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Paulo was one of the middle section survivors of Flight 815.

Before the crash, he worked as a chef. He and Nikki Fernandez conspired and murdered Howard L. Zukerman so they could steal his diamonds. They spent most of their time on the Island searching for these diamonds, to the exclusion of almost everything else. He eventually found the diamonds, but hid them from Nikki, for fear he had outlived his usefulness and she would leave him. Nikki later found out he had the diamonds, and threw a female Medusa spider at him, which bit him and induced a death-like paralysis in him. He subsequently died as a result of being buried alive with Nikki while paralyzed, unable to save himself.

Before the crash[]

Diamond theft[]

3x14 NoSmoking

Nikki stops Paulo from smoking, to avoid leaving evidence. ("Exposé")

Originally from Brazil, Paulo was working for Zukerman in Sydney as his personal chef for an unknown period of time before the crash. Unknown to Zukerman however, Paulo was also working alongside his supposed girlfriend, Nikki Fernandez, to steal his diamonds, which were worth roughly $8 million. Nikki acted as Zukerman's mistress, and she had an affair with him for this very purpose. She then convinced Paulo to poison the food Zukerman had asked him to prepare. Once Zukerman had died from the poison, they stole the diamonds from a safe hidden behind a painting. It is unknown whether Paulo and Nikki met before or after he started working for Zukerman.

Flight 815[]

3x14 ReadingPaper

Paulo reads aloud the story about Zukerman's death. ("Exposé")

After killing Howard Zukerman and taking the diamonds, Paulo and Nikki bought tickets out of Sydney to escape suspicion, and start a "new life" together after they had sold the stolen diamonds. Sitting in an airport restaurant, Paulo read a newspaper story to Nikki about Zukerman's death which says that the police believed the cause of death to be heart failure, and the two laughed and embraced each other in excitement and relief. Shannon and Boone suddenly interrupt the celebratory kiss they shared with squabbling over whether to try to get a seat in the restaurant or not. After observing the two fight (and assuming they were a couple), Paulo and Nikki promise each other that they will never end up like that.

On the Island[]

Days 1-49 (Season 3)[]

3x14 ShakingHandWithRom

Nikki and Paulo introduce themselves to Ethan. ("Exposé")

When the plane crashed on the Island, Paulo was, very visibly, severely shell-shocked. He stood next to the beach staring straight out to the ocean with tears in his eyes, while most of the other survivors ran around him and panicked. Nikki later found Paulo, and, rather than acting concerned for his safety and well-being, she frantically asked him if he knew where the diamonds were on the Island. Paulo had trouble understanding how she could be thinking of that, of all things, and he told her that he did not know where they were since the crash.

Six days after the plane had crashed, Nikki was still arguing with him about the diamonds and where they could be, since the crash. Ethan Rom, who had infiltrated their camp, approached Paulo and Nikki and asked them if he could help them find any missing clothing. Nikki rejected his offer of help when Charlie caught Boone with the camp's stolen water. It looked like Boone was about to be mobbed when Jack intervened, and Paulo and Nikki silently witnessed Jack's Live Together, Die Alone speech.

Paulo nikki find the pearl

Paulo and Nikki discover the Pearl station hatch. ("Exposé")

Nikki convinced Paulo to search for the diamonds with her, and they headed out far into the jungle, and found the downed Beechcraft. They also came across the unhidden Pearl station, but Nikki held Paulo back from exploring inside when they opened the Hatch, deciding that it was too dangerous.

Kate had told Nikki earlier about how she had found the gun case in the waterfall, so Nikki lead Paulo there next in hopes of finding the bag. Paulo dove into the lake and, discovering the bag containing his nicotine gum and the diamonds, left them on the pool bed. When Paulo resurfaced, he lied to Nikki and told her that he did not find the diamonds. After she left, he dove again to retrieve the bag.

3x14 Gotcha

Locke catches Paulo burying the diamonds. ("Exposé")

Now in possession of the diamonds, Paulo began to realize that Nikki only was with him because she needed his help to find them. In order to stay with her, Paulo decided to hide the diamonds rather than keep them. He first attempted to bury them on the beach, but Locke approached him and told him about the tide coming in, and that nothing would stay buried on the beach for very long. He convinced Paulo to bury them somewhere, they would not be washed away.

