series, which adapted ''Angel of Darkness''{{'}}s plot.<ref name="OPM-71"/> The series ran for 50 issues in addition to special issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.topcow.com/comics/25/all |title=All Tomb Raider Issues |publisher=Top Cow Productions |author=Staff |access-date=12 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617102124/http://www.topcow.com/comics/25/all |archive-date=17 June 2008}}</ref> Other printed adaptations are ''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Amulet of Power'', a 2003 novel written by [[Mike Resnick]]; ''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Lost Cult'', a 2004 novel written by [[E. E. Knight]]; and ''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Man of Bronze'', a 2005 novel written by [[James Alan Gardner]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Man of Bronze |first=James |last=Gardner |author-link=James Alan Gardner |publisher=[[Random House]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-345-46173-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Lost Cult |year=2004 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-345-46172-8 |author=[[E. E. Knight]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Amulet of Power |year=2003 |publisher=Ballantine |isbn=978-0-345-46171-1 |first=Mike |last=Resnick |url=https://archive.org/details/amuletofpowerlar00mike}}</ref>

[[GameTap]] released ''[[Revisioned: Tomb Raider]]'' in 2007 via the GameTap TV section of its website. The [[web series]] is a collection of ten short animated films that features re-imagined versions of Croft by well-known animators, comic book artists, and writers, including [[Jim Lee]], [[Warren Ellis]], and [[Peter Chung]].<ref name="IGN-ReVisioned">{{cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/objects/949/949229.html |title=Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider |website=IGN |author=Staff |access-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426055309/http://tv.ign.com/objects/949/949229.html |archive-date=26 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13995 |title=Gametap To Debut Tomb Raider Doc, Animated Series |first=Jason |last=Dobson |date=17 May 2007 |website=Gamasutra |access-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101110194015/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=13995 |archive-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> Episodes ranged from five to seven and half minutes in length, featuring [[Minnie Driver]] as Croft.<ref name="IGN-ReVisioned"/><ref name="IGN-AnimatedOrigins">{{cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/803/803551p1.html |title=IGN Exclusive: Lara Croft's Animated Origins |first=Eric |last=Goldman |date=11 July 2007 |website=IGN |access-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213233626/http://tv.ign.com/articles/803/803551p1.html |archive-date=13 December 2010}}</ref> The creative staff was given considerable freedom to re-interpret the character; they did not consult the video game designers, but were given a guide listing acceptable and unacceptable practices.<ref name="IGN-AnimatedOrigins"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/809/809041p1.html |title=SDCC 07: Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider Panel |first=Robert |last=Canning |date=29 July 2007 |website=IGN |access-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226114627/http://tv.ign.com/articles/809/809041p1.html |archive-date=26 December 2010}}</ref> [[Hayley Atwell]] voices Lara in the [[Netflix]] animated series, ''[[Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hayley Atwell To Voice Lara Croft In Netflix's 'Tomb Raider' Anime Series|url=https://deadline.com/2021/09/hayley-atwell-lara-croft-netflix-anime-series-cast-1234831769/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|date=13 September 2021|access-date=13 September 2021|archive-date=13 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913141002/https://deadline.com/2021/09/hayley-atwell-lara-croft-netflix-anime-series-cast-1234831769/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Promotion and merchandising ==
Eidos's German branch and the KMF agency handled marketing for Lara Croft.<ref name="VirtSed-Spirits">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=The Spirits That Called Her |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/95 95–98] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/95}}</ref> According to Eidos, no [[focus group]]s or scientific studies were consulted when devising the marketing strategy for the character.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Sex Sells |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=96 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=July 1997|page=118}}</ref> Eidos marketing manager David Burton oversaw marketing efforts, which attempted to portray the character as attractive and pleasant. However, interaction with the press, especially those in Europe, resulted in less clothing depicted in promotional images.<ref name="Arcade-1"/> Concerned with diluting Croft's personality, Eidos avoided products it felt did not fit the character.<ref name="VirtSed-Spirits"/> [[Ian Livingstone]], Eidos's product acquisition director, commented that the company declines most merchandising proposals. He stated that Eidos primarily focused on game development and viewed such promotion outside video games as exposure for the character.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6161633.html |title=Q&A: Ian Livingstone on 10 years of Lara |first=Emma |last=Boyes |website=GameSpot |date=14 November 2006 |access-date=8 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224125356/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6161633.html |archive-date=24 February 2010}}</ref> Following Square Enix's acquisition, Eidos's marketing duties were transferred to the Square Enix Europe subsidiary.<ref name="EidosAcq"/><ref name="CVG-Eidos"/> As part of the second reboot, Crystal Dynamics planned to align all products, promotions, and media ventures with its new version of the character.<ref name="GI-213"/>

Lara Croft has appeared on the cover of multiple video game magazines.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |author=Staff |title=PlayStation Magazine cover |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=December 1997 |issue=4}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=PlayStation Magazine cover |issue=68 |date=February 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |author=Staff |title=Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming cover |issue=5 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |year=2008|volume=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Official UK PlayStation Magazine |issue=108 |date=March 2004 |title=Official UK PlayStation Magazine cover |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff}}</ref> The character has also been featured on the cover of non-video game publications such as British style magazine ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]'', American news magazines [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] and ''[[Newsweek]]'', German magazine [[Focus (German magazine)|''Focus'']], and the front page of British newspaper the ''[[Financial Times]]''.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="VirtSed-Short"/><ref name="GWR08"/><ref name="PSM-4-Feature">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |author=Staff |title=Girls & Games |pages=69–71 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=December 1997 |issue=4}}</ref> Eidos licensed the character for third party advertisements, including television ads for [[Visa Inc.|Visa]], [[Lucozade]] drinks, [[G4 (American TV channel)|G4 TV]], ''Brigitte'' magazine, and [[SEAT]] cars (Seat Ibiza, Seat Cordoba, Seat Alhambra and Seat Arosa).<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="VirtSed-Short"/><ref name="GWR08"/><ref name="GI-78"/> ''Retro Gamer'' staff attributes Croft's "iconic" status in part to the Lucozade commercials, calling them one of the most memorable advertisements to use video game elements.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Retro Gamer]] |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Advert Rising |page=84 |issue=60}}</ref> Picture advertisements appeared on the sides of double-decker buses and walls of subway stations.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/> Irish rock band [[U2]] commissioned custom renders for video footage displayed on stage in its 1997 PopMart tour.<ref name="GWR08"/><ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/><ref name="VirtSed-Stage">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Lara on Stage |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/90 90–93] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/90}}</ref> German punk band [[Die Ärzte]]'s 1998 music video for "Men are Pigs" ({{langx|de|link=no|"[[Männer sind Schweine]]"}}) also features Croft. Music groups have dedicated songs to the character, culminating in the release of the album ''A Tribute to Lara Croft''. Bands and artists including [[Depeche Mode]], [[Moby]], [[Faith No More]], [[Jimi Tenor]], and [[Apollo 440]] donated their songs for the album.<ref name="VirtSed-Stage"/> In conjunction with the release of the 2001 film adaptation, Eidos licensed Lara Croft free-of-charge to the Gordonstoun boarding school for a commercial. The school approached Eidos about use of the character. Eidos allowed the one-time licence due to Core Design's inclusion of Gordonstoun in Croft's fictional biography without the school's permission.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1418106.stm |title=Lara's school days on big screen |work=BBC News |author=Staff |date=2 July 2001 |access-date=18 May 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214003304/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1418106.stm |archive-date=14 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/lara-croft-offers-gordonstoun-a-lift-676318.html |title=Lara Croft offers Gordonstoun a lift |first=Andrew |last=Hibbard |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=2 July 2001 |access-date=18 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215114355/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/lara-croft-offers-gordonstoun-a-lift-676318.html |archive-date=15 December 2010}}</ref> Near the end of 2006, Lara Croft became the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of [[Minden, Nevada]] as part of its Sun Smart Teen Program. The foundation felt that the character personified the benefits of a healthy body, and that young teenagers could relate to Croft.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Lara Croft Selected as Spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation |url=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/tombraidervii/news.html?sid=6148964 |publisher=GameSpot |date=4 May 2006 |access-date=8 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912084221/http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/tombraidervii/news.html?sid=6148964 |archive-date=12 September 2007}}</ref>

