Highlights
- Indy has the experience, but Lara thrives in the wilderness with survival skills unmatched by him.
- Jones wields an iconic whip, while Croft is an expert martial artist with fighting abilities Indy can’t match.
- Lara keeps her treasures, making her the more successful archaeologist compared to Indy who donates his finds.
There are few characters in pop culture as pitted against each other as Indiana Jones and Lara Croft. Indiana Jones, created by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, was inspired by James Bond and the characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Croft, on the other hand, was inspired by Jones himself for the 1996 video game Tomb Raider.
Over the course of the characters’ simultaneous existences in pop culture, Jones and Croft have often drawn comparisons for being wise-cracking adventurers navigating ancient ruins. However, there are plenty of differences that make them a match made in heaven, whether it’s treasure hunting or battle-rapping. It’s time to see which archaeologist takes the trophy.
Experience: Indiana Jones
Indy Has Years Of Adventure & Experience Over Lara Croft
Henry Jones Jr. got his start at adventuring at a young age, as depicted in the opening scene of The Last Crusade. It was during these early years that the archaeologist earned his reputation as “Indiana Jones,” taking on jobs retrieving artifacts during the First and Second World Wars. Even in his old age, Indy was still reluctantly adventuring, as seen in The Dial of Destiny.
Given that Indiana Jones’ media history has spanned his entire life, it’s easy for the character to beat Lara Croft when it comes to experience. With Tomb Raider games like the 2013 reboot, the character’s origin is retold as a plane crash survivor who finds a love for adventure. Compared to Indy, Lara hasn’t spent her whole life hunting treasure, though perhaps eventually she will.
Survival Skills: Lara Croft
Lara Thrives In The Deadly Wilderness
As proven by many of the Tomb Raider games across timelines, Lara Croft is a master survivalist, stemming from her becoming shipwrecked after an expedition gone wrong. When the time came to kill in order to survive, Croft easily adapted to performing morally dubious actions. Simply put, her survival in the outdoors throughout the games is not by accident.
Indiana Jones, on the other hand, has mostly survived his circumstances by pure luck. At any point during his adventures, Indy could’ve been taken out by a stray booby trap or an unsteady cliffside. Even in the films, it’s shown how Indy gets captured on numerous occasions, proving he’s not even that great at espionage when the mission requires it.
Iconic Weapons: Indiana Jones
Jones Wields One Of The Most Iconic Movie Weapons Ever
Lara Croft’s most iconic weaponry is her dual pistols, though the 2013 reboot introduced the character’s now-iconic bow and arrow to her video game arsenal. She’s certainly no spring chicken when it comes to fighting with weapons, using them to hunt and survive. She’s even been able to use everyday objects to her advantage when the moment calls for it.
While Indiana Jones is also a frequent pistol-whipper, he’s got one edge over Jones in the weaponry department: his whip. Like an extended appendage, Indy has done some incredible feats with his weapon of choice, including stealing artifacts from the hands of his enemies. Sadly, Lara has no weapon she’s as adept at as Indy is with his famous whip.
Fighting Ability: Lara Croft
Lara Is An Expert Martial Artist
When it comes to combat, there’s no denying that Indiana Jones is the type to cut corners. In one badass moment from Raiders of the Lost Ark, he opts to shoot a swordsman rather than engage in an epic whip vs sword battle. Even in situations from the films where he had to resort to hand-to-hand fighting, Jones is lucky to survive by the skin of his teeth.
On the contrary, Lara Croft is an incredible athlete and martial artist. She’s proficient in many different styles of fighting, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu and kickboxing. There are even situations in which Croft has easily held her own in a fight while blindfolded. Especially as Indy increases in age, he’s not exactly outmatching Croft when it comes to his fighting expertise.
Academia: Indiana Jones
There’s A Reason He’s Called “Doctor” Jones
Indiana Jones owes a lot of his love of academia to his father, Henry Jones Sr., who was a professor of medieval history and took his son on early trips around the world. Jones later racked up degrees in archeology and linguistics before securing a job as a professor at colleges around the United States. Simply put, Indy’s love of adventure stems from his love of history.
Lara Croft’s motivation to adventure has a slightly different origin. Though she also adopted a desire to travel the world from her father, Croft fell more in love with the adventures she read about in books. She excelled in school as well and has displayed above-average intelligence, but she’s not leaving adventures to teach disinterested college students anytime soon.
Bravery: Lara Croft
She’s More Fearless Than Indy Is, Having No Fear Of Snakes
Though her adventuring ways came out of a love for storybooks, Lara Croft is certainly a braver adventurer than Indiana Jones. There aren’t many situations in which Croft has displayed any sign of fear, aside from moments where she neared death. However, Indiana Jones has one huge weakness when it comes to the bravery department: snakes.
It’s common in Indiana Jones’ movies that the adventurer at some point comes across snakes (or in The Dial of Destiny, eels) and is paralyzed in fear. It’s part of human nature to have irrational fears, and it makes the characters more realistic. Croft only has the fear that video game players have, which, depending on how they play the games, might be none at all.
Style: Indiana Jones
The Iconic Fedora & Leather Jacket Makes Indiana Jones A Fashion Icon
Obviously, fashion is the least important quality in a good archaeologist, though Lara Croft and Indiana Jones certainly lead the way. Croft has worn some iconic fits in their video game history, though she’s most recognizable in a tank top and shorts. The more recent games have featured a variety of clothing, including leather jackets, but her style is more practical than for show.
Indiana Jones, however, has one of the most iconic fashion ensembles in all of pop culture. The combo of leather jacket, Stetson hat, and baggy shirt makes him one of the best-dressed adventurers there ever was. Though Spielberg and Lucas derived this look from Charlton Heston’s appearance in Secret of the Incas, Harrison Ford definitely pulls it off better.
Success: Lara Croft
Lara Keeps Her Treasures, Whereas Indy Gives Them To Museums, If He Gets Them
While Indiana Jones has been studying archeology and adventuring across the globe for most of his life, he’s no stranger to failure. In fact, in the character’s very first scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy recovers the Golden Idol from a Peruvian temple only to be cornered into giving it up by his arch-nemesis Belloq. Even throughout his adventures, Indy is a step behind his enemies.
Lara Croft, on the other hand, is a much more successful archaeologist, though her victories are achieved by the grace of the player controlling her. Nevertheless, the only thing Indy has against her is that he’s a more noble archaeologist, donating his discoveries to museums and archives. Lara, the more successful of the two, often keeps the treasures she finds.
Winner: Lara Croft
The Younger Generation Is New And Improved
There’s no doubt that Lara Croft wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for Indiana Jones. The British explorer owes a lot to Harrison Ford’s most iconic role, but as is typical in fields of study, the younger generation comes in and improves on where the former fails. In many aspects, from her athleticism to her combat skills to her success rate, Lara Croft is the superior archaeologist.
However, part of this comparison may be due to age. Fans of Indiana Jones have seen the character in his older, less agile states compared to Croft, who is eternally young and spry in the video games. If the two were ever to be pitted against each other in a race for an artifact, it’d be no surprise if Croft grabbed it and escaped before Indy even got off his plane, thanks to her agility and prowess when it comes to backflipping, dual-wielding pistols, and fighting dinosaurs.
Nevertheless, suppose the two ever did have an exciting crossover. In that case, it’s no doubt that the two would get along rather well, and instead of fighting, would enjoy sharing their adventures and their mutual hatred for fascist ideals and love for ancient civilizations, even if they may squabble on what to do with them.
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