3 John Locke

Played by: Terry O'Quinn

Main: Seasons 1-6

 

Excuse the delay - going to finish this this week!

 

John Locke is something of an enigma when we first meet him on the island. He's distant, quiet and strangely calm compared to everyone else, and this creates a divisive response - Walt is intrigued by him, while Michael finds him uncomfortable. Locke's first flashback episodes starts to delve into why he's so at peace on the island - he was a wheelchair user, paralysed in his legs, when he boarded the flight... yet suddenly he could walk. A clear sign of how Locke and the island have some sort of connection - one that becomes increasingly prominent as the show goes on. Locke's hunting experience is put to good use and he takes in Boone as an apprentice, but often clashes with Jack over their differing approaches to leadership. Locke keenly continues to enter the numbers in the hatch, until he discovers that the button-pushing is a test and fights Eko, though he was proven wrong. Locke takes Ben hostage and Ben tells Locke about Jacob, before shooting him and leaving him for dead. Locke splits the survivors into two groups after the freighter lands, those who think they're dangerous join him at the Dharma barracks, and when Ben moves the island, he leaves Locke as the leader of the others. Locke leaves the island to bring the Oceanic Six back, and is strangled by Ben on the mainland. The Man in Black then takes Locke's form through season 6, though he is present in the flash-sideways afterlife scenes.

 

Summing up Locke's journey in one paragraph wasn't easy and I've missed loads out, but there's just so much to say about the most intriguing, interesting character the show had. I had no idea how to feel about Locke for much of the show's run, and that's because his motivations are never fully revealed and it's never clear whether he's an ally or an enemy, or perhaps both at the same time? His backstory is one of the best to follow, too. Walkabout is top-notch television and the moment I really started to understand why Lost was such a phenomenon, and the relationship he had with his father (or lack thereof) was heartbreaking and infuriating to watch, and it added so much depth to what we saw on the island - the best use of flashbacks in the show, in my opinion. Quite honestly I think there's one thing that stops Locke being my #1 character here - that's how tightly packed this top 3 is - and it's his demise. I hate the way he was killed off, it was such an uneventful, boring way for such a gigantic part of the show to die, even if the incredible Terry O'Quinn's presence wasn't lost (thankfully). The twist of him not actually being Locke at the end of season 5 was fun but it wasn't worth giving the character *that* send-off. Regardless, Locke *was* Lost in so many ways. He epitomised the mysteries of the show and every scene he featured in was so compelling, I just couldn't take my eyes off him.

 

Just two remain...!

Totally agree about Locke, and especially his ending. I totally get it from a narrative sense, but it jusy felt like such a limp for arguably the most important character on the show. Terry O'Quinn was absolutely fantastic in the role, almost too good. It's really hard to watch any other programme he is in without thinking he is John Locke.

Certainly the most intriguing character of the show (a show filled with intriguing characters!). What can I say to describe the single character that has captivated me more than any character on any tv show I have ever watched? Firstly, Locke in seasons 1 - 5 make him my #1 character. When he is taken over by the Man In Black, I lose some interest in who Locke truly was, but that does not take away how incredibly intriguing, mysterious, powerful, enigmatic and downright watchable he is.

 

From the very early days, you know there is something special about him. I think it's in Claire's dream when she sees him with black and white eyes, when he describes the black and white pieces of checkers, the orange peel scene(!), his interest in Walt and the island - forever trying to second-guess where he is and what his intentions are. His "relationships" - no matter how one sided they are - with the likes of Boone, Walt, Charlie, Eko etc, Locke is always trying to figure out more and in that sense he is like viewers of the show.

 

Him vs Jack is great too. I was always team Locke because I wanted to believe in the mysterious power of the island rather than Jack's more mundane and pragmatic approaches to things.

 

Also Locke's flashbacks are incredible. When we learn how he ended up in a wheelchair, I have never SCREAMED more at a scene. His relationship with his "father", his love life, his desire to be more than what he is, it all contrasts expertly with the Locke we learn to love on the island.

 

His character lessens considerably following his "death" off the island. I am not sure what the writers intended with it, but it is certainly not the ending so many of us wanted for Locke. Him being the new Ben would've fit much better but alas at least we had 5 seasons of one of TV's most complicated and watchable characters ever.

