Life and death

The "death" Tarot card seen in "Tricia Tanaka Is Dead".

“

"It's sort of understood on Lost that that's what you sign up for. There's going to be constant character turnover, because the stakes on the Island are life-or-death." — Damon Lindelof, (Lost: On Location (Season 2))

”

Life and death is a commonly recurring issue on Lost, and according to Damon Lindelof, are two major themes on the Island. While naturally character death is a feature to a good narrative and adds to suspense, life has often been shown to juxtapose with death, creating an intricate balance.

Redemption and Death

Many deaths (especially those of main characters) have come soon after the characters overcome their issues on the island. While this could be seen as a way of progressing the story, it has also been seen by others as support for theories, such as that the Island is purgatory.

Dying with eyes open is a common occurrence with many of the characters. Characters who have died with their eyes open are Locke, Matthew Abaddon, Daniel Faraday, Keamy, Minkowski, Boone, Nikki, Naomi, Ana Lucia, Libby, Jae Lee and Charlotte. In some cultures, dying with eyes open is interpreted as dying in a state of unrest or mission in life unfulfilled.

Boone

Boone was also an example of one who died soon after his redemption. After being tied up by Locke while excavating the Hatch, Boone experienced a hallucination as the result of a paste being rubbed on his head. In his hallucination, he is forced to confront his major issue: love for his stepsister, Shannon. In his hallucination, he finds her dead, and as he later confesses to Locke, he felt "relieved." This eased his jealousy for Sayid, as well as freeing himself from his love for Shannon. However, soon after his redemption, Boone climbed into a Beechcraft plane, but the plane fell from a cliff with him inside, killing him. ("Hearts and Minds")  ("Deus Ex Machina")  ("Do No Harm")

Shannon

Sayid believes in Shannon, resulting in Walt appearing to him too.

Shannon's issues on the Island seem to centre on the fact that no-one ever believed in her. In the episode "Abandoned", flashbacks show how Shannon tried to convince her step-mother to give her the money to pursue her opportunity with a dance company, pleading that she "just need to get to New York. I need just something — something to get started. I'll pay you back." However, her step-mother refused to believe her, retorting "this week it's an internship — last year it was what — interior design? You'll never pay me back." Later, Boone offered Shannon all the money she needed, but she questioned his motives behind the loan, asking:

“

SHANNON: Do you believe I can, or don't you, Boone? Boone pauses SHANNON: Okay, you know what, I really want you to just take your money — go work for your mother — I don't want it...

”

On the Island, Shannon saw Walt repeatedly, despite him being kidnapped by the Others. However, no-one would believe her, and even Sayid doubted the claim. Out in the jungle, Shannon eventually confronted Sayid, showing the true root of her complex:

“

SHANNON: Why don't you believe me? [Sayid doesn't answer] I need you to believe in me! SAYID: I do believe in you. SHANNON: You don't! No one does. They think that I'm some kind of joke. They think I'm worthless. SAYID: Shannon, you are not worthless.

”

After Sayid truly believes in Shannon, Walt reappears, and this time Sayid can also see him. With this resolution to Shannon's problems, she proceeds to chase after Walt, and in the confusion of surrounding whispers, is shot by Ana Lucia. ("Abandoned")

Ana Lucia

Before dying, Ana Lucia admits to Michael that she "can't do this anymore."

Almost from the moment she arrived on the Island, it was apparent that Ana Lucia was an incredibly troubled young woman. She had suffered a miscarriage, and taken vengeance by murdering the man who had shot her, which caused the loss. After travelling to Australia with Christian Shephard, Ana resolved that she would face what she did and return to America, phoning her mother from the airport and telling her that she would be on Flight 815. ("Collision")  ("Two for the Road")

Of course, Ana never made it to Los Angeles, and on the Island it became evident that her issues had not been overcome. Ana Lucia killed an unnamed Other in addition to Goodwin, and her deteriorating stability in response to the dangers on the Island led to her accidentally shooting and killing Shannon. ("...And Found") Later, Ana planned to kill "Henry Gale", but at the final moment decided not to. She tells Michael, "I couldn't do it. I couldn't even kill him. I looked at him and he — I can't do this anymore." It is at this final moment, where Ana for a second time openly admits to everything she has done and wants to change and be redeemed, that Michael shoots her dead. ("Two for the Road")

