Conflict

A key theme on Lost is that of conflict. While conflict can also define internal struggles, in this article it concerns the instances of fights, attacks and battles on the Island. In this way, it highlights the tensions and recurring rivalries that exist between characters.

Major confrontations

DHARMA vs. The Hostiles

Richard waits for the toxic gas to disperse. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The first major conflict we know of on the Island was between the Island's original inhabitants, the Hostiles (a.k.a. The Others), and the DHARMA Initiative. These two groups have fought many skirmishes and battles. In the end, the Hostiles, also known as the Others, conquered DHARMA with one swift stroke, known as the Purge. The Purge ended the conflict between the Others and the DHARMA Initiative. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

• The Purge was led by Benjamin Linus, a former DHARMA member. It was later said that Jacob, the Others' mysterious leader, initiated the Purge. ("Cabin Fever")

• The DHARMA Initiative has deep roots in the history of the Island. The founder/funder of the initiative, Alvar Hanso, is the head of the Hanso Foundation. Thomas Mittelwork, is the head technologist for the foundation, which funds the Initiative. (The Lost Experience)

• The reason that these scientists and experimentalists were on the Island is a question that remains vague, but some hints have been given about why they were on the Island. The Numbers are the key part to the Valenzetti Equation, which is one of the main focuses of the Hanso Foundation. Hanso claims that humanity can be saved by changing these numbers through different environmental manipulations. He also reveals that the Island was used as a research station to attempt such a manipulation to change the Numbers. (Sri Lanka Video)

• Marvin Candle, who is the narrator of the DHARMA Initiative station orientation films, explains the purpose of the Swan, the Pearl, and the Orchid. The purpose of Station 3, the Swan, was for electromagnetic research, but due to an incident, a button needed to be pushed every 108 minutes, in order to save the world. (Swan Orientation Film)

• It was later on revealed that Station 5, the Pearl, was a psychological station. The two members inside of the station had to record everything that other DHARMA members did in the other stations by viewing them through nine surveillance monitors. (Pearl Orientation Film)

• The mysterious Station 6, the Orchid, was revealed to be a station that had to do with the Casimir effect and also might be based on the subject of time travel and botanical research. (Orchid Orientation Film)

• Although some information has been revealed about the purpose of these scientific research stations, they are still shrouded in mystery, which makes it more mysterious about the Initiative's true purpose for being on the Island.

• The natives of the Island, known as the Hostiles, thought that DHARMA was impeding on their land. DHARMA, however, continued to build stations and bring new scientists and researchers to the Island. By now it became clear that one side had to go...one side had to be 'purged'. The Hostiles used nerve gas to kill all of the DHARMA members who were at the Barracks. Ben led the Hostiles in this purge against DHARMA. It is still unknown whether any DHARMA members survived the Purge and are still living on the Island. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

The Survivors vs. The Others

The dynamite explodes. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

The next conflict on the Island was the battle between the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 and the Others. The Others first became known to the Tailies when, on the second day, they attacked the camp and kidnapped two of them. ("The Other 48 Days")

• Later it became known that the Others had infiltrated the beach camp. Ethan Rom had pretended to be a survivor, even though he had been sent by Ben to infiltrate the camp ("A Tale of Two Cities") During Ethan's time at the beach camp, he established a trust with Jack by conversing with him about his worries for Claire and her pregnancy, since he claimed that his wife died during childbirth. ("Jack, Meet Ethan. Ethan? Jack") Charlie nevertheless killed Ethan, before they could extract any information from him. ("Homecoming")

• Tensions between the Others and the survivors rose substantially when, on Day 44, Tom and three Others kidnaped Walt and blew up the raft. ("Exodus, Part 2") Michael decided to go on a search for Walt, after recieving a message from him via the Swan computer. ("The Hunting Party") Michael was captured by the Others and taken to their decoy village, where he was temporarily held prisoner. ("Three Minutes") Juliet told Michael that he had to accomplish his mission and bring Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley to them so that he could take Walt away from the Island. ("The Deal") Michael did accomplish his mission, and Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley were brought to Pala Ferry, and the traitorious Michael sped away with Walt on his boat. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

