What if all the characters from LOST had to face off against each other? Who would fall victim to their opponent and who would rise victoriously? Who would stand tall over all others? These are questions literally dozens of people have asked. Finally, someone (me, or someone else before me, I haven’t done much research) has put together a 64 character single-elimination tournament to dubiously answer these very questions. Read on to discover who will be the ultimate LOST survivor!
The LOST 64
64 characters have been randomly distributed into 4 groups as seen in the bracket above. Characters will face off against their opponent to see who advances in the tournament. Every character has full access to their skills, resources, and powers where appropriate. Each confrontation is unscientifically detailed below. Fight!
Group A – Round 1
Richard Alpert vs. Liam Pace
The ageless wonder versus Charlie’s heroin addicted brother. A suitably random battle to start off the tournament. Physically they may be equals, but Richard has 150+ years of experience over Liam. An easy first round victory for Richard.
Matthew Abaddon vs. Penelope Widmore
Abaddon goes up against his boss’s daughter Penny. One would have to imagine he has conflicting emotions in such a duel. Neither are aggressive characters, but this is ultimately a pawn versus a queen. When push comes to shove, Penny takes care of business.
Paulo vs. George Minkowski
Paulo has no last name. Minkowski’s consciousness has untangled throughout time and space, leaving him unhinged and dead. Paulo wins.
Mikhail Bakunin vs. Jack Shephard
The first competitive battle of the round! Former Soviet solider and DHARMA member Mikhail goes up against the one and only Jack. At first glance, this battle would seem to favor Mikhail. He has a military background and isn’t afraid to blow some shit up. He also has a tendency to never die. But let’s not forget that Jack is the chosen one and also very handsome. This is LOST after all. If anyone could upset Mikhail in a fight, it would be Jack. Plus Mikhail would probably just blow himself up.
Juliet Burke vs. Jin-Soo Kwon
And in comes our first battle between two true LOST characters. Juliet is the free-wheelin’, back-stabbin’, hydrogen-bomb-explodin’ bad ass. Jin’s job is literally to beat people up (but he’s also a family man). It’s sad to see Juliet exit so soon, as she could topple half the field, but this one has to go to Jin.
Hugo “Hurley” Reyes vs. Bernard Nadler
This fight could be called “The saddest battle to imagine ever” because Hurley and Bernard are the cutest and cuddliest folks on the island. I mean, don’t you just want to hug them both? Sure, Bernard can be cranky sometimes and Hurley will eat your snacks, but it’d be hard to find two less menacing figures. Hurley has the size advantage and the age advantage, plus Bernard would probably let him win.
Frank Lapidus vs. Sayid Jarrah
Frank is a scrappy dude and knows how to get out of tight situations. But at the end of the day, he’s basically one of those wacky conspiracy theory dudes that happen to fly planes. Sayid knows how to do some messed up shit and has a body count to his name. Sorry Lapidius, this one is all Sayid.
Christian Shephard vs. Mr. Eko
Most of Christian’s appearances on the island are via the Man in Black. In life, Christian is an old drunk ex-doctor adulterer (but also a family man). Mr. Eko has a big ol’ Jesus stick and a mean attitude. No matter what plane of existence they met on, Eko would take the victory.
Group B – Round 1
Dogen vs. Naomi Dorrit
The temple master versus the mercenary. While Naomi displayed cunning attributes, Dogen showed some impressive physical fighting force. In the battle of “Who is that again?”, the victory goes to Dogen.
Daniel Faraday vs. Alexandra Rousseau
Daniel is a theoretical physicist from Oxford. Alex is an orphan raised in the jungle by the Others. Alex should be more than equipped to survive the battle, but time and time again she has proven otherwise. On the island, Alex ended up being more nuisance than competent. Daniel takes the win here, probably by some highly technobabble-ly solution.
Cassidy Phillips vs. Rose Nadler
Cassidy learned the ways of the con (via Sawyer and later Kate) and took control of her life, all while being a single mom. Rose has on and off again cancer. Not that Rose couldn’t bring it to some fistacuffs, but Cassidy certainly has the upper hand.
James “Sawyer” Ford vs. Caesar
Caesar seems like a dangerous man that was never fleshed out. He was supposed to play a bigger role in the show, but continued to be demoted and pushed to the background. What mysteries are in his past? How did he end up on Ajira 316? And why– you know, Sawyer doesn’t have time for this shit. Sawyer wins.