Eko

Eko's redemption differs from other characters because it wasn't overcoming his flaws which led to him being redeemed, but rather his refusal to apologise for them because they were done with the greater good at heart. In "The 23rd Psalm" flashbacks showcased Eko making great sacrifices for his brother, Yemi, when he killed a man to prevent his brother from having do it, thus starting his life as a warlord. Eko's sacrifices to save his brother were again featured in the flashbacks in "The Cost of Living" in which he faced a punishment after stealing food for his brother, and accepted the punishment. After Yemi's subsequent death, Eko tried to redeem himself for his involvement in his brother's demise by becoming a holy man, although his attempts were in vain. ("The 23rd Psalm")  ("The Cost of Living")

Eko's redemptive efforts continued during his time on the Island but it was only after The Monster, who had been posing as his brother, told him to repent for his sins but Eko refuses, saying that he had not sinned but did what he needed to survive and protect those close to him. The Monster then preceded to kill a now redeemed Mr Eko. ("The Cost of Living")

Michael

Having helped the Oceanic Six escape, Michael dies.

Redemption played a big part in Michael's return to the Island. After killing Ana Lucia and Libby, Michael left the Island but became increasingly guilt-ridden. As seen in the episode "Meet Kevin Johnson", he became haunted by Libby and eerily saw her twice during his attempts to kill himself and, later, to infiltrate the Kahana as a spy for Benjamin Linus. When Michael was discovered on the freighter by Sayid and Desmond he revealed that he accepted Ben's offer to return to the Island in order to redeem himself for the murders. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")  ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

“

SUN: And now you're working for Ben? MICHAEL: I do not work for Ben. I'm trying to make up for what I did. I'm trying to help you out here.

”

When a bomb was discovered onboard the Kahana, Michael worked with Desmond and Jin to defuse it. With time running out, Michael told Jin to rejoin his wife and unborn child and agreed to man the bomb alone. In doing so, Michael ensured the escape of the Oceanic Six, Desmond and Frank Lapidus from the Island and in doing so redeemed himself before the Kahana exploded, killing him. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Ironically, the people most arguably affected by the deaths of Ana Lucia and Libby; Sawyer, Hurley and Jack, never saw Michael on the freighter and remain unaware of the role he played in security the escape of the two latter survivors.

Charlotte

Charlotte, having divulged the truth, dies.

During her time on the Kahana and later on the Island, Charlotte maintained her real reason for joining the science team a secret, even from those she was close to, like Daniel Faraday. Charlotte was raised on the Island but forced to leave prior to the Incident and she then spent her life trying to find the Island to prove that it existed. After her subsequent return to the Island, Charlotte maintained her often cold demeanour until Daniel urged her to leave the Island and return to the boat in the face of the Secondary Protocol. For the first time, Charlotte divulged that she was "still looking for the place she was born" and refused to leave. ("This Place Is Death")  ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

After the Island's move Charlotte started to suffer the effects of the time flashes. Before her death, Charlotte started to reveal more and more about herself, such as her ability to speak Korean (which suprised her fellow crewmen Daniel and Miles). Most prominently, however, when her condition worsened severly she emotionally revealed the truth about her history to Daniel. Having learned to not be so secretive and to let those who she was close to in, Charlotte subsequently died. ("This Place Is Death")

Suicide

Suicide has been a theme on Lost. Many characters have attempted suicide, but the success of these attempts has varied from person-to-person. The cause of suicide is generally depression, but in the case of some, to simply escape, or even because of a mental illness.