• Jack, Kate, and Sawyer are brought to a DHARMA station, known as the Hydra. Sawyer and Kate work tediously on a runway at the quarry, while Jack remains underwater, being manipulated by Ben and Juliet to convince him to do the spinal surgery for Ben. ("A Tale of Two Cities") Jack agrees to do the surgery, after seeing Kate together with Sawyer. Jack tells Ben that he'll only agree to perform the surgery if he gets him off this island. Ben replies, "done". ("I Do") Jack's agreement to do the surgery for the Others' leader is a ploy to get Kate and Sawyer to escape from Hydra Island. Jack makes an incision in Ben's kidney, which gives Kate and Sawyer one hour to escape. ("Not in Portland") Jack is taken back to the main island on a trawler along with Ben and the Others. They arrive at the Barracks, which is the home of the Others. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")

• Later on, when Jack had been taken to the Barracks, Jack reminds Ben about their 'deal' that he would get a ticket off the Island. Ben tells Jack that there may be a day when he will want to return to the Island, but Jack doesn't think so. ("King of the Castle")

• The Others continued to terrorize, kidnap, and kill the survivors. It wasn't until Day 92 when the survivors of Flight 815 made a final stand against the Others. Juliet was a mole sent by Ben, ("One of Us") but she told Jack what Ben wanted her to do. ("Operation: Sleeper") Jack and Juliet made a plan along with Rousseau. They got dynamite from the Black Rock, and told the rest of the survivors their plan. ("Greatest Hits")

• On Day 92, the survivors prepared for their final stand against the Others. Ben sent a team of the ten best Others, lead by Ryan Pryce. Sayid, Bernard, and Jin were the three survivors who stayed behind to defend the camp. The survivors managed to kill seven Others with the dynamite, but Jason, Ryan, and Tom survived and took the survivors hostage. Hurley came to the rescue with his DHARMA van and killed Ryan. Sayid broke Jason’s neck, and Sawyer shot an unarmed Tom. Ten Others died as a result. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

• When the survivors reach the radio tower, they make a call to Naomi's freighter. Minkowski answers the call, and tells Jack that they will be there to get them soon. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

The Survivors vs. The Mercenaries

The freighties attack the Barracks. ("The Shape of Things to Come")

The names of the parachutists who were aboard the Kahana were revealed through clues and code names that were released via the internet in January 2008. The man who sent the group of people on the freighter, Matthew Abaddon, was also reavealed through clues on ABC's alternate reality game. (Find 815)

• Tensions rise between the survivors, and they are split into two factions: Team Jack and Team Locke. ("The Beginning of the End")

• The people aboard the freighter who arrived on the Island by helicopter were revealed to be Miles Straume, Frank Lapidus, Charlotte Lewis, and Daniel Faraday. Tensions immediately arose when Jack and Kate discovered that Daniel was carrying a gun. Ben reveals that he knows everything about those aboard the freighter because he has a spy on their boat. ("Confirmed Dead")

• Locke's group arrived at the Barracks. Sayid, Kate, and Miles arrive to get Charlotte but are captured by Locke's group. Sayid tells Locke that a war will come if Charlotte doesn't go back with him. ("The Economist")

• Miles revealed that he has his own agenda on the Island, and asks Ben specifically for 3.2 million dollars. Charlotte and Daniel remained at the beach camp with the survivors. ("Eggtown")

• Tensions began to rise as Desmond and Sayid arrived on the Kahana. Desmond is taken by a guard to a room, where he meets George Minkowski. Desmond wanted to make a call to Penelope, but Minkowski claimed that someone sabataged the computer equipment. ("The Constant")

• Charlotte and Daniel ran off into the jungle, and are pursued by Jack, Juliet, and Kate. Kate found them in a clearing, and is knocked unconscious by Charlotte. Jack and Juliet found her, and continued to pursue Dan and Charlotte. One of the Others, Harper, encountered them in the jungle, and told Juliet her orders from Ben. Juliet went to the Tempest to kill Charlotte and Daniel, but it turns out that they were trying to stop the toxic gas from contaminating the Island's atmosphere. ("The Other Woman")

