Charles Widmore/Theories

Main Article

Theories about Charles Widmore

Main Discussion

Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities (avoid question marks, "Maybe", "I think", etc). More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main article. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that can stand alone as its own theory. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response. See the Lostpedia theory policy for more details.

Involvement with Main Characters

Theory 1: Widmore was instrumental in getting the passengers of Flight 815 to the Island

Evidence:

• His employee Abaddon put the walkabout idea in Locke's head
• Widmore knows Thomas, and may have been involved in his abandoning Claire, which lead to her taking Flight 815 and ending up on the island. See Thomas' painting in Widmore's office as proof [[1]].

Counter-evidence

• Widmore had no idea 815 was going to crash.
  • If he knew it was going to crash he would know where the island is, so why not just send a team to extract Linus at that point rather than waiting for a plane to crash there?
• If Widmore could somehow see the future (Which would be required to predict the thousands of variables required to get certain people on the plane) why send the freighter? The two actions of A) sending a military and science team on a specific mission to extract one man using brute force and direct transportation and B) minutely altering people's lives in order to conspire events that they would survive a plane crash onto the island could NOT be the actions of the same person.
• The various coincidences involving Widmore prior to the crash are no more or less likely than the many other coincidences involving characters on the show.
• Widmore has no relation with Thomas whatsoever, the painting is not proof, it is reused props. The painting in his office is at least 7-8 years before the painting is in Thomas' apartment. Desmond had the meeting in Widmore's office in 1996 and Claire realizing she was pregnant in early 2004, the time line in which above screen shots were taken.

Theory 2: Widmore was instrumental in getting Desmond to crash on the Island

Evidence:

• Charles intentionally antagonized Desmond so he would be driven down the path of going to the Island.
• Widmore continued to intervene in Desmond's life, long after Penny had moved on, giving him the money that he used to finance his training and ultimately sail to the Island, leading to the crash of Flight 815 on the island.
  • In Live Together, Die Alone, Desmond tells Libby that he did not take Widmore's money. It is arguable, however, that offering Desmond money was more of a motivation to enter the sailing race than actually having the means to do so; it insulted Desmond's sense of honor that Widmore thought he could be paid to abandon Penny.
• When Desmond got sent back in time, it was to the very day he met Charles Widmore. Everything that happens on the island hinged on that day, that meeting.
• Ms. Hawking may have also worked for Widmore, we saw her picture with the Monk who originally recruited Desmond away from marriage and to the monastery - where on the day he was fired, Widmore had ordered wine from the abbey, Penny went to pick it up, and Penny and Desmond became a couple.
  • If Ms. Hawking is working for Widmore, then he too must know the way things are "supposed" to be; it would take a tremendous amount of foresight to know that sending Penny to pick up wine would lead to Desmond turning the fail-safe key, plus the entire thing hinges on Penny and Desmond falling in love, which is not something Widmore would have even wanted to happen.
  • The producers admitted that Ms. Hawking is a temporal policeman that is there to make sure that Desmond makes it to the island. Brother Campbell is also a temporal policeman in that he makes sure that Desmond meets Penelope at the monastery.
• Penny is presumably using Widmore (her father's) money to search for Desmond who is on the island.
• In The Constant he gives Desmond Penny's address, even though he doesn't really have a reason.
• Widmore was holding a race around the world in hopes of someone finding the island for him.
• He had Libby give the Elizabeth to Desmond in order to get him out to the island.

Counter-evidence

• None of Widmore's activities seem to have foresight or omnipotent knowledge. For the most part he has very little idea where the island is.
• If he knew Desmond would crash on the island, why not travel to the island directly?
• Why would he want Desmond to crash there? He still could not find the island even once Desmond crashed.
• The race and the hot air balloon sponsorship are likely sneakier means of trying to find the Island. That is why the race began in LA, to ensure the highest number of boats would still be in the race during the Pacific stretch. Widmore hoped that a boat with a radio would inform the race committee about an Island that was not on their charts.

The Reasons for Widmore's involvement with particular passengers of Flight 815 before the crash

• Somehow, the Others seemed to have an interest in Locke, as well as an ability to find him, way before he ever came in contact with the island. Widmore, someone familiar with the island and Dharma, may have access to similar knowledge.

• Widmore wanted people on Flight 815 because he knew it would crash, and he put particular people on that flight because they had the ability to overthrow Ben - Widmore's enemy, and might help him get closer to reclaiming the island.