Lara Croft's likeness has been a model for merchandise. The first action figures were produced by [[Marvel Toys|Toy Biz]], based on the video game version of the character.<ref name="GS-History"/><ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/> [[Playmates Toys]] released a series of action figures that depict Croft in different outfits and accessories from the video games, later producing figures modelled after Jolie for ''Lara Croft: Tomb Raider''.<ref name="GS-History"/><ref name="SB-274"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |author=Staff |title=Monitor: In Related News |page=17 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=May 2001 |issue=45}}</ref> Graphic designer Marc Klinnert of Studio OXMOX released {{frac|6}}-[[scale model]] kits of the character, and later built a full-scale version.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=With A Paintbrush and Pistol! |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/36 36–40] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/36}}</ref> ''Arcade: The Videogame Magazine'' and ''PlayStation Magazine'' promoted life-size Croft statues as contest prizes.<ref name="Arcade-1"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=The Big Contest: Lara Croft Mannequin |page=92 |issue=116 |date=November 2006}}</ref> Spurred by a rumour that Eidos provided Lara Croft autographs, fans wrote to the company to obtain them. The quantity prompted Eidos to quickly produce autographed cards to meet demand.<ref name="VirtSed-Spirits"/> ''Tomb Raider: Underworld'' [[Theme (computing)|themes]] and [[Wallpaper (computing)|wallpapers]] featuring the character were released for the PlayStation 3.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |title=PlayStation Network: Get Free Stuff |page=87 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=April 2009 |issue=18}}</ref> [[Xbox Live Marketplace]] released [[Avatar (Xbox)|Xbox 360 avatars]] in conjunction with ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/lara-croft-avatar-items-and-premium-theme-coming-to-marketplace/ |title=Lara Croft Avatar items and premium theme coming to Marketplace |publisher=Joystiq |first=Griffin |last=McElroy |date=24 July 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310062208/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/07/24/lara-croft-avatar-items-and-premium-theme-coming-to-marketplace/ |archive-date=10 March 2011}}</ref> Eidos released a brand of Lara Croft apparel and accessories, marketed under the label "LARA". The line included wallets, watches, bathrobes, and [[Zippo]] lighters.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Goodies |page=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/41 41] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/41}}</ref> Other third-party apparel are hiking boots, backpacks, leather jackets, and thermoses.<ref name="GS-History"/> Croft's likeness has also appeared on French postage stamps, PlayStation memory cards, and [[trading card]]s as part of a [[collectible card game]].<ref name="GS-History"/><ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2465319.html |title=Memory Cards With Personality |first=Mike |last=Hamlett |website=GameSpot |date=27 October 1998 |access-date=8 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6139969.html |title=France puts game icons on stamps |first=Tim |last=Surette |website=GameSpot |date=16 November 2005 |access-date=8 March 2010}}</ref> In October 1997, Eidos held an [[art exhibition]] titled "Lara Goes Art" in [[Hamburg]], Germany to promote ''Tomb Raider II''. The exhibit featured selected artwork of the character submitted by artists and fans. Pieces included oil and airbrushed paintings, [[photo comics]], and Klinnert's model; SZM Studios provided the [[Computer-generated imagery|computer-generated footage]] it had created for Die Ärzte's music video and the ''Brigitte'' magazine television commercial.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Lara Goes Art |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/36 36–40] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/36}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Smooth Moves |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/78 78–80] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/78}}</ref>

=== Promotional models ===
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| image1 = JillDeJong.jpg
| alt1 = A full-body picture of a dark-haired woman dressed in a black, sleeveless shirt and brown, camouflage shorts holding a silver gun.
| caption1 = [[Jill de Jong]]
| width1 = 100
| image2 = Karima Adebibe as Lara Croft - Games Convention 2007.jpg
| alt2 = A half-body picture of a brunette woman dressed in a light blue, sleeveless shirt holding a stack of papers.
| caption2 = [[Karima Adebibe]]
| width2 = 149
| image3 = Alison Carroll 6.jpg
| alt3 = A close-up picture of a brunette woman dressed in a brown and black, sleeveless sports shirt.
| caption3 = [[Alison Carroll]]
| width3 = 195
| footer = Many models have portrayed Lara Croft for promotional appearances, earning the character a Guinness World Record for the "most official real-life stand-ins".<ref name="GWR08"/>
}}

