5 Things You Never Knew About Lara Croft
Like Mario, Sonic, and a few others, Lara’s name and look are recognizable to people who have never played (and will never play) a video game. Just because people know of Lara doesn’t mean that they know her and this includes her most hardcore fans.
Though it’s easy to dismiss Lara as a shallow character and Indiana Jones rip-off, there’s a lot more to her than most people may realize. Lara is more than a pretty face. In fact, she has ended the lives of countless men and supernatural creatures across her dozen games, making her a force to be reckoned with. There’s tons of little-known trivia and secrets about one of gaming’s first ladies.
1. LARA'S FAMOUS BOSOM SIZE WAS A "MISTAKE"
Lara Croft’s body has been obsessed over and studied far too long for anyone, let alone a fictional character. However, one (or two) of Lara’s most famous features are reportedly a mistake. One of the original developers of Tomb Raider, Nigel West, confessed years after the game first released that the size of Lara’s chest was mistake in the coding. lara croft action figure
According to West, one of the many lines of coding that created Lara was entered incorrectly and it resulted in her impossibly large breast size. However, rather than fixing the issue, the game and Lara were shipped as is, with the hope that “no one would notice.”
Other Tomb Raider developers have since thrown doubt on Nigel’s story, explaining that he knew exactly what he was doing with Lara. The size might’ve started as a mistake but it was very much embraced when it occurred.
2. THERE'S A REAL LARA CROFT
As good as Jolie was as Lara Croft and as successful as Alicia Vikander hopes to be in the role,* neither will ever become the real Lara Croft. This is because the woman already exists.
Lara Croft gets her name from a real woman who lived in Derby, England at the time of the original game’s development.
The crew behind Tomb Raider knew that they wanted their hero to be named Lara, they just couldn’t decide on the right last name that sounded English enough. The decision was made to look through the phone book and try to find the right name. They stumbled upon the real-life Lara Croft and liked the name so much that they gave it to their hero. lara croft action figure
Somewhere out, there’s a lady who was instrumental in the creation of Lara, without doing anything but existing. Though it would be hard to blame her if she’s since changed her name.
3. LARA CRUZ: TOMB RAIDER
The reason that the design team had to scramble for an English name was because Lara originally wasn’t English. Through the bulk of original development, Lara Croft was Lara Cruz.
The name wasn’t the only difference either. Whereas Lara is a posh English lady, Lara Cruz was a rough-and-tumble treasure hunting mercenary from some non-descript South American country.
Cruz and Croft did share a PhD in archaeology and obtained most of their combat skills from their fathers. However, in every other arena they differed. lara croft action figure
Lara Cruz was meant to be much more aggressive and meaner looking than Croft.
The decision was made that Lara Cruz wouldn’t market well, though, so things were changed for the much more “approachable” English version of the character.
4. SHE WAS ORIGINALLY A MAN
Lara Croft is, without a doubt, one of the most recognizable video game heroines. Even though Lara is very objectified, Tomb Raider did break relatively new ground with a female hero being front and center. Originally, though, the hero of Tomb Raider could’ve been much less distinctive. Super Mario Plush Toys
To appeal to the widest audience possible, the plan for the first Tomb Raider was that the player would have a choice between a male and female protagonist. There would be no difference between the choice, the hero would just have a different gender. lara croft action figure
However, the more that the team developed Lara’s look and character, the more they found her interesting. The male hero fell completely by the wayside and all effort was put into creating Lara.
The team believed that all fans would come to play if they were given a cool character, regardless of gender.
5. SHE LOCKED HER BUTLER IN THE FREEZER
In Tomb Raider 2, Lara’s iconic mansion, Croft Manor, was greatly expanded from what was seen in the first game. Croft Manor was just big enough and released just early enough in gaming history that players could amuse themselves for hours just hopping around the mansion. lara croft action figure
One of the cruelest (but funniest) things that players could do in Croft Manor was lock the tottering, shaking butler, Winston in the walk-in freezer. Winston would follow Lara everywhere in the mansion and by walking into the freezer, running out and locking the door, it was possible to trap the poor, almost infirm Winston.
For years this existed as a fun player trick but in the DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara locking Winston in the freezer was made canon.