 

 

2 Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

Played by: Jorge Garcia

Main: Seasons 1-6

 

When Flight 815 crashes on the island, Hurley is quick to throw himself in and help out, following Jack's instructions. One of the friendliest islanders, Hurley creates a golf course on the island to ease the stress of his new friends, and carries out a census - though this reveals that Ethan wasn't on the flight and was an intruder. Hurley's backstory shows his struggles with mental health, including spending time in a psychiatric institution, as well as his luck winning the lottery with those fateful numbers - 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42 - which brought him a series of bad luck afterwards. Hurley forms a close bond with Libby, and on their first date, she is killed accidentally by Michael, leaving him devastated. He's similarly devastated when Charlie dies after they formed a close friendship, and Hurley joins Locke when the survivors divide, believing that the freighter team are dangerous. Hurley is one of the Oceanic Six who leaves the island, but his mental health deteriorates after leaving and he sees visions of dead people. When he returns to the island, he joins Sawyer alongside Jack and Kate as part of the Dharma Initiative in 1977. In the final season, Hurley takes the mantle of protecting the island from Jack, and enlists Ben as his assistant. In the afterlife, Hurley reunites with Libby.

 

One of the most iconic characters in the show, Hurley feels like the glue that holds the show together much of the time. He's a consistent presence from seasons 1 to 6, and while he may not be the action hero like Jack or Kate, or the mastermind like Locke, his genuine, caring presence makes him an essential part of the team and it's clear through the strong bonds that are shown. Hurley and Libby have one of the most heartwarming love stories in the show and I wish we could've seen more of their happiness together, and I really loved Hurley's friendships with the likes of Charlie, Jin and of course, the love/hate relationship with Sawyer (who seemed to save his most offensive nicknames for Hurley). His protectiveness of Claire is another strong point, as well as Sun who he visits once they leave the island, and while he sells the many comedic moments so well, Jorge Garcia deserves credit for being the emotional anchor of a show that so often becomes detached from reality. It's hard to imagine Lost without Hurley, and he had one of the most satisfying conclusions in season 6, I think - rightfully, he became the protector of the island, a worthy position for possibly the purest, most genuine character the show had.

 

1 Sun-Hwa Kwon

Played by: Yunjin Kim

Main: Seasons 1-6

 

Sun and her husband Jin start the show as outcasts. Neither of them spoke or understood English, which made it difficult to connect with the others. So Jin thought, that was. Sun spoke fluent English without Jin knowing - having been taught it by her lover, someone she'd been drawn to as Jin's work for her dangerous father made him distant and even controlling. As more people learn her secret, Sun forms close bonds with her fellow survivors, notably Michael, which makes Jin jealous and angry. Sun offers her help when Shannon suffers an asthma attack, using herbal remedies to help her out. When Jin finds out her secret, he is angry, but she gives him an English phrasebook for the raft before he leaves with Michael, Walt and Sawyer. Sun later find out she is pregnant, and from Juliet, learns the disturbing secret of pregnancy on the island. Juliet ensures Sun gets off the island first when Faraday ferries people to the freighter, and Jin joins her, but when the freighter explodes, Sun is on the helicopter while Jin is left behind. As she reaches the mainland, she believes Jin is dead and raises their daughter Ji Yeon alone. She returns to the island after having bought a majority share in her father's company and is stranded in 2007, with many of the Ajira survivors but not most of her friends. Finally, she reunites with Jin after years apart as they plan to escape the island in the submarine. However, the Man in Black sabotaged the sub and a bomb explodes, leaving Sun trapped in a flooding submarine, with Jin refusing to leave her side.

 

What gives Sun the edge over Hurley to take my #1 spot is that extra level of emotion and heartbreak her character faces, not to mention the journey she takes over the six seasons. From rooting for her to escape the clutches of a controlling Jin, to seeing her putting her father in his place by buying the majority shares in his company, Sun's journey and growth was compelling to watch. Her constant compassion and kindness to her new friends made her so easy to root for, especially during the early seasons when Jin was treating her badly. One of the most powerful images in my head from the show was Sun on the helicopter, crying out as the freighter exploded below her, watching Jin vanish from view as she assumes he's dead. It's such a gut punch moment and Yunjin Kim gives one of the best performances of any actor in the show in that moment. No matter what happened in the show, I was rooting for Sun to be okay, and as I fell in love with her relationship with Jin, that moment was completely heart-wrenching. Their reunion, naturally, was so long-awaited that it couldn't not be an emotional one, and their death scene... well, I was gobsmacked. It was a beautiful ending for the couple but my god, I was rooting so hard for them to have a happy ending!! I had to stop for a moment afterwards and process what I'd watched, though I desperately hoped there was a twist in the next episode and they'd be okay. Nevertheless, Sun's journey was one I truly loved to follow, and she just had to my #1 as the character I rooted for the most.

