"Tomb Raider" was one of the first video game franchises to establish a mature, cinematic aesthetic that continues to serve as an influence for numerous action games, with pre-rendered cutscenes, voice acting, and no lack of violence.

The famous video game-turned-film franchise's unexpected-superstar and linchpin is Lara Croft. When the series expanded and made a jump from the console to the big screen, everyone wanted to know about her character.

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Lara Croft's combination of sex appeal and action-hero gunslinger personality appealed directly to a generation of gamers ready to show that their hobby wasn't just for children. Next is more details about the Tomb Raider female hero.

A Look at Lara Croft: The Hero of Tomb Raider
Image source: Rolling Stone

Who is Lara Croft?

Lara Croft is the heroine of the video game series Tomb Raider. A skilled English explorer and archaeologist, Lara travels to the world’s most dangerous locations to search for lost artifacts.

In the past, Lara has discovered several relics and carries two handguns along with other weapons. Created by Toby Gard,  she is one of the most renowned female video game protagonists. 

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Shelley Blond, Judith Gibbins, Jonell Elliott, Keeley Hawes and Camilla Luddington have voiced for her. She has been portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the films and is portrayed by academy winner Alicia Vikander in the remake.

Personality

While Lara is very passionate about her duties, her witty remarks make her very ironic and sarcastic. Also, Lara is quite careless sometimes and purposely "forgetting" mountain climbing safety equipment.

Lara initially doesn't want to kill anyone and is distressed by the loss of human life, particularly after murdering Larson Conway, her first human kill. 

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But as the time pounds on in the game, she becomes even more likely to kill to protect herself and even has vindictive impulses.

Despite these qualities, Lara has a sensitive side where she is kind and caring but is still stubborn, strong-willed, driven, and intimidating. Also, Lara is brilliant and level-headed, generally staying calm even in the most adverse conditions.

A Look at Lara Croft: The Hero of Tomb Raider
Image source: Reddit

Skills

Lara is said to have capacities well beyond what even a peak human being could do. She is incredibly athletic, using her Olympic gymnast-like acrobatics to climb up tall structures, she can leap several meters into the air.

She has outstanding balance and flexibility, as she frequently lands with her hands on thin ledges. Lara is renowned for being exceptionally quick and powerful. Plus, she is extremely agile and strong.

She has an incredible amount of knowledge about ancient civilizations, cultures, creatures, and cultural artifacts. Her resilience and superior intelligence have always been crucial in the quest for vast wealth beyond human understanding.

A Look at Lara Croft: The Hero of Tomb Raider
Image source: Obilisk

Lara and Her Evolution

In 1994, a team consisting of six people created the video game Tomb Raider. Produced by Core Design, now Rebellion (Derby) Ltd, it reached an unforeseen burst in 1996, saving the supposed bankruptcy of distributor Eidos.

Given the initial character in the game plot being a rugged man loosely based on Indiana Jones, the protagonist became Lara Croft. According to some reports, the modifications may be due to the fear of copyright lawsuits on the part of the studio owner. 

Rather than the then-unbuilt Lara Croft, designers opted to start the game with Laura Cruz, a South American heroine, after agreeing to create a female protagonist. Cruz was described at first as overbearing and aggressive. 

But after bringing the character to the UK, they changed her into a woman of British aristocracy and British aristocratic personality traits.

Conclusion

Although her character has changed a lot from being a proven Marvel-tone warrior and adventurer to becoming a little more human, Lara Croft is undoubtedly one of history's most iconic video game female protagonists.