He is the most mysterious character on Lost: Who is Jacob really and what is he doing on the island?

Warning, the article below contains potential spoilers. If you do not want to know its contents, please do not read the following…

He’s only featured in 7 episodes of Lost, and yet he’s one of the main characters: Who Is Jacob Really?

before the announcement

By Season 5, we know that Jacob is the leader of the Others (“The Enemies” in the original language) and that he passes his orders through Richard Alpert, who can be called “The Man Who Doesn’t Age”. The rest are loyal to Jacob.

At the beginning of the series, a scene takes place in an abandoned cabin, where Ben is taken by John Locke, and a poltergeist-like scene occurs: everything in the cabin comes alive as soon as Locke turns on the lamp. A shadowy silhouette in the cabin (called Ben Jacobs) is agitated, and we can later conclude that this was in no way the real Jacob, who still maintains his appearance (actor Mark Pellegrino).

First tip: Season 5 finale

At the beginning of this double episode, called Journey’s End (Incident), we find that it is Jacob who leads people from the outside to the island, but the man – whose name is kept secret – is quickly baptized by fans. The Man in Black is against this idea because people “corrupt” and “destroy” and that “It always ends the same”. They are discussed at a time when the three masts are floating and when the Egyptian statue seen destroyed by the survivors in season two is still intact. Anyway, Jacob has been on the island for a very long time.

We have confirmation that Jacob chose the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815 because during the flashbacks he gives the subject or touches on all the main characters during their lives before arriving on the island.

And at the end of episode 5, Jacob dies, killed by Ben, acting under the influence of John Locke (actually possessed by the island’s smoke monster).

Jacob’s ghost

During the 6th and final season, Jacob reappears on the island despite his death. He will help the “Candidates” (Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Syd, Harley and “Kwon” (Jin or Moon) escape the Smoke Monster/Locke and ultimately decide who should replace him as the “Protector of the Island”. Guides the Candidates to the Source of Light, the source of the island’s power .

The 15th episode of the season focuses on Jacob’s past. As a child, he was raised on an island by his mother (about whom little is known) along with his brother. The latter entered the cave where there is a light source and died. After his death, a black smoke monster came out of the cave and ran to the island. Since then, this monster has been trying to turn off the light in the cave to leave the island. And Jacob tried to stop him. After his death, the candidate must quickly appear and take his place to protect the light from the monster.

After finding his candidate, Jacob casts a spell and forces Jack to drink a liquid that gives him his powers. Then Jacob disappears, his mission accomplished, and never returns.

With little presence, Mark Pellegrino delivered a singular composition that wasn’t to every viewer’s taste, but which managed to make it one of Lost’s most unsolved mysteries over its six seasons.