Pre-Crash

In 1977, Sawyer's mother was swindled by Anthony Cooper. Enraged, his father came home and shot Sawyer's mother and then himself. ("Outlaws")

In the Swan, Kelvin told Desmond about Radzinsky, Kelvin's former partner who was responsible for many things in the hatch. Kelvin eventually revealed that Radzinsky had committed suicide, pointing out a bloodstain on the ceiling. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Jae's body on Jin's car. ("The Glass Ballerina")

Ordered by Mr. Paik to kill Jae Lee (whom Paik had seen having an affair with Sun), Jin went to Jae's hotel room and beat him profusely but, instead of killing him, offered Jae a chance to leave the country and never come back. As Jin returned to his car, Jae leapt from his window and fell onto the car, clutching a strand of pearls he had offered to Sun. ("The Glass Ballerina")

Another suicide occurred off the island, as Hurley and Ken Halperin were discussing Hurley's finances. Through the window behind Ken, Hurley saw an unknown man falling to his death. ("Numbers")

Essam holds Sayid at gunpoint before killing himself ("The Greater Good")

Upon travelling to Australia in search of the source of the Numbers, Hurley met Martha Toomey, the wife of Sam Toomey, who had first heard the numbers. When asking about Sam's location, Martha stated that, in order to escape the numbers, Sam had killed himself several years prior to Hurley's visit. ("Numbers")

Sayid worked undercover with the CIA to expose a terrorist sect in Australia. He was reunited with his college friend Essam, and stated that he would orchestrate a suicide bombing with Essam, in order to locate the explosives. However, just before the bombing was about to occur, Sayid revealed to Essam his true mission. Essam, angered by the betrayal, held Sayid and gunpoint before turning the gun on himself. ("The Greater Good")

After the Crash

While in the hatch, a depressed Desmond contemplated suicide while drinking heavily and starting to read Our Mutual Friend; but then he heard Locke, angered by Boone's death, pounding on the hatch door above, restoring his faith and making him lose the thoughts of suicide, knowing he was not alone. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")

Dave tries to get Hurley to jump off a cliff. ("Dave")

Hurley, almost a month later, soon became haunted by his imaginary friend, Dave. During his final meeting with Dave, Dave tried to convince him that the island wasn't real, and that it was all a figment of his imagination. Dave stated that if Hurley threw himself off a cliff, he would survive and wake up in Santa Rosa. However, Hurley was stopped by Libby, with whom he shared a kiss. ("Dave")

After leaving the island, Michael decided to reveal the fact that he had killed Libby and Ana Lucia to his son Walt. Walt then, however, wanted nothing to do with Michael, and opted to live with Michael's mother instead of Michael. Michael fell into a deep depression, and attempted suicide by ramming his car into a storage unit. While badly injured, Michael survived and quickly healed. After getting out of the hospital, Michael sold Jin's watch in order to purchase a revolver from the pawn shop.

"Not Yet." ("Meet Kevin Johnson")

Going into a nearby alley, he attempted to shoot himself, but the gun jammed several times. Tom then appeared, and stated that the Island would not let Michael die because he still had work to do. Upon returning home, Michael was still unable to shoot himself, and finally visited Tom to see what work was needed from him. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")

Later, on the Kahana, Michael prepared to blow up a suitcase bomb given to him by the Others, which would kill him and everyone else on board. However, when he went to detonate the deadly device, a small flag stating "Not yet," popped up, giving Michael yet another failed suicide attempt. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")

Meanwhile, Ben had shot Locke and left him in a pit for dead. Locke, finding a revolver on the corpse of a nearby Dharma worker, held the revolver to his head and attempted to pull the trigger. However, before he could carry on with the suicide, he was stopped by Walt, who told him he had "work to do." ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

At the Looking Glass, Mikhail Bakunin, though thought dead by Charlie and Desmond, escaped into the moon pool with a grenade. While Charlie made contact with Penny Widmore, Mikhail tapped on the glass, showing Charlie the grenade in his hand while pulling the pin. The grenade exploded, with Mikhail effectively killing himself and drowning Charlie at the same time. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

Regina jumps off the Kahana. ("Ji Yeon")

Sometime later, upon arriving at the freighter, Desmond and Sayid saw Regina wrap herself in chains and throw herself off the side of the ship. Gault soon appeared and said that Regina's suicide was likely the result of "cabin fever" that was going around people on the ship. This was further confirmed by Ray, noticing a large blood stain at the wall in one of the ship's cabins, presumably of another suicide.("Ji Yeon")

