Tomb Raider Fans Want Lara Croft To Have A Girlfriend
It's a trope we've seen time and time again in video games, with powerful female characters going it alone without the need for a love interest to tie them down. We know it must be hard hanging from a cliff by your toes one minute and spending Valentine's Day with your significant other the next, which might explain why the Tomb Raider games have usually portrayed Lara Croft as a strong woman that don't need no man... or woman!
Since those triangular-breasted days on the PlayStation, the Tomb Raider series has kept us cocking our dual pistols and going on archaeological adventures for the past 26 years. With confirmation a new entry in the series is on the way, fans are saying it could be time for Lara Croft to settle down. However, instead of the traditional Nathan Drake-esque heartthrob, some think she should have a girlfriend.
Why Are Fans Saying Lara Should Have A Girlfriend?
Click to enlargeA tweet from @lgbtzenin caused a stir when it simply declared: "I hope they stop being p*ssies and give Lara croft a girlfriend in the new game." Although critics are quick to write this off a "snowflake inclusion," the Lara Croft introduced in 2013's Tomb Raider is considered canonically a lesbian by many.
As a refresher, the game introduced Lara alongside BFF, Samantha Nishimura. The pair were aboard the Endurance when it crashed, before things spun out into a wild plot about Sam being possessed by the demonic spirit of Himiko. It put a strain on their friendship, however, it's later revealed that she's still in touch with Lara. Tomb Raider ended with a rainbow shining over Lara and Sam, which is a not-so-subtle nod toward their potential feelings.
Comic book writer Gail Simone later tweeted: "You cannot convince me that Lara and Sam aren’t 10000% gay for each other. It’s not even subtext." Sam appeared in the comic Tomb Raider: Inferno, and according to writer Jackson Lanzing, "we tried so hard to make it canon." This was backed up by comic book artist Phillip Sevy, who confirmed the original ending included a kiss between Lara and Sam. "I still have the original pencils/inks for that page before I had to redraw it," said Sevy.
Should Sam Be Lara's Girlfriend?
There were plenty of champions for Lara's female love interest. One supporter wrote, "If we don't get a scene where she finds Sam again and they bond closer than ever and kiss and fight together," while another added, "Bring back sam nishimura challenge." A third suggested the aforementioned Nathan Drake, and while a crossover with Naughty Dog's dormant Uncharted series sounds fanciful, stranger things have happened.
The Official Shadow Of The Tomb Raider Artbook revealed that Sam was pitched for a return, however, she was swapped out for Jonah's return. Obviously, we don't know what's going on with Tomb Raider right now, so it's possible the next chapter will be a reboot instead of a Shadow of the Tomb Raider sequel. If the team is destined to continue the story that ended in 2018, we could finally see Lara and Sam lock lips.
