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") They also seem to enjoy a special protected status among the Others. ("Lighthouse")
Who candidates are
Following Jacob's death, the Man in Black, in the form of John Locke, brings Sawyer to the cliffside cave, showing him dozens of names and accompanying numbers scrawled on the walls and ceiling. He explains that these individuals are candidates chosen by Jacob to take over his role as protector of the Island. Further, Jacob had intentionally brought each candidate to the Island, by intervening and manipulating their choices at critical times in their lives.
The Man in Black explains that each candidate (or at least Sawyer) has three options:
- do nothing and see how things play out (and his or her name may be crossed out);
- take over as protector of the Island;
- 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.
Relationship to the Others
Candidates seem to have a special protected status amongst the Others.
When Dogen confronts Hurley about poking around in a restricted area of the Temple, Hurley retorts that he is a candidate and he can do what he wants ("Lighthouse"). Dogen backs off, begrudgingly.
Candidate lists
The list of candidates has been written down in at least two locations:
- on the walls of the cliffside cave
- on the dial of the the lighthouse mirror.
Neither list has yet been seen in its entirety. The poor lighting conditions in the cave revealed only a few names clearly, and only a few segments of the dial were seen in the lighthouse. However, though some differences between the two have been noted, the lists have enough in common that they are essentially identical.
Some names have only been seen on one of the two lists. For example, Kate's surname "Austen" is not seen on the wall of the cave, but it is clearly visible, not crossed out, next to #51 on the lighthouse dial.
Crossed-out names
Most of the names on the cave wall and on the lighthouse dial have been crossed out. It is not yet clear what this indicates.
In many cases, the candidates have likely died (Rousseau, Rutherford, Goodspeed, Troup). In other cases, the candidates are likely still alive (Linus, Straume, Littleton), but it is unclear why their names are crossed out.
Six names are clearly not crossed out: Ford, Reyes, Shephard, Jarrah, Austen and Kwon (probably either Jin or Sun). Each of the numbers next to these names corresponds with the Numbers, except Austen, which is #51.
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.
Candidates pointed out by MIB
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Picture | Name | Number | Status | Information | ||||||||||
John 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. | |||||||||||
Jin or Sun Kwon (KWON) | 42 | Alive | MIB mentions that he's not sure if it refers to Jin or Sun. Jacob touched both at their wedding. |
Complete list of candidates
| ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | Name | Source | Information | |||||||
2 | Cave | Probably the Lacombe from the science expedition. | ||||||||
4 | Cave/? | John Locke.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 | ||||||||
8 | HURLEY | Cave/? | Hugo Reyes.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. | |||||||
10 | Cave | Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by an Other in 1954. | ||||||||
12 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
13 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
14 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Ryan Pryce, an Other who Hurley ran over with a DHARMA van. | ||||||||
15 | SAWYER | Cave/? | James Ford.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. | |||||||
16 | JARRAH | Cave/? | Sayid Jarrah. Met Jacob when his wife Nadia was murdered. He touched Sayid's shoulder briefly. Identified as a candidate by the Man in Black. | |||||||
17 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
18 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
19 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
20 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Alex Rousseau or Danielle Rousseau. | ||||||||
21 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
22 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
23 | SHEPAHRD | Cave/Lighthouse | 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. | |||||||
24 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
25 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
26 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
27 | Lighthouse | Unknown (possibly Naomi Dorrit?). | ||||||||
28 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
29 | Cave | Probably the Brennan from the science expedition. | ||||||||
30 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
31 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
31 | Cave | Probably Shannon Rutherford. Might re-check screen capture to see if 32 was written in cave (?) | ||||||||
32 | 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 | Lighthouse | Unknown. This name does not match with the one found in the cave or may refer to a different Novak. | ||||||||
34 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
35 | 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 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
37 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
