Since the release of the original Tomb Raider game in 1996, the series developed into a lucrative franchise of related media, and Lara went on to become a major icon of the video game industry. The Tomb Raider video games have together sold over 35 million units, making it one of the best-selling video game series of all time.

The central character in Tomb Raider is the British archaeologist Lara Croft, a female adventurer in search of ancient treasures.