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. 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). The company altered her physical proportions and gave her additional ways of interacting with game environments. The new developer rebooted the character along with the video game series. American developer Crystal Dynamics took over the series after the 2003 sequel Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was received poorly. The company modified the character for subsequent titles, which included graphical improvements and gameplay additions. Inspired by strong female icons, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. 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.Ĭore Design handled the initial development of the character and the series. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic English archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Lara Croft is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the video game franchise Tomb Raider.