Shannon Rutherford vs. Boone Carlyle
A fitting Round 1 pairing. Shannon versus Boone, sister versus brother. They sparred often on the show, but who would ultimately win? At the end of the day, Boone could never defeat his sister, while Shannon would easily throw him under a bus if need be. Much like Season 1, Boone dies, Shannon lives.
Anthony Cooper vs. Karl Martin
Oh Karl. Anthony Cooper wins.
Martin Keamy vs. Eloise Hawking
This is not as one sided as it may seem. Keamy is obviously a powerhouse in this tournament, but Eloise has her strengths. You can’t lead the Others without some gumption. She is skilled with a firearm and guerrilla tactics. And that isn’t even getting into her knowledge of temporal displacement. All that being said, Keamy is downright vicious. Put these two in a room, no way Keamy isn’t walking out the victor.
Ethan Rom vs. Claire Littleton
Another fortuitous pairing. Ethan abducted Claire, showing his ability to overpower her. She was only able to escape after intervention from Alex and her mother. Ethan was later executed by Charlie. It seems everyone other than Claire gets the upper hand on Ethan. Sure, Claire eventually became feral, but Ethan has shown his dominance in this fight.
Group C – Round 1
Aaron Littleton vs. Man in Black
Putting Aaron into this tournament was purely for comedy, but how about this match up? This has to be the most one sided fight imaginable. Aaron could have gone up against Walt or something, but no, he goes right up against the embodiment of evil himself. No mercy for this kid. Not sure what else to say, but the Man in Black is able to defeat a toddler.
Roger Linus vs. Bea Klugh
Ben’s dad versus Ben’s crony. Roger isn’t exactly a warrior. Bea holds a prominent role within the Others. One would have to imagine Bea has the skills to pull out the win.
Nikki Fernandez vs. Charles Widmore
Nikki isn’t anyone to take lightly. Don’t forget her and Paulo were basically one step ahead of the LOST-ies in terms of hatch discovery. But Widmore is Widmore. He has an endless supply of resources at his disposal. Widmore would wipe out Nikki before she knew he existed.
Bram vs. Sarah Shephard
Bram is a fairly minor character, but he went up against the smoke monster. That takes some guts. Sarah survived a brutal car crash, but only through Jack-intervention. Sarah is strong spirited, but Bram easily defeats her.
Michael Dawson vs. Tom Friendly
Michael is kind of a screw up. He can’t even kill people right. But you can’t deny Michael cares about his son Walt. And by God, Tom Friendly, you Walt abducting son-of-a-bitch, if there is one person in this tournament born to take you out, it’s Michael.
Miles Straume vs. Jacob
Miles spent most of his life on the island and has shown a knack for survival. Miles even has special powers. But look, Jacob is going to be a tough match-up for anyone. He can change lives with a poke of the finger. There is no way Jacob is exiting a LOST tournament in Round 1.
Charlie Pace vs. Libby Smith
This is a tough one. Both sides have their strengths and weaknesses. Charlie has a dark side and is known to kill, but he also has a tendency to die. Libby knows how to survive with the best of them and has a mysterious past, but she also has a tendency to die. This one could really go either way. We’ll have to give it to Charlie based on murdering precedent.
Stuart Radzinsky vs. Kelvin Joe Inman
It’s hatch-mate versus hatch-mate. These two were literally confined in a room together for years. Radzinsky committed suicide. Winner: Kelvin.
Group D – Round 1
Pierre Chang vs. Ana-Lucia Cortez
Ah, the good doctor versus the tragic police officer. Dr. Chang may be an expert in astrophysics and orientations, but he doesn’t stand much of a chance against stone cold Ana-Lucia.
Walt Lloyd vs. Kate Austen
Sure, Walt has some poorly defined special powers but at the end of the day he is just a kid. And by all accounts, he’s a good kid. Kate, on the other hand, is known to do what it takes to survive. I don’t think Walt would make it out of this one. Kate advances.
John Locke vs. Danny Pickett
Danny Pickett is a surprisingly tough first round match-up for Locke. Pickett is one of the Others, has a short fuse, and isn’t afraid to bring the pain. But Locke was made for survival, especially on the island. The two never actually met, but one would think that Locke comes out on top.
David Reyes vs. Benjamin Linus
The mental image of a battle between Hurley’s dad and Ben is pretty entertaining. David seems like your typical dead beat dad with a heart of gold. Ben is a master manipulator who isn’t afraid to kill anyone who stands in his way (but also a family man). Just how much would Ben put David through before he ultimately defeated him?
