Few people were more important to helping a young Lara Croft become the hero she is today than Conrad Roth.

A veteran of the Royal Marines, Conrad Roth was captain of the Endurance, a research vessel named for his hero, the explorer Ernest Shackleton. Roth hunted artifacts and treasure around the world, eventually working as a guide for Lord Richard Croft, Lara’s father.

As Lord Croft fell further into obsession after the death of Lara’s mother, increasingly neglecting his daughter, Roth became closer to Lara, looking after and nurturing her. When a young Lara proudly showed Roth a piece of jade she discovered on a dig, Roth turned it into the necklace she would come to cherish. After Trinity murdered Lord Croft, Roth became Lara’s legal guardian, teaching her skills like climbing and survival.

Lara would eventually grow up to serve on the Endurance under Roth (alongside Samantha Nishimura) during archaeologist James Whitman’s expedition to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai. It was Roth who trusted Lara’s navigational instincts, leading the vessel to shipwreck on the fabled island.

Roth helped Lara survive multiple times on Yamatai, saving her during the storm that wrecked the Endurance while guiding her across the island in search of their lost crewmates and rescue, even providing her with her iconic climbing axe and a pair of pistols.

Roth would ultimately give his life to protect Lara from the Solarii Brotherhood as it fought to resurrect Himiko, Yamatai’s immortal queen. Lara was heartbroken to lose yet another parental figure in her life but resolved to move forward with the lessons he’d taught her.

Catch up on Lara’s full adventures before the October 10, 2024, Netflix premiere of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft with the Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy, available now!

The Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy is available now on:

• Steam

• PlayStation

• Xbox

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Tomb Raider (2013)