Lara Croft, the iconic protagonist of the Tomb Raider series, has topped a new list of the most iconic video game characters of all time, beating out Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog.
More than 4,000 gamers around the world voted for their top character in a recent poll conducted by the British Academy Film Awards ahead of the 20th Game Awards on April 11, according to a BAFTA news release.
Described by the BAFTAs as a “heroine for generations”, Lara Croft is considered the first lady of video games. She made her debut in the original Tomb Raider in 1996.
Released on PC, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn, the game revolutionized the industry by allowing gamers to wander through an open world with little clue as to how to progress to the next level.
Throughout the series and over the years, players have followed Croft around the world, visiting the pyramids of Egypt and the mountains of Tibet.
As of 2023, 19 Tomb Raider games have been released. On his February 14th, coinciding with Croft's birthday, his first three games in the series were re-released as remasters.
The series and characters have also been adapted for the big screen, with actresses Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander playing the title roles in each adaptation. Later this year, Netflix will release a new animated series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
In a statement sent to NBC News via .
“She was the first female protagonist in a computer game, has her own star on San Francisco's Walk of Games, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most successful video game heroine of all time,” she said. “All this makes her the rightful owner of the title 'Most Iconic Video Game Character.'”
Blonde, who will be presenting the award at the upcoming BAFTA Game Awards, said she was still hearing from “gamers all over the world”.
“And they all talk about how they are connected to Lara, how she gave them an escape, how she gave them confidence from bullies, and how they all relate to their deceased parents. They tell me stories like how my voice is included in playing games together as kids. I don’t think so,” she said.
Other classic characters that made the top 20 list include Pac-Man, Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3, and Ellie Williams from The Last of Us.
“These characters and the games they star in have won a total of 44 BAFTA Game Awards over the past 20 years and make up some of the most beloved works in the canon of video game history. “They make up some of the most popular works of art and are memorable characters in any medium,” BAFTA said in a release.
