Candidates

Candidates, according to the Man in Black, are individuals chosen by Jacob to possibly replace him in his job of protecting the Island. ("The Substitute")

Information

Locke's name as a candidate crossed out by The Man in Black on the cave wall.

Most information about the candidates comes from the Man in Black, a potentially unreliable source due to his conflict with Jacob and his known attempts at manipulation.

In 2007, the Man in Black, in the form of John Locke, brought Sawyer to a cave in the cliffside where Jacob had apparently scrawled dozens of names and accompanying numbers on the ceiling. The Man in Black explained that these individuals were candidates chosen by Jacob to protect the island, and that each candidate had met Jacob at some point in their lives. He also explained that Jacob had been interfering with their lives and making choices for them, of which the Man in Black appeared to disapprove.

He explains that each candidate (or at least Sawyer) has three options: Do nothing and see how things play out; Take over as protector of the Island; Or leave the island and move on with their lives. As he explains this, he slowly crosses out Locke's name, implying that if Sawyer does not join him, his name might be "crossed out" too.

While it comes off as a death threat, it's important to note that some of the character's who seem to be listed as candidates are still alive. "117 LINUS," "171 STRAUME," and "313 LITTLETON" are all crossed out, but all three or four of these characters, Ben Linus, Miles Straume, and Claire or Aaron Littleton are still alive. Thus there are multiple reasons for a candidate's name to be crossed out. So far, only five names have been revealed as not being crossed out, and all refer to characters that are still alive: Ford, Reyes, Shephard, Jarrah, and "Kwon," assumedly referring to either Jin, Sun, or possibly their young child Ji Yeon. Each of the numbers next to these names corresponds with the Numbers.

Jacob has not been shown creating or using either the cave list or the list at the lighthouse. So far, The Man in Black is the only one shown crossing out a name.

Cave list versus Lighthouse list

So far, two lists of names have been revealed: one at the Cliffside cave, and one on the wheel or abidade in the lighthouse. Although [a few differences] have been noted between the two, the general assumption is that the two lists are identical.

Some names have only been seen on one of the two lists. For example, Kate's surname "Austen" does not appear on the cave list. This left many fans wondering whether Kate was a Candidate, and thus, about her fate for the rest of the series. However the name Austen does appear on the lighthouse list, next to the number 51, and is one of the few to not be crossed out. Considering the lack of integrity inherent to The Man in Black's explanation of the cave list, and the everlasting mystery of the show, it's possible that either of the lists is incomplete, inaccurate, or that the cameras simply never showed either list in its entirety.

Known candidates

Picture	Name	Number	Status	Information
	John Locke (LOCKE)	4	Deceased	He met Jacob when he was thrown out a window by his father. Jacob touched his shoulder and said he was sorry that happened to him. Was crossed off the list by the Man in Black.
	Hugo "Hurley" Reyes (REYES)	8	Alive	Met Jacob upon release from prison, and was talked into booking passage on Ajira Flight 316. Jacob touched Hurley's chest when emphasizing the importance of the flight.
	James "Sawyer" Ford (FORD)	15	Alive	Met Jacob as a child at his parents' funeral. Jacob touched Sawyer when he handed him a pen, which Sawyer used to write his letter. Identified as a candidate by the Man in Black. Has currently chosen the third option: Leave the Island.
	Sayid Jarrah (JARRAH)	16	Alive	Met Jacob when his wife Nadia was murdered. He touched Sayid's shoulder briefly. Identified as a candidate by the Man in Black.
	Jack Shephard (SHEPHARD)	23	Alive	Met Jacob at the hospital where he worked after his first successful surgery. Jacob offered Jack an Apollo Bar that he had unsuccessfully tried to dislodge from the vending machine. Their fingers touched as Jacob passed the bar to Jack. Identified as a candidate by the Man in Black. Could also refer to Christian Shephard who has often been seen in Jacob's cabin. On the wheel in Jacob's Lighthouse, Shephard's name is written in a darker black ink and different handwriting than the names surrounding his. There are also several small punctures in the surface around his name and a few of those below it.