Taking Locke's advice, he traveled back to the Pearl, where he discovered a lavatory and hid the diamonds inside the toilet tank. When he was about to leave, he saw Ben and Juliet and stayed hidden from view. He saw them watching the video feed from the Swan station and discussing how to persuade Jack to perform surgery on Ben's tumor. After Ben and Juliet leave, Paulo emerged and discovered a walkie-talkie. Scared after the incident, he returned to camp and did not tell anyone what he had discovered. ("Exposé")

Days 72-81 (Season 3)[]

3x04 Golfing

Paulo reluctantly allows Desmond to borrow a golf club. ("Every Man for Himself")

Paulo was sleeping against a tree when Mr. Eko was brought back to the survivors camp, severely wounded. He listened to Locke's speech along with Nikki, Charlie, Hurley, and Claire. He then assisted Nikki and went with her to get bandages for the wounded Mr. Eko. ("Further Instructions")

Paulo turned to the camp's golf clubs to drive kiwis into the ocean. He lent Desmond a five-iron, his least-used club, after being very noticeably rude and distant with him. Paulo was having trouble with accuracy and distance, and Desmond gave him some advice on stance and positioning, which he reluctantly accepted. ("Every Man for Himself")

3x05 WashroomTime

Paulo exits the bathroom in the Pearl. ("The Cost of Living")

Several days later, he joined a party to the Pearl, along with Locke, Desmond, Nikki, Sayid, and Eko. Nikki, who had given up on finding the diamonds, saw it as a chance to become more included in the "core group" of survivors. Paulo tried to talk her out of it. He joined the group in order to retrieve and hide the diamonds again, so that she would never find the bag. At the Pearl, Paulo discreetly entered the bathroom while the other survivors worked on the computer. He removed the diamonds and put them down his pants, then flushed the toilet and emerged from the bathroom, leaving everyone with the impression that he had just used the toilet. When the sounds of the Monster were heard, Paulo and the rest of the group ran out to find a dying Eko. ("The Cost of Living")

3x11 NoNeedForToiletPaper

Sawyer confronts Paulo about using his stash. ("Enter 77")

Paulo, Nikki, Desmond, Locke, and Sayid were the only survivors present at Eko's small, makeshift funeral, where Locke discovered a sign on Eko's "Jesus stick". Locke then lied to them, telling them that he must have been killed by a wild animal, so that the other survivors wouldn't worry about any other impending threats when they heard of Eko's death. ("I Do")

Once back at the camp, Paulo was preparing a meal with Nikki when Hurley tries to convince everyone to investigate the DHARMA van he found in the jungle. Paulo wasn't interested in any more adventures, and he turned Hurley down. When Nikki looked more enthusiastic to help, he pulled on her shorts, convincing her not to go with Hurley either. ("Tricia Tanaka Is Dead")

Paulodies

A slowly paralyzed Paulo tells Nikki he was scared of losing her. ("Exposé")

A while later, Paulo is seen carrying one of Sawyer's magazines. Sawyer called him "Zorro", and the two engaged in a short verbal altercation, which Sawyer ultimately loses when he realizes that Paulo was using the magazine for bathroom reading material. ("Enter 77")

Roughly a week later, Nikki discovered his nicotine gum, and realized that he knew where the diamonds were. She cornered him in the jungle and confronted him about it. Paulo tried to explain, but Nikki was beyond reason. She threw Dr. Arzt's sample Medusa spider on his neck, and it bit and paralyzed him. He tearfully tried to explain what he had done, but Nikki wouldn't listen. She triumphantly found the diamonds in his pants. Nikki was about to leave when the sounds of the Monster surrounded them. Paulo, who, at this point, was only able to move his eyes, saw many Medusa spiders approaching Nikki. They were males attracted by the pheromones of the female that bit Paulo. He tried to warn her, but his efforts went unnoticed. One crawled up her leg and bit her. She panicked, and quickly buried the diamonds and left Paulo behind.

3x14 DeadPaulo

Paulo is completely paralyzed by the Medusa spider. ("Exposé")

The other survivors discovered Nikki and assumed she was dead. Jin, Hurley, and Sawyer went looking for Paulo, and they found his paralyzed body in the jungle. Assuming they were both dead, they tried to piece together what had happened. They discovered Juliet's walkie-talkie in Paulo's tent, and juggled with theories of them secretly being in league with the Others, or perhaps being killed by the Monster. When they found the bag of diamonds, they decided that Nikki and Paulo had murdered each other in order to get gain control.

The rest of the camp held a brief memorial service, and they placed Paulo and Nikki in a double grave. They were filling it up just as the paralysis began to wear off, and Nikki opened her eyes. She was covered with dirt, so no one was able to tell that she was awake. They both died after being buried alive. ("Exposé")

Post-death[]

One day after their accidental demise, Hurley stated Nikki and Paulo as one of the reasons for him persuading Sawyer to take a leadership role within the group of survivors. ("Left Behind")

According to the story of the Oceanic Six, Paulo died when Flight 815 hit the water, along with Nikki. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

Miles later told Ben that he didn't need money because he knew Nikki and Paulo had 8 million dollars worth of diamonds buried with them in their graves. Afterward, Miles was shown with a diamond in his hand. ("Dr. Linus")

Trivia[]

