John Locke

Lore & Background

Before the crash, John Locke was born on May 30, 1956, to teenager Emily Locke. Placed in government care as a ward of the state, he lived in various foster homes where he was visited by Richard Alpert, who observed him and gave him a test when Locke was around age 8. Around that same age, a teacher freed him from a locker, and Locke later recalled the incident as formative. Around age 38, his mother implied he was conceived without a father.

Locke hired a private investigator to find his father, Anthony Cooper. They bonded over hunting until Cooper asked for a kidney transplant. After the surgery, Cooper abandoned Locke and refused to see him. Locke met Helen Norwood in group therapy, who helped him overcome his obsession with his father, but she left when he later assisted Cooper again.

He was visited by Peter Talbot regarding 'Adam Seward,' whom Locke realized was Cooper. After ordering Cooper not to marry Peter's mother, a struggle ensued where Cooper pushed Locke out of an eight-story window. Locke survived but suffered a broken back, leaving him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. While recovering in the hospital, an orderly named Matthew Abaddon told Locke to go on a walkabout for self-discovery.

After working at a box company where he was insulted by his boss Randy, Locke flew to Australia but was denied admission due to his paraplegic state. He boarded Oceanic Flight 815 to return home. Upon crashing in the fuselage section of the island, Locke miraculously regained the use of his lower body below the waist. Locke became attuned to the island with no intention of leaving.

On a hunt, he encountered the smoke monster, describing it as a 'bright light.' He helped search for abducted Claire Littleton alongside Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, and Boone Carlyle. Locke and Boone discovered a hatch they spent most of their time trying to open; Boone became his protégé. After Locke had a vision of a Beechcraft crashing, they found it atop a cliff.

The plane fell while Boone was inside. Locke carried the dying Boone back to the caves for Jack's care, then returned to the hatch and banged on the door until a light turned on, which he saw as a sign. At Boone's funeral, Locke revealed the hatch's existence. Distrusting Locke due to Boone's death, Jack became suspicious, and Shannon Rutherford attempted to shoot him.

Reader's Guide

John Locke begins as a philosophical skeptic who finds faith after surviving Oceanic Flight 815. Paralyzed in his life before the crash, he miraculously walks again upon arriving at the island, convincing him of its magical significance. He serves as a hunter and tracker for the survivors, eventually becoming a leader among them. Locke struggles to reconcile his destiny with his own free will. This internal battle leads to tragic decisions regarding the island's protection and his relationships with fellow survivors like Kate and Hurley. Ultimately, he sacrifices himself to save his friends from a hostile force disguised as his friend. Though physically dead, his spirit remains connected to the island, guiding others in their final moments before finding peace. His journey defines the show's themes of faith versus reason and destiny.

The Hatch and Boone's Death

Locke became attuned to the island with no intention of leaving. On a hunt, he encountered the smoke monster, describing it as a 'bright light.' He helped search for abducted Claire Littleton alongside Jack Shephard, Kate Austen, and Boone Carlyle. Locke and Boone discovered a hatch they spent most of their time trying to open; Boone became his protégé.

After Locke had a vision of a Beechcraft crashing, they found it atop a cliff. The plane fell while Boone was inside. Locke carried the dying Boone back to the caves for Jack's care, then returned to the hatch and banged on the door until a light turned on, which he saw as a sign. At Boone's funeral, Locke revealed the hatch's existence.

Distrusting Locke due to Boone's death, Jack became suspicious, and Shannon Rutherford attempted to shoot him. Led by Danielle Rousseau to the Black Rock shipwreck, survivors found dynamite. Locke used it to blow open the hatch. Inside, he met Desmond Hume, who showed them an orientation film explaining the station studied electromagnetism and required entering specific Numbers every 108 minutes to prevent a catastrophe.

When 'Henry Gale' arrived, Locke held him prisoner in the armory until blast doors crushed his leg. Henry entered the Numbers but later revealed he was an Other who never pushed the button. After finding the Pearl station, which claimed pushing the button was just a test, Locke stopped entering the numbers. He and Desmond let the timer reach zero, causing the electromagnetism to destroy the station until Desmond turned the fail-safe key, imploding the hatch.

Critical Acclaim and Cultural Impact

Terry O'Quinn won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007 for his portrayal of Locke. The character's stoicism and mystical outlook dominated his relationships and interactions on the show.