After the escape of the Oceanic 6 from the island, John Locke, using the alias of Jeremy Bentham, followed them, and approached each of them, telling them of the repercussions of their leaving, and warning them that they needed to return to the island. However, after visiting them all, he was found dead in his apartment, and the death was ruled as a suicide. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

The truth, however, was that Ben had convinced Locke not to kill himself, but then strangled him with the same rope after hearing Locke tell him about Eloise Hawking. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")

After reading about Locke's death, Jack fell into a deeper depression, eventually pulling over while driving on a bridge and preparing to jump off. However, before he could do so, a car accident occurred behind him, a result of a driver being distracted by Jack standing on the side of the bridge. Jack abandoned his suicidal mission and saved the passenger and her son instead. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

List of "life moments"

Off the Island

• Jack saves Sarah's life. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")

Sarah after being healed. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith")

Aaron was born on the Island. ("Do No Harm")

• Charlotte Malkin apparently returns from the dead after drowning. ("?")
• Claire refuses Christian Shephard's offer to help her mother die. ("Par Avion")
• Rachel survives cancer, and gives birth to a son. ("One of Us")
• Jin refused to kill Byung Han, and beat him to save his life. ("...In Translation")
• Jin was also ordered to kill Jae Lee, but beat him instead of killing him. ("The Glass Ballerina")
• Jack nearly attempts suicide after the Island by jumping off a bridge. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Sun gives birth to a daughter Ji Yeon Kwon after leaving the island. ("Ji Yeon")
• Michael attempts suicide multiple times, but is stopped by the Island. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
• On the freighter, Keamy shoots Michael twice, but the Island causes his gun to jam. ("Cabin Fever")
• After leaving the island, Penny gives birth to her and Desmond's son, Charlie Hume. ("Jughead")

On the Island

• Jack resuscitates Rose shortly after the crash. ("Pilot, Part 1")
• Jack saves Claire and Hurley by having them move from under the falling plane wing. ("Pilot, Part 1")
• Shannon tells Boone that she thinks the (now dead) man from the airport saved their lives by not letting them have their seats in first class. ("Pilot, Part 1")
• Jack tells Kate that he doesn't need to know what she did, saying, "It doesn’t matter who we were, what we did before this…three days ago we died; we should all be able to start over." ("Tabula Rasa")
• Jack saves Charlie's life after he's been hanged. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")
• Michael and Locke save Walt from a polar bear. ("Special")
• Locke saves Desmond from committing suicide. ("Deus Ex Machina") , ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
• Claire has a baby boy, Aaron, on the Island. ("Do No Harm")
• Sawyer saves Michael's life after the destruction of the raft, by using CPR. ("Adrift")
• Sun is pregnant, and may eventually give birth to a new life. ("The Whole Truth")
• Hurley almost jumps off a cliff when influenced by Dave. ("Dave")
• Rose believes she was healed from cancer by the Island. ("S.O.S.")
• Charlie and Locke save Eko from the polar bear cave. ("Further Instructions")
• Desmond saves Charlie from electrocution. ("Every Man for Himself")
• Jack performed life-saving spinal surgery on Ben. ("Not in Portland")
• Desmond saves Charlie and Claire from drowning. In Desmond's vision, Charlie died while attempting to save Claire. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
• Desmond saves Charlie from being pummeled against rocks. ("Par Avion")
• Desmond saves Charlie being shot by a crossbow connected to a booby trap. ("Catch-22")
• Locke holds a gun to his head but is stopped by an apparition of Walt. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Daniel saves Desmond from falling victim to "side-effects" of travel to & from the Island. ("The Constant")

Alternate timeline

• Charlie nearly dies from choking, but is revived by Jack. ("LA X, Parts 1 & 2")

List of "death moments"

An unknown number of DHARMA Initiative members who died in the Purge. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")

Jae Lee's suicide. ("The Glass Ballerina")

Ana Lucia kills Jason for revenge. ("Collision")

Goodwin killed by Ana Lucia. ("The Other 48 Days")

Shannon is shot and killed by Ana Lucia

Eko is killed by the Monster. ("The Cost of Living")

Anthony Cooper is killed by Sawyer. ("The Brig")