Ilana Verdansky vs. Charlotte Lewis
Ilana was never fleshed out much, but we do know she is a formidable opponent (she was able to capture Sayid after all). Charlotte has anthropologist smarts and some DHARMA history, but I don’t think she would stand much of a chance against Ilana.
Captain Gault vs. Lennon
Gault may not have a first name, but he knows how to captain a freighter. Lennon’s name was never even spoken on screen. In the battle of dubiously named men, Gault takes the W.
Danielle Rousseau vs. Goodwin Stanhope
Both Rousseau and Goodwin are well versed in island survival. Rousseau spent years in the jungle. Goodwin spent years in a cushy home. Yes, Goodwin is an Other and has killed before, but Rousseau knows how to take Others down.
Desmond Hume vs. Sun-Hwa Kwon
The final battle of Round 1 is a tough one. Desmond is a romantic at heart and willing to do anything for love. Sun can be manipulative and ruthless, but usually has others do her dirty work. When left alone, she can be overpowered by the likes of Charlie. Desmond wins.
Round of 32
Group A – Round 2
Richard Alpert vs. Penelope Widmore
To kick off Round 2 we have the enigmatic Richard versus the Widmore heir. The two have such diverse background, skills, and motivations that this battle is tough to call. Richard has 150+ years of experience, but Penny has the Widmore empire at her disposal. This could really go either way. Based on resources alone, we will give this one to Penny.
Paulo vs. Jack Shephard
Paulo is a big fish in a small pond. In almost every way, he is a lesser version of Jack. He had his island adventures, but he isn’t making it past Jack.
Jin-Soo Kwon vs. Hugo “Hurley” Reyes
These two made a great Han Solo/Chewbacca pairing. They were downright lovable together. But if their friendship came to blows, there is no way Jin is falling to Hurley.
Sayid Jarrah vs. Mr. Eko
This is possibly the toughest battle of the round. Both are physically dominant and both have a history of violence. But Eko is a simple drug lord who eventually found religion. Sayid is a trained torturer and hitman. Sayid‘s tale is tragic, but he comes out on top here.
Group B – Round 2
Dogen vs. Daniel Faraday
Another battle of opposites. Daniel isn’t winning any battles with his physique and temperament. He’s got brains, but Dogen has unexplained mysticism and fighting abilities. Dogen advances to Round 3.
Cassidy Phillips vs. James “Sawyer” Ford
Oh boy. These two certainly have a history. While Cassidy learned some hard lessons after her first encounter with Sawyer, I don’t think it would be enough to defeat him. Sawyer wins and probably feels really shitty about it.
Shannon Rutherford vs. Anthony Cooper
I think that if Shannon were an old man, she would be reminiscent of Anthony Cooper. Both are pretty lousy people. But Shannon is the younger, more naive of the two and Cooper wouldn’t have a problem taking her down.
Martin Keamy vs. Ethan Rom
Ethan got a pass in the first round with a beneficial pairing, but he isn’t making it any further. Keamy is a beast and isn’t afraid to put down some Others. Keamy easily moves on.
Group C – Round 2
Man in Black vs. Bea Klugh
Is the Man in Black unbeatable? I don’t think so. Is Bea Klugh taking him down? No. Man in Black wins again.
Charles Widmore vs. Bram
Bram is a big dude, but he’s also a generic goon (even if he is sort of a good guy). Widmore would crush him.
Michael Dawson vs. Jacob
This is an interesting match-up. Jacob can be defeated, it just takes the right character. Michael has been known to be manipulated into killing before. Could he do the same to Jacob? It’s possible, but not this time. I think Michael is a lesser tool in the grand scheme of things. Jacob would easily outplay him.
Charlie Pace vs. Kelvin Joe Inman
We all love Charlie, right? He’s a good guy, even if he happens to lost his shit from time to time. But Charlie has never been much of a fighter and Kelvin is a battle hardened solider. Kelvin would take out Charlie and Charlie would leave us with some inspirational message.
Group D – Round 2
Ana-Lucia Cortez vs. Kate Austen
Round 2 is full of heavy hitting battles and this is the first. Ana-Lucia and Kate are both top tier competitors. If they were in different groups, both would have advanced much further. But alas, here we are. They are battle tested and don’t shy away from a fight. Physically they are evenly matched. This is no easy call. It could go either way, but Kate would most likely win. She has better survival skills and Ana-Lucia is more apt to make a mistake while in a rage induced state.
