The Guardian marks 30 years of Lara Croft with 100 million sales

The Guardian marked 30 years of Lara Croft on Oct. 25, 2026 with a retrospective reporting that Tomb Raider sales have passed 100 million copies since the character first appeared in a video game.

The Guardian reported that a small team in Derby created the original Tomb Raider, which featured a posh archaeologist, and released the game in 1996. The retrospective notes that no one predicted the series would become a success when it launched.

The Guardian reported that once Tomb Raider proved popular, Eidos required Core Design to produce a new game annually. Core Design decided in 1999 that Lara Croft would die beneath a collapsing pyramid at the end of The Last Revelation.

The Guardian reported that Eidos executives were furious when they learned Lara would die, though Eidos could not alter the ending. The publisher then pushed Core Design to find a story workaround for another PlayStation 1 adventure.

Tomb Raider: Chronicles begins with a memorial service for Lara and continues through flashbacks. The Guardian calls the game rubbish.

The Guardian reported that The Angel of Darkness arrived in 2003 as Lara Croft’s first PlayStation 2 release. The game was plagued by bugs and poor controls, and it introduced an unpopular strength mechanic that made players build up Lara’s muscles before simple actions such as shifting a crate. A secondary protagonist named Kurtis Trent also appeared.

The Guardian reported that Crystal Dynamics took over Tomb Raider from Core Design in the 2000s and added sidekicks for Lara Croft. Jonah made his first appearance as a sidekick in the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot.

According to the retrospective, Jonah endures trapping, torture, stabbing, kidnapping, unconsciousness, shipwreck, an avalanche, a tsunami, a false death declaration and a near-fatal plane crash across the reboot titles. The Guardian characterizes the 2013 reboot as solid and polished.

The Guardian reported that reboot art director Brian Horton said the goal was for players to care for Lara Croft. Executive producer Ron Rosenberg said a sexual assault scene would encourage players to protect her in a way they would not for a male protagonist.

The Guardian reported that Lara Croft’s image has helped sell products including cereal, soft drinks and Spanish hatchbacks. Nell McAndrew modeled a turquoise tank top while promoting Tomb Raider III.

The retrospective adds that McAndrew later appeared in Playboy wearing the Tomb Raider logo and the phrase Lara Croft Nude on the cover. Core Design sued over the cover and won, resulting in a court order to place stickers on 20,000 copies that obscured the logo.

The Guardian says none of the Tomb Raider movies are stellar. BBC film critic Nev Pierce called The Cradle of Life “Incoherent, dumb and stupefyingly bland”. The Guardian reports that another Tomb Raider adventure is arriving next year.

Polygon reported that Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis remakes the original Tomb Raider game. The remake presents Lara Croft in a blue tank top, khaki shorts and large boots. Polygon reported that Alix Wilton Regan plays Lara Croft in the Legacy of Atlantis remake. She joined the project in 2023 following eight months of auditions.

Polygon reported that the development team sought to restore the hyper-cool Lara from the original games instead of the struggling survivor from Crystal Dynamics’ reboot trilogy. Wilton Regan described Lara as unapologetic, charismatic, physically strong and mentally strong.

Wilton Regan trained at a London boxing gym and earned the nickname Venom because of her fiery reputation, according to Polygon. She does not perform Lara’s most physical stunts, but she took part in motion-capture work after gun and wrestling training.

Polygon reported that Crystal Dynamics experience director Jeff Adams wanted the Legacy of Atlantis redesign to feel tasteful and grounded. Adams said the outfit needed to feel like believable real gear capable of handling the task. Kam Yu, the franchise character modeler who has worked on every Lara since Legend, contributes experience to the project.

Polygon reported that social media reaction to the Legacy of Atlantis redesign drew mixed responses, though Wilton Regan defends it. She said her own performance capture turned out gorgeous and described Lara as beautiful and sassy.

Polygon reported that Amazon’s forthcoming Tomb Raider television series will star Sophie Turner as Lara Croft wearing the same blue tank top and shorts as Wilton Regan’s character. Wilton Regan says she secured the Lara Croft role before Sophie Turner, even though Turner’s public announcement came first.

Polygon reported that while preparing for the role, Wilton Regan played the 2024 remaster of the original game, reviewed reboot cutscenes and watched the animated Tomb Raider series. She cited Angelina Jolie’s portrayal as her personal inspiration for the role.

Wilton Regan feels pressure as she carries the torch, Polygon reported. She says a little bit of Lara Croft magic will rub off on everyone if the team does its job right.