Eidos hired several models to portray Lara Croft at publicity events, promotions, trade shows, and photo shoots.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="IGN-Models">{{cite web |url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/906/906093p1.html |title=The Many Looks of Lara Croft – Live Action |website=IGN |last=Schedeen |first=Jesse |date=28 August 2008 |access-date=23 July 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106180424/http://stars.ign.com/articles/906/906093p1.html |archive-date=6 January 2010}}</ref> Initially Eidos employed four models to dress as Lara for a photo call at a trade event, but after witnessing the unusually large crowd the models drew, they decided to expand the concept by casting a single official Lara who would role-play the character.<ref name=NGen36>{{cite magazine |title=The Most Popular Woman in the World! |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=36|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=December 1997|pages=9–13}}</ref> Nathalie Cook was the first model to assume the role individually, portraying the character from 1996 to 1997. Cook was followed by British actress [[Rhona Mitra]] from 1997 to 1998. Eidos then updated the Croft costume to match its video game depiction.<ref name="IGN-Models"/> Core Design said they restricted Mitra's dialogue as the character, only allowing her to answer questions in-character if Core had reviewed the questions ahead of time and scripted answers.<ref name=NGen36/> French model [[Vanessa Demouy]] succeeded Mitra for a brief time until fashion model [[Nell McAndrew]] took over the role at the 1998 [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]].<ref name="GS-History"/> McAndrew was selected from around 150 women who auditioned for the role. Afterward, the model was surprised she was picked despite auditioning with a shaved head at the time.<ref>{{Cite magazine| title = Profile: Neil McAndrew| last=Bielby| first=Matt| author-link=Matt Bielby |url=http://archive.org/details/Arcade_Issue_02_1999-01_Future_Publishing_GB |magazine=Arcade |date=January 1999 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]]| location = Bath, Somerset, United Kingdom| issue=2 |publication-date=January 1999 |page=41}}</ref> McAndrew portrayed Croft from 1998 until 1999, when Eidos fired her for posing in ''[[Playboy]]'', which used the character and ''Tomb Raider'' franchise to promote the McAndrew's issue without Eidos's approval.<ref name="IGN-Models"/> Core Design was granted an [[injunction]] against the magazine to protect the character's image; ''Playboy'' was ordered to place stickers on the cover of the issue to conceal the reference to ''Tomb Raider''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/2566059.html |title=Ex-Lara Croft Model Gets the Sticker |first=Micheal |last=Mullen |website=GameSpot |date=14 July 1999 |access-date=8 March 2010}}</ref> Eidos later donated McAndrew's Tomb Raider costume to a [[UNICEF]] charity auction.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=GI News: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly |page=26 |issue=110 |date=June 2002}}</ref>

Lara Weller followed McAndrew from 1999 to 2000. Subsequent models were Lucy Clarkson from 2000 to 2002 and [[Jill de Jong]], who wore a costume based on Lara Croft's new appearance in ''Angel of Darkness'' from 2002 to 2004. [[Karima Adebibe]] became the model from 2006 to 2008, and wore a costume based on the updated version of Croft in ''Legend''.<ref name="IGN-Models"/> She was the first model Eidos allowed to portray Lara Croft outside posing for photography. To prepare for the role, Adebibe trained in areas the character was expected to excel in like combat, motorcycling, elocution, and conduct.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4907224.stm |date=15 May 2006 |title=Being Lara Croft |first=Phil |last=Elliott |publisher=BBC News |work=[[BBC Radio 5 Live]] |access-date=9 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100608031025/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4907224.stm |archive-date=8 June 2010}}</ref> Gymnast [[Alison Carroll]] succeeded Adebibe in 2008 and featured apparel based on the character's appearance in ''Underworld''.<ref name="IGN-Models"/> Similar to Adebibe, Carroll received special training—[[Special Air Service]] (SAS) survival, weapons, and archaeology—to fill the role.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2541270/New-Lara-Croft-unveiled-for-latest-Tomb-Raider-video-game.html |title=New Lara Croft unveiled for latest Tomb Raider video game |first=Anita |last=Singh |date=11 August 2008 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=10 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913121221/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2541270/New-Lara-Croft-unveiled-for-latest-Tomb-Raider-video-game.html |archive-date=13 September 2008}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics discontinued the use of models as part of the franchise's second reboot.<ref name="GI-213"/> The number of models prompted ''[[Guinness World Records]]'' to award the character an official record for the "most official real life stand-ins" in 2008.<ref name="GWR08"/>

== Reception and legacy ==
Lara Croft's introduction was widely regarded as an innovation in the video game market,{{efn|Sources include.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="ArtOfCharacters-1">{{cite book |title=The Art of Game Characters |first=Leo |last=Hartas |edition=18th |publisher=Harper Design |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-06-072431-3 |page=30}}</ref><ref name="TIME-Behind"/><ref>{{cite book |title=The Art of Game Characters |first=Leo |last=Hartas |edition=18th |publisher=Harper Design |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-06-072431-3 |page=50}}</ref>}} with Rob Smith of ''[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]]'' describing her as a video game icon of that generation of games.<ref name="PTOM-9"/> ''[[IGN]]'' credited a rise in PlayStation sales in part to Croft's debut on the system,<ref name="IGNhistory"/> and ''PlayStation Magazine'' attributed the first title's success to the character.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=The Top 25 PlayStation Games of All Time |page=34 |issue=1 |date=September 1997}}</ref> ''[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]]'' stated alternatively that ''Tomb Raider''{{'}}s PlayStation success propelled the character to prominence, making her a mascot for the system.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |author=Staff |title=Happy Birthday PlayStation |page=102 |issue=96 |date=September 2005}}</ref> ''PlayStation Magazine'' credits coverage in the ''Financial Times'' in 1997 as the starting point of the character's mainstream attention.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/> Jeremy Smith commented that the ''Financial Times'' is "a very serious, sober, broadsheet newspaper, and hardly the place you might expect Lara to be 'discovered'. But Eidos had announced its latest financial results, which were great results, and so the ''Financial Times'' had decided to put Eidos on the front page. They'd been given some Eidos information and artwork, and they decided to use Lara to illustrate their news piece". He further said that Eidos had not actively courted Lara's early magazine cover appearances or otherwise actively promoted the character at the time.<ref name=NGen36/> As years progressed, Lara Croft's popularity declined due to a string of poorly received video game sequels.<ref name="GI-148"/><ref name="PSM-126"/> ''The Angel of Darkness'' is often cited as the character's low point.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="GI-165-Preview"/><ref name="GI-182">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=This Month in Gaming History |page=108 |issue=182 |date=June 2008}}</ref> IGN editor Colin Moriarty stated that while she began as an intelligent and strong female character, her games grew bland and Lara Croft became more like a "virtual blow-up doll".<ref>{{cite web |title=Wednesday 10: Video Game Characters That Should Die |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/955/955082p1.html |website=IGN |first=Colin |last=Moriarty |access-date=7 August 2009 |date=18 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221145807/http://wii.ign.com/articles/955/955082p1.html |archive-date=21 February 2009}}</ref>