Doc Ray's body washes up on the beach, after he had been killed by Keamy. ("The Shape of Things to Come")

Multiple people die in the freighter explosion. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Locke is revealed to be in the coffin. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")

Pre-crash deaths

• Magnus Hanso dies, and is buried near the Black Rock. (The Lost Experience)
• Based on estimates by Locke and Jack, Adam and Eve die around some time before they arrive to the Island. ("House of the Rising Sun")
• 18 American soldiers are murdered by the Others under Alpert's command in 1954. ("Jughead")
• Emily Linus dies shortly after giving birth to Ben. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
• Sawyer's father kills his mother Mary and then shoots himself in a murder-suicide. ("Outlaws")
• Eko shoots an old man to save Yemi from having to do so. ("The 23rd Psalm")
• Two unnamed DHARMA members in the polar bear cave die of an unknown cause around this time. ("Further Instructions")
• Roger Linus is gassed to death by Ben. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
• The other members of the DHARMA Initiative, roughly 40 in total and including Horace and Olivia Goodspeed, die in the Purge. ("The Man Behind the Curtain")
• Nadine is killed by the Monster. Montand dies at some point after the Monster rips his arm off. Danielle Rousseau kills the other members of her Science team, her partner Robert, Brennan and Lacombe believing them to have the "sickness" due to the Monster. ("This Place Is Death")
• Theresa breaks her neck while falling down the stairs. ("Deus Ex Machina")
• Sayid is part of a firing squad executing an unnamed would-be bomber. ("Outlaws")
• The man wearing red shoes is killed by falling scaffolding. ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
• Sayid shoots Omar. ("Solitary")
• Sam Toomey commits suicide. ("Numbers")
• Lara Chang dies of cancer. (Some Like it Hoth)
• Peter Talbot is killed under mysterious circumstances, presumably by Anthony Cooper. ("The Man from Tallahassee")
• Radzinsky allegedly commits suicide by shotgun. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
• Libby says that her husband David died after an illness. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
• Adam Rutherford dies from injuries sustained in a car accident as a result of Jack choosing to save his wife-to-be, Sarah, instead. ("Man of Science, Man of Faith") ("Abandoned")
• Two unnamed people die on a platform that Hurley believes he caused to collapse because of his weight. (Dave)
• Kate blows up Wayne Janssen while he sleeps. ("What Kate Did")
• Dr. Edmund Burke is hit by a bus. ("Not in Portland")
• Eko kills two Moroccan drug dealers. ("The 23rd Psalm")
• Yemi dies in the Army attack on Eko's gang, Olu dies as well. Goldie flies the plane, it crashes on the Island, where he dies. ("The 23rd Psalm")
• Emeka kills an unnamed blind woman. ("The Cost of Living")
• Eko kills Emeka and his gang with a machete. ("The Cost of Living")
• Tom Brennan is mistakenly shot by a security guard in the car Kate is using as a getaway vehicle. ("Born to Run")
• Jae Lee commits suicide. ("The Glass Ballerina")
• Sabine dies of complications in her pregnancy. ("One of Us") Juliet has seen 8 Other women, including Henrietta, ("The Other Woman") die of complications in their pregnancy. ("D.O.C.")
• Tito Reyes dies of a heart attack. ("Numbers") Father Aguillar is struck by lightning at his subsequent funeral (as reported by Hurley, not shown on screen). ("Numbers")
• Jack's operation on Angelo Busoni fails and Busoni dies. ("The Hunting Party")
• Tricia Tanaka and her camera man are killed when a meteorite strikes Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack with them inside. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")
• An unknown person leaps from Hurley's accountant's building. ("Numbers")
• Christian Shephard, performing surgery while drunk, severs pregnant patient Beth's hepatic artery, causing her to bleed to death. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")
• Assuming that the basis of Ben's fake story is true, the real Henry Gale crashed on the Island in his hot air balloon and soon died. ("One of Them")
• Ana Lucia murders Jason McCormack. ("Collision")
• Susan Lloyd dies of a blood disorder. ("Special")
• Christian Shephard dies of a heart attack in Sydney. ("White Rabbit")
• Sawyer kills Frank Duckett, thinking that he's the real Sawyer. ("Outlaws")
• Howard L. Zukerman is poisoned by Nikki and Paulo. ("Exposé")
• Essam Tasir commits suicide. ("The Greater Good")
• Kelvin Joe Inman is accidentally killed by Desmond, an event which inadvertantly causes the crash of Oceanic Flight 815. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
• Alvarez is killed when his metal filling rips through his head. ("Some Like It Hoth")

