Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021
Lara Croft Vs The Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021
Upon release, the mod circulated through forums like TRForge and Tomb Raider Forums. The reception was a mix of confusion, laughter, and genuine respect for the technical achievement.
The prompt "Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021" refers to an obscure, likely procedurally generated or surreal meme title that appeared in small corners of the internet around 2021. There is no official game, movie, or well-known fan fiction with this specific name. Instead, it serves as a fascinating example of "internet absurdity"—where nonsensical phrases are paired with iconic characters to create a sense of digital "folk horror" or surrealism. The Clash of Icons and Absurdity
In the landscape of 2021 digital culture, Lara Croft represents the pinnacle of the "defined" hero. She is the British aristocrat, the archetypal tomb raider, and a survivor of countless supernatural threats. Conversely, the "Hideous Hermit Podgey" is a linguistic void—a name that sounds like a character from a lost Victorian children’s book or a discarded creepypasta. The "solid essay" on this matchup explores two main themes:
The Hero vs. The Unknown: Unlike her battles with the Trinity or mythical gods, a fight against "Podgey" represents a shift from physical combat to psychological surrealism. Lara, equipped with dual pistols and tactical logic, is fundamentally ill-equipped for a foe that follows the logic of a fever dream.
A Satire of the "Versus" Culture: This title mocks the internet’s obsession with "Who Would Win?" scenarios. By pitting a legendary gaming icon against a total non-entity with a grotesque name, the meme highlights the exhaustion of the franchise-crossover era. Historical Context (2021)
During 2021, the Tomb Raider franchise was in a state of transition, celebrating its 25th anniversary and looking toward a "unified timeline". In this gap of official content, fan-made "shitposts" and bizarre SEO-generated titles often filled the void. "The Hideous Hermit Podgey" likely originated from a bot-generated video title or a niche community’s inside joke that intentionally combined a beloved IP with random, unsettling adjectives.
Ultimately, the matchup is a testament to Lara Croft’s enduring status; she is so ingrained in the cultural lexicon that even the most nonsensical internet "glitches" use her as their anchor.
A fan-made game or a fictional story, perhaps? Alright, let's assume it's a fictional adventure featuring Lara Croft, the iconic Tomb Raider. I'll provide a tongue-in-cheek guide for this imaginary game.
Lara Croft vs The Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021: A Guide
Story: The reclusive and enigmatic Hermit Podgey has been terrorizing a small village, using his unsettling appearance and eerie abilities to keep the locals at bay. Lara Croft, renowned adventurer and tomb raider, has arrived to put an end to Podgey's reign of terror.
Gameplay:
Lara Croft's Abilities:
Hermit Podgey's Abilities:
Strategy:
Boss Battle: Hermit Podgey
Tips and Tricks:
By following this guide, you should be able to help Lara Croft defeat the Hideous Hermit Podgey and save the village from his evil clutches. Good luck, and happy adventuring!
On April 1st, 2021 (a date that would later cause endless confusion), an anonymous user on the r/TombRaider subreddit posted a single grainy screenshot. It depicted Lara Croft, rendered in the realistic style of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, standing on a rickety wooden bridge over a bioluminescent swamp. Below her, half-submerged, was a massive, fleshy, vaguely humanoid shape with too many knuckles and a face like a melted candle.
The title of the post read: "Exclusive: Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021 – DLC cancelled by Square Enix."
The internet exploded—well, the corner of the internet that cares about both AAA stealth-action games and grotesque fungal hermit lore.
For 48 hours, no one could verify the leak. The image had no metadata. The lighting was consistent with the game’s engine. Fans analyzed the pickelhaube-like fungal growths on Podgey’s head. Was this a cut boss from the Season Pass? A scrapped horror-themed level where Lara, stripped of her weapons, had to outsmart a pitiful yet hideous creature in a derelict sanatorium?
The storm came down off the ridge like a judgment. Lara tightened the straps on her pack and peered through sleet at the shattered monastery clinging to the cliff. Locals whispered of a guardian who had once been man, now a mass of twisted flesh and metal—Podgey, they said, a name half-laughed, half-prayed.
