- Eleanor Doyle & Leah Collins
- bbc news beat
image source, square Enix
Lara Croft's proportions are one of the many changes made to the character since her introduction in 1996.
To celebrate the 20th BAFTA Game Awards, Lara Croft has been named the most iconic video game character of all time.
It's been 28 years since Tomb Raider introduced gamers to Lara, and she's changed quite a bit in that time.
“She went from a very edgy, childish picture to something very cinematic,” says actress Cherie Blond, who voiced Lara in the original.
This character won the title by defeating the likes of Mario and Sonic in a gamer vote.
Shelley told BBC Newsbeat he wasn't surprised, although he admitted he had never played the game himself.
“What's so iconic about Lara Croft is the fact that she's the first female lead character in a video game,” she says.
“She's all about girl power and female empowerment. She's at the forefront and it's all about adventure.”
The video game launched the broader Lara Croft series, which includes multiple video games as well as a blockbuster movie starring Angelina Jolie and a Netflix series scheduled for later this year.
Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto said he had to create the first version of the character from just 16 pixels.
When Shelley was first hired to voice Lara, she was inspired by a fedora-wearing explorer.
“The instructions I received in the studio were that she was a female Indiana Jones,” Shelley says.
“So she’s brave, she’s sassy, she wears the same kinds of dresses, she goes on the same kinds of adventures, but she’s British.
“Girls can relate to her, and girls can do everything Indiana Jones can do.”
image source, Getty Images
Sonic the Hedgehog ranks as the 4th most popular character of all time
Shelley will be attending the BAFTA Game Awards on April 11, but despite voicing some of the most iconic video game characters, she's the only one she's ever played. The game is called Pac-Man.
“I've never played Tomb Raider,” she told Newsbeat.
“My original is still in the box and wrapped.”
But her beloved Pac-Man was unforgettable, scoring a respectable 6th place in the ranking of most iconic characters.
image source, Getty Images
Pac-Man, in which players are chased through a maze by ghosts, was first released in 1980.
Holding the Hungry Yellow Hockey Puck was Mario in second place, Agent 47 from Hitman in third place, Sonic the Hedgehog in fourth place and Sackboy from Little Big Planet in fifth place. .
The rest of the top 10 were Link from The Legend of Zelda, Master Chief from HALO, Kratos from God of War, and Shadowheart from Baldur's Gate 3.
Bafta said more than 4,000 gamers from around the world took part in voting through its website.
image source, Larian Studio
Shadowheart was only introduced to gamers in 2023, making him one of the “youngest characters” Bafta says
According to the Academy, games and series that have spawned the top 20 most popular characters have won 44 BAFTA Game Awards over the past 20 years.
A spokesperson said they are not only beloved video game characters, but “some of the most memorable characters in all of media.”
Link has appeared in 20 games in the Legend of Zelda series
Sherry says they can be “a lot of fun” but it's hard to empathize with them.
“But you can also become this incredible character, Lara,” she says.
“And what I realized over the years is how much Lara helped so many people.
“I've heard so many stories about it being magical. I don't think little yellow faces or hedgehogs eating hoops can do that.”
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