• As we see from above, there is reason to suspect that he is watching Claire, Locke, Desmond, and perhaps Hurley via Libby in Santa Rosa.

Past

Theory 1A: Charles Widmore was the leader of the Hostiles (pre purge)

• Widmore was the leader of the Hostiles before Ben and them enacted the purge. Afterwards however Ben successfully challenged his leadership and got Widmore banished from the island.
• Ben implies that he can't kill Widmore, just as he said Locke could not be killed, presumably because the island was keeping him healthy somehow.
  • This could be because Ben has seen the future where Widmore is still alive, and knows an attempt to change that will fail.
• This is what Widmore means when he tells Ben "everything you have you took from me."
• He and Ben have an understanding of what "the rules" to their rivalry are. (Ben feels that Widmore isn't playing fair).
• When Widmore is talking to Ben about the island, he sayis 'It's mine, Benjamin. And it always was.', impying that he earlier owned the Island, being the leader of the Island's native people.
• Widmore was the leader of the British military unit that was on the Island sometime in the late 1940's or early 1950's. ("The Lie") That unit tried to control "their" Island for the sake of keeping it. Through attrition they have to bring other people (most likely at first through military contacts in the US and Russia) to the Island. Because of who they bring in the goal changes from keeping the Island as their own to protecting the Island. The change in objectives brings about the change in leadership (either through revolt or because the Island demands it) from Charles to Ben and from the idea of "Hostiles" to "Others".
• Widmore was a "Hostile" or "Other" wearing the uniform of the dead soliders that Miles channeled on the way to the camp.

Theory 1B: Charles Widmore was the leader of the Others (post purge)

• Widmore was one of the first people brought to the island after the purge, and he assumed leadership/co-leadership.
• Benjamin Linus was enlisted as the new leader. This is why they are enemies.
• This is what Widmore means when he tells Ben "everything you have you took from me."
• He and Ben have an understanding of what "the rules" to their rivalry are. (Ben feels that Widmore isn't playing fair).
• Ben is to Charles as Locke is to Ben. Just as we see Locke succeeding Ben as the protector/overseer of the Island, so too Ben succeeded Widmore in the same role. This would explain Widmore's comments in The Shape of Things to Come, where he says that everything Ben had he had taken from him (Charles), and when he referred to the Island as his. Like Ben in Cabin Fever, Charles is bitter over his removal from his position, and thus is waging a war against Ben to reclaim the Island for himself.
• Widmore was the leader of the others before Ben. He moved the island and thats why he's trying to look for it again. He's mad that he got banished. Ben took over after Widmore

Theory 2: Charles Widmore was Captain of the Black Rock and discovered the Island long ago.

• He was on the Black Rock and lived on the island as leader of the Hostiles and had the same anti-aging thing as Richard Alpert, but had to move the island for some reason (maybe because of Ben) so that's how he got thrown off the island and since he's been off the island, he's been aging so is now trying to get back but obviously can't because whoever moves the island can't get back, so that's why he wasn't on the Kahana himself.
• While there, he attained some form of extended life or immortality before being forced off-island by a mutiny lead by his old first mate, Richard Alpert.
• He's been trying to rediscover the location of the Island for centuries in order to claim whatever power it holds.

Counter-evidence:

• One of the notes on the Blast door map says "Known final resting place of Magnus Hanso/Black Rock". In one of Rachel Blake's blog entries from The Lost Experience, a book excerpt reads "With Hanso's unquestionable dedication to his fleet, it is certain that this ship's captain turned entrepreneur left a substantial mark on the international shipping trade...Hanso's passion for the sea inspired him to continue as captain of several voyages each year." It follows that Magnus Hanso was captaining the Black Rock when it ended up on the island.
• Why does he need to buy the journal belonging to the captain of the Black Rock - wouldn't he know what's in it? Also that it won't help him find the island because the island may have been moved since?
  • People are prone to nostalgia.
  • Given his obvious protective nature, he probably wanted to keep it and its contents safe. At the auction, it was mentioned that the contents had never been revealed to the public and so Widmore wanted to ensure this.
• In Jughead, Widmore has been seen on the Island at the age of twenty something. It is unlikely, that a young man that age becomes Captain.