Crystal Dynamics' rendition of Croft in ''Legend'' garnered wide, though not universal, praise; many publications described the portrayal as a successful reboot. ''Game Informer'' named Lara Croft the number six top video game hero of 2006, citing the character's successful reprise in popularity.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Top 50 Games of 2006 |page=55 |issue=165 |date=January 2007}}</ref> The magazine cited the character's alterations in ''Legend'' as the reason for her resurgent success.<ref name="GI-191"/><ref name="GI-182"/> Chris Slate of ''PlayStation Magazine'' lauded the character changes in ''Legend'', commenting that "Lara is finally back". He praised Eidos's decision to switch developers and Crystal Dynamics' contributions, especially the character's new gameplay manoeuvres and updated appearance.<ref name="PSM-109">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |first=Chris |last=Slate |title=Tomb Raider Legend Review |pages=58–64 |issue=109 |date=April 2006}}</ref> Others, such as Schedeen and ''[[GamePro]]''{{'}}s Patrick Shaw, felt that the makeover did not improve the character.<ref name="IGN-Overrated"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |title=Tomb Raider: Legend Review |pages=84–85 |issue=106 |date=July 2006 |first=Dana |last=Jongewaard}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/205548/the-8-worst-game-character-makeovers-ever/ |title=The 8 Worst Game Character Makeovers Ever |magazine=[[GamePro]] |first=Patrick |last=Shaw |date=22 July 2008 |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607061847/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/205548/the-8-worst-game-character-makeovers-ever/ |archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref> Fans also disapproved of the changes, especially the switch from the braid.<ref name="CVG-2008"/>

Dr. Mark Griffiths of [[Nottingham Trent University]] described Lara Croft as a psychological [[tabula rasa]].<ref name="Arcade-1"/> [[Richard Rouse III|Richard Rouse]] of ''[[Midway Games]]'' attributed the character's appeal to a loosely defined personality, which permits players to imprint their own onto her.<ref>{{cite book |title=[[Game Design: Theory and Practice]] |edition=2nd |chapter=Storytelling |pages=218–219 |first=Richard |last=Rouse |publisher=Wordware Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=1-55622-912-7}}</ref> Jeremy Smith stated that the minimal personality allows players to form a relationship with the character, and that rather than taking on the role of the character they were sharing the game's experience with her.<ref name=NGen36/> Burton added that Croft is perceived differently around the world. French demographics focus on her sex appeal, while German and British audiences are drawn to her aggressiveness and aloofness, respectively.<ref name="Arcade-1"/> [[Fansite]]s dedicated to Lara Croft appeared on the internet in several languages after the release of ''Tomb Raider'', and contained official and fan-created images of Croft, model photographs, and [[fan fiction]] starring the character.<ref name="VirtSed-Internet">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Lara's Home in Cyberspace |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/59 59–63] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/59}}</ref> More than 100 such sites were present by the end of 1998.<ref name="Arcade-1"/> By 2000, search engine [[HotBot]] yielded around 4,700 pages for a search of the character's name. Admirers discussed rumours related to Lara Croft via [[usenet newsgroup]]s and [[ICQ]] chats.<ref name="VirtSed-Internet"/> Enthusiasts collected merchandise and paraphernalia, submitted [[fan art]] to video game magazines, participated in Croft [[cosplay]], and obtained tattoos depicting the character.<ref name="GI-79"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Pulse Fandom |page=28 |issue=92 |date=Winter 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Envelope Art |page=9 |issue=79 |date=November 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |author=Staff |title=Letters: Fandom |pages=94–95 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=April 2007 |issue=122}}</ref> One admirer rode a bike over {{convert |500 |mi}} from [[Amsterdam]] to [[Derby]] wearing Lara Croft-brand clothing to meet the developers, who welcomed him after learning of the trip.<ref name="CVG-2008"/>

[[File:Lara Croft star, Walk of Game.JPG|thumb|Lara's star at the [[Walk of Game]]]]

Lara Croft holds a ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Record]]'' as the "most recognized female video game character",<ref name="GWR08"/><ref>{{cite book |editor=Glenday, Craig |title=Guinness World Records 2009 Gamer's Edition |series=[[Guinness World Records]] |date=3 February 2009 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=978-1-904994-45-9 |page=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_o9k7/page/22 22] |chapter=Hardware |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec0000unse_o9k7/page/22}}</ref> and received a star on the [[Walk of Game]] in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.walkofgame.com/inductees/inductees.html |title=2006 Walk of Game Inductees |work=WalkOfGame.com |publisher=Metreon |author=Staff |access-date=20 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080702165340/http://www.walkofgame.com/inductees/inductees.html |archive-date=2 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6139956.html |title=Sid Meier, John Carmack walk the Walk |website=GameSpot |author=Staff |date=16 November 2005 |access-date=8 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626160646/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6139956.html |archive-date=26 June 2009}}</ref> Magazines, including ''Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition'', have also described her as one of the iconic<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-characters/|title=50 iconic video game characters|first=Rachel|last=Weber|date=November 8, 2021|website=gamesradar|access-date=17 November 2021|archive-date=30 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130073904/https://www.gamesradar.com/best-game-characters/|url-status=live}}</ref> and best female video game character of all time.{{efn|Several publications have listed her as one of the best video game characters.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Joal |title=30 best female video game characters, ranked |url=https://www.cnet.com/pictures/20-best-female-video-game-characters-ever-ranked/ |website=[[CNET]] |access-date=13 July 2021 |language=en |date=13 October 2016 |archive-date=13 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713203716/https://www.cnet.com/pictures/20-best-female-video-game-characters-ever-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/Default.asp?film=5 |title=The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters – 5. Lara Croft |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=2 August 2013 |first1=James |last1=Dyer |first2=David |last2=McComb |first3=Alastair |last3=Plumb |first4=David |last4=Scarborough |date=26 May 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925211853/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=5 |archive-date=25 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Loveridge |first1=Sam |title=Most iconic female game characters of all time, ranked |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a803948/most-iconic-female-game-characters-of-all-time-ranked/ |website=[[Digital Spy]] |access-date=13 July 2021 |language=en |date=8 August 2016 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408210049/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a803948/most-iconic-female-game-characters-of-all-time-ranked/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/27/20974490/greatest-video-game-characters-2019-2010-skyrim-witcher-splatoon |title=The 70 best video game characters of the decade |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |last=Colin |first=Campbell |date=27 November 2019 |access-date=30 December 2019 |archive-date=1 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101231120/https://www.polygon.com/features/2019/11/27/20974490/greatest-video-game-characters-2019-2010-skyrim-witcher-splatoon |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/30-mejores-heroes-ultimos-30-anos-816865|title=Los 30 mejores héroes de los últimos 30 años|date=March 2021|access-date=22 September 2021|archive-date=24 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924043336/https://www.hobbyconsolas.com/reportajes/30-mejores-heroes-ultimos-30-anos-816865/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} ''Game Informer'' commented that the character is well liked around the world, particularly in England.<ref name="GI-78"/> ''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' described Croft as "one of today's premier videogame and movie heroes", and ''Play'' magazine described her as "3D gaming's first female superstar".<ref name="OPM-71"/><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |title=Lara Croft |issue=3 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |author=Staff |page=8 |year=2006}}</ref> Hartas called Croft one of the most famous game women, praising her independence.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Art of Game Characters |first=Leo |last=Hartas |edition=18th |publisher=Harper Design |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-06-072431-3 |page=72}}</ref> Karen Jones of ''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' described the character as "one of the biggest stars on the PlayStation".<ref name="OPM-63-Lara"/> In 1998, ''PlayStation Magazine'' commented that Lara Croft was one of the most memorable characters on the PlayStation console, and echoed a similar statement in 2004.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |title=What Makes a Good Game? |pages=31–32 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=February 1998 |issue=6}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=PSOne Hundred Million |page=46 |issue=88 |date=September 2004}}</ref> [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] magazine writer Chris Taylor called her "the foundation of one of the most successful franchises in video-game history".<ref name="TIME-Behind">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |title=The Man Behind Lara Croft |first=Chris |last=Taylor |date=6 December 1999 |volume=154 |issue=23 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,992753,00.html |access-date=17 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028184307/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C992753%2C00.html |archive-date=28 October 2010}}</ref>

