Lara Croft has finally found her voice for the Tomb Raider Netflix Anime adaptation in Marvel star Hayley Atwell. Fans within the community are celebrating to no end, as their pleas for her to have been cast for a long time have finally been heard. Both Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander have embodied all things Croft for their silver screen features, however, there have been a fair few voices behind the adventurer over her 25-year reign as the First Lady of gaming.

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Not only has Lara traveled around the globe and picked up many relics on her way, but she’s also darted around different studios throughout the decades. It’s no secret that both Lara’s character and backstory have altered over the years; let’s dig a little deeper to see who preceded the new Croft on the block.

6 Shelley Blond - “I Only Play For Sport…”

Shelley Blond as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider
Image courtesy of Shelley Blond 2021

Her first and only full appearance as Lady Lara Croft took the world by storm back in 1996, with Core Design’s Tomb Raider. Lara’s hunt for the Scion of Atlantis took her to a plethora of stunning 3D locations, yet one of the most iconic moments from the game was birthed right from the sound booth.

The simple two-letter word of ‘No’ and Shelley’s delivery still delights players to this day. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, she was unable to return and reprise her role. However, she did give permission for her sound bites to be used in the following installment.

Shelley’s intonation during in-game cutscenes brought Lara to life in a way that only she could, delivering her iconic one-liners cemented Lara’s status in gaming, with an attitude that paved the way for so many other characters. She was playful, yet assertive, all in the same breath. With her incredible performance setting the bar for years to come, it’s no wonder that Shelley’s original incarnation is so celebrated by the community to this day.

5 Judith Gibbins - “Happy Retirement....”

Judith Gibbins as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2 and Tomb Raider 3

Judith voiced Lara in both Tomb Raider 2 and 3, taking us out of the tombs and into more treacherous locations. Wherever Judith’s voice took us, just like Shelley, her iteration of Ms. Croft didn’t take any nonsense. Whether it’s verbally taking down a Mafioso goon or classily throwing insults at a soup-eating, meteorite-obsessed scientist, she’s fearless.

Her different tone in voice evolved Lara; with what little information was had at the time, players had no other option as to make their own conclusions as to why she sounded a little different just a year after her first adventure.

Sources tell us that she also voiced the role of Sophia Leigh, an adversary in Tomb Raider 3 who wants Lara to become the new face of her cosmetic line. However, with Lara running into one of her test subjects who was then left face-less, it’s no surprise that our adventurer declined Sophia’s offer. Let’s just say that Sophia never reprised her role again...

4 Jonell Elliott - “You Unsavory Little Runt!”

Jonell Elliott as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider The Angel Of Darkness
Image courtesy of Jonell Elliott 2021

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation brought Lara back into the tombs, with Jonell Elliott lending her voice to the archeologist for the next three games. The Last Revelation opens with a 16-year-old Lara alongside her mentor, Werner Von Croy. It sets up the backstory of their relationship, the origin of Lara’s backpack, and serves as the tutorial, as Croft Manor was absent for the rest of classic Lara’s life cycle.

With the developers growing extremely exhausted of the demands for a year-on-year release, they decided that Lara needed to fall victim to her greatest passion. However, the next year, Tomb Raider Chronicles was released, serving as a prequel anthology of sorts before Lara’s first adventure on PlayStation 2, where the hunter became the hunted.

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As a character, Lara has never been one to mince her words at the best of times. Jonell’s final performance of our hero in The Angel of Darkness defined that era of Lara being the ultimate Ice Queen. With the introduction of dialogue options, she delivered quips that could easily freeze hell over, Jonell continued to carry classic Lara’s torch, delivering sharp retorts effortlessly and exquisitely that still excite fans present day.

3 Keeley Hawes - “WHERE - IS - MY - MOTHER?!”

Keeley Hawes as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Underworld

With a voice spanning over six titles in the series, Keeley Hawes serves as the longest-running Lara in the franchise to date. Her first appearance welcomed the first reboot with Tomb Raider Legend. Lara was back with a new look, a new voice, and a similar attitude. Her backstory may have changed, yet fans still feel that Keeley encapsulates the character perfectly.

Keeley’s portrayal also saw her version of Lara in another light - a threatening executioner. With Lara’s presumed dead pal-of-the-past Amanda Evert surprisingly breathing many breaths, Lara demands to know the truth of her mother’s whereabouts. Reaching her limits, she manages to spare Amanda’s life as Keeley delivers guttural dialogue in the game’s final moments.

For Tomb Raider Anniversary and Tomb Raider Underworld, Keeley reprised her role. She also featured in both games from the ‘Lara Croft’ series in The Guardian of Light and The Temple of Osiris. Players could take on a different gameplay experience as these could be enjoyed via multiplayer or just as thrilling as a solo adventure. Keeley’s latest appearance was revealed in Tomb Raider Reloaded, a new mobile game from Square Enix and Emerald City Games due for full release in 2021. With an introduction to the game uncovered, it’s a joy to hear her voice once again.

2 Minnie Driver - “Since I Brought You Back To Life, The Least I Deserve Is A Thank You…”

Minnie Driver as Lara Croft in Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider

Re\Visioned: Tomb Raider was the first iteration of Lara in an animated series. Although each story featured a different art style, Minnie Driver voiced Ms. Croft in all episodes, bringing the attitude and sass that players around the globe have grown to adore over the years.

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Although the series has become its own relic of sorts, Re\Visioned is certainly a fan-favorite, which has set the bar high for Netflix’s new Anime adaptation set for release in 2023, with confirmation from Tasha Huo via The Act Two Podcast. Minnie’s performance stayed within the 10 episodes and is the first to have only been cast for an animated series. Her portrayal resonated with fans; just like the ones who came before her, Minnie encapsulated the essence of Lara. Although the animation style varied, the character remained the same to many fans’ delight.

1 Camilla Luddington - “I’m Not That Kind Of Croft..”

Camilla Luddington as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2013 and Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

2013 witnessed the release of Tomb Raider, a comeback with yet another reboot, but one with quite the upheaval in comparison to the Legend-Anniversary-Underworld trilogy, or ‘LAU’ era as fans aptly name the timeline. This version of Lara differs immensely from the character’s classic narrative. 1996’s title of the same name illustrates that Lara is not phased by much at all, including all things prehistoric; the 2013 reboot shows a 21-year-old Croft aboard The Endurance, where its crew veer off their intended path to find Yamatai, and into the treacherous Dragon’s Triangle.

Camilla Luddington provided both motion capture and voice for the survivor trilogy, bringing an emotional performance to the junior archaeologist back in 2013 to the present day. Camilla’s portrayal was critically celebrated, as this timeline explored Lara having to earn her stripes. She had to become fearless and a true survivor; just two of the many elements she was already equipped with back in Core Design’s original.

The vulnerability she brings to the character resonates with many fans all over the world. Each game within the ‘survivor’ timeline and Camilla’s performances show Lara’s growth, taking her to the point of obsession with her father’s old exploits, seeing her impulsive nature at its highest in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider.

It appears that Camilla’s adventure stops here; with extremely large boots to fill, we can’t help but wonder who will be next to pick up her backpack for the unification timeline. For now, one thing is for certain; Hayley Atwell stands in good company and is sure to stun fans of the franchise in the future series.

NEXT: Interview: Natalie Clarke, The First Ever Lara Croft