Inside the monastery, prayer wheels had been pried from their axles and stacked like teeth. The air tasted of iron. Symbols—half-Buddhist, half-foreign—were etched into the walls, their lines converging on a single dark chamber beneath the altar. Lara’s headlamp carved a path through the gloom; water dripped, and something moved. lara croft vs the hideous hermit podgey 2021
Podgey rose from a litter of relics: a hunched figure encased in a lattice of alloy and bone, its one good eye milky with age. Where flesh met metal, runes pulsed faintly. It did not speak. It had no need. Its story was written in the relics it guarded—scrolls, talismans, and a single brass reliquary, swollen with age and the scent of cedar.
Flashbacks came in shards: a monk who traded his freedom for a promise—protection for his village—then greedier men from beyond the mountains who sought power, and a device sealed with blood that bound mind to machine. Podgey had stayed, willingly at first, then as a prison. Its humanity had flaked away.
Lara’s approach disturbed more than a sleeping guardian. A private security team, their corporate sigils bright and new against the monastery’s weathered stone, surged up the stairs—guns, flash-bangs, and the practiced cruelty of men who believed profit trumped sanctity. Bullet casings clinked like tiny bells.
The first clash was close and brutal. Lara moved with precision, using the monastery's angles; she disarmed, redirected, and turned the team’s aggression back on itself. But the real danger was Podgey. When the reliquary broke open—touched by careless hands—an ember of cold energy unfurled into the air. It vibrated into metal, whispered into bone. Soldiers convulsed; the lattice around Podgey fluoresced, knitting wounds.
Lara hesitated. Killing the hermit seemed desecration; letting the artifact be transported was worse. She dove into the history encoded in the relics: the device was a sentinel meant to protect sacred sites by fusing with a host, but over centuries its directives twisted. It demanded guardianship through domination.
Lara’s choice was surgical. She used the monastery's bell—hollow, resonant—to shatter the reliquary’s external casing, then threaded a specialized EMP shard from her kit into the lattice’s seam. Podgey screamed, not a human noise but something like metal grinding against tide. For a heartbeat, when the device's hum dipped, Lara met an exhausted, human face beneath the shell—eyes that recognized mercy.
She activated the EMP. The lattice collapsed like a rusted cage. The reliquary killed its last spark and went dark. Podgey sagged, vulnerable and finally small. Lara offered water. He looked at her, a question forming, then closed his eyes. The monastery exhaled.
In the aftermath, Lara sealed the reliquary fragments with local priests, insisting they remain in place under watch. The corporation’s van was left in the snow, its men nursing bitter pride. As she left, the villagers gathered at the ridge, neither fully grateful nor forgiving—custodians of a site that was healed but marked forever. Lara watched the valley fall away and felt the old ache for discovery, knowing that some things required protection, not possession.
So where does “Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021” stand today? It is neither a game, nor a canonical story, nor a simple joke. It has become a legendary fan artifact—a proof of concept for how a single, dedicated artist can hijack the discourse around a billion-dollar franchise.
For Lara Croft, Podgey represents the ultimate niche opponent: not a god, not a secret society, but a sad, ugly, fungal man who just wants to garden in peace. For fans, the keyword “Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021” now serves as a litmus test. Bring it up at a gaming convention, and you’ll either get a blank stare or a whispered, “The celery-snap scream… I still hear it.”
As of late 2024, Morag has vanished from the internet. Podgey’s official Tumblr has been deleted. But the stop-motion animation survives on obscure file hosts, and the phrase lives on as a beautiful, bizarre footnote in Tomb Raider history.
In the end, Lara Croft didn’t defeat the Hideous Hermit Podgey. The Hermit simply returned to his swamp, muttering about trespassers and their explosive arrows. And perhaps, that’s the most realistic ending of all.
Have you seen the Podgey 2021 animation? Do you think Lara was wrong to shoot first? Sound off in the comments—but please, do not send us Podgey fan art.
Search related: Tomb Raider fan film, Podgey 2021 explained, Lara Croft horror crossover, lost media 2021, Morag animation artist.
"Lara Croft vs. The Hideous Hermit Podgey" (2021) appears to be an incredibly niche or parody fan production, as it does not exist as a mainstream film or game release.