Post-crash deaths

“

"This place is death!" — Charlotte, ("This Place Is Death")

”

• Roughly 253 people die in the initial crash of Oceanic Flight 815. The only survivors are in the middle section, the tail and the cockpit, all of which land in different places. ("Pilot, Part 1"), ("The Other 48 Days")
• Gary Troup is sucked into one of the plane's engine and dies. ("Pilot, Part 1")
• Two unnamed Others are killed by Eko. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Captain Seth Norris is killed by The Monster. ("Pilot, Part 1")
• Three unnamed tailies die from injuries sustained in the crash. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Edward Mars, severely injured in the crash, is euthanized by Jack. ("Tabula Rasa")
• Donald dies from an infection of a leg injury. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Barbara Joanna Miller drowns in a riptide. ("White Rabbit")
• Ana Lucia kills an unnamed female Other. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Nathan is killed by Goodwin. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Goodwin Stanhope is killed by Ana Lucia. ("The Other 48 Days")
• Scott Jackson is killed, presumably by Ethan. ("Homecoming")
• Ethan Rom is shot by Charlie. ("Homecoming")
• Boone Carlyle falls in the drug smugglers' plane and dies of an internal hemorrhage. ("Do No Harm")
• Dr. Leslie Arzt is blown up while handling dynamite. ("Exodus, Part 2")
• Shannon Rutherford is accidentally shot by Ana Lucia. ("Abandoned")
• Ana Lucia Cortez is shot in the chest by Michael. ("Two for the Road")
• Libby Smith is accidentally shot by Michael ("Two for the Road") and later dies from her injuries. ("?")
• Sawyer kills an unnamed Other. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")
• Colleen Pickett is shot by Sun. ("The Glass Ballerina")
• Eko Tunde is killed by the Monster. ("The Cost of Living")
• Danny Pickett is shot by Juliet. ("Not in Portland")
• Bea Klugh is shot by Mikhail at her request. ("Enter 77")
• Nikki Fernandez and Paulo are accidentally buried alive, having been found paralysed and presumed dead. ("Exposé")
• Anthony Cooper is strangled to death by Sawyer in the brig of the Black Rock. ("The Brig")
• Ivan, Isabel, Diane, and Unnamed Other are blown up in the ambush on the Survivors' beach camp by Sayid and Bernard.¹("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Matthew and Luke are shot by Jin. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Hurley runs Ryan Pryce over with the DHARMA van. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Sayid breaks Jason's neck with his legs. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Sawyer shoots Tom, even though he had surrendered. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Greta and Bonnie are both shot by Mikhail in the Looking Glass. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Mikhail Bakunin is killed when he detonates a grenade outside the Looking Glass. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Charlie Pace drowns as a result of the detonation. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")
• Naomi Dorrit dies of a stab wound inflicted by Locke throwing a knife in her back. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1"), ("The Beginning of the End")
• Brandon dies after "acting crazy" when he and Minkowski attempt to reach the Island. ("The Constant")
• George Minkowski dies after experiencing the effects of time travel. ("The Constant")
• Regina jumps from the Kahana into the ocean. ("Ji Yeon")
• Karl Martin is shot by Keamy or one of his men. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
• Danielle Rousseau is shot by Keamy or one of his men. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
• Doug, Jerome and an unnamed female crash survivor are killed by Keamy or one of his men. An unnamed woman goes missing and is presumably killed as well. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Alex Rousseau is executed by Keamy. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Mayhew is attacked by The Monster, ("The Shape of Things to Come") and later dies from his injuries. ("Cabin Fever")
• Doc Ray's throat is slit by Keamy, who throws his body into the ocean. ("Cabin Fever") It had washed up on the island two days before. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Captain Gault is shot dead by Keamy. ("Cabin Fever")
• Kocol, Lacour and Redfern are killed by the Others. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• Omar is blown up by a grenade. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• Martin Keamy is stabbed repeatedly by Ben and despite Locke's attempts to save him, he dies. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• Michael Dawson dies in the Kahana explosion. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• The remainder of the Kahana crew including Hendricks, Jeff and three unnamed crash survivors die when the boat explodes. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• Ajira 316 co-pilot Jack Ross is impaled by a tree branch when the plane crashes into Hydra island. (316)
• Caesar is shot by Ben. ("Dead Is Dead")
• Jacob is stabbed to death by Ben. ("The Incident")
• After detonating the Jughead bomb, Juliet Burke succumbs to her wounds and dies in her lover's arms. ("LA X, Parts 1 & 2")
• Bram and three unnamed members of Ilana's group are slaughtered by the Monster ("LA X, Parts 1 & 2")

