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"Jacob" redirects here. For other uses of the name Jacob, see Jacob (disambiguation).

Jacob is a mysterious Island inhabitant. Most details about Jacob are shrouded in mystery. He is said to be in charge of the Island as well as the Others, though most of them are unable to directly communicate with him. Jacob appears to be ageless (a gift that he also allegedly bestowed upon Richard Alpert), and has been an inhabitant of the Island since at least the 19th century. Jacob also met many of the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815, as well as Ilana, before their arrival to the Island. He speaks fluent Korean and Russian. In 2007, while residing inside the four-toed statue, Jacob was apparently killed by Benjamin Linus, under the orders of Jacob's similarly mysterious nemesis, posing as John Locke. Jacob's last words to impostor Locke were "they're coming" before he was kicked into the fire.

On the Island (1800s)

5x16 Jacob and nemesis

Jacob argues with his nemesis. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Sometime in the 1800's, Jacob lived on the Island beneath the four-toed statue, where he wove a tapestry from some home made thread. There is at least one other inhabitant of the Island during this time, his dark-haired nemesis. One morning Jacob met with his nemesis on the beach as they watched a ship (probably the Black Rock) approach the Island. His nemesis accused Jacob of bringing the ship to the Island in an attempt to prove him "wrong" about the nature of humanity. The nemesis told Jacob that while he was unable to kill him, he would one day find a "loophole" to do so.


JACOB: I take it you're here 'cause of the ship.
ENEMY: I am. How did they find the Island?
JACOB: You'll have to ask 'em when they get here.
ENEMY: I don't have to ask. You brought them here. Still trying to prove me wrong, aren't you?
JACOB: You are wrong.
ENEMY: Am I? They come. They fight. They destroy. They corrupt. It always ends the same.
JACOB: It only ends once. Anything that happens before that is just progress.
ENEMY: Do you have any idea how badly I wanna kill you?
JACOB: Yes.
ENEMY: One of these days, sooner or later... I'm going to find a loophole, my friend.
JACOB: Well, when you do, I'll be right here.


Off the Island (1976-2004)

Thumbs 07

Jacob gives young James Ford a pen ("The Incident, Part 1")

At various times, Jacob left the Island to meet with future passengers of Oceanic Flight 815, and with Ilana.

1976

In 1976, Jacob visited James Ford at the funeral of Mr. Ford and Mary Ford, and gave James the ink pen that would be used to finish Sawyer's letter.

1980s

In the late 1980s, Jacob visited a convenience store in Iowa where he witnessed Kate and Tom Brennan getting caught by a storekeeper for attempting to shoplift a lunchbox. Jacob offered to pay for the lunchbox instead, and instructed Kate to "be good" before poking her playfully on the nose and leaving. The storekeeper is mollified by Jacob paying for the lunchbox, saying: "..as long as somebody pays for it, I guess there's no harm done."

Jack's first surgery

5x16 MaybeJustAPush

Jacob offers Jack his Apollo candy bar. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Several years later, after an accident in Jack's first major surgery, which Christian Shephard was supervising (the same incident in which Jack learns the "count to five" routine to avoid panic), Jack blamed his father for embarrassing him in front of his staff. To make matters worse, the Apollo candy bar Jack attempted to purchase from a vending machine was stuck. Jacob purchased the next candy bar after Jack left, giving Jack the one he had left behind. Jack mentioned that the machine tends to stick, to which Jacob replied, "Maybe it just needed a little push."

Jin and Sun's wedding

Soon after the wedding ceremony of Jin and Sun, they were approached by Jacob, who addressed them in Korean and wished them the best in their marriage, telling them to never take each other for granted. As he departed, Jin and Sun remarked that they did not know who he was, though Jin noted his excellent Korean.

5x16 CheckingUpOnJohn

Jacob reassures a crippled Locke.("The Incident, Part 1")

2000

In 2000, Jacob was sitting on a bench outside an apartment complex reading Flannery O'Connor's Everything That Rises Must Converge, when John Locke was pushed out of a building by his father. Jacob calmly walked over and squeezed Locke's shoulder to wake him up. Jacob apologized that this had happened, assuring Locke that it would be okay before walking away.