=== Sex symbol ===
Lara Croft has become a [[sex symbol]] for video games, despite Toby Gard's intentions for her to be sexy "only because of her power".<ref name="gamed"/> ''Time'' magazine's Kristina Dell considered her the first sex symbol of video games.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |publisher=[[Time Inc.]] |volume=165 |issue=19 |title=From Geek to Chic in 33 Years |first=Kristina |last=Dell |date=15 May 2005 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1061499,00.html |access-date=27 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100922034359/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1061499%2C00.html |archive-date=22 September 2010}}</ref> Schedeen stated that Croft is among the first video game icons to be accepted as a mainstream sex symbol.<ref name="IGN-Overrated"/> Robert Ashley of ''Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine'' described Lara Croft as the first video game character openly thought of as sexy, and attributed the appearance of similar 3D characters to her.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |title=The Secret History of Videogame Sex |first=Robert |last=Ashley |issue=101 |date=February 2006 |url=http://www.1up.com/features/videogame-sex |access-date=29 March 2011 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604170056/http://www.1up.com/features/videogame-sex |url-status=dead}}</ref> Several publications listed big breasts as one of the character's most famous attributes.{{efn|Sources include.<ref name="PSM-126"/><ref name="Play-GoG1"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |title=Smart Bomb: Rejected Tomb Raider Movie Slogans |page=101 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=February 2001 |issue=42}}</ref>}} After interviewing players in 1998, Griffiths commented that players regularly mention Croft's breasts when discussing her.<ref name="Arcade-1"/> In 2008, the character was first and second on two UGO Networks lists of hottest video game characters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/video-game-hotties-lara-croft |title=Top 50 Videogame Hotties |publisher=UGO Networks |author=Staff |date=25 November 2008 |access-date=9 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325230647/http://www.ugo.com/games/video-game-hotties-lara-croft |archive-date=25 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/gaming-girls-lara-croft |title=Top 11 Girls of Gaming |publisher=UGO Networks |author=Staff |date=15 January 2008 |access-date=17 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224022447/http://www.ugo.com/games/gaming-girls-lara-croft |archive-date=24 February 2010}}</ref> ''[[GameDaily]]'' placed Lara Croft number one on a similar list that same year,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-hottest-game-babes/?page=51 |title=Top 50 Hottest Game Babes on Trial |publisher=GameDaily |first=Chris |last=Buffa |date=21 March 2008 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703131811/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-hottest-game-babes/?page=51 |archive-date=3 July 2008}}</ref> and ''PlayStation: The Official Magazine'' awarded her honourable mention for Game Babe of the Year.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |title=Games of the Year '08 |page=49 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=February 2009 |issue=16}}</ref> Croft has appeared in several issues of ''Play''{{'}}s Girls of Gaming special and ''PlayStation Magazine''{{'}}s Swimsuit special.{{efn|The character has appeared in several issues of Play's Girls of Gaming special and PlayStation Magazine's Swimsuit special.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/><ref name="Play-GoG1">{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |title=Lara Croft: Tomb Raider |issue=1 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |author=Staff |pages=62–63 |year=2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |title=Lara Croft – Tomb Raider: Underworld |issue=6 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |author=Staff |page=58 |year=2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |title=PSM Swimsuit Special |page=48 |issue=72 |date=June 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=2005 Swimsuit Special |pages=56–68 |issue=101 |date=September 2005}}</ref>}} Layouts portray the character partially nude, in bikinis, and in revealing cocktail dresses,<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Lara Photo Shoot: At Play |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/82 82–89] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/82}}</ref> though ''Tomb Raider: Underworld''{{'}}s creative director Eric Lindstrom criticised such poses as out of character.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> He further stated that they conflict with Croft's popular strengths, and felt that fans respond more strongly to images of the character dressed more conservatively than to ones with provocative poses.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> ''PlayStation Magazine''{{'}}s staff agreed, commenting that better use of the character's sex appeal would please fans more.<ref name="PSM-77"/>

