The Flashbacks of The Characters in LOST Ranked From Worst To Best

The flashback formula used throughout the show LOST was something that really allowed the show to more effectively tell stories and helped make the character’s arcs in the shows more impactful. However, while some characters’ flashbacks rivalled the story that was being told on the island, the flashbacks of some characters did fall flat and were just in particularly boring. This list ranks the LOST characters’ flashbacks from worst to best, and for the purpose of convenience, this will also include the flash-forwards from the later seasons too.

24. Miles

Miles had only one centric episode which showed his ability to hear the final messages of the dead. His flashbacks were relatively boring and didn’t provide much value to the main storyline - however, the Dharmaville past of his character which is revelaed during the time travel arc of season 5 was a lot more interesting.

23. Boone

Boone’s flashbacks didn’t really add much to the main storyline and since his character had an early departure from the show, his flashbacks feel particularly irrelevant when rewatching the show.

22. Shannon

Shannon’s flashbacks were slightly interesting to watch - particularly the drama with her stepmother withholding the money her father left behind from her - however, like Boone her flashbacks were not that relevant to the main storyline.

21. Charlie

Despite being one of my favourite characters in the show (I even ranked him as one of my most annoying deaths in LOST), Charlie’s flashbacks were without a doubt one of the most boring in the show with his ‘failing rockstar’ past proving to be rather repetitive. One of the best flashback episodes in the show is in late season 3 when Charlie recalls his ten best memories in his lifetime which is really the only reason why Charlie did not find himself in last place on this list.

20. Jin

Jin’s flashbacks were initially entertaining but became repetitive with his flashbacks mostly just showing his struggle and determination to appease his bosses - mainly Sun’s father.

19. Sawyer

Sawyer’s flashbacks don’t reveal much about his character as he had almost almost no ties to anyone due to the death of his parents. His flashback episodes which involve the women who would ultimately become the mother of his child (who he was conning) are probably his most interesting and this is partly because it ties in with Kate’s flashbacks as she later befriends this women.

18. Nikki & Paulo

The Nikki & Paulo episode of the show is unique in that it is one of the only episodes of the show that truly feels like ‘filler’ and doesn’t move the plot forward in any shape of form. Their flashbacks make for a fun breather in season 3 and their tragic ending makes for some funny fan service as many fans had been annoyed at these new characters being introduced as if they had always been there.

17. Sun

Besides the question of who the father to Sun’s baby is, Sun’s flashbacks are entertaining but do not have any revelations that relate to the main storyline and are therefore a bit boring on a rewatch.

16. Ana Lucia

Ana was not a well received character by some - but she was kind of designed to be this way. Her flashbacks are actually very entertaining with Ana having a similar dynamic with her mother (who is her boss at her police precinct) to Jack and his dad. The flashbacks ultimately only serve the purpose of making her exit more upsetting and that is the reason her flashbacks are not ranked higher on this list.

15. Daniel Faraday

Daniel only has one real centric episode with his flashbacks but they serve an important purpose of informing the audience more on both him and mother, Eloise. His flashbacks are both entertaining as well as important to the main storyline of the show making them feel a lot more worthwhile to viewers than the flashbacks of some other characters.

14. Man In Black (Smoke Monster) & Jacob

As one of the last episodes of the show, the full episode dedicated to the backstory of these two is of great significance to the show. A lot of the mysteries of the show and the lore behind how the island works is explained in their back story. The episode with their back story ultimately sets up the finale of the show and is therefore one of the most important back stories of the whole show.

13. Sayid

Sayid had an interesting back story as a torturer in the army and his search for his girlfriend Nadia, who he ultimately marries for a short period in between season 4 and 5 before she is killed. Sayid’s flashbacks were hit and miss with some stories in his past a lot more entertaining than others.

12. Michael & Walt

Michael is a controversial character amongst LOST fans with some who are very forgiving due to his circumstances (including me) and others who cannot forgive the character for how he went about trying to save Walt. Michael’s flashbacks are different than many characters in the sense that two of his character-centric episodes show flashbacks from within the 100 days the flight 815 passengers spend on the island. His flashbacks showing his estrangement from Walt due to Walt’s mother make you empathetic to Michael’s struggle to parent Walt on the island who he hardly knows. The flashbacks which show his time with ‘The Others’ and his time back in ‘the real world’ are some of the best in the show.

11. Claire

Claire’s flashbacks always deliver in terms of entertainment value with the mystery of why she was told she must raise the child she was pregnant with as well as her crashing her car and leaving her mother in a coma. There are a few characters in LOST who’s character arcs feel a bit disappointing and Claire definitely falls into this category. After the departure of Charlie from the show, Claire doesn’t have much to do and is instead used as a plot device for Kate and the Smoke Monster basically. We could have definitely done with another Claire centric episode in season 6 explaining her 3 years on the island fending for herself.