Time-jumps and 1970s from the main characters' point-of-view

• Neil "Frogurt" is burnt to death after being shot with a flaming arrow. ("The Lie")
• Roughly Seventeen other unnamed crash survivors are killed in the flaming arrow attack. ("The Lie")
• Mattingly is killed by Locke. ("The Lie")
• Two unnamed crash survivors are blown up. ("Jughead")
• Cunningham is killed by Charles Widmore. ("Jughead")
• Charlotte Lewis dies from the effects of time travel. ("This Place Is Death")
• Paul is killed by two Others. ("LaFleur")
• Two unnamed Others are killed by Juliet and Sawyer. ("LaFleur")
• Daniel Faraday is shot by his mother, Eloise Hawking. ("The Variable")
• Erik is shot and killed by Sayid. ("Follow the Leader")
• Seven unnamed DHARMA members are shot by Jack, Kate, and Juliet. ("The Incident, Part 1")
• Phil is impaled by a magnetically attracted pole of metal. ("The Incident, Part 1")

Post-island deaths

• Ben kills at least one of the Bedouins who attack him in the Sahara Desert. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Nadia is killed, allegedly by Ishmael Bakir under Charles Widmore's orders. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Ishmael Bakir is killed by Sayid. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
• Sayid works as an assassin for Ben and shoots Peter Avellino on a golf course. ("The Economist")
• Sayid kills Elsa. ("The Economist")
• Helen Norwood dies of a brain aneurysm. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
• Matthew Abaddon is shot by Ben. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
• Ben strangles John Locke to death. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")
• Sayid kills a man who had been watching Hurley at the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2")
• Sayid kills an unnamed man by throwing off the balcony outside the safe house. ("Because You Left")
• Sayid kills an unnamed man by impaling him on several knives inside a dishwasher in the safe house. ("Because You Left")
• Sayid shoots Ivan Andropov in the Oldham Pharmaceuticals Building in Moscow. ("He's Our You")

Appearances after death

Several characters have reappeared after death, although the form of that appearance is currently an unsolved mystery.

Death on the Island

• Horace Goodspeed is discovered by Locke while chopping down a tree and they have a conversation about Locke's destiny.
• Charlie Pace appears to Hurley at Santa Rosa Mental Institute. Charlie is also seen by another patient and slaps Hurley in the face during their conversation.
• Libby Smith appears to Michael Dawson in his hospital room dressed as a nurse and again on the Kahana.
• Ana Lucia Cortez appears to Hurley in Los Angeles. She is driving a police car and pulls him, then delivers a message to him.
• Alex appears to Ben in the Temple, pins him to a column and demands that he follow Locke's leadership.

Dead body known to arrive on Island

• Christian Shephard's coffin was on Oceanic 815. He appears soon after the crash to Jack. He also later appears to Jack in Los Angeles. He appears on the island to daughter Claire, holding his grandson Aaron, and convinces Claire to come with him and leave Aaron behind. He has subsequently appeared to Locke, Sun and Frank.
• John Locke's coffin was on Ajira 316. He appears on the beach with the other survivors, talking to Ilana, his form having been taken by Jacob's enemy.
• Yemi's body was placed on the smuggler's plane that crashed on the island. He appears to Eko.

