Lara Croft is a fictional character (Character (arts)) and the protagonist of Square Enix Europes (previously Eidos Interactive) Tomb Raider video game series. She is presented as a beautiful, intelligent, and athletic archaeologist (Archaeology)-adventurer who ventures into ancient, hazardous tombs and ruins around the world. Created by Toby Gard during his employment at British developer Core Design, the character first appeared in the 1996 video game Tomb Raider (Tomb Raider (video game)). Other appearances include video game sequels, printed adaptations, a series of animated short films, feature films, and various merchandise related to the series. Lara Croft has also been licensed for third-party promotion, including television and print advertisements, music-related appearances, and as a spokesmodel. Promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model (Model (person)) portrayals.

Core Design first handled development of the character and the series. Inspired by pop artist Neneh Cherry and comic book character Tank Girl, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. The company modified the character for subsequent titles; modifications included graphical improvements and gameplay additions such as new manoeuvres and in-game items. Poor reception for the 2001 sequel Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness resulted in a switch to American developer Crystal Dynamics. The new developed rebooted the character along with the video game series. Crystall Dynamics focused on making the character more believable, and altered her proportions and capabilities to interact with game environments. Lara Croft has been voiced by four actresses throughout the series: Shelley Blond, Judith Gibbins, Jonell Elliott, and Keeley Hawes.

Critics consider Lara Croft a significant game character in popular culture. She hold two Guinness World Records and has a strong fan following. The characters debut was well-received by the video game industry, but slowly declined until the series reboot in 2006, which was met with mixed responses. Lara Croft is also considered a sex symbol, one of the earliest in the industry to achieve wide-spread attention. This status has been a point of contention among critics.