John Locke vs. Benjamin Linus
And straight into another huge clash. Locke is another player that could advance far in the tournament, but everyone has their Kryptonite. Unfortunately for Locke, that is Ben. For all the skills Locke has, Ben will always be two steps ahead of him. An early exit for a tournament favorite, but Ben defeats him.
Ilana Verdansky vs. Captain Gault
We return to a fairly inconsequential pairing between secondary characters. Gault made it to Round 2, but he doesn’t make it past Ilana.
Danielle Rousseau vs. Desmond Hume
To wrap up Round 2, we have Rousseau versus Desmond. Rousseau is the clear favorite, but let’s not forget Desmond has military training and spent a good deal of time on the island. Depending on when you catch him, he might even be able to see the future. But for as much as we all love Desmond, it’s hard to justify him winning this match-up. Rousseau moves on.
The LOST Sweet 16
Group A – Round 3
Penelope Widmore vs. Jack Shephard
It’s Jack versus Penny to kick off the round of 16. The two met on Penny’s boat, but had little interaction otherwise. If the two came to blows, how would it end? Penny has made it this far based on the resources at her disposal and her drive to accomplish her goals. Jack is here because he is Jack. And even at this point, that is still going to be enough. Both are good hearted people, but Jack is still the chosen one and he would be able to overcome the odds. Penny fought the good fight to make it to the Sweet 16, but Jack ends her run.
Jin-Soo Kwon vs. Sayid Jarrah
This is a truly epic match-up between two of the strongest competitors. As stated previously, Jin knows how to bring the pain. Sayid has been trained to torture and kill. Who will come out on top? No matter how you look at it, Sayid has the advantage. Physically, Sayid has a stronger skill set. In terms of disposition, Jin is a peaceful man at heart. Sayid is a tragic character with a darker core. In a battle such as this, darkness most likely benefits Sayid. Jin is a strong competitor and could have made it further, but he ran into the Sayid buzzsaw.
Group B – Round 3
Dogen vs. James “Sawyer” Ford
Dogen has somehow found his way into the Sweet 16. For a character with so little backstory, that is impressive. Sawyer, on the other hand, was basically a shoe-in to make it this far. Can Dogen defeat him? It’s hard to speculate just how powerful Dogen is, but all I can picture is this scene from Raiders of the Lost Arc. Dogen may have mystical know-how, but Sawyer is a no-nonsense fighter. He wouldn’t put up with any weird shit. Sawyer advances to the Group B Finals.
Anthony Cooper vs. Martin Keamy
Anthony Cooper had a painless path thus far. Much like his life, he has squirmed his way far, but fate has caught up with him. Enter Keamy. Cooper isn’t conning his way out of this one. Not much else to say beyond Cooper getting what he is owed. Keamy wins.
Group C – Round 3
Man in Black vs. Charles Widmore
The Man in Black versus Charles Widmore is one of the central stories in LOST. Unfortunately for Widmore, that ended with him shot to death. Widmore is an incredible (if convoluted) tactician. He understands the long game and how to win a war. Even so, he is no match for the Man in Black.
Jacob vs. Kelvin Joe Inman
The fight that will be talked about for ages: Jacob versus Kelvin! Okay, not really. In fact, these two characters are about as unrelated as you can get. Kelvin has military and DHARMA experience, but when he comes up against the otherworldly Jacob, he doesn’t stand much of a chance. Jacob moves on to face, fittingly, the Man in Black.
Group D – Round 3
Kate Austen vs. Benjamin Linus
Kate and Ben provide a clash in styles. Physically, Kate has Ben beat. Intellectually, Ben has the advantage. It’s tough to choose, but I think how they view the battle is what will ultimately put Ben on top. Kate makes decisions based on the world in front of her. Ben looks at the global view. Most likely, Ben would know all of Kate’s weaknesses before they even met. It’s hard to beat that type of knowledge, no matter how physically skilled you are. Kate arguably exits early and Ben moves on.
Ilana Verdansky vs. Danielle Rousseau
Ilana is another less-developed character that has made their way deep into the tournament. Does she have what it takes to defeat Rousseau? It’s hard to know, which is unfortunate for Ilana. Rousseau knows the island better than Ilana and knows what it takes to survive. End of the line for Ilana. Rousseau takes the final battle of the Sweet 16.