10. Mr. Eko

Eko has some of the most memorable and unique flashbacks of the show with his flashbacks showcasing his rollercoaster of a life from being a drug dealer of sorts to a priest. The flashbacks also allowed the audience to get to know his brother who would often appear in some form on the island and who’s corpse was on the island as a result of a plane crash a few years prior to flight 815’s crash. Eko’s flashbacks and his storyline in general have a lot of wasted potential which the writers of the show likely had plans to build upon if it hadn’t been for the actor’s desire to be written off.

9. Rose & Bernard

With just one centric episode, Rose & Bernard’s back story is one of the most wholesome of the whole show which provides both a happy tale of how the couple first met and the couple’s struggle with Rose’s illness.

8. Richard Alpert

Richard’s back story remains an enigma throughout most of the show and the character’s unexplained ‘long history’ on the island is something which viewers are eager to learn as the seasons progress. His back story which was revealed in season 6 did not disappoint and revealed how he had first came to the island on The Black Rock ship which had been a frequent landmark the characters visited throughout the show.

7. Juliette

The flashbacks in the Juliette centric episodes serve multiple purposes including informing the audience about her, informing the audience about The Others and furthering the mystery of why pregnant woman on the island seem to be unable to survive their pregnancy. Juliette’s close bond with her sister is a refreshing thing to see in the show as many of the characters don’t have any strong bonds like this and this is part of the reason why the audience is so hopeful that Juliette will be able to get off the island in order to reunite with her sister.

6. Benjamin Linus

The Dharma Initiative is as great a mystery in the show as The Others so the fact that Ben’s flashbacks aided in explaining both mysteries makes them particularly entertaining to watch. Ben’s character is truly one of a kind with no other character in another show being as great a liar and as manipulative as Ben, which is part of the reason he makes such a great villain in the show.

5. Jack

Jack is the main character of the show so of course his flashbacks serve an important purpose of letting the audience get to know his character, as well as his father who plays a part in the overall storyline of the show. His initial flashbacks which detailed his marriage to Sarah who is portrayed by Julie Bowen (Claire from Modern Family) make for an interesting watch. The reason Jack doesn’t rank higher on this list is because he does have some dud centric episodes, most notably the back story to how he got his tattoo which showcases the time he spent in Thailand.

4. Hugo

Hurley is most likely the most loved character of the entire series and his flashbacks are both entertaining as well as important to the storyline of the show. The mystery of ‘the numbers’ is one of the most intriguing mysteries of the whole show and is part of the reason why Hugo ranks so highly on this list. The reason why Hugo isn’t higher on this ranking is because I feel as though it would have been refreshing to learn about another time in Hurley’s life besides his time in the mental hospital or after he won the lottery.

3. Kate

Kate’s flashbacks mostly focus on her time as a fugitive after she killed her stepfather along with a whole other array of crimes she subsequently committed in her time on the run. The mystery of “what Kate did” unfolding throughout her flashbacks made an interesting watch and her extreme loyalty to her fellow passengers was really out into perspective by the betrayal of her mom who gave her up to the cops.

2. John Locke

A pivotal moment in season 1 comes in episode 4, John Locke’s first centric episode, when it is revealed that John Locke had been in a wheelchair for four years prior to the plane crash. This is the moment that many credit for making them invested in the show as the standout moment let many viewers know the kind of quality writing that they could expect from LOST. I have to admire that watching John Locke get betrayed by his father countless times in a lot of his other flashback episodes made for a tragic yet also extremely entertaining watch. Locke’s flashbacks highlighted why the character was not looking to get off the island and Helen (his girlfriend and almost wife) was a refreshing bright spot in his flashbacks.

1. Desmond

Any Desmond-centric episode is automatically in the top 10 episodes of the show as it delivers on both entertainment value but more importantly on expanding the lore/mystery of the show, so it is no surprise that Desmond has landed at the top spot in this ranking. Desmond’s episode ‘The Constant’ in season 4 which sees him struggle to find his constant, Penny, in both timelines he is flashing between is notably one of the best episodes of the show.

Final Thoughts

The flashback formula was expertly used in LOST and made for some of the best storytelling to grace network television. There are a few characters who could have done with a centric episode such as Charlotte and Libby, but overall most characters had enough flashbacks to let us know who they are and that is why the season 3 flashbacks felt a bit tired and the change to flash forwards for season 4 was a good move.