Given its campy title, a review would likely focus on its low-budget charm and absurdist humor. If this were a fan-made short film, a typical review might look like this: Review: A Bizarre, Campy Clash Rating: ★★★☆☆ (For Effort and Eccentricity)
"Lara Croft vs. The Hideous Hermit Podgey" is exactly what the title promises: a strange, 2021-era experimental fan project that swaps the high-stakes raiding of Shadow of the Tomb Raider for a goofy, localized showdown.
The Vibe: Rather than the polished Unreal Engine 5 visuals seen in upcoming titles like Legacy of Atlantis, this project leans into DIY aesthetic. It feels more like a backyard wrestling match than a cinematic adventure.
The Protagonist: The portrayal of Lara Croft here skips the grit of Alicia Vikander or the poise of Angelina Jolie in favor of a more "cosplay-action" feel.
The Villain: The "Hideous Hermit Podgey" is the clear standout—likely a friend in a thrift-store ghillie suit. He lacks the menace of the Solari or the Undead from the games, but makes up for it with pure, unhinged energy.
Verdict: It’s a "satisfyingly bad" watch, similar to the guilty-pleasure vibe some fans get from the 2001 movie. It’s not "canon," but for anyone who enjoys seeing an iconic archaeologist fight a man named "Podgey," it’s a unique 2021 artifact.
In 2021, the Tomb Raider franchise celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Key releases during this period included: Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy : A bundle of the three reboot games (Tomb Raider, Rise of the Tomb Raider , and Shadow of the Tomb Raider ) released for consoles . Lara Croft in Fortnite Upon release, the mod circulated through forums like
: Lara was added as a playable skin with various styles representing her classic and modern eras. 2. Exploring Fan-Made Levels and Mods
If "The Hideous Hermit Podgey" refers to a custom game level, the best places to find guides or the content itself are:
TRLE.net (Tomb Raider Level Editor): The primary hub for thousands of fan-made levels using the original 1990s game engines. You can search their database for "Hideous Hermit" or "Podgey."
Tomb Raider Forums: A massive community where modders and level builders share walkthroughs and help for custom content. 3. Current and Upcoming Lara Croft Projects
If you are looking for the latest official Lara Croft adventures, the series is currently expanding: Netflix Series: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
(Season 1 & 2) is available on Netflix, voiced by Hayley Atwell .
Upcoming Games: Amazon Games and Crystal Dynamics have announced new titles, including a reimagined version of the 1996 debut and an all-new adventure powered by Unreal Engine 5 .
Live-Action Series: A new Tomb Raider series is in development for Prime Video, with Sophie Turner cast as Lara Croft .
Can you clarify if this was a specific video you saw or a downloadable game mod so I can help you find the exact walkthrough?
No record exists of a work titled "Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021" within official Tomb Raider canon or mainstream databases. The 25th anniversary of the franchise in 2021 was marked by the announcement of the Legend of Lara Croft animated series and the release of the Definitive Survivor Trilogy. The requested title likely refers to a niche, private fan project or specific community mod. For further searching on custom community content, explore the Tomb Raider Forums.
Here’s a short piece imagining Lara Croft vs. the Hideous Hermit Podgey (2021) — written in the style of a survival-horror action sequence.
LARA CROFT VS THE HIDEOUS HERMIT PODGEY (2021)
“The Rot Below Blackthorn Reach”
The journal entry had been a hoax—or so she thought.
Three adventurers had vanished in the Welsh Marches, all last seen near the flooded limestone tunnels beneath Blackthorn Reach. Locals spoke only in whispers of “Podgey,” a hermit who hadn’t been seen since the 1970s. Lara dismissed it as folklore.
Until she found the altar.
Deep in the drowned cavern, where stalactites bled rust-colored water, a figure squatted on a throne of fused bones and salvaged caravan parts. Podgey was not a man anymore. Decades of isolation, toxic mineral seepage, and self-mutilation had turned him into something elastic—his spine curved like a fishhook, skin slick with black biofilm, eyes whittled to two wet pearls. He giggled when Lara’s flashlight swept over him.
“You brought the warm,” he wheezed. “Podgey’s been so cold.”
The fight was not a shootout.