Death off-Island

• Emily Linus died giving birth to Ben, but later appears to him in the jungle and speaks to him.

It is unclear if Boone's appearance to Locke in the sweat lodge is truly an appearance, or occurred while Locke was having an induced hallucination.

Footnotes

Note 1: It is implied by Damon Lindelof during the August 2nd, 2007 podcast and in the World of the Others special that Isabel is also killed during this attack.

Main cast kill count

This lists the known direct kills committed by the main Survivors actually shown in an episode, whether on or off the Island. It does not include kills that are merely referenced in dialogue (for example, Sayid telling Charlie about how he was a member of a firing squad in Iraq). ("Outlaws") It also does not include some accidental killings, such as Hurley and Sawyer burying Nikki and Paulo alive while they thought they were dead. ("Exposé")

Main Character	Off the Island	On the Island	Total kill count
Sayid	Omar ("Solitary") Ishmael Bakir ("The Shape of Things to Come") Peter Avellino ("The Economist") Elsa ("The Economist") Ivan Andropov ("He's Our You") Unnamed man ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2") Unnamed man ("Because You Left") Unnamed man ("Because You Left")	~ 3 Others, including Diane (dynamite trap) ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") Jason ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") Erik ("Follow the Leader")	13
Sawyer	Frank Duckett ("Outlaws")	Unnamed Other ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1") Anthony Cooper ("The Brig") Tom ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") Another unnamed Other ("LaFleur") 4 unnamed Others ("LA X, Part 1")	9
Eko	An old man ("The 23rd Psalm") Tough Moroccan ("The 23rd Psalm") Moroccan No. 2 ("The 23rd Psalm") Emeka and two henchmen ("The Cost of Living")	Two of the Others ("The Other 48 Days")	8
Ben	Bedouin #1 ("The Shape of Things to Come") Matthew Abaddon ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham") John Locke ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham")	Roger Linus ("The Man Behind the Curtain") Martin Keamy ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 2") Caesar ("Dead Is Dead") Jacob ("The Incident, Part 1")	7
Jack	No known kills	Euthanized Edward Mars ("Tabula Rasa") Four unnamed DHARMA Initiative members ("The Incident, Part 1")	5
Ana Lucia	Jason McCormack ("Collision")	Unnamed female Other ("The Other 48 Days") Goodwin Stanhope ("The Other 48 Days") Shannon Rutherford ("Abandoned")	4
Juliet	No known kills	Danny Pickett ("Not in Portland") Unnamed Other ("LaFleur") Two unnamed DHARMA Initiative members ("The Incident, Part 1")	4
Jin	No known kills	Matthew ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1") Luke ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")	2
Michael	No known kills	Ana Lucia Cortez ("Two for the Road") Libby Smith ("Three Minutes")	2
Locke	No known kills	Naomi Dorrit ("The Beginning of the End") Mattingly ("The Lie")	2
Kate	Wayne Janssen ("What Kate Did")	An unnamed DHARMA Initiative member ("The Incident, Part 1")	2
Claire	No known kills	Aldo ("What Kate Does") Justin ("What Kate Does")	2
Charlie	No known kills	Ethan Rom ("Homecoming")	1
Hurley	No known kills	Ryan Pryce ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")	1
Desmond	No known kills	Kelvin Joe Inman ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 1")	1
Sun	No known kills	Colleen Pickett ("The Glass Ballerina")	1
Nikki and Paulo	Howard L. Zukerman ("Exposé")	No known kills	1

Trivia

• One of the original 14 main characters has been killed off each season:

Season One: Boone

Season Two: Shannon

Season Three: Charlie

Season Four: Michael

Season Five: Locke

Season Six: Sayid, but was brought back to life.

• Out of all the main characters, only Shannon, Claire, Boone, Walt, Faraday, Miles, Charlotte and Libby haven't killed on the show, although Shannon attempted to kill Locke.

See also

• A-Missions
• Body count
• Car accidents
• Crimes of the Islanders
• Fights and attacks
• Funerals
• Last words (on Wikiquote)
• Rivalries
• Weapons