Unidentified candidates

Number	Name	Source	Information
2	LACOMBE	Cave	Probably the Lacombe from the science expedition.
10	MATTINGLEY	Cave	Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by an Other in 1954.
12	FOSTER	Lighthouse	Unknown.
13	Beckett?	Lighthouse	Unknown.
14	PRYCE	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Ryan Pryce, an Other who Hurley ran over with a DHARMA van.
17	Barnes	Lighthouse	Unknown.
18	Kueffner	Lighthouse	Unknown.
19	Nguyen	Lighthouse	Unknown.
20	ROUSSEAU	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Alex Rousseau or Danielle Rousseau.
21	McHenry	Lighthouse	Unknown.
22	Moorhead	Lighthouse	Unknown.
24	Kluxen	Lighthouse	Unknown.
25	Asher	Lighthouse	Unknown.
26	Bozarth	Lighthouse	Unknown.
27	Dorrie	Lighthouse	Unknown (possibly Naomi Dorrit?).
28	Howard	Lighthouse	Unknown.
29	BRENNAN	Cave	Probably the Brennan from the science expedition.
30	Wade	Lighthouse	Unknown.
31	TOMS	Lighthouse	Unknown.
31	RUTHERFORD	Cave	Probably Shannon Rutherford. Might re-check screen capture to see if 32 was written in cave (?)
32	Rutherford	Lighthouse	Could be Shannon or Adam Rutherford. This number does not match with the one found in the cave or may refer to a different Rutherford.
33	Novak	Lighthouse	Unknown. This name does not match with the one found in the cave or may refer to a different Novak.
34	Grimaldi	Lighthouse	Unknown.
35	Brennan	Lighthouse	Probably Brennan from Danielle Rousseau's expedition. This number does not match with the one found in the cave or may refer to a different Brennan.
36	Syzmanksi (?)	Lighthouse	Unknown.
37	Torres	Lighthouse	Unknown.
38	Lindstrom	Lighthouse	Unknown.
40	Dowett?	Lighthouse	Unknown
42	KWON	Cave/Lighthouse	Sun-Hwa Kwon and Jin-Soo Kwon both met Jacob when during their wedding when he congratulated them and advised them to keep their promises. Both were touched by Jacob simultaneously notably on their shoulders. The Man in Black indicated one of them was a candidate but was unable to identify which one. KWON may also refer to Ji Yeon Kwon, the daughter of Sun and Jin, who was conceived on the Island.
43	BARNES	Lighthouse	Unknown. Possibly related to #17
44	MARTINEZ	Lighthouse	Unknown.
48	Stanhope	Lighthouse	Probably Harper Stanhope or Goodwin Stanhope.
49	Meyers	Lighthouse	Unknown.
51	Austen	Lighthouse	Probably Kate Austen, who met Jacob as a child when she was caught trying to shoplift a lunchbox. Jacob helped her, paying for the lunchbox, and touched her on the nose. In the lighthouse, Kate's name appears with the number 51, and is not crossed out, just like the other known candidates. Could also be Sam Austen.
55	KENNEDY	Lighthouse	Unknown
56	HANSEN	Lighthouse	Unknown. Not crossed out.
58	Burke	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Juliet Burke. Could also be her late ex-husband, Edmund Burke.
59	Suzuki	Lighthouse	Uknown.
60	Kysea	Lighthouse	Unknown. Not crossed out.
61	Davies	Lighthouse	Unknown.
64	GOLDSTEIN	Cave	Unknown.
73	COSTA	Cave	Unknown.
77	FRANETZKI	Cave	Unknown.
90	TROUPE	Cave	Probably Gary Troup, a deceased Oceanic survivor and author of Bad Twin
96	Greeson	Lighthouse	Unknown.
97	Pallison	Lighthouse	Unknown.
98	Horton	Lighthouse	Unknown. Possibly related to #112
100	Bardfield	Lighthouse	Unknown.
101	Faraday	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Daniel Faraday.
102	Montand	Lighthouse	Probably Montand from Rousseau's team.
104	Lewis	Lighthouse	Probably Charlotte Lewis or one of her parents.
106	Sradzynski	Lighthouse	Likely Stuart Radzinsky
107	Thomson	Lighthouse	Unknown.
108	Wallace	Cave/Lighthouse	Unknown.
109	Friendly	Lighthouse	Probably Tom Friendly.
110	Eipons	Lighthouse	Unknown.
111	Krein	Lighthouse	Unknown.
112	Horton	Lighthouse	Unknown. Possibly related to #98.
113	WORDEN	Lighthouse	Unknown.
114	YAMADA	Lighthouse	Unknown.
115	BARGAS	Cave/Lighthouse	Unknown. Possibly spelled "Barqas" or "Vargas"
116	LAMBERT	Cave/Lighthouse	Unknown.
117	LINUS	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Ben Linus, or his father Roger Linus.
118	CHAVEZ	Lighthouse	Unknown.
119	Almeida	Cave/Lighthouse	Unknown.
120	Rodriguez	Cave/Lighthouse	Unknown.
121	Nielson	Lighthouse	Unknown.
122	Freed	Lighthouse	Unknown.
124	Dawson	Cave/Lighthouse	Probably Michael Dawson.
125	Owens	Lighthouse	Unknown.
126	Renti	Lighthouse	Unknown.
127	MORA	Lighthouse	Unknown.
128	Paddock	Lighthouse	Unknown.
129	Campbell	Lighthouse	Probably Brother Campbell
130	Tillman	Lighthouse	Unknown.
140	LEWIS	Cave	Probably Charlotte Lewis, or her parents David and Jeanette.
171	STRAUME	Cave	Probably Miles Straume.
195	PACE	Cave	Probably Charlie Pace.
197	SHECKLER	Cave	Unknown
202	HARGGUS	Cave	Unknown
222	O'TOOLE	Cave	Unknown.
226	CARLYLE	Cave	Probably Boone Carlyle.
231	AMISTAD	Cave	Unknown.
233	JONES	Cave	Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by Charles Widmore in 1954.
251	YARIS	Cave	Unknown.
272	ORALINGO	Cave	Unknown.
282	AGUILA	Cave	Unknown.
285	JENKINS	Cave	Probably Steve Jenkins, a survivor who died in the flaming arrow attack.
291	DOMINGO	Cave	Unknown.
301	MARS	Cave	Probably Edward Mars, a survivor who died shortly after the crash.
313	LITTLETON	Cave	Probably Claire or Aaron. Not Likely Carole.
317	CUNNINGHAM	Cave	Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by an Other in 1954.
321	FERNANDEZ	Cave	Probably Nikki Fernandez who was on board Oceanic Flight 815 but later killed.
335	HENDERSON	Cave	Probably Rose Nadler, the only known Henderson (maiden name).
337	MARTIN	Cave	Probably Karl Martin, the "Other" who was dating Alex Rousseau.
346	GRANT	Cave	Unknown. Probably 346 if the compass goes from 1 to 360.
	CHANG	Cave	Probably Pierre Chang or Lara Chang. Miles is separately listed under Straume.
	DAVISON	Cave	Unknown.
	GARNER	Cave	Unknown.
	GOODSPEED	Cave	Probably one of the many Goodspeeds, who include Horace, Amy, Olivia, and Ethan.
	PICKETT	Cave	Probably Danny Pickett or Colleen Pickett.
	REYNOLDS	Cave	Unknown.
	SULLIVAN	Cave	Probably Sullivan, a survivor who most likely died when the remaining survivors got separated while the Island traveled through time.

