Ranking The LOST Characters On A Scale Of Likability
After six agonizingly long, but for the most part amazing seasons, Lost is finally coming to a close on Sunday night. How will it all end? Is Jack really Jacob’s permanent replacement? Will Locke/Smoke Monster/Man in Black escape the island? Are Kate and Sawyer destined to be together? What will become of Ben? So many questions, some of which I have no doubt won’t be answered. Such is Lost.
Nevertheless, I have enjoyed the series more than any other in recent memory. When it’s good, it’s really good. And even when it throws a clunker, there’s usually something tasty to cull from each episode. While inventive writing and intricate story structure have been the show’s hallmarks, the characters are the ones that have kept the proceedings from spiraling out of control.
I’d love to say all the major principals were memorable, but that would be inaccurate. Even early on in season one, it was easy to distinguish the winners from the losers. Take Charlie for example. I know a lot of people dug his puppy dog charm, but I found him annoying as hell. When he got whacked in season four, I had to give a celebratory fist-pump. On the flip-side, Mr. Eko was the bomb. He died way too soon.
With only one more chance to see the cast in action, I thought now would be an opportune time to rank the most important characters on a scale of likability. Who kicked ass? Who underwhelmed? Who sucked? Employing a scale of 1 to 10 and a random order, let’s take a look at who was liked and who was loathed. (Note: I tried to cover the biggies and ignore the minor players.)
Hurley
Rating: 8.5
It was hard not to root for the lovable loser with an endless supply of Star Wars knowledge. He won the lottery, talked to dead people and was one of the chosen few. I still think he’d make an excellent Jacob, despite his reservations. He scores high marks because he never lost weight or a sense of humor during his time on the island.
Penny
Rating: 8
Ah, Penny. She never gave up on the love of her life, Desmond, even though her ass of a father couldn’t stand the guy. She scores high because she stuck to her convictions and is incredibly hot.
Claire
Rating: 4
Her backstory was interesting, but she served no real purpose besides supplying baby Aaron. Once she disappeared into the jungle, she wasn’t missed. Bringing her back for the final season was a waste. She scores low because she wasn’t at all convincing as a bad girl and that awful frizzy wig took away from her cuteness.
Richard Alpert
Rating: 8.5
For three seasons we had no clue who or what the hell Richard Alpert was, except that he acted as a covert adviser to the island’s denizens and he never aged. His origin episode was one of season six’s best installments. He scores high because he always had the best intentions in mind and was cool as a cucumber.
Jin and Sun
Rating: 6
I don’t think the writers ever knew what to do with the island’s first couple. They had their moments, but never reached the same level of importance as the other central characters. Sun was slightly more likable, however neither she or Jin did enough to warrant high marks. They score average because they were essentially a poor man’s Desmond and Penny.
Juliet
Rating: 8.5
Juliet was one tough cookie. She hated Ben, had a thing for Jack, but ultimately fell in love with Sawyer. Her defection from the Others signaled an integral shift in the direction of the series. Unfortunately, she was never able to fully integrate into the inner circle of Flight 815 survivors. She rates high for wanting to do right and dying admirably.
Jacob
Rating: 7.5
The island’s caretaker made sporadic appearances throughout the first five seasons before assuming a prominent role in season six. Due to his cryptic nature, Jacob wasn’t easy to read. I dug his omniscient ramblings, but couldn’t help but be frustrated by his strange antics. He gets a solid 7.5 because he handled immense responsibility with amazing calm.
Kate
Rating: 7
She’s still sexy as hell even though her act started getting old in season five. The love triangle with Jack and Sawyer was compelling at first, but her inability to make a definitive decision about either drops her down a peg or two. If the series ended after season three, she’d get a 9.5. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
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Aw man, Jin and Sun deserve higher than a 6, if only for how we realized too late how big of a part they played a couple episodes ago. Otherwise, those are some choice calls.
