Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

The series features clear identity casting and prominent LGBTQ+ representation. The classic tech expert Zip is changed to be openly gay. The main cast features highly diverse characters like Jonah, Sam, and Eshu, highlighting a clear industry pattern of prioritizing representation over traditional story logic. These changes are highly visible throughout both seasons of the show.

The dialogue mostly avoids aggressive political lecturing, focusing instead on character growth, trauma, and adventure. However, mild progressive dialogue occasionally appears when characters discuss the negative aspects of historical archaeology and the colonialist legacy of taking artifacts from other cultures.

The narrative heavily prioritizes identity-driven themes, especially around sisterhood and queer-coded female relationships. The emotional core of the series is built around strong sapphic undertones between Lara and her female companions, Camilla and Sam. The showrunner also shifts the focus away from Lara's classic appeal to highlight modern physical grit and girl power.

The series critiques traditional Western archaeological practices. The showrunner intentionally structured the story to complicate and deconstruct the heroic image of Lara's father, forcing Lara to reject his paternalistic and wealthy legacy. While this is framed as character growth, it aligns with modern critiques of Western colonial history.

The show makes several noticeable changes to established lore. Zip's character is changed from a tech expert who liked women in the games into an openly gay man. Additionally, Lara Croft is redesigned to be highly muscular and less traditionally feminine, which moves her away from her iconic classic appearance to suit modern gender representation priorities.

The show faced strong backlash from fans who accused it of pushing a modern political agenda. Many critics and commentators mockingly labeled the protagonist 'Larry Croft' due to her muscular and less feminine redesign. Online complaints heavily targeted the show's focus on lesbian undertones, the changes to Zip's character, and the loss of the original tomb raiding vibe.

Key creators involved have a moderate track record of supporting progressive themes. Showrunner Tasha Huo and producer Brad Graeber both have a public history of advocating for diversity, gender parity, and queer representation in animation. Writers like Shakira Pressley and Nneka Gerstle also promote diverse storytelling.