  • Paulo is the only main character who has not appeared in any episodes after his death.
  • Paulo was the twenty-third character to ever have a flashback.
  • Paulo's episode count is 7. Paulo died on his seventh appearance.
  • He is the only male main character to appear in only seven episodes.
    • He was the seventh main character to die.
  • Paulo and Nikki are the main characters with the lowest amount of appearances (both appeared in only seven episodes).
  • Paulo is the only main character who appeared in no more than one season.
    • He and Eko are the only main characters not to make an appearance after the season in which they died.
  • Paulo and Nikki are the only main characters to never appear in a season premiere or finale.
  • Paulo is the only main character never to have appeared in an even-numbered season.
  • After the revelation of Libby's last name at the 2009 Comic Con, Paulo and Eko remain the only main characters whose last names have not been revealed. (Eko was referred to as "Tunde", though this has not been proven as his real name.)
    • Paulo was one of three characters whose last names were not revealed on the show.
      • Paulo's full name is likely Paulo Falcao, as there's a lot of surnames on the cover of the Complete Collection DVD box, and the surname "Falcao" was right under Nikki's surname "Fernandez". Since Shannon's surname was right under Boone's surname, so it can be assumes that some related characters' surnames are putting together. Furthermore, there's a former footballer whose name is "Paulo Falcao", and he is from Brazil too.
  • Paulo has never met Daniel, Charlotte, Richard, Ilana, Lapidus, Penny, Eloise, Pierre, and Christian.
    • Paulo saw Ben and Juliet but he never spoke to them.
    • Miles likely saw his dead body after he exhumed the missing diamonds.
  • Miles and Ben are the only characters that know he was buried alive.
  • Paulo along with Ana Lucia, Eko, Nikki, Walt and Michael did not return to Main Characters status in "The End".
  • Paulo and Nikki were noted by the producers to be the most universally despised characters known to the show, due to their sudden appearance in "Further Instructions".
  • A deleted scene introduced Nikki and Paulo in alternative way: Claire is taking care of Aaron when she hears some weird noises coming from Jack's tent. She starts to call Jack's name, and when she opens the tent she sees Nikki and Paulo having sex there. This scene was deleted from "Further Instructions".
  • Paulo is a common name in Portuguese-speaking countries, like Brazil (the actor is Brazilian).
  • Paulo is the Portuguese equivalent of the name Paul. In the New Testament, Paul was not one of the original disciples of Jesus, but was called to become an apostle later. This led to slight contention between himself and the original disciples that was later resolved, but much contention between scholars centuries later - this parallels Paulo's involvement in the show, as he was not an original cast member but later was fleshed out and it was shown how he connected to the rest of the characters. the word slight is understatement. He held the coats of those who stoned St. Stephen. Stephen's speech before his executions is summary of the case agaainst the Jews who judged him (Acts 7:1--53). In summary Stephen says you were given the law and have not kept it. Stephen is stoned. Paul approves. In Chapter 8. Paul begins ravaging the houses of suspected Christian, becoming the primary and most educated enemy of Christianity. All of Chapter 9 recounts Paul's conversion.
  • Paulo is the Portuguese translation of Paolo, which is name of one of the "lustful" sinners in the classic Inferno by Dante Alighieri. He and his lover, Francesca are condemned to the Second Circle of Hell, where Francesca informs Dante of how she and her husband's brother (Paolo) committed adultery and died a violent death at the hands of her husband. Many scholars have discussed the fact that in the entire Canto, Francesca is the only person to speak - Paulo does not even speak once. The souls in the Second Circle are those overcome by lust and are blown about to and fro by a violent storm, without hope of rest.
  • Paulo was a very accomplished chef; he was referred to as "Brazil's Wolfgang Puck".
    • This was most likely a nod to Rodrigo Santoro, who plays Paulo. In real life, he is referred to as "Brazil's Tom Cruise."
  • Nikki and Paulo are buried differently from any other survivor. Boone, Shannon, Ana Lucia, Libby and Scott were all buried in single graves, while Paulo was put in a double-grave with Nikki.
  • In an Entertainment Weekly article, Nikki and Paulo were originally supposed to be part of a longer story arc, with one episode having its flashbacks devoted to Nikki's fictional television show, Exposé, to end with a surprise twist (presumably revealing that those "flashbacks" were merely part of a television show Nikki was acting in). Faced with the negative fan backlash to the two characters' abrupt introduction, the producers decided in December 2006 to trim down the story arc and kill off the two characters in a single episode.
  • On the April 15, 2010 Official Lost Podcast, producer Damon Lindelof responded to a fan question regarding Nikki and Paulo in the flash-sideways, saying, "Let's just assume that [...] she's on Season 5 of Exposé, Paulo is still cooking for that guy in Australia, and everything is just progressing lovingly." Carlton Cuse added that Nikki is probably "still married to that producer dude".
  • Paulo is one of 13 main characters to not have their name appear in a soundtrack title.
  • Paulo is one of the few main characters whose name wasn't seen on either Jacob's cave wall or the Lighthouse wheel, the others being Ana Lucia, Christian, Richard, Frank, Libby, Eloise, Penny, Bernard and Ilana.
  • Witnesses of death: Nikki
  • Last words: "I was.. Afraid... Of Losing you... If you found the diamonds... You wouldn't need me anymore..."

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: Paulo/Theories
  • How did he meet Nikki?
  • What is his surname?
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