1 Sun-Hwa Kwon

2 Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

3 John Locke

4 Juliet Burke

5 Jin-Soo Kwon

6 James "Sawyer" Ford

7 Kate Austen

8 Charlie Pace

9 Desmond Hume

10 Benjamin Linus

11 Mr. Eko

12 Daniel Faraday

13 Jack Shephard

14 Sayid Jarrah

15 Claire Littleton

16 Michael Dawson

17 Elizabeth "Libby" Smith

18 Shannon Rutherford

19 Miles Straume

20 Boone Carlyle

21 Walt Lloyd

22 Charlotte Lewis

23 Richard Alpert

24 Ana Lucia Cortez

25 Frank Lapidus

26 Ilana Verdansky

27 Nikki Fernandez

28 Paulo

 

And that brings the countdown to an end! Thank you all for following along, it's been so much fun and I truly loved watching this series from start to finish, it's one I'll absolutely revisit at some point in the future. :heart:

Love that Juliet was so high in your list.

 

Locke & Ben were too high for me. Such a good set of characters though

 

And yeah agree about Libby being wasted

Although I've not commented on this much, I've really enjoyed this countdown, so much that I'm on the verge of re-watching it all, if I can find the time to start. Some great comments and reasons given for your list.

 

I won't go in to detail but this would be my rough running order based character, arc, portrayal and the very subjective likeability -

 

1 Benjamin Linus

2 John Locke

3 James "Sawyer" Ford

4 Sayid Jarrah

5 Desmond Hume

6 Mr. Eko

7 Hugo "Hurley" Reyes

8 Jin-Soo Kwon

9 Kate Austen

10 Sun-Hwa Kwon

11 Shannon Rutherford

12 Elizabeth "Libby" Smith

13 Claire Littleton

14 Jack Shephard

15 Daniel Faraday

16 Juliet Burke

17 Charlie Pace

18 Charlotte Lewis

19 Richard Alpert

20 Miles Straume

21 Michael Dawson

22 Boone Carlyle

23 Walt Lloyd

24 Ana Lucia Cortez

25 Ilana Verdansky

26 Frank Lapidus

27 Nikki Fernandez

28 Paulo

Honestly Jin and Sun for me couldn't really be separated - they both had incredible arcs where your perception of who they are at first (Definitely thought it was an abusive relationship) just completely goes out the window by the end of the series, Jin being incredibly devoted and Sun being a strong and independent leader. Their flashbacks were always the most entertaining and really developed their characters well. The heartbreak when they were separated was too much :'( Gotta be one of the best fictional couples.

 

Hurley was wonderful, he may have been the token comic relief and the numbers remain a bit of a mystery, but he played it so well and earnestly and his ongoing optimism always made him a joy to watch, kinda reminded me a bit of Piggy from Lord of the Flies (but thankfully didn't meet as tragic a fate!)

 

Locke obviously WAS Lost, I don't have much else to add about that, he symbolised the miraculous nature of the island and his personality embodied that greatly. He could be a bit of an arse at times but was always compelling to watch.

 

Juliet had a great back story and arc and I really liked how you never truly knew where she stood, although towards the end when she became fully good, I did find her to be a bit less interesting.

 

Great countdown and commentary, it was really great reliving this, this show was certainly a slog at times but this reminded me of all the good that kept me invested <3

Thanks so much for your comments guys, it's been so interesting reading your thoughts! For the most part it seems my views are in line with the majority. What a show :heart:

I don’t understand why Ben killed Locke tbf. What was the reason/justification? Saving him from suicide just to then kill him? I don’t get it…

Very delayed post for the top 2 :kink:

 

Hurley: One of the most likeable characters for sure. Absolutely hilarious (often unintentionally) but also super intriguing with one of the most fascinating flashback storylines and his rise to being a potential protector of the island is one I never saw coming. I also adore the relationships he forms: his friendship with Charlie and his romantic relationship with Libby are both exceptionally warm, and then there's his banter with Sawyer which is simply iconic. I agree with your comments that he is like a central glue to the show and a consistent presence, never once faltering or becoming unlikeable (like a few of the other major characters dip into).

 

Also can we give a shoutout to the ICONIC Carmen Reyes *_*

 

Sun: A shock first place for sure but your explanation for her provides brilliant evidence supporting her placement. She has such an emotional rollercoater throughout the entire series. It's had to imagine that in Season 1, she is a powerless woman made to button herself up and stay away from males and not even speak or converse with them as she is under the watchful eye of her husband. But, and I am sure this is intentional - like a rising Sun she gains her voice, her strength and her power... and then some! She shows grit and power in the face of adversary, support for her peers and pure love for Jin. The scene in the helicopter, looking down at the explosding freigher... Sun's screams haunt me. They are SO real and pained and it shows just how strong her relationship with Jin has become. Her pregnancy storyline is also heartbreaking and emotionally heavy for the most part so she really is the character that offers some of the most touching and powerful storylines and scenes.

 

What a brilliant countdown this has been Seph. I am SO happy you gave the show a chance and (as expected because of its power), you became gripped by it. I am also glad you did a countdown of the characters because it is the characters that make this show what it is. Initially we all thought it was the island's lore and mysteries that were central to the show but as the final scenes happen you realise it's as great as it is because of the people on the island.