• On day 97, a group of freighter mercenaries, lead by Martin Keamy invaded the Barracks to apprehend Ben Linus. Before reaching the Barracks, the mercenaries fatally shot Karl and Danielle Rousseau and took hostage Alex as the three were hiking to the security of the Temple. The mercenaries commenced an assault on the Barracks, shooting and killing Doug, a blonde woman, and Jerome. They then destroyed Claire's house with a rocket-propelled grenade. (Claire survived the explosion and was rescued from the rubble by Sawyer.) The mercenaries then ceased fire as Sawyer brought Claire to Ben Linus's house, revealing Ben's hiding place. The mercenaries released Miles from his imprisonment in the boat house, giving him a walkie and sending him to Ben's house. Keamy used the walkie to negotiate with Ben, ordering him to come out and give himself up to the custody of the mercenaries. After Ben's refusal, a mercenary brought Ben's daughter Alex to Keamy, and he held her at gunpoint, threatening to kill her if Ben did not give himself up. When Ben again refused to comply, Keamy shot Alex in the head. Ben promptly summoned the Monster, and it indiscriminately attacked the mercenaries. ("The Shape of Things to Come")

• Mayhew, one of the mercenaries, later died of his wounds shortly after the helicopter flight back to the Kahana. ("Something Nice Back Home")

• The mercenaries return to the freighter, and Keamy goes to meet Kevin Johnson. He tries shooting Michael with his gun, but it won't fire. Keamy demands to be taken back to the Island by Frank, but Captain Gault holds him at gunpoint. Keamy then shoots and kills Gault, and Frank agrees to return the mercenaries to the Island. ("Cabin Fever")

The Others vs. The Mercenaries

Alpert and the Others after the battle ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

The Others, led by Jacob and Benjamin Linus were prepared to do whatever it takes to protect the Island from the people that came to destroy it. Since Jacob and Ben were not with the Others at the time the freighter people arrived, Richard Alpert took on the lead position of the Others. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

• Kate and Sayid encountered Richard in the jungle and held him at gunpoint. However, when they realized that they were surrounded by armed Others, they surrendered to them. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

• Kate ran to Keamy and the other mercenaries, claiming to have been running away from the Others. The freighter mercenaries start searching for them, but one of the Others kills Kocol, and Lacour soon is killed as well, but not before firing shots in the air to warn the other mercenaries. Gunfire is exchanged from both sides. A grenade is thrown by the Others and lands at Keamy's feet, he kicks it away, and it explodes, killing Omar. Ben and Kate run away, but are chased fervently by Keamy. Sayid comes and tackles Keamy, and a vigorous fight ensues. Eventually, Keamy overcomes Sayid, coming close to killing him, but Richard comes from behind, shooting him twice in the back. The shots did not kill him since he was wearing a bullet-proof vest. Keamy made his way to the Orchid, in pursuit of Ben. He encountered Locke, but was killed by Ben to avenge the death of his daughter. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Survivors/Science team vs. The Others

• After the Oceanic Six left on the helicopter, the survivors (along with Juliet and three members of the Science team) are confronted by an a faction of the Others who send a volley of flaming arrows down on them. The first to be killed by this volley was Neil "Frogurt", who was hit multiple times in the chest and back. The survivors made a mad dash for the creek, and there appeared to be at least three more deaths. ("The Lie") The Others apparently did this because they believed the survivors were U.S Millitary personel. ("Jughead")

• As Sawyer and Juliet made their way to the creek, three armed men (Charles Widmore, Cunningham and Mattingly captured them and questioned them, threatening to cut off Juliet's hands. Locke finds them and rescues them, killing Mattingly. ("The Lie") Widmore lated escapes after snapping Cunningham's kneck to protect the loctaion of the Other's camp. ("Jughead")

• The Science team and two other survivors are later ambushed by the Others at the creek. After an accidental detonation of two land mines, only the Science team was alive and taken into captivity. Thus a victory for the Others. ("Jughead")

Minor confrontations

Season 1

Jack holds Ethan down after their fight ("Homecoming")  (promotional still)