In the expansion, “Blood Ties” players can find a message from Winston to Lara’s father, explaining how a young Lara has attempted to give him hypothermia. lara croft action figure
Though it’s easy to dismiss Lara as a shallow character and Indiana Jones rip-off, there’s a lot more to her than most people may realize. Lara is more than a pretty face. In fact, she has ended the lives of countless men and supernatural creatures across her dozen games, making her a force to be reckoned with. There’s tons of little-known trivia and secrets about one of gaming’s first ladies.
1. LARA'S FAMOUS BOSOM SIZE WAS A "MISTAKE"
Lara Croft’s body has been obsessed over and studied far too long for anyone, let alone a fictional character. However, one (or two) of Lara’s most famous features are reportedly a mistake. One of the original developers of Tomb Raider, Nigel West, confessed years after the game first released that the size of Lara’s chest was mistake in the coding. lara croft action figure
According to West, one of the many lines of coding that created Lara was entered incorrectly and it resulted in her impossibly large breast size. However, rather than fixing the issue, the game and Lara were shipped as is, with the hope that “no one would notice.”
Other Tomb Raider developers have since thrown doubt on Nigel’s story, explaining that he knew exactly what he was doing with Lara. The size might’ve started as a mistake but it was very much embraced when it occurred.
2. THERE'S A REAL LARA CROFT
As good as Jolie was as Lara Croft and as successful as Alicia Vikander hopes to be in the role,* neither will ever become the real Lara Croft. This is because the woman already exists.
Lara Croft gets her name from a real woman who lived in Derby, England at the time of the original game’s development.
The crew behind Tomb Raider knew that they wanted their hero to be named Lara, they just couldn’t decide on the right last name that sounded English enough. The decision was made to look through the phone book and try to find the right name. They stumbled upon the real-life Lara Croft and liked the name so much that they gave it to their hero. lara croft action figure
Somewhere out, there’s a lady who was instrumental in the creation of Lara, without doing anything but existing. Though it would be hard to blame her if she’s since changed her name.
3. LARA CRUZ: TOMB RAIDER
The reason that the design team had to scramble for an English name was because Lara originally wasn’t English. Through the bulk of original development, Lara Croft was Lara Cruz.
The name wasn’t the only difference either. Whereas Lara is a posh English lady, Lara Cruz was a rough-and-tumble treasure hunting mercenary from some non-descript South American country.
Cruz and Croft did share a PhD in archaeology and obtained most of their combat skills from their fathers. However, in every other arena they differed. lara croft action figure
Lara Cruz was meant to be much more aggressive and meaner looking than Croft.
The decision was made that Lara Cruz wouldn’t market well, though, so things were changed for the much more “approachable” English version of the character.
4. SHE WAS ORIGINALLY A MAN
Lara Croft is, without a doubt, one of the most recognizable video game heroines. Even though Lara is very objectified, Tomb Raider did break relatively new ground with a female hero being front and center. Originally, though, the hero of Tomb Raider could’ve been much less distinctive. Super Mario Plush Toys
To appeal to the widest audience possible, the plan for the first Tomb Raider was that the player would have a choice between a male and female protagonist. There would be no difference between the choice, the hero would just have a different gender. lara croft action figure
However, the more that the team developed Lara’s look and character, the more they found her interesting. The male hero fell completely by the wayside and all effort was put into creating Lara.
The team believed that all fans would come to play if they were given a cool character, regardless of gender.
5. SHE LOCKED HER BUTLER IN THE FREEZER
In Tomb Raider 2, Lara’s iconic mansion, Croft Manor, was greatly expanded from what was seen in the first game. Croft Manor was just big enough and released just early enough in gaming history that players could amuse themselves for hours just hopping around the mansion. lara croft action figure
One of the cruelest (but funniest) things that players could do in Croft Manor was lock the tottering, shaking butler, Winston in the walk-in freezer. Winston would follow Lara everywhere in the mansion and by walking into the freezer, running out and locking the door, it was possible to trap the poor, almost infirm Winston.
For years this existed as a fun player trick but in the DLC for Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara locking Winston in the freezer was made canon.
In the expansion, “Blood Ties” players can find a message from Winston to Lara’s father, explaining how a young Lara has attempted to give him hypothermia. lara croft action figure
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