Male players have performed in-game actions to make Lara Croft repeatedly say phrases and view closer camera angles of her bust, while pornography featuring the character has been distributed via the internet.{{efn|Several sources have claimed Croft being involved in pornography.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/><ref name="1UP-50essential"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/top-10-videogame-characters |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719113901/http://www.1up.com/features/top-10-videogame-characters |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 July 2012 |title=Top 10 Videogame Characters |website=1UP.com |author=Staff |date=28 November 2005 |access-date=9 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/the-people-who-make-brutal-video-game-porn-1690892332 |title=The People Who Make Brutal Video Game Porn |publisher=Kotaku.com |date=24 January 2015 |access-date=1 July 2015 |archive-date=6 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150706230051/http://kotaku.com/the-people-who-make-brutal-video-game-porn-1690892332 |url-status=live }}</ref>}} After the first game's release, rumours appeared on the internet about a [[Cheat codes|cheat code]] to remove the character's clothes. Despite Core Design's denial of such a code, the rumour persisted, fuelled by manipulated nude images.<ref name="GI-79">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider The Last Revelation Preview |page=54 |issue=79 |date=November 1999}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Gossip: Rumor Smasher |page=18 |issue=1 |date=September 1997}}</ref> The rumour lingered by the time ''Legend'' was released.<ref name="PSM-109"/><ref name="GI-79"/><ref name="GP-Lies">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/30666/secrets-lies/ |title=Secrets & Lies |first=Dan |last=Elektro |magazine=[[GamePro]] |date=7 August 2003 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607150749/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/30666/secrets-lies/ |archive-date=7 June 2011}}</ref> ''PlayStation Magazine'' featured an April Fool's parody of Croft and the rumoured code referred to as "Nude Raider".<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |title=Old-Skool Secrets of PSM: 10th Anniversary Edition |page=96 |author=Staff |date=September 2007 |issue=127}}</ref> Fans developed [[Patch (computing)|software patches]] to remove Lara Croft's clothing in the personal computer game releases.<ref name="1UP-50essential">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tomb-raider |title=The Essential 50 Archives |editor=Parish, Jeremy |website=1UP.com |year=2004 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604165740/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-tomb-raider |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="GP-Lies"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/gaming-evolution-lara-croft |title=Gaming Evolution – Lara Croft |website=1UP.com |author=Staff |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604165805/http://www.1up.com/features/gaming-evolution-lara-croft |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/f/20-kickass-mods/a-20071219132644438089/p-5 |title=20 Kickass Mods |first=Tyler |last=Nagata |publisher=[[GamesRadar]] |date=19 December 2007 |access-date=9 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615191032/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/20-kickass-mods/a-20071219132644438089/p-5 |archive-date=15 June 2011}}</ref>

{{Quote box |width=35% |quote="It was a defining moment for me as I watched her strut seductively across my screen and into the sex symbol status that would turn the gaming world on its head. Fast-forward eight years through the evolution of next-gen hardware, multimillion-dollar budgets, and massive acceptance of games in pop culture. Still, Lara Croft continues to personify an ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification". |source=[[1UP.com]]'s Zoe Flowers on Lara Croft's icon status in 2005<ref name="1UP-GettingGirl"/>}}

Reactions from groups have been mixed. The journal ''[[Leonardo (journal)|Leonardo]]'' noted some [[feminist]]s' negative reaction to her design; though males were identifying with their feminine side through Croft, she reinforced unrealistic ideals about the female body.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Schleiner |first=Anne-Marie |year=2001 |title=Does Lara Croft Wear Fake Polygons? Gender and Gender-role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games |journal=[[Leonardo (journal)|Leonardo]] |volume=34 |issue=3 |page=223 |publisher=[[MIT Press|MIT Publishing]] |doi=10.1162/002409401750286976 |s2cid=57569354 |url=http://browse.reticular.info/text/collected/leonardo/Does%20Lara%20Croft%20Wear%20Fake%20Polygons%20Gender%20and%20Gender-Role%20Subversion%20in%20Computer%20Adventure%20Games.pdf |access-date=27 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215012630/http://browse.reticular.info/text/collected/leonardo/Does%20Lara%20Croft%20Wear%20Fake%20Polygons%20Gender%20and%20Gender-Role%20Subversion%20in%20Computer%20Adventure%20Games.pdf |archive-date=15 February 2010}}</ref> Australian feminist scholar [[Germaine Greer]] criticised her as an embodiment of male fantasies.<ref>{{cite book |author=Greer, Germaine |author-link=Germaine Greer |title=The Whole Woman |url=https://archive.org/details/wholewoman00gree |url-access=registration |publisher=Doubleday |year=1999 |isbn=0-385-60016-X}}</ref> In 1996, ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' argued that rather than altering the state of women in games, Croft simply continued the trend of female characters in video games being large-breasted and scantily clad in an effort to appeal to the predominately male gaming audience, which had the overall impact of teaching gamers to see women as sex objects.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Racy Issues |magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]] |issue=89 |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |date=December 1996 |page=334}}</ref> ''PlayStation Magazine'' staff commented that Croft could be seen as either a role model for young independent girls or the embodiment of a male adolescent fantasy,<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Tomber Raider 2 Preview |pages=70–71 |issue=3 |date=November 1997}}</ref> though they later stated that the character does little to attract female demographics and was obviously designed with a male audience in mind.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/> The magazine's editors also criticised Core Design's hypocritical attempts to downplay the character's sex appeal in public statements while releasing advertisements that prominently featured Lara Croft's sexuality.<ref name="PSM-77"/> Graphic artist [[Heather Gibson (game developer)|Heather Gibson]] attributed the "sexism" to participation from Eidos's marketing department.<ref name="Arcade-1"/>

Author Mark Cohen attributed Lara Croft's eroticism among male fans to the character's appearance and a male protective instinct. German psychologist Oscar Holzberg described the protective behaviour as the result of the opportunity to act as a hero in virtual worlds and a fear of powerful, emancipated women.<ref name="VirtSed-Toy">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=The Desire of the Toy |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/106 106–109] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/106}}</ref> Jonathan Smith of ''Arcade: The Videogame Magazine'' similarly noted that male players often see themselves as "chivalrous protectors" while playing the game.<ref name="Arcade-1"/> Holzberg further stated that the lower psychological investment inherent to virtual characters is more comfortable for males. Cohen affirmed that despite blatant male appeal, Croft garnered a serious female audience. Eidos estimated that by 2000 female consumers comprised 20–25&nbsp;percent of ''Tomb Raider'' game purchases.<ref name="VirtSed-Toy"/> Jeremy Smith argued that the series attracted more female players to video gaming, especially in Japan. Smith believed that Croft does not alienate prospective female players, representing an emancipated heroine and not simply an attractive character.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/><ref name="VirtSed-Toy"/> According to Adrian Smith, the character was also popular with younger demographics that did not view her sexually.<ref name="TIME-Behind"/> Cohen reasoned that Croft differs from other erotic characters and attractive leads, as the ''Tomb Raider'' games also feature rich action, impressive graphics, and intelligent puzzles; other such characters were unsuccessful because the game content was lacking.<ref name="VirtSed-Toy"/> [[Amy Hennig]] of developer [[Naughty Dog]] and Griffiths echoed similar statements.<ref name="Arcade-1"/><ref name="1UP-GettingGirl">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3137700 |title=Getting the Girl |website=1UP.com |date=9 January 2005 |first=Zoe |last=Flower |access-date=23 June 2010 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017222639/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3137700 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[GamesRadar]]'' editor Justin Towell nonetheless commented that he couldn't imagine a ''Tomb Raider'' game without a sexualised female lead.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/f/sexualisation-of-games-characters/a-20100308113512723069 |title=Sexualisation of games characters |first=Justin |last=Towell |publisher=GamesRadar |date=8 March 2010 |access-date=9 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615191043/http://www.gamesradar.com/f/sexualisation-of-games-characters/a-20100308113512723069 |archive-date=15 June 2011}}</ref>

