Lara Croft

Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise Tomb Raider. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic English 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 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 rebooted the character along with the video game series. The company altered her physical proportions and gave her additional ways of interacting with game environments. Croft has been voiced by six actresses in the video game series: Shelley Blond (1996), Judith Gibbins (1997–98), Jonell Elliott (1999–2003), Keeley Hawes (2006–14), Camilla Luddington (2013–present), and Abigail Stahlschmidt (2015).

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 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. 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.

Voices

 * Shelley Blond (1996)
 * Judith Gibbins (1997–1998)
 * Jonell Elliott (1999–2003)
 * Keeley Hawes (2006–2010, 2014)
 * Charlotte Sparey (2006) (young)
 * Camilla Luddington (2013–present)
 * Abigail Stahlschmidt (2015)
 * Harriet Perring (2015) (young Lara Croft in Rise of the Tomb Raider)
 * Francesca Aston (2018) (young Lara Croft in Shadow of the Tomb Raider)
 * Minnie Driver (animated series)

Acting roles

 * Angelina Jolie (2001–2003)
 * Alicia Vikander (2018–present)
 * Rachel Appleton (2001; young)
 * Emily Carey (2018; young)
 * Maisy De Freitas (2018; young)

Voices

 * Melanie Minichino (Sonic and the Tomb Raider)

Iago PUC's Ideas

 * Lara appears as a supporting character in the intercompany crossover comic book series Comic Con Incorporated. She is a roomer in the titular fictional hotel and is roommates with Wonder Woman. Lara is also good friends with protagonists Ms. Marvel, Terra and Sabrina Spellman, who idolize her "effective fitness".
 * Lara is one of the core protagonists in Netflix's Sonic and the Tomb Raider, voiced by Melanie Minichino. She is depicted as a 16-year-old teenager in the show, but still retains her adventurous personality from the video games. The show focuses on Lara sharing her home with Sonic the Hedgehog, with whom she teams up in a series of adventures around the world for the acquisition of amazing relics, although also contending with Doctor Robotnik and Jacqueline Natla, among other foes and threats. While she still wields a pair of dual guns as her main weapons, the guns (to contrast the video games, where they fire lead bullets) fire Ring Bullets, golden bullets which transform into Mobian Rings with the capabilities of opening teleportation portals, immobilizing enemies, etc.