• Sawyer vs. Sayid: Got in a fight shortly after the crash, over Sayid's accusation that Sawyer was the marshal's prisoner, and Sawyer's prejudice that Sayid was a terrorist. ("Pilot, Part 2")
• Jin vs. Michael: Jin attacks Michael for wearing the Rolex watch. ("House of the Rising Sun")
• Sawyer vs. Boone & Jack: Boone tries to recover Shannon's inhalers, by going through Sawyer's stash. Sawyer finds him and a fight ensues. Jack later punches Sawyer in an effort to get the inhalers also. ("Confidence Man")
• Sayid vs. Locke: Locke knocks Sayid unconscious as he tries to triangulate the signal (first seen from Sayid's blacked out perspective when we don't know who the perpetrator was. ("Confidence Man")
• Ethan vs. Claire: Ethan gives Claire's baby an injection while she is sleeping. ("Raised by Another")
• Jack vs. Ethan: Jack and Ethan fight twice, before finding Charlie hanging from a tree and when he catches Ethan in the jungle. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")  ("Homecoming")
• Locke vs. Boone: Locke knocks Boone out, ties him up, and drugs him. ("Hearts and Minds")
• Michael vs. Boone: Michael punches Boone after he holds a knife to his throat in an attempt to calm him down. ("Special")
• Sawyer & Michael vs. Jin: Sawyer and Michael blame Jin for destroying the raft. ("...In Translation")
• Jack vs. Locke: Jack attacks Locke at Boone's funeral, believing him to be responsible for the fatality. ("The Greater Good")
• Shannon vs. Locke: Shannon attacks Locke with a gun and nearly kills him, believing him to be responsible for her brother's death. ("The Greater Good")
• Danielle Rousseau vs. Claire: Rousseau knocks Claire out in order to steal Aaron. ("Exodus, Part 1")
• Others boat vs. Rafties: The Others attack Michael and friends on the second raft and kidnap Walt. ("Exodus, Part 1")

Season 2

• Tailies vs. Rafties: Ana Lucia and Eko and their group attacks Jin, Michael and Sawyer. ("Orientation")
• Jin vs. Eko: Jin punches Eko while trying to get away and find Michael. Eko head butts him back. ("...And Found")

Jack prevents Locke from pushing the button ("One of Them")  (promotional still)

• Others vs. Tailies: The Others repeatedly attack the Tailies. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Ana Lucia vs. Goodwin: Ana attacks him because she discovers he was an Other. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Sayid vs. Eko: Sayid punches Eko after Ana shot Shannon. Ana knocks Sayid out to end the fight. ("Collision")
• Locke vs. Charlie: Locke punches Charlie in the face after his attempt to take Aaron from Claire. ("Fire + Water")
• Charlie vs. Sun: Charlie attacks Sun so he and Sawyer can con the rest of the survivors. ("The Long Con")
• Danielle Rousseau vs. Ben: Rousseau shoots Ben with a crossbow arrow. ("One of Them")
• Sayid vs. Ben: Sayid beats Ben viciously while interrogating him. ("One of Them")
• Jack vs. Locke: Jack fights with Locke to stop the interrogation of Ben ("Henry Gale"). ("One of Them")
• Claire vs. Danielle Rousseau: (Flashback) Claire fights and claws Danielle's arm while in a drugged state, not knowing she is trying to help her. ("Maternity Leave")
• Hurley vs. Sawyer: Hurley attacks Sawyer after he is sick of him calling him nicknames. ("Dave")
• Ana Lucia vs. Ben: Ben attacks Ana. Ana gets a few shots in, but Locke comes and knocks Ben out. ("Two for the Road")
• Eko vs. Locke: Eko tries to get Locke to find the "?" with him. When he refuses, he head butts him in the face. ("?")

Season 3

• Others vs. Karl: Karl makes a failed attempt to escape, and after being recaptured, is physically threatened and forced to apologize to Sawyer. ("A Tale of Two Cities")

Pickett grabs Sawyer out of his cage. ("Every Man for Himself")  (promotional still)