Trivia

• As stated in Jorge Garcia's podcast "Geronimo Jack's Beard", the script for "The Substitute" mentions that there should be "over a hundred names" written on the cave.
• Justin says that Jin "is one of them" when Aldo is about to kill him, to which Aldo replies that "he may be one of them," possibly referring to him as being a candidate. ("What Kate Does")
• Cued by Jacob, Hurley asserts his status as a candidate and his right to do as he pleases. ("Lighthouse")
• Of all the known candidates from the Oceanic Flight 815 survivors faction, Sawyer (and Jin, if he is a candidate) are the only ones who have not returned to the mainland since coming to the Island.
• Jack's number, 23, corresponds to his seat number on Oceanic Flight 815, 23B.
• No one from the tail section of 815 was shown to be on the cave's list.
• Assuming Linus means Ben, Brennan means the science expedition member, and that all other surnames mean the most obvious (what is assumed in the table above), and counting Burke and Linus as Others and the people from the freighter who were on the Island as DHARMA kids as freighter people, there are fifteen passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 on the walls, four Others, three freighter people, three members in the French team, three members of the U.S. Army, two DHARMA members, and fourteen completely unknown people there.
• Frank was not seen to have met Jacob or to have his name on the wall, but was indicated by Bram as a "possible candidate".
• Kate was seen to be touched by Jacob but her name was not identified as being on the wall. It was, however, written on the Lighthouse wheel.
• It is possible that Ilana (who was specifically recruited by Jacob) is on the wall, as we do not yet know her last name.
• There are several references to some of the characters written on the cave who are previously referred to as not being on Jacob's list:
  • In "I Do", Danny Pickett mentioned that "Shephard wasn't even on Jacob's list".
  • In "Par Avion", Mikhail states that Kate is not on the list because she is "flawed"; Sayid is not on the list because he is "weak and frightened"; and Locke is not on the list because he is angry.
• The list includes two inside jokes for numbers 197 and 202. Sheckler and Harggus are two characters portrayed by American stand up comedian Jim Norton on the Opie and Anthony Show, heard on Sirius/XM Radio. The show is heard on Channel 197 on the Sirius platform and Channel 202 on the XM platform.

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Candidates/Theories

• Why did Jacob write the names on the cave wall?
  • Is MIB manipulating Sawyer into believing it's Jacob's cave?
  • Why are the names found in the cave and the lighthouse?
• What makes a person a candidate?
• Why would Jacob need a replacement?
• Why did Jacob compile this list of candidates?
  • Was everything the Man in Black said about the candidates truthful?
• Why does the Man in Black disapprove of Jacob's "interference" in the candidates' lives?
• What is the significance of the numbers beside each name?
• How is it determined whose name is crossed out, and when?