Griffith described Lara Croft as a flawed female influence. He stated that though the character is a step in the right direction, too many women view her as a "crudely realised male fantasy figure".<ref name="Arcade-1"/> Women in the video game industry describe the character as both a positive and negative influence. Ismini Roby of ''WomenGamers.com'' commented that Croft was not a sexist influence in 1996, attributed to the lack of prominent female characters in video games at the time. She stated that the over-sexualized appearance was overlooked because the character was a "breath of fresh air", but Roby felt that though Lara Croft's proportions have become more realistic, the character's personality was diluted by the developer's actions to appeal to a male audience. LesbianGamers.com's Tracy Whitelaw called the character a dichotomy, stating that though Croft is viewed as "idealized" with an "unattainable body", the character was a great stride for the propagation of female characters as video game protagonists.<ref name="Edge"/>

=== Cultural impact ===
Lara Croft's 1996 debut is often cited as a catalyst for more female leads in video games.<ref name="GI-146"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Breakthrough Games |page=50 |issue=73 |date=July 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/834/834707p1.html |title=Tomb Raider: Anniversary Review |website=IGN |first=Matt |last=Casamassina |date=13 November 2007 |access-date=5 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615081751/http://wii.ign.com/articles/834/834707p1.html |archive-date=15 June 2010}}</ref> Kaiser Hwang of ''PlayStation Magazine'' commented that she "brought [[girl power]]" to video games.<ref name="PSM-105"/> [[IGN]] argued that Croft helped redefine gender in video games by providing a different interpretation of what women could do.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://games.ign.com/articles/100/1002062p1.html |title=The Wednesday 10: Gaming Heroines |author=IGN PlayStation Team |date=8 July 2009 |website=IGN |access-date=5 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090711232915/http://games.ign.com/articles/100/1002062p1.html |archive-date=11 July 2009}}</ref> Several publications have used her as the standard to which later female video game characters have been compared.<ref>{{cite news |title=Girls got Game |id=0106230231 |author=Staff |date=15 June 2001 |newspaper=[[The Beaumont Enterprise]] |location=[[Texas]], United States}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Staff |publisher=IGN |url=http://www.askmen.com/women/votes_400/433_medical_drama_mamas.html |title=Girls of Gaming voting results |work=AskMen.com |access-date=24 August 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720125307/http://www.askmen.com/women/votes_400/433_medical_drama_mamas.html |archive-date=20 July 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-video-game-characters-archetypes/?page=26 |title=Top 25 Game Archetypes: The smart and sexy heroine |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |date=23 January 2009 |first=Chris |last=Buffa |access-date=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720225128/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/top-25-video-game-characters-archetypes/?page=26 |archive-date=20 July 2018}}</ref> Multiple video game publications have labelled the character a video game and cultural icon.{{efn|Multiple sources have labelled the character a video game and cultural icon.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="PTOM-9"/><ref name="Edge-186"/><ref name="PSM-126">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |issue=126 |date=August 2007 |title=Tomb Raider: Anniversary |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |page=82 |first=Ryan |last=Rayhill}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |title=Tomb Raider 2 Review |page=29 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=December 1997 |issue=4}}</ref>}} The title character in the 1998 German film ''[[Run Lola Run]]'' has often been compared to Croft.{{efn|Sources which compare Lola to Croft include.<ref name="Mann">{{cite web |title=Play Lara Play, Run Lola Run: Reflections on Postmodern Comic Book and Video Game Culture |date=2022-06-03 |author-first=Douglas |author-last=Mann |url=https://publish.uwo.ca/~dmann/laralola.htm |access-date=2022-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127012442/http://publish.uwo.ca/~dmann/laralola.htm |archive-date=2020-11-27}}</ref><ref name="Jekubzik">{{cite web |title=Lola rennt |language=de |author-first=Günter H. |author-last=Jekubzik |url=http://www.filmtabs.de/archiv/L/Lola%20rennt.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514093803/https://www.filmtabs.de/archiv/L/Lola%20rennt.html |archive-date=2021-05-14}}</ref><ref name="Mesch_2000">{{cite journal |title=Racing Berlin - The Games of Run Lola Run |author-first=Claudia |author-last=Mesch |date=2000 |volume=3 |number=3 |doi=10.5204/mcj.1845 |journal=M/C Journal |issn=1441-2616 |url=https://journal.media-culture.org.au/mcjournal/article/view/1845 |access-date=2022-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603172008/https://filmstudiesju.wordpress.com/interviews-reviews-analysis-run-lola-run/ |archive-date=2022-06-03|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Interviews, Reviews & Analysis: Run Lola Run |language=de |author-first= |author-last= |date= 25 September 2018|work=Puzzle Films |url=https://filmstudiesju.wordpress.com/interviews-reviews-analysis-run-lola-run/ |access-date=2022-06-03 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220603173118/https://journal.media-culture.org.au/mcjournal/article/view/1845 |archive-date=2022-06-03}}</ref><ref name="Woodward_2009">{{cite book |title=After Kieślowski |chapter=7. Just Gaming? Kieślowski's ''Blind Chance'', Tykwer's ''Run Lola Run'', and a note on ''Heaven'' |editor-first=Steven |editor-last=Woodward |series=Contemporary Film and Television Series - Contemporary approaches to film and television series |edition=illustrated |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-81433326-6 |page=113 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2ia_037H9_cC&pg=PA113 |access-date=2022-06-03 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408111010/https://books.google.com/books?id=2ia_037H9_cC&pg=PA113 |url-status=live }} (247 pages)</ref>}} Comparisons were also made to [[Bond girl]] Christmas Jones from the 1999 [[James Bond in film|''James Bond'' series]] film ''[[The World Is Not Enough]]''. Additionally, both [[Eidos Interactive]] senior executive John Davis and character spokeswoman Susie Hamilton noted the character's similarities to Lara Croft.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/dec/05/uk.news |title=Bond finds cyberlove with 'Lara' |first=John |last=Arlidge |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |date=5 December 1999 |access-date=5 January 2019 |archive-date=5 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201343/https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/dec/05/uk.news |url-status=live}}</ref> Jeremy Smith credits Croft with exposing the ''Tomb Raider'' games and video games in general to a wider audience.<ref name="PSM-4-Feature"/><ref name=NGen36/> ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' commented that Croft's appearance on the cover of ''The Face'' signalled a change in the perception of video games from "geeky" to mainstream.<ref name="CVG-2008"/>