Lara’s pistol jammed after two shots—mud and rot clogged the slide. Podgey moved like a waterlogged spider, limbs bending the wrong way, dragging a rusted meat hook on a chain. He didn’t feel pain. He laughed when she broke his arm—it folded backward and kept clawing.
The cavern was his body: slick ledges, knee-deep sump water, hanging roots that he’d woven with fishing line and animal teeth. Lara adapted. She used the environment—collapsing a rock chimney onto him, then using the echo of his shrieking to navigate blind through a flooded passage.
The killing blow came not from a gun or a knife, but from light.
Lara remembered the hermit’s journal: “The sun left me first.” She shattered a phosphorescent mineral deposit with her climbing axe, flooding the chamber with raw, blinding glare. Podgey shrieked, his translucent skin burning in streaks. He stumbled backward into a submerged shaft and did not resurface.
Lara climbed out at dawn, missing two boot soles and most of her left sleeve. Behind her, the caves exhaled one last wet sigh.
She didn’t file a report.
But in her private notes, she wrote: “Podgey was real. And somewhere down there, still laughing.”
Tone: Gritty, claustrophobic, reboot-era Lara (Survivor trilogy) meets folk horror.
Easter egg: “Podgey” is a nod to classic British slang for something squat and unpleasant—a perfect low-key nemesis. The prompt "Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit
Title: The Selfie and the Scythe: Duality and Deconstruction in Lara Croft vs. The Hideous Hermit Podgey (2021)
Introduction In the vast, often chaotic archive of internet culture, few artifacts are as strangely compelling—or as specific—as the 2021 fan animation (or fan-art sequence) pitting Lara Croft against "The Hideous Hermit Podgey." On the surface, this matchup appears to be a absurd collision of high-fidelity pop culture and low-brow internet absurdism. It juxtaposes one of gaming’s most enduring symbols of power and grace against a grotesque, inflated caricature of neglect. However, to dismiss this piece as mere schlock is to overlook its function as a commentary on the gaming industry itself. The confrontation serves as a distorted mirror, reflecting the evolving aesthetics of the medium, the subversion of the "male gaze," and the tension between polished triple-A design and the raw, unpolished creativity of the internet age.
The Modern Icon: The Survivor Lara To understand the weight of this confrontation, one must first understand the state of Lara Croft in 2021. By this time, the "Survivor Trilogy" (Tomb Raider 2013, Rise, and Shadow) had firmly re-established the character. Gone was the quipping, polygonal sex symbol of the late 90s; in her place stood a gritty, traumatized, and hyper-detailed survivor. The Lara Croft of 2021 is defined by realism—mud, blood, and visceral physicality. She represents the polished apex of the industry: motion-captured performances, realistic physics, and a character arc grounded in psychological realism. She is the "canonical" product, packaged and sold by a major corporation.
The Grotesque Other: The Hideous Hermit Podgey Standing in stark contrast is the antagonist: The Hideous Hermit Podgey. This character (a recurring figure in the specific niche of 3D art/animation communities, often associated with the artist 'Podgey') embodies the antithesis of AAA design. He is bloated, unwashed, and exaggerated to the point of recoil. He represents the "abject"—that which is cast off and rejected by polite society. In the context of gaming tropes, he is the "cannon fodder" enemy, the NPC (Non-Player Character) whose existence is solely to be eliminated. Yet, in 2021, he also represents a specific subgenre of internet art that finds beauty or humor in the grotesque. He is the uncanny valley realized—a creature of physics glitches and distorted hit-boxes. He is not a villain with a master plan; he is a force of chaotic ugliness.
The Clash of Aesthetics The brilliance of the 2021 animation lies in the friction between these two poles. When the sleek, meticulously textured Lara Croft engages with the bulbous, clay-like Podgey, it creates a visual dissonance that is both comedic and unsettling. It creates a visual metaphor for the "Uncanny Valley" meeting the "Sublime." The animation often forces Lara to interact physically with this repulsive form, subverting the expectation of the male gaze. Historically, the male gaze in Tomb Raider was about admiring Lara. Here, the gaze is redirected toward the repulsive male form, forcing the viewer to confront the absurdity of the sexualization of violence in gaming.
