Suicide

Michael and several other characters tried to end their lives. ("Meet Kevin Johnson").

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 1976, 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 in ("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 in ("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 in ("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 cartridges did not discharge 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 in ("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")

Ben convinces Locke to not hang himself

The truth, however, was that Ben had convinced Locke not to kill himself, but then strangled him with the same extension cord after hearing Locke tell him about Eloise Hawking. ("The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham") It is later revealed by Richard that if a person has been touched by Jacob it is considered a gift. This means that they can not kill themselves but they can be killed by another person. ("Dr. Linus")

Jack attempts to commit suicide, after learning of Bentham's death. ("Through the Looking Glass, Part 1")

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")

See also

• Life and Death