38 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
40 | 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 | Lighthouse | Unknown. Possibly related to #17 | ||||||||
44 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
48 | Lighthouse | Probably Harper Stanhope or Goodwin Stanhope. | ||||||||
49 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
51 | Austen | Lighthouse | Most likely 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. Her name was not seen on the cave, but was later seen in the Lighthouse. | |||||||
55 | Lighthouse | Unknown | ||||||||
56 | Lighthouse | Unknown. Not crossed out. | ||||||||
58 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Juliet Burke. Could also be her late ex-husband, Edmund Burke. | ||||||||
59 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
60 | Kysea | Lighthouse | Unknown. Not crossed out. | |||||||
61 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
62 | Lighthouse | Probably Kelvin Inman. | ||||||||
64 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
73 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
77 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
90 | Cave | Probably Gary Troup, a deceased Oceanic survivor and author of Bad Twin | ||||||||
94 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
96 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
97 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
98 | Lighthouse | Unknown. Possibly related to #112 | ||||||||
100 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
101 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Daniel Faraday. | ||||||||
102 | Lighthouse | Probably Montand from Rousseau's team. | ||||||||
103 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
104 | Lighthouse | Probably Charlotte Lewis or one of her parents. | ||||||||
106 | Lighthouse | Likely Stuart Radzinsky | ||||||||
107 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
108 | Cave/Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
109 | Lighthouse | Probably Tom Friendly. | ||||||||
110 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
111 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
112 | Lighthouse | Unknown. Possibly related to #98. | ||||||||
113 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
114 | Lighthouse | Unknown. Being the only Japanese surname in the list, might be Dogen. | ||||||||
115 | Cave/Lighthouse | Unknown. Possibly spelled "Barqas" or "Vargas" | ||||||||
116 | Cave/Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
117 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Ben Linus, or his father Roger Linus. | ||||||||
118 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
119 | Cave/Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
120 | Cave/Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
121 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
122 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
124 | Cave/Lighthouse | Probably Michael Dawson. | ||||||||
125 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
126 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
127 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
128 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
129 | Lighthouse | Probably Brother Campbell | ||||||||
130 | Lighthouse | Unknown. | ||||||||
140 | Cave | Probably Charlotte Lewis, or her parents David and Jeanette. | ||||||||
171 | Cave | Probably Miles Straume. | ||||||||
195 | Cave | Probably Charlie Pace. | ||||||||
197 | Cave | Unknown | ||||||||
202 | Cave | Unknown | ||||||||
222 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
226 | Cave | Probably Boone Carlyle. | ||||||||
231 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
233 | Cave | Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by Charles Widmore in 1954. | ||||||||
251 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
272 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
282 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
285 | Cave | Probably Steve Jenkins, a survivor who died in the flaming arrow attack. | ||||||||
291 | Cave | Unknown. | ||||||||
301 | Cave | Probably Edward Mars, a survivor who died shortly after the crash. | ||||||||
313 | Cave | Probably Claire or Aaron. Not Likely Carole. | ||||||||
317 | Cave | Probably the US army soldier whose uniform was stolen and used by an Other in 1954. | ||||||||
321 | Cave | Probably Nikki Fernandez who was on board Oceanic Flight 815 but later killed. | ||||||||
335 | Cave | Probably Rose Nadler, the only known Henderson (maiden name). | ||||||||
337 | Cave | Probably Karl Martin, the "Other" who was dating Alex Rousseau. | ||||||||
346 | Cave | Unknown. Probably 346 if the compass goes from 1 to 360. | ||||||||
Cave | Probably Pierre Chang or Lara Chang. Miles is separately listed under Straume. | |||||||||
Cave | Unknown. | |||||||||
Cave | Unknown. | |||||||||
Cave | Probably one of the many Goodspeeds, who include Horace, Amy, Olivia, and Ethan. | |||||||||
Cave | Probably Danny Pickett or Colleen Pickett. | |||||||||
Cave | Unknown. | |||||||||
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:
- 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 |
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- 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?
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