Tomb Raider's first hero looked too much like Indiana Jones

A Familiar Adventure, a Different Hero

The first idea for Tomb Raider leaned on a recognizable adventure template: a male archaeologist dressed like Indiana Jones. That resemblance was a practical problem. A fedora and whip were not just generic props; together with the archaeologist persona, they pointed strongly toward one famous character. Core Design needed a lead who could explore ancient ruins without looking like a copy.

Redesigning the Character, Not Just the Costume

Toby Gard’s solution was to change the protagonist’s identity rather than disguise the original pitch. The result was Lara Croft, an English adventurer whose visual signature—most notably her ponytail and dual pistols—gave players a different set of cues to recognize. The change helped separate the game’s hero from the model that had inspired the early concept.

That distinction mattered in a game built around following one character through dangerous, unfamiliar spaces. A clear silhouette makes a protagonist easy to pick out on screen, while a distinctive design helps the character stand on her own in players’ minds. What began as a constraint on resemblance therefore shaped the game’s central figure: the explorer in the ruins was no longer another fedora-wearing adventurer, but Lara Croft.