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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Ellie Gibson

Lara Croft is 30! We look at the video game icon’s biggest blunders

Lara Croft does a flying kick while holding two handguns in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered
Thirty years of kicking ass … Lara Croft in Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered, 2025. Photograph: Aspyr

Happy birthday, Lara! This month marks 30 years since Ms Croft first swan-dived into our lives with her unique blend of athletic prowess, archaeological expertise and giant knockers. More than 100 million Tomb Raider games have been sold since. We all remember the good times: the bold design and sheer playability of the original titles; the establishment of Lara as a 90s icon, embodying both lads’ mag culture and girl power; the way she made games cool, even appearing on the cover of the Face. We’ve had blockbuster movies, big budget reboots, and shiny reissues. And who could forget the time we got to powerwash her house?

But no one gets to 30 without a few skeletons in the closet – or in Lara’s case, butlers in the freezer. So here’s a look at the darker parts of her past.

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