The 'Tomb Raider' character topped a poll conducted by BAFTA

When you think of iconic video game characters, there are certain names that repeatedly crop up.

Mario has to be up there, along with the likes of Sonic, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and perhaps even a modern character like someone from Minecraft or Pokemon.

However, a new poll conducted by BAFTA has revealed that it is 'Tomb Raider' character Lara Croft that is deemed the most iconic by video game players.

The first 'Tomb Raider' game was released in 1996 and exploded in popularity when it spawned multiple sequels, as well as three films. The first two (released in 2001 and 2003) starred Angelina Jolie as the title character, while the 2018 reboot saw Alicia Vikander take on the role.

Lara Croft, who is a fictional British archaeologist who explores ancient tombs and ruins around the world, beat off competition from the aforementioned Mario and Sonic, as well as Link from the 'Legend of Zelda' series and Agent 47 from 'Hitman' - all of which made the Top 10.

Over 4000 gamers worldwide were surveyed for the poll, which was conduced to mark the 20th BAFTA Games Awards later this month.

See the top 20 below:

  1. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
  2. Mario (Super Mario Bros.)
  3. Agent 47 (Hitman)
  4. Sonic the Hedgehog
  5. Sackboy (Little Big Planet)
  6. Pac-Man
  7. Link (Legend of Zelda)
  8. Master Chief (Halo)
  9. Kratos (God of War)
  10. Shadowheart (Baldur's Gate 3)
  11. Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)
  12. Pikachu (Pokémon)
  13. Steve (Minecraft)
  14. Solid Snake (Metal Gear Solid)
  15. Crash Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
  16. Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII)
  17. Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3)
  18. Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza)
  19. Ellie Williams (The Last of Us)
  20. Nathan Drake (Uncharted)