With Ilana

At an unknown time, Ilana was in a hospital severely injured when she was visited by Jacob, whom she seemed to recognize. He requested her help, which she agreed to provide. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Back on the Island (2004)

Indirect references

ChristianJacob

Second appearance of Christian Shephard in Jacob's cabin. ("Cabin Fever")

Jacob came to be referred to as the leader of the Others, though very few of the Others were allowed to speak to Jacob directly, save perhaps Richard. Jacob's name was often invoked by those who wished to press their will over others, because no one questioned Jacob's authority. He was mentioned multiple times by Ben as the excuse for carrying out some actions, such as saving baby Alex from death ("Dead Is Dead"), and placing Walt in Room 23 ("Room 23"). He also claimed that Jacob was able to heal Rachel Carlson's cancer ("One of Us"). Richard also claimed that Jacob wanted young Ben to be saved at the Temple after being shot by Sayid. ("Whatever Happened, Happened"). Jacob was mysteriously referred to as "Him", while Mikhail and Ben have collectively referred to Jacob as a "great", "brilliant" and "magnificent" man.

During a conversation between some Others, "Jacob's list" was mentioned by Danny Pickett, who stated that Jack was not on it ("I Do"). Jacob appeared to be feared by many of the Others as a great, powerful, and unforgiving man ("Two for the Road"). Jacob's name was also used in the Room 23 video ("Not in Portland").

A figure that appeared to be Christian Shepherd claimed that he spoke on behalf of Jacob, and ordered Locke to move the Island and bring the Oceanic Six back by visiting Eloise Hawking.("Cabin Fever")  ("This Place Is Death").

In "Jacob's" cabin

3x20 Jacob portrait

A figure seen in Jacob's cabin ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

Benjamin Linus took John Locke to see Jacob at the cabin, where an invisible Jacob supposedly sat in a chair. Unimpressed, Locke attempted to leave, when he distinctly heard the words "help me". Ben insisted he didn't hear the voice. Angry with Ben for deceiving him once more by denying that he said anything, Locke turned on his flashlight and aimed it at Ben. The cabin began to shake almost immediately. Jars of liquid flew across the room and Ben grabbed the empty rocking chair, telling "Jacob" that he had his fun and needed to stop. Ben was then thrown up against the wall and a shadowy figure with shaggy hair and tattered clothes was seen very briefly sitting in the rocking chair; it is unclear who this figure was. ("The Man Behind the Curtain") Ben later confessed that he has never seen Jacob, that everything up until the room shaking was merely a ruse. ("The Incident, Part 1")

In a later episode we learn that while Ben claimed Jacob was living in a cabin, he had in fact taken up residence beneath the statue of Taweret inside an interior chamber located in the base of the statue. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Back off the Island (2005-2008)

5x16 CatchThatFlight

Jacob instructs Hurley to board Ajira Flight 316. ("The Incident, Part 1")

2005

In 2005, Sayid and Nadia were walking three blocks from the intersection of North La Brea Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, discussing how to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. As they started to cross La Brea, Jacob approached Sayid and asked for directions. As Nadia continued across the street, she was hit and killed by a car which fled the scene of the accident.

January 2008

In January 2008, when Hurley was released from Los Angeles County Jail, Jacob was waiting for him in the back seat of a taxicab with a guitar case beside him. Stating he would just "be going a few blocks," he offered to share the cab and then told Hurley that he had to return to the Island. He suggested to Hurley that his "curse" was actually a blessing and informed him of the details of Ajira Flight 316 which was departing in 24 hours. As Jacob left the taxi, Hurley told him he forgot his guitar, to which Jacob replied "That's not my guitar." ("The Incident, Part 1")


Back on the Island (2007)

Death

In 2007, after the crash of Ajira Airways Flight 316, the seemingly resurrected Locke revealed his plans to kill Jacob. He, along with the Others, set off for the four-toed statue, intending for Ben to kill Jacob. Locke and Ben later entered the base of the statue's remains, where they found Jacob sitting in a rocking chair, observing them. Jacob recognized that Locke was actually just a disguise for his old nemesis, and stated that his nemesis had "found his loophole."

5x17 DyingInBen'sArms

Jacob falls against Ben after being stabbed. ("The Incident, Part 1")

ENEMY: Hello Jacob.
JACOB: Well you found your loophole.
ENEMY: Indeed I did. And you have no idea what I've gone through to be here.

