Lara Croft, the iconic heroine of the Tomb Raider franchise, has added two more Guinness World Records to her illustrious legacy, further cementing her place in gaming history.
New Guinness World Records Claimed by Lara Croft
One of the most popular female video game protagonists of all time once again becomes the center of attention as she claims two new titles in the official record books: the best-selling video game heroine and the most magazine covers for a video game character.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering how famous Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series are, but being officially recognized cements the importance of her character and serves as irrefutable proof of the influence she holds in the video game industry and popular culture as a whole.
Lara Croft: The Best-Selling Video Game Heroine
The first record is self-explanatory and speaks volumes by itself. The video game market is large, and it keeps growing every year. Being recognized as the best-selling video game heroine means that Lara Croft dominates the entire industry, which is already an extremely impressive feat.
What’s even more impressive is that she’s been doing so for the last few decades, ever since her first appearance in Core Design’s original Tomb Raider game from 1996.
Over the years, we’ve met a lot of outstanding female protagonists, such as Jill Valentine (Resident Evil), Bayonetta, Samus Aran (Metroid), Jade (Beyond Good and Evil), 2B (NieR: Automata), and Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn). Yet, none of them managed to steal the crown from Lara.
With over 100 million Tomb Raider video games and spin-off units sold, the legendary English archaeologist reigns supreme at the top – and thanks to the snowball effect, she’ll probably stay there for a long while.
Most Magazine Covers for a Video Game Character
The second record is particularly impressive as it shows the true scale of Lara’s popularity. She’s not just a video game character; she’s an icon loved and admired by the masses. Her renown has spread far beyond the Tomb Raider games and reached all kinds of places in which you don’t usually get to see video game characters that often, including magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Focus, The Face, and even the Financial Times.
Lara Croft has been featured on magazine covers over 2,700 times in total since her debut in 1996. If this number doesn’t sound impressive to you by itself, here’s some context: Gisele Bündchen, a Brazilian supermodel and activist who earned the top spot on Forbes’ top-earning models list in 2012, was featured on magazine covers over 1,200 times. That’s not even half of what Lara managed to achieve. Let that sink in for a moment.
The Success of Lara Croft: How Did She Get to the Top?
It would be impossible to find and pinpoint a specific reason why Lara became so successful and popular, and how she managed to get so far ahead of the competition. It’s a mix of several factors with an extra bit of luck.
One of the main reasons could be that she was made to be a strong and capable heroine. At the time of the original Tomb Raider, such characters were a rare sight, so there was some novelty factor at play. Lara, wielding her iconic dual pistols, was, in a sense, a pioneer figure who had shown the world that female protagonists can be badass, too.
Lara wasn’t a perfect woman, but she certainly possessed the qualities of a strong and memorable leading character, combining attractiveness with intelligence. It can’t be denied that Lara was deliberately made to be an attractive woman to appeal to men, which played a role in making her popular, too. Demographic studies from the 1990s clearly show that the video game market at that time was dominated by a male-majority audience – the main target of Tomb Raider games.
Lara had a strong personality. She was fearless, independent, bold, and cocky, leading to flaws that made her more relatable, believable, and human. She was overconfident, arrogant even, and her actions were sometimes morally ambiguous – such are the traits of a seasoned treasure hunter.
All of that, combined with the timing of her appearance, contributed to her success. She was a perfect character who happened to come at the right moment – just when the gaming culture started booming and reaching the mainstream.
Lara Croft Legacy – Video Games, Spin-Offs, Commercials, Movies…
The legacy of Lara Croft lives on, expands, and keeps evolving as new generations of players are introduced to the adventurous heroine. It’s worth noting the role of Crystal Dynamics in all of this – developers who brought Tomb Raider back in 2013 in the form of a reboot of the series. They did a stellar job with it; the game received praise from both players and critics alike, allowing Lara, the gaming icon, to reach an even bigger audience.
Since 1996, Lara Croft has been featured in a number of commercials and movies. She’s often referenced in the form of Easter Eggs in all kinds of media. She’s an inspiration for other creators, allowing games such as Uncharted to exist. There’s even a 2024 Netflix show; Lara is present everywhere, and you don’t have to be a gamer to recognize her and acknowledge her influence.
Will there ever be another female video game character of such caliber? Only time will tell.
Source:
- https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2025/11/tomb-raiders-lara-croft-claims-two-new-world-records-as-ultimate-videogame-heroine