Furthermore, the animation highlights the technical disparity between the two figures. Lara moves with the fluid, heavy weight of a AAA animation rig, while Podgey often jiggles and squishes with the exaggerated fluidity of a ragdoll physics engine. This looks like a battle between a cinematic movie and a broken video game. It reminds the viewer of the artificiality of the medium—Lara is just as much a collection of polygons as Podgey, but her budget hides it better.
Subversion of the Power Fantasy Thematically, the fight narrative subverts the traditional Tomb Raider power fantasy. Typically, Lara fights ancient deities, mercenaries, and wild animals—threats that legitimize her status as a warrior goddess. Fighting a "Hideous Hermit" is a grounding experience. It is mundane and dirty. It strips away the mystique of the tomb and replaces it with a grimy confrontation in a forgotten hole.
In some interpretations of this specific internet subculture, the outcome of these battles often leans toward the absurd or the fetishistic, often mocking the invincibility of the protagonist. By having Lara struggle against something as pathetic as a "Hermit Podgey," the animation punctures the bubble of the "Girlboss" narrative. It suggests that for all her training and high-tech gear, she is still susceptible to the chaotic, gross realities of the world—a theme surprisingly consistent with the gritty reboot trilogy’s emphasis on vulnerability.
Conclusion "Lara Croft vs. The Hideous Hermit Podgey" (2021) is a fascinating cultural artifact because it operates on multiple frequencies. To the casual observer, it is a bizarre internet oddity. To the critic, it is a deconstruction of gaming aesthetics. It forces the pristine, corporate perfection of Lara Croft to collide with the messy, grotesque, and unauthorized creativity of the internet. It reminds us that behind every polished AAA title lies the potential for glitchy, chaotic absurdity, and that sometimes, the most interesting stories are the ones that were never supposed to happen. In this clash, the Queen of the Jungle meets the King of the Trash Heap, and in doing so, both become stranger and more interesting for it.
"Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey" appears to be an unofficial fan-made project or a niche online video rather than a major commercial game or film release. There are no professional reviews from major publications for a title with this name from 2021.
A file with this specific title has been seen on platforms like Google Drive, which often indicates it may be a custom level, a fan animation, or a short parody film.
If you are looking for reviews of official Lara Croft media released or active around that time, you might be interested in:
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018): Often reviewed for its stealth-heavy gameplay and its conclusion to the "Survivor" trilogy.
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration: This edition is frequently praised for its extensive content and "definitive" feel for long-term fans.
Tomb Raider (2018 Film): Continued to be a point of comparison against the games in 2021 discussions, specifically regarding Alicia Vikander's performance.
If you can tell me where you saw this title (e.g., YouTube, a specific gaming forum, or a modding site), I can help you find community impressions or more details on what it actually is. 11 Best Tomb Raider Games | Classics and Reboots in 2025
Shadow of the Tomb Raider [Best Tomb Raider for Puzzle & Stealth Lovers] Eneba Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration includes the base game and Season Pass, featuring all new content. www.tombraider.com
Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration Reviews - Metacritic
To understand the 2021 confrontation, we must first understand the antagonist. The "Hideous Hermit Podgey" is not a creation of Crystal Dynamics or even a rejected Eidos villain. Instead, Podgey emerged from the depths of a now-defunct Tumblr blog called Degenerate Dungeon Delves, run by an enigmatic Scottish artist known only as "Morag."
Between 2018 and 2020, Morag posted a series of grotesque watercolors depicting a bloated, fungal, hermit-like creature—Podgey—who lived in the flooded boiler rooms of abandoned British manor houses. Podgey was described as "neither man nor mushroom, but something that forgot its own name 300 years ago." The character gained a small cult following for its tragic backstory: a Victorian botanist who fused with a carnivorous lichen after a ritual gone wrong.
By early 2021, Podgey had become a niche meme. Then, Lara Croft entered the chat.
I’m not finding a clear, well-known topic titled "Lara Croft vs the Hideous Hermit Podgey 2021." I’ll assume you want a complete creative piece (fan story, synopsis, or article) about that title. I’ll produce a concise, polished short story and optional extras (synopsis, characters, themes). If you meant something else (news, game mod, video, or a real-world event), say so.
Without specific details on Podgey, we can only speculate on his characteristics. However, being described as a "hideous hermit" suggests: