The Japanese publisher of Core Design expressed a desire to modify Lara Croft's model to "better resonate with a Japanese audience"

Paul Douglas, one of the original creators of Tomb Raider, has disclosed that Core Design was encouraged by its Japanese publisher to adjust Lara Croft's character design because of concerns that the Western look might not be well-received in Japan.

During discussions on X and BlueSky, Douglas shared that both he and fellow designer Toby Gard were urged to modify Croft’s appearance rather late in the game's development. The publisher, Victor Interactive Software, even sent over design suggestions via fax.

Douglas explained the publisher's desire to make Croft more appealing to a Japanese audience with a "Manga style" influence, describing requests for a larger head and eyes. However, Toby Gard was opposed to substantially changing Lara's appearance.

In the end, only the manuals and guides were updated with new illustrations. The assumption that changing the 3D models would be a quick task was inaccurate, as development technology at the time was still nascent. What began as a request to revise all models in the game eventually narrowed down to just Lara's head.

Douglas noted that although designs were sent over by fax, these were not used in the game.