[[File:Lara Croft Way, Derby.JPG|thumb|Lara Croft Way in [[Derby]], Derbyshire]]

The character is honoured in the English city [[Derby]], previous home to Core Design. In 2007, Radleigh Homes placed a [[blue plaque]] for Croft at the site of Core Design's former offices, now a block of flats.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/news/6169591.html |title=Lara Croft 'birthplace' gets blue plaque |first=Emma |last=Boyes |website=GameSpot |date=24 April 2007 |access-date=8 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101116161842/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6169591.html |archive-date=16 November 2010}}</ref> The Derby City Council opened a public vote in 2009 to name its new [[ring road]]. The winning choice, with 89% of over 27,000 votes, was "Lara Croft Way", which later opened in July 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/8538106.stm |title=Derby inner ring road to be named Lara Croft Way |date=26 February 2010 |work=BBC News |author=Staff |access-date=26 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301204621/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/derbyshire/8538106.stm |archive-date=1 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7317371/Derby-road-named-after-Tomb-Raider-star-Lara-Croft.html |title=Derby road named after Tomb Raider star Lara Croft |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |author=Staff |date=26 February 2010 |access-date=26 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301071006/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7317371/Derby-road-named-after-Tomb-Raider-star-Lara-Croft.html |archive-date=1 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-10772136 |title=Lara Croft Way opens in Derby |work=[[BBC]] |date=27 July 2010 |access-date=28 July 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100729144559/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-10772136 |archive-date=29 July 2010}}</ref> In 2020, Croft appeared on four [[Great Britain commemorative stamps 2020–2029#2020|commemorative UK postage stamps]] issued by the [[Royal Mail]] to celebrate classic UK video games.<ref>{{cite news |title=From Worms to Tomb Raider: classic UK video games celebrated in new stamps |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jan/07/worms-tomb-raider-classic-uk-video-games-stamps |date=7 January 2020 |access-date=23 September 2022 |work=The Guardian |archive-date=23 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923134121/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/jan/07/worms-tomb-raider-classic-uk-video-games-stamps |url-status=live }}</ref> A 2024 poll conducted by [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] with around 4,000 respondents named Lara Croft as the most iconic video-game character of all time.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-04 |title=Bafta Games Awards: Lara Croft voted most iconic character ever |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-68721939 |access-date=2024-04-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

[[Yahoo! Movies]] and IGN credit Jolie's role in the first ''Tomb Raider'' film with significantly raising her profile and propelling her to international super-stardom, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-angelina-jolie-salt.html |title=Angelina Jolie: An Action Star Worth Her 'Salt' |first=Matt |last=McDaniel |date=4 November 2009 |publisher=[[Yahoo! Movies]] |access-date=25 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111015302/http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-angelina-jolie-salt.html |archive-date=11 November 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.ign.com/articles/946/946277p3.html |title=Top 10 Game-to-Film Posters |first=Orlando |last=Parfitt |website=IGN |date=29 January 2009 |access-date=25 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201043718/http://movies.ign.com/articles/946/946277p3.html |archive-date=1 February 2009}}</ref> Jolie commented that young children would ask her to sign objects as Lara Croft.<ref name="SB-274"/> After filming for the first movie at the Cambodian temple [[Ta Prohm]], the local inhabitants called it the "Angelina Jolie Temple" and local restaurants served Jolie's favourite alcoholic beverage advertised as "Tomb Raider cocktails".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/nov/25/angelina-jolie-temple-cambodia |title=Holy Jolie: Cambodian temple takes Angelina's name |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Catherine |last=Shoard |date=25 November 2010 |access-date=30 November 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917202442/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/nov/25/angelina-jolie-temple-cambodia |archive-date=17 September 2013}}</ref> IGN's Jesse Schedeen described Croft as one of few characters to receive a decent videogame-to-movie adaptation.<ref name="IGN-Overrated">{{cite web |url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/976/976353p5.html |title=Top 10 Most Overrated Videogame Characters |website=IGN |first=Jesse |last=Schedeen |date=24 April 2009 |access-date=5 March 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301132358/http://stars.ign.com/articles/976/976353p5.html |archive-date=1 March 2010}}</ref> By 2008, the first ''Tomb Raider'' film was the highest-grossing video game film and the largest opening ever for a movie headlined by a woman.<ref name="GWR08"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |title=Reel Gaming: How Games are Invading the Big Screen, Again |page=78 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=March 2008 |issue=186}}</ref> It became the second highest-grossing video game movie in 2010, after the release of ''[[Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (film)|Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.edge-online.com/news/prince-persia-becomes-highest-grossing-game-movie |title=Prince of Persia Becomes Highest Grossing Game Movie |publisher=Edge |date=22 June 2010 |first=Tom |last=Ivan |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130403131829/http://www.edge-online.com/news/prince-persia-becomes-highest-grossing-game-movie/ |archive-date=3 April 2013}}</ref> with ''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life'' as the fourth.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/playback/playback-120/1403525 |title=Prince of Persia is the biggest videogame movie ever |work=Playback: This Week in Gaming News |publisher=[[Yahoo! Games]] |date=25 June 2010 |access-date=5 August 2010 |archive-date=5 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100705121621/http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/playback/playback-120/1403525 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of female action heroes and villains]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |title=Lara's Book: Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider Phenomenon |first1=Douglas |last1=Coupland |first2=Kip |last2=Ward |publisher=[[Prima Games]] |location=Roseville, California |year=1998 |isbn=0-7615-1580-1}}
* {{cite book |title=Lara Croft: Cyber Heroine |series=Electronic Mediations |volume=14 |first=Astrid |last=Deuber-Mankowsky |publisher=[[University of Minnesota Press]] |location=Minneapolis, United States of America |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-8166-4391-2}}
* {{cite book |title=[[Girl Heroes|Girl Heroes: The New Force In Popular Culture]] |first=Susan |last=Hopkins |publisher=Pluto Press |location=Annandale, Australia |year=2002 |isbn=1-86403-157-3}}
* {{cite journal |journal=[[Retro Gamer]] |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |location=Bournemouth, United Kingdom |title=Loving Lara Croft |first=Darran |last=Jones |pages=24–31 |issue=78 |year=2010 |issn=1742-3155}}
* {{cite journal |journal=Game Studies |publisher=[[IT University of Copenhagen]] |location=Denmark |title=Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo? |url=http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/kennedy/ |first=Helen |last=Kennedy |issn=1604-7982 |date=December 2002 |volume=2 |issue=2}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|Lara Croft}}

{{Tomb Raider series}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croft, Lara}}
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