

Jonell’s final performance of our hero in The Angel of Darkness defined that era of Lara being the ultimate Ice Queen.

RELATED: The Beauty And Potential Of Tomb Raider: The Angel Of DarknessĪs a character, Lara has never been one to mince her words at the best of times. However, the next year, Tomb Raider Chronicles was released, serving as a prequel anthology of sorts before Lara’s first adventure on PlayStation 2, where the hunter became the hunted. With the developers growing extremely exhausted of the demands for a year-on-year release, they decided that Lara needed to fall victim to her greatest passion. It sets up the backstory of their relationship, the origin of Lara’s backpack, and serves as the tutorial, as Croft Manor was absent for the rest of classic Lara’s life cycle. The Last Revelation opens with a 16-year-old Lara alongside her mentor, Werner Von Croy. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation brought Lara back into the tombs, with Jonell Elliott lending her voice to the archeologist for the next three games. With her incredible performance setting the bar for years to come, it’s no wonder that Shelley’s original incarnation is so celebrated by the community to this day. She was playful, yet assertive, all in the same breath. Shelley’s intonation during in-game cutscenes brought Lara to life in a way that only she could, delivering her iconic one-liners cemented Lara’s status in gaming, with an attitude that paved the way for so many other characters.


However, she did give permission for her sound bites to be used in the following installment. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, she was unable to return and reprise her role. The simple two-letter word of ‘No’ and Shelley’s delivery still delights players to this day. Lara’s hunt for the Scion of Atlantis took her to a plethora of stunning 3D locations, yet one of the most iconic moments from the game was birthed right from the sound booth. Her first and only full appearance as Lady Lara Croft took the world by storm back in 1996, with Core Design’s Tomb Raider.