• Sawyer vs. Others: Sawyer gets in a fight with Pickett and other Others at the quarry after he kisses Kate. ("The Glass Ballerina")
• Sawyer vs. Ben: Ben and Sawyer grapple in the cages after his escape attempt. ("Every Man for Himself")
• Danny Pickett vs. Sawyer: Pickett attacks Sawyer in vengeance for Colleen's death. ("Every Man for Himself")  ("I Do")
• Alex vs. Others: Alex attacks the group at the quarry, in vengeance for what she thinks is their murder of her boyfriend and with an attempt to free Sawyer and Kate. ("I Do")
• Desmond vs. Charlie: Desmond tackles Charlie after being called "coward". He was quite drunk. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
• Sayid vs. Mikhail: Sayid battles Mikhail in the Flame Station, despite recovering from a gunshot wound. Mikhail is subdued, enabling the discovery of the basement of the Flame. ("Enter 77")
• Kate vs. Bea Klugh: Kate and Bea struggle in the basement of the Flame, until Sayid breaks them up. Kate then punches Bea in the face. ("Enter 77")
• Jack vs. Locke: While not directly seen, it is heavily implied that Jack assaulted Locke after he blew up the submarine, especially since Locke has bruises on his face afterwards. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
• Nikki vs. Paulo: Nikki ambushes Paulo in order to retrieve the diamonds. ("Exposé")
• Kate vs. Juliet: Kate viciously attacks Juliet while handcuffed to her in the jungle, forces her to the ground and dislocates her shoulder in the process, but later pops it back in. ("Left Behind")
• Kate vs. Juliet: Kate unsuccessfully attacks Juliet who brings her food. Juliet evades the hit and throws Kate to the ground.
• Jin vs. Mikhail: Jin chases Mikhail through the jungle and is able to catch him and best him in a fight; Desmond and Charlie come to Jin's aid and they detain Mikhail for a short time. ("D.O.C.")
• Locke vs. Mikhail: Locke beats Mikhail senseless to stop Ben from joining Mikhail to the beach camp. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
• Sayid vs. Karl: Sayid tackles Karl when he arrives at the camp to warn them, thinking he was about to threaten them. ("Greatest Hits")
• Charlie vs. Desmond: Charlie hits Desmond with an oar so that he doesn't take his place in death. ("Greatest Hits")
• Jack vs. Ben: Jack brutally and mercilessly attacks Ben after it seems he has ordered Tom to shoot and kill Sayid, Jin and Bernard. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

Season 4

Ben attacks Keamy with his telescopic baton("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")  (promotional still)

• Naomi vs. Kate: Not so much as a fight, Naomi dives on top of Kate from her perch on a tree with a knife to her throat, demanding the satellite phone after she was stabbed in the back by Locke, thinking this violent act was from the survivors as a whole. ("The Beginning of the End")
• Jack vs. Locke: Jack, when he meets Locke after he killed Naomi, assaults and pushes him to the ground. Jack grabs his gun before Locke does and aims it at his head and fires, but the gun is empty. Sayid and Sawyer pull Jack away from Locke. ("The Beginning of the End")
• Sawyer vs. Ben: Sawyer attacks Ben when he aggravates him about his choice to leave Kate behind. ("Confirmed Dead")
• Sawyer vs. Ben: Sawyer tackles Ben to the ground after he shoots Charlotte. Luckily, she was wearing a bulletproof vest. ("Confirmed Dead")
• Charlotte vs. Juliet: Juliet believes that Daniel and Charlotte are trying to poison the whole island, so she points a gun at Faraday. Charlotte attacks Juliet from behind and a fight ensues. ("The Other Woman")
• Keamy vs. Michael: Keamy confronts Michael after learning that he is the saboteur, and knocks a bed down onto Michael's leg. He then tries to shoot Michael, but his gun doesn't fire, so he simply pistol-whips him. ("Cabin Fever")
• Ben vs. Keamy: Keamy arrives in The Orchid station and begins taunting Ben about his daughter's death. Ben attacks Keamy from behind, stunning him with his telescopic baton and stabbing him to death. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Flashbacks

Locke falls eight stories ("The Man from Tallahassee")

• Jack vs. Meathead: Young Jack defends childhood friend Marc Silverman from a bully, receiving a black eye for his efforts. ("White Rabbit")
• Bryan vs. Boone: Boone attacks Bryan for what he believes is abuse on Shannon, but ends up getting beaten up. ("Hearts and Minds")
• Kate vs. Edward Mars: Kate attacks the marshal in the customs office, after he ridicules her past and motives for getting Tom Brennan killed. ("Exodus, Part 1")
• Jack vs. Christian Shephard: Jack jumps his father at an AA meeting, after he believes his father is having an affair with Sarah. ("A Tale of Two Cities")
• Munson vs. An Unnamed Prisoner: Munson is attacked by an unnamed prisoner because he is physically weaker than the other prisoners. ("Every Man for Himself")
• Jack vs. Chet and his gang: Jack is beaten up because he forced Achara to give him a tattoo, breaking unknown rules regarding the tattoos and the culture. ("Stranger in a Strange Land")
• Anthony Cooper vs. John Locke: Anthony Cooper pushes John out an 8 story window when he endangers Anthony's scam. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
• Michael vs. Tom: Tom confronts Michael in an alley, and a fight ensues. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")

See also

• A-Missions
• Body count
• Car accidents
• Crimes of the Islanders
• Life and death
• Rivalries