What? No Mr. Echo? You talked about Sayid being badass, the Smoke Monster wouldn’t even go near Echo until he had lost his resolve!
were is eko
I’m sorry but Juliet deserves a much lower score. Useless, unconvincing, annoying, and easily forgot by me and in the show sawyer.
kate should be a negetive 10. pretty to look at i agree but her storylines were so boring and not actually engaging at all.
the love triangle is a thing i loath in dramas as its a tried and tested thus completely unoriginal plot drama. Apart from her back story, she really has no place in the grand scheme of lost apart from damsel in distress or bargaining tool against the losties by various bad guys.
true words from flavour tang!
Jin was cool. He had the biggest handicap of anyone else on the island, and still managed to play a key role in every major plot line. He had a hot wife, took no shit, and was a good guy.
Juliet was annoying. Her high score should have been exclusively related to her amazing rack.
alot of characters arent listed. Where is Mr eko, charlie, myles, daniel, etc..
Oh come on! Jack deserves at least an 8. Yeah, he had a few character flaws and he did the whole self-pity thing a few too many times, but he’s the only good guy who seemed to be able to formulate a decent plan and he turned the tables on the others several times, the most notable of which was during Ben’s surgery. None of the characters have been as calculated and determined as Jack, and none of them, save Hurley, has been as selfless and concerned about the well-being of others. And need I remind you who got the Oceanic 6 off the island?
So give me a break!
Hurley = 10.
1) Jack a five? Yeah, his plans usually sucked; but he’s been on of the most dynamic characters of the series! Plus he rocked the drunk guy with a beard role.
2) What no Frogurt? 11! Flaming arrow to the chest!
Dude; no love for my man Miles… My three favorites are most definately 1) Ben Linus 2) Miles 3) Sawyer
One thing you’re wrong about here.. Ben is a ten, and not just because of the cartoon. Ben had a wide arcing role, we are still unclear of his intentions, where we finally know Jacob’s and Man in Black. Ben knows more than we are led to believe, and he may still have the most important role.
Tell me you weren’t interested anytime he wasn’t involved in the story.
Also, you aren’t going to like Desmond anymore when you realize he’s the embodyment of the Smoke Monster in teh sideways flash.
“Desmond never failed to disappoint”
so if desmond never failed to disappoint, he always disappointed. why then is he rated so high?
Desmond – 10+
Locke – 10
Eko – 10
Jack – 4
Kate – 5
Juliet – 3
Ben – 2
Widmore – 1
Penny – 5
Claire – 4
Charlie – 3
Sayid – 10
Smoke Monster – N/A
Jacob – 7
Twin Brother/MIB/Whatever His Name Is – 8
Faraday – 8
Miles – 7
Hurley – 8
Rousseau – 7
Sawyer – 9
Richard – 8
There’s more but that’s my take, for what it’s worth…
you seriously didn’t even know charlie died in season 3?
MEGA fail.
I think you pretty much nailed it, except for Juiliet and Penny. They were kind of dull. And I think Sayid still deserves a 10, even though they ruined him at the end.
For me, Ben has been not only the most interesting character on the show, but possibly on any show I’ve watched. They’ve squandered him this season which has lowered my opinion a bit, but between seasons 2-5, any scene with Ben was the best tv had to offer.
What about Rose and Bernard, easily one of the greatest, most loving couples in the history of television. In my book they would easily be a 10.
But I’m glad you didn’t just rank Hurley #1, since I know it was episodes like his Van restarting one that turn allot of my fellow fans off the show in season 3.
I would definitely rate Juliet higher…she was an awesome character, and was the basis for Sawyer leaning to a softer side. If it weren’t for her, Sawyer would have just been the same old one dimensional character, full of piss and vinegar, that he’d been in the first few seasons. Plus, she was incredibly gorgeous.
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No Eko, no Daniel, no Charlie, three of the best characters in the entire show equals big time fail.
Does anyone actually watch that show? I mean really?
Lou
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