I’m honestly getting tired of seeing people act like Lara Croft being feminine automatically means she was designed for the male gaze.
Lara has ALWAYS been feminine, confident, intelligent, independent and, yes, sexy. That has always been part of her identity. She became an icon because she resonated with girls and boys, women and men, across generations. You can’t just erase that part of her character because the way we talk about female characters has changed.
And I genuinely think some people have no idea what women who climb actually look like 😭 I spend enough time in the gym to see the women who climb regularly, and no, they don’t suddenly turn into Hulk because they climb. They tend to develop a very strong back, defined shoulders and toned arms while staying relatively lean. Being lighter and not carrying unnecessary bulk can actually be an advantage when you’re constantly lifting and moving your own body weight.
So yes, Lara can have a feminine body AND be an incredibly skilled climber, carry weapons, survive dangerous environments and climb mountains. These things are not mutually exclusive.
And another thing people seem to forget: yes, Tomb Raider has been moving towards a more realistic visual style, especially with its graphics and overall presentation, but that does NOT mean the game is supposed to be realistic in the same way as something like Uncharted.
Lara is still an extraordinary adventurer. Her abilities are beyond what the average person could realistically do. That’s literally part of the fantasy of Tomb Raider. Making the world and characters look more realistic doesn’t mean every aspect of Lara has to suddenly follow real-world limitations.
And can we PLEASE stop acting like a woman wearing shorts, a tank top or having cleavage automatically means she was created specifically for men? That’s such a reductive way of looking at female characters.
Her classic outfit is iconic. Her femininity is iconic. Her confidence is iconic. None of that prevents her from being a badass adventurer.
You can prefer a different body type or a more realistic art direction, that’s completely fine. But acting like Lara being feminine is somehow a flaw, or proof that she was made for men, completely misses the point of the character.
And honestly, if you actually know Tomb Raider, you should know Lara has always been much bigger than that. She has inspired girls, women, men and queer people for decades. Reducing her to “a hot woman made for men” is ironically doing exactly what you claim you’re against.
So personally, I’m so excited for Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis to be out and put my hand on it ! I’m so excited to explore the lore 🥹✨