Ah, Lara Croft. One of the most awesome female video game protagonists of all time. Actually, scratch that. There is no need for that gendered modifier. She is one of the best video game protagonists of all time, regardless of gender. She is this tough force to be reckoned with that also manages to be compas🎀sionate and tender with those that she cares for. She has escaped countless villains, foiled dozens of dastardly plans, and saved millions of civilians from Trinity and other ruthless organizations. Her games and films involve diverse and well-rounded characters as well as intense plots and breathtaking climaxes.

And yet, the world continues to write her off due to her most... uh… well known or pronounced assets. And it’s honestly unfair. She is this strong, brave, powerhouse of a woman and having her continually written off based solely 🥀on her dimensions is kind of infuriating. One’s physical appearance does not override any skills or talents they might have and assuming that attractive people have n♏othing else to offer is closed minded and short-sighted.

People, virtual or not, are so much more than their appearances and thinking otherwise is just kind of sad. People are so much more complex than 𒁃we give them credit for and no one is just one thing. Shockingly enough, life is not as simple as the teen-centered coming of age films make it seem. So, without further ado, join me as I correct 25 of the most common misconceptions that critics and gamers alike have about the one and only Lara Croft.

25 ꦯ Virtual Eye Candy

Okay, it’s possible that Lara was designed to be the star of every teenage boy's deepest fantasies, but that doesn’t mean that we should write her off entirely. I mean, being attractive or well endowed♐ isn’t the only trait she has. She is strong, smart, accomplished, compassionate, and determined. She can be dropped into almost any environment and figure out a way to not only survive but to also escape. Lara is amazing and I will fight anyone who disagrees or tries to write her off based on her dimensions.

24 Emotionless Hunter ⛄

Emotionless, Lara is not. Okay, 1996 Lara might be a bit of a🅺 robot, but after everything she has been through, can you really blame her? But 2013 Lara is brimming with every single emotion. She feels remorse a🐠nd guilt for every body she leaves behind. Even the ones that would have slain her no mercy-style. Her heart aches for every acquaintance left behind and she seems to hunt to ensure her survival and safety while attempting to accomplish her goals rather than for sport or pleasure.

23 Always Lands On ꦓHer Feet

I mean, Lara Croft goes through a lot during the origin series. She fal🐟ls through the windshield of a suspended aircraft, takes a trip down a rockslide, barely escapes a collapsing cave, evades a deranged cult, and manages to stop a deranged leader from taking her friend all in one game. But she does not always land on her feet, as some critics say. She gets beaten up pretty badly on her adventures and leaves that island with both physical and psychological scars. That girl lands on her behind more often than not.

22 ꦫ Deus Ex Machina 🍃

Like “Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” Deus Ex Machina is one of those terms used in film critiques that are overused and often used wrong. To quote Inigo Montoya, “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” The definition of Deus Ex Machina is a contrived plot device that saves the day when everything is seemingly hopeless. I mean, Lara does save them all in the end but it was her mission to do so all along. She literally spends the entir🍎e game trying to save everyone. She isn’t some contrived plot device, she is just a person doing her🦩 best.

21 🐈 Lara Of All𒉰 Trades

Just because someone has a university degree or is an expert in one field does not mean that they know everything about every different area of study that there is. Yes, Lara seems to know everything that there is to know about ancient cultures and archeology because that is her chosen field. When playing a game that is solely focused on this one area of study, one could get the wrong impression that Lara is being portrayed as a relative jack of all trades. However, I’m sure she would be in over her head if she was thrown into a gaꦛme revolving around nuclea🐓r physics.

20 ☂ Just Another Nathan Drake ꧂

Whenever a game, film, or book features a female protagonist, she will undoubtedly find herself being compared to any and every male character within the same genre. The 2013 Lara Croft has found herself being compared to Nathan Drake by every single armchair critic on the entire internet. I mean, I guess they are both explorers? But Nathan is a ruthless, sarcastic guy akin to Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy and Lara is a compassionate survivalist with a passion for discovering the secrets of the worl✃d's tombs.

19 🐲 Instant Expert 🎀

When we originally met Lara in 1996, she was a professional tomb raider. She knew exactly what she was🔴 doing and there was no room for learning for anyone but the player. But when we met a much younger and inexperienced Lara in the 2013 origin series, both protagonist and player were in the same boat. Yes, Lara was a middle-grade explorer with some background knowledge thanks to her education and upbringing. But the first game was mostly based on instinctual survival rather than expertise.

18 𝐆 Magnet Hands﷽ Lara

This is the only time in this article that I will use suspension of disbelief as a way of dismissing a critique of the Tomb Raider series. I usually prefer to use evidence within the series to debunk critiques but this time, I will ask my readers to simply forgive the game for t༒his as it is merely a function of smooth gameplay. You see, Lara h♍as this uncanny ability to make incredibly impossible jumps and cling to the other side of the cavern as if she has magnets for hands.

17 🦹 A Danger✅ To Us All

Does a “danger magnet” (more on that later) like Lara present a danger to those aro𝓀und her? I don’t think so. Each and every member of the crew from the 2013 game went on that expedition willingly and not a single one of them knew what was waiting for them. Yes, not everyone made it off of that islaꦦnd. But that was not Lara’s doing. In fact, Lara saved several of her crew members from a fate worse than demise and she is the one who got them off the island in the end. If it wasn’t for her, they would have rotted there.

16 Compassionate To Ruthꦑless

While it is true that Lara was relatively ruthless in the original games which were released in the late 20th century and extended into the early 2000s, the rebooted version of Lara is almost an entirely different person. Yes, as the origin series has progressed, Lara has gotten over her moral distress over vanquishing her enemies. But, in those situations, it is her or them and there is no room for hesitation. But that survival instinct does not equat💜e to ruthlessness. She retains her compassion towards her friends and the innocent civilians of the world. Therefore, ruthless she is not.