Group Finals
Group A Finals
Jack Shephard vs. Sayid Jarrah
This has to be the marquee match-up of the Group Finals. Two LOST mainstays battling it out. Both Jack and Sayid are tournament favorites. At this point, you have to look at how they got here. Jack has relied a lot on reputation and defeated Penny, Paulo, and Mikhail. Sayid has gone through tougher competition with Lapidus, Eko, and Jin. Yes, Jack is the chosen one on the island, but Sayid was also one of Jacob’s picks. When you match the two up man-to-man, Jack is a handsome doctor and Sayid is a handsome torturer/hitman. If the two had to duke it out, it’s hard to think of how Jack would defeat Sayid. It was a good run for our hero Jack, but Sayid is the one moving to the Final Four.
Group B Finals
James “Sawyer” Ford vs. Martin Keamy
Keamy is the last of the “lesser” characters in the tournament. His run has been impressive because, frankly, the dude is scary. He is a mercenary, a killer (of children), and someone willing to connect a bomb to his heartbeat. But perhaps overlooked this far is that he was ultimately defeated by a baton wielding Ben, so he isn’t indestructible by any means. I can’t imagine a cocky Keamy getting past a determined Sawyer. Sawyer knows how to take a beating and keep going and at some point, he would find a way to defeat Keamy. Sawyer advances again.
Group C Finals
Man in Black vs. Jacob
It seemed likely that these two would meet at some point. The light versus dark narrative is what fuels the entire LOST mythology and these two are the embodiments. When we wonder who would win in a fight between these two, I would recommend watching the show LOST. I imagine the battle would be overly complicated and at points contradictory or unexplainable, but overall entertaining and worth the experience. Spoilers: Jacob wins.
Group D Finals
Benjamin Linus vs. Danielle Rousseau
Ben and Rousseau always had an odd relationship, considering the role Alex played in their lives. They often had tense moments with mutual goals. But if that was not true and they fought one another, who would win? I think that Ben is the clear favorite here. Danielle knows how to survive, but ultimately she would be outsmarted by Ben in some form or another. Like her life on the island, she made it quite far, but not far enough. Ben is our last entry into the Final Four.
LOST Final Four
Sayid Jarrah vs. James “Sawyer” Ford
Sayid and Sawyer were LOST backbones from Day 1 and have top billing in the Final Four. This is another tough battle for the both of them. I think about their interactions on the show. Sayid is the clear victor in those cases, using his sophisticated talents to overcome Sawyer’s undisciplined nature. We can also look at how they got to where they are in the tournament. Sayid’s journey is once again much more impressive than Sawyer’s. I don’t think anyone is surprised to see both of these men in the Final Four, but only one can continue. Sayid is our first finalist.
Jacob vs. Benjamin Linus
Jacob versus Ben is a sneaky match-up. Jacob is godlike at times in how he influences and shapes the world. But couldn’t the same be said for Ben? These two had a direct confrontation on the show when Ben stabbed Jacob to death. Did he defeat Jacob? In some ways yes, in other ways no. He defeated the man, but not the plan (and Jacob did a whole Jedi thing where he was still around in death). But did Jacob defeat Ben? Absolutely not. If anything, he helped Ben which eventually led to his redemption. Looking at it from that point of view, Ben has to be the winner. He physically bested him and was able to avoid any consequences. I don’t think many people on this list could prevail over Jacob, but Ben has that potential and is our second finalist.
Final Confrontation:
Sayid Jarrah vs. Benjamin Linus
It all comes down to this. Who would be the ultimate LOST survivor? Is it Sayid, the Iraqi torturer? Or Benjamin Linus, the Portland native (also super manipulative and murderous and all that)? On LOST, the fates of the two were often intertwined. Sayid tortured Ben in Season 2, but ended up being his hitman in Season 4. In some ways, they are similar people with dark pasts. In other ways they are different, with Sayid having brawn and Ben having brain.
When I sit back and truly think about who would survive between the two, I can’t think of anyone other than Ben. Throughout the series he proved time and time again that he can worm his way out of any dire situation. Sayid had his ups and downs, but he was always a pawn in someone’s game, including Ben’s. Ben defeats Sayid and is the Ultimate LOST Surivor!
Battle Royal Debriefing
There you have it, a not-so-definitive questionable-at-best tournament winner in Benjamin Linus! If you made it this far, congrats, you are probably a crazy person. But I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this somewhat preposterous article. I had fun making it and I hope you found some enjoyment. If you would like to debate the merits of any of the above, feel free to comment below. Namaste.
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