James Whitman

Doctor James Whitman is a British archeologist and a protagonist in the Tomb Raider (2013) timeline. Sporting a television show and a failing marriage, Dr. Whitman joins the Endurance crew as senior archeologist to hit it big.

Life
Dr. Whitman studied at Harvard and is both an expert in Archaeology and Anthropology. He also took his PHD at Cambridge University in the UK and taught at many schools around the world. However, over the last few years Whitman has moved into TV series and documentary making and became quite a popular presenter with a successful range of tie-in books.

Career "Whitman's World"

Prior to the events of Tomb Raider (2013), Dr. Whitman hosts his own television show called "Whitman's World", an archaeology show. The Endurance Expedition is supposed to be a part of this show's second season. However, his TV series is in danger of being cancelled unless he finds some new and exciting angle; a problem that he’s not keen to share with the rest of the crew. He privately hopes that the trip will give him material for a new TV series and, along with Sam’s footage, the commissioning editors will come crawling to him.

As the game progresses, it becomes clear that Whitman is pursuing self-interests, as shown from the letter from his wife, who is requesting a divorce, and he asks her to hold off as it will hurt his public image, and if he gets famous he won't share any of the riches with her if she divorces him. Early in the game, he allows himself and Lara Croft to be captured due to his interest in the islanders' cult behavior.

Lara later finds a letter expressing that Whitman is beginning to grow more obsessed with his fame, and shows that he sees this whole situation as a boon for his career. He shows little to no remorse towards the death of the other crew members of the Endurance, saying that their deaths help add to the "drama" of the situation.

Later, Whitman betrays Lara and the remaining crew by capturing Sam for Mathias. In his final letter, Whitman reflects on what he has done, and again shows no real remorse for his actions in the deaths that he has caused. He shows no signs of regret as he rants about helping Mathias kill Sam, and says that once it is all finished, he will need to slip away and wait for rescue. The final part of the letter makes it clear just how self-conceited Whitman is, as he reminds himself to, "show the appropriate amount of sorrow" to the media and authorities while taking full credit for the discoveries found on Yamatai, as he plans on being the "sole survivor".

Death
Approaching the Monastary, Lara witnesses Whitman and Mathias leading a captured Sam. They are stopped, however, by the presence of two Stormguard warriors at the foot of the bridge. Mathias plays on Whitman's ego and convinces him to approach the Oni to declare "the arrival of their new Queen". The Oni are provoked into attacking Whitman after he says Joō (女王, meaning "queen"), brutally slaughtering him as Mathias and Sam slip past them and across the bridge into the Monastary.