Theory 3: Widmore turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel before

• The presence of polar bears (who only live on the Northern hemisphere) on the Island hints that it used to be in a different place.
• Someone moved the Island from there to its pre-There's No Place Like Home position by turning the donkey wheel.
• Ben and Widmore used to be on the Island together; Widmore was somehow chosen to move the Island and was banished from it as a result, which is why he's so bitter towards Ben: Ben got to stay.
• This would explain how Widmore knew exactly where Ben would go in the event of a catastrophe.*
  • As Ben said to Locke; "Destiny is a fickle bitch". Widmore was chosen to be banished just as Ben was, and they both are unhappy about this.
• We definitely know the island has been moved in space as well as time because the beechcraft full of heroin took off from Nigeria and had a flight radius that did not include the south pacific so the island must have been located closer to Nigeria at the time in order for the plane to have crashed on it with Eko's brother Father Yemi.
• Also the polar bear skeleton and Dharma collar Charlotte found in Tunisia show that the island has indeed been moved since Dharma came to the island
• The island never returned to perfectly normal time, as seen with the time issues associated with travel to and from the island, as seen with Ray's corpse and the time lag when Sayid and Desmond went to the Kahana in the helicopter.
• There is no way to know the truthfulness of Ben's statement "that however moves the island, can never come back" as literally true. The difficulty in finding the Island again may be make extremely difficult.

Counter evidence:

• In the DHARMA orientation videos, the Island is shown to clearly be tropical. If Ben and Widmore had been on the Island together, and Widmore moved the Island from the Northern hemisphere to its current position, the Island could not have been a tropical Island when DHARMA arrived. It is also shown that Ben was brought to the tropical Island as a child, when DHARMA was already established there.
• The Hydra was meant for Zoological research; the polar bears were most likely brought to the island by DHARMA for research. At any rate, there is nothing else to suggest that the island was ever in an Arctic climate.
• It is likely that Ben was the first person to turn the wheel (at least since Dharma built the Orchid); he blew a hole in a wall with no signs of previous damage. The polar bear found in Tunisia could be sent very far into the past at some point in the future now that the wall has been breached.
  • If the Island can move, it's reasonable to believe that the Orchid rebuilds itself during the move.
• In 1954 the Island is located in the south pacific - we know that is where the army was doing their bomb tests. Widmore was on the island in 1954. When the Losties crash on the island it is still located in the south pacific - they were flying from Sydney to LA. It seems unlikely that Charles got off the island by turning the frozen donkey wheel because the island has not moved. Also it is safe to assume that Charles is at least 18 years old in 1954. This means Widmore would be at least 72 years old in 2008 and he looks nowhere near that age. This should be noted.
  • If Widmore did turn the wheel, WHEN he landed might be different. When Ben moved the Island and checked into the hotel, He asked the date. If Widmore turned the frozen donkey wheel, he might have come out 10 years (or any amount of time) before the date he moved it according to the Island.

Present

Theory 1: Widmore is still working for the island

Evidence:

• He is still sending people to the island who have a role on there like Desmond and "special" people like Locke (through Abaddon) and perhaps others.

• In the "present", Ben also works "for" the Island, though he doesn't live there.

• By putting the fake Flight 815 on the ocean floor, he is helping to conceal the island.

• He tells Ben that he is having, presumably island related, nightmares in "The Shape of Things to Come". This implies that he, like Locke and Ben has dreams. In the case of the latter two, these dreams or premonitions often told them what the island wanted them to do next.

• Widmore is only the "bad guy" according to Ben. He wants to find and reclaim the island because he believes Ben is the bad guy. He thinks the island wants him to reclaim it.

Counter evidence

• The "Secondary Protocol" that Widmore gave the freighter crew was to torch the entire island once they had captured Ben. It seems unlikely that this would be in the interest of the island.

Theory 2: Widmore was the leader of the others and was exiled like Ben

Evidence:

• In Jughead it is revealed that he was one of the other when Richard Alpert was the previous active leader. Since Richard did not yet believe Locke when he explained his "Time Hopping" problem, it is safe to assume that he is still a "normal" person. Sometime after Richard is changed Widmore may have advanced to the leadership role.
  • How is it safe to assume that Richard is still a normal person when Juliet states that "Richard has always been here"

• • • Despite being an "Other" it's somewhat clear that Juliet was not always let in on all of the odd things happening on the Island. She may know that Richard is very old, but It's highly possible her statement was anecdotal. Considering this it's just as likely it was her cheeky was of saying "Ya, he's really OLD".