The nemesis then urged Ben to kill Jacob. Jacob told Ben that he had the choice to leave and not follow through with killing him, but an emotional Ben confronted Jacob about all the times he had been ignored by Jacob. Jacob, however, expressed Ben's unimportance to him, causing an enraged Ben to stab Jacob twice in the chest, bringing Jacob to his knees. Jacob warned his nemesis that "they're coming," and was subsequently kicked into a fire pit, setting him ablaze. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Trivia

General

  • Jacob touches all of the characters he meets in some fashion; the camera even focuses on his fingers touching Jack as he hands him the candy bar. It is unknown what the significance of this behavior is.
    • He did not touch Ilana in the hospital, but as the dialogue suggests they have met before, it could have happened then.
  • Jacob says the words "I'm sorry" to about half the familiar characters he meets off-island: Sawyer (in reference to his parents' deaths), Ilana (an apology for not arriving sooner), Sayid (introducing a request for help), and John (in sympathy). He does not say these words to Kate, to Sun and Jin, to Jack, or to Hurley.
  • While Jacob has been mentioned in many episodes, he has only definitively been seen in two ("The Incident, Part 1"), and possibly two others ("The Man Behind the Curtain")("The Beginning of the End").
  • Jacob was the thirty-first character to ever have a flashback.
  • Jacob has never been shown meeting Ana Lucia, Boone, Charlie, Charlotte, Claire, Daniel, Desmond, Eko, Juliet, Libby, Michael, Miles, Nikki, Paulo, Shannon and Walt.
  • On the front cover of Lost: The Complete Third Season, the text "Jacob loves you" is visible.
  • In an interview Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse gave to Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen and Dan Snierson prior to the fifth season finale, Lindelof noted that the episode would be very "touching", a reference to the fact that Jacob notably touches all of the Oceanic 815 survivors when he crosses paths with them.
  • In the opening scene where Jacob is spinning thread for his tapestry, it is briefly shown that he is wearing Nomadic brand sandals. Similiar pairs can be purchased here: http://www.nomadicstateofmind.com/ ("The Incident, Part 1").

Production notes

  • Jacob was confirmed to be "him" In the 3/20/07 Official Lost Podcast.
  • The filming location for Jacob's cabin in "The Man Behind the Curtain" was also used for Eko's grave.[1]
  • When Jacob finally was cast for "The Incident, Part 1" the casting call described him as "Jason. Any ethnicity, late 30s-60s. Former soldier. A leader of men. Smart but more than that – he is wise. Strong and straightforward. The words he says are always listened to and they carry gravitas. Looking for someone very interesting and very special for this role..."[2]

See also

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions
  1. Do not answer the questions here.
  2. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer.
For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Jacob/Theories

Jacob

  • Who or what is Jacob?
  • How does he bring people to the Island?
  • What powers or abilities does he possess?
    • Did Jacob cure Rachel's cancer?
    • How does Jacob possess foreknowledge of events to come?
    • Why does Jacob prevent Richard from aging?
  • How does he come and go from the Island?
  • Does Jacob dislike technology?

History

  • What is Jacob's history on the Island?
  • How does he choose who to bring to the Island?
  • What issues does he have with his nemesis?
    • What is Jacob trying to prove his nemesis wrong about?
  • How did Jacob come to command the Others?
    • Why is only the leader of the Others permitted to talk to Jacob?
    • Why did Jacob refuse to meet with Ben?
  • How does Jacob draw up his lists?

Jacob's Cabin

  • When did Jacob inhabit the cabin?
  • What is Christian's connection to Jacob?
    • Why does Christian claim to speak for Jacob?
  • Who was the shadowy figure seen in "The Man Behind the Curtain"?
    • Whose voice did Locke hear?
    • Why did objects start flying around in the cabin?
  • Who did Hurley see in "The Beginning of the End"?

Recent Events

  • Why did Jacob visit Sawyer, Kate, Sun, Jin, Sayid, Hurley, Jack and Locke?
    • Why did he physically touch everyone he visited?
  • What is Jacob's relationship with Ilana?
    • Why did he request her help?
  • What did he mean by "They're coming"?


References


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