• In The Shape of Things to Come Widmore states that the island is "his" and always had been. It is safe to assume that this means he rose above the status of a simple Other grunt and took a leadership role.

Counter evidence

• The fact that Widmore says the Island was 'his and always had been' points to nothing except that the man has an extraordinary ego. He may think that because he was there once, he deserves to be again.

Relationship to other characters

• Charles is the son of Desmond and Penny. Desmond will return to the island at some point in the 1930s bringing Penny and their son Charlie with them. Desmond and Penny will die on the island (see Adam and Eve), Charlie will be raised by the Others. Charles will later father his own mother, with the family relationship stuck in a perpetual time loop.
• Employer of Matthew Abaddon, who has had contact pre flight 815 with Locke (encouraging him to go to Australia), and post flight, representing himself as a lawyer from Oceanic Airlines, questions Hurley about whether anyone else "survived."
• Charles Widmore is the second person Sun blames for her husbands death, not Jack.
  • • Charles Widmore can't be Desmond and Penny's son because he tried so hard to keep them apart. If they never got together, he wouldn't have been born; it's a paradox.
  • In "There's No Place Like Home, Part 2" Jack mentions that Sun blames him for...This does prove that the two people Sun is blaming are Jack and Mr. Paik
    • In this trailer, Sun appears to be telling Jack, "You did what you had to do. We probably all would have died instead of just my husband." While she probably blamed Jack at some point, if Locke visited her before he died, she might now blame Ben.
      • It's Kate who Sun is telling this, not Jack.
  • Why would Sun want to align herself with Widmore if she blamed him for Jin's death? When she tells her father that she now owns his company and intends to exact some sort of revenge for the position he put Jin in, she speaks to him with contempt and condescension. She speaks to Widmore as an equal.
• Charles is "the economist" and is Ben's primary rival.
• Lied to Gault when he told him Ben put the fake wreckage of 815 on the ocean floor. It was him really.
• Charles is Daniel Faraday's father.
  • Making Ms. Hawking his wife, if she is indeed Faraday's mother.
    • Having children together does not imply marriage. There is some basis to believe Widmore and Hawking could be Faraday's parents, but there is no real basis for thinking they are married.
      • It's more likely that Daniel is an illegitimate child of Widmore's. Thus he is Penny's half-brother.
• Charles and Ellie are brother/sister. He is Daniel Faraday's uncle.

The Shape of Things to Come

• In "The Shape of Things to Come"Widmore seems to have an Australian accent.
  • The young Widmore does not have an Australian accent, but rather a very typical Queen's English (at least an attempt to sound so).
  • Alan Dale plays Widmore and was born in New Zealand. The Australian accent could just be his normal accent coming through and not actually important at all.
    • So why didn't he just talk in a British accent like his character is supposed to. Also New Zealand and Australian accents differ ever so slightly.
    • In "There's No Place Like Home, Part 2" Widmore's accent is again Aussie/New Zealand and NOT British. For some reason, his accent has clearly changed in recent episodes.
      • Please note that while to an American ear Widmore's accent may change from British to Australian, to an Australian ear he is still convincingly British. Claire's accent frequently lapses into American pronunciation. To an Iraqi ear it is highly likely that Sayid's accent is not very convincing Iraqi, but we don't notice it. The problem is only when an American audience takes issue with the way they think a British accent should sound. There are in fact many British accents, and many variations on an Australian accent. Alan Dale's accent is neither here nor there and significance should not be read into very subtle shifts in inflection and pronunciation.
      • Faking an accent is extremely difficult. Even people who are totally familiar with an accent and have lived in a foreign country for years can't always master it. Generally only children can change their way of speaking convincingly, and that's through weeks/months of total immersion. It's very doubtful that any of the slip-ups in accents on the show are intentional, especially considering that the show was made originally to broadcast in America; the majority of Americans have little notion of the difference between an English and Australian accent.
  • Alan Dale's 'American' accent in Ugly Betty is also a bit 'Down Under'-ish. Maybe he's just not very good at accents. Look at the woman who played Sam's wife that Hurley visitied in Australia. Her accent was awful!
  • In J.J.'s other show Alias, Anna changed her accent from season one to season four. But this flaw had nothing to do with the overall mythology of the show.