John Locke was a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 and a previously disabled man who found himself able to walk once he arrived on the Island. He,Rose, and Walt Lloyd were the only people among the survivors that wanted to stay on the Island, believing his special destiny was to protect the miraculous place. In service to this cause, he pushed his friends away, committed murder, and eventually lost his life.
Locke grew up in foster care but, later in life, he met his father, who conned him out of a kidney, ruined his relationship with his girlfriend and finally pushed him out of a window, breaking his back and confining him to a wheelchair. Locke spent the next four years of his life paralyzed from the waist down and looking for his purpose in life. He was then told to attend an Australian Walkabout, after which he found himself aboard Flight 815. On the Island, he served as a friendly, caring mentor, giving Boone a purpose, helping Claire with her pregnancy and child, treating Charlie‘s addiction, and teaching Walt skills. But his faith and questionable decisions sparked a rivalry with Jack, his philosophical opposite.
When Locke discovered a Hatch on the Island, he was determined to open it, believing his purpose lay inside. He briefly lost faith in the Island while in there, but he left it with his belief renewed, and he set off on a new quest – to join the Island’s people. He became their leader, taking the position from Ben Linus, trying meanwhile to protect the Island from new invaders. But once he assumed leadership, the Island began dangerously flashing through time. Locke learned he had to leave the Island and sacrifice his life to retrieve survivors who had left. He tried but thought he failed this mission, and he attempted suicide – only to be stopped and then strangled by Ben. No one attended his funeral.
After death, Locke dealt with his guilt for what he’d done while alive and came to terms with his limitations before moving on with his friends.
- Locke’s total episode count is 101 (as of the final episode „The End„), and his death occurred on his 79th appearance.
- However, some of his appearances, consist of both his flash sideways counterpart, and also the Man in Black, who has been mimicking his form since Season 5.
- Locke only appeared in archive footage in „Across the Sea“ – from a scene in „House of the Rising Sun„.
- He is the fifth most-frequently appearing character behind Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer.
- Locke has the final line in the series „We’ve been waiting for you“.
- Locke became the fifth and last character to appear in 100 episodes, after Jack, Kate, Hurley and Sawyer.
- Locke was the only main character to die in America.
- Locke was the eleventh main character to be killed.
- Locke was born in 1956, but Everyday (The Buddy Holly song playing at the beginning of „Cabin Fever„) was not released until 1957.
- Locke was the fourth character to ever have a flashback.
- When Locke’s first flashback in „Walkabout“ cuts away, the „whoosh“ sound does not accompany the transition. Instead, it is the sound of a printing calculator. This sound is very reminiscent of a sound the Smoke Monster makes and a possible allusion to the relationship Locke has with the Smoke Monster later in the series (i.e. the Smoke Monster takes on Locke’s form in Season 5). The sound of the monster was in fact taken from a NYC taxi receipt printer.
- Locke holds the record on the show for the most flashbacks, 16.
- Locke has met all of the main characters except Frank, Pierre, Eloise and Ilana.
- Ironically, both Frank and Ilana were two of the four people at Locke’s funeral, despite never meeting.
- Locke managed to see Daniel for the first time across a large field on the island in „Jughead„, even though they had both been on the island for ten days.
- The Man in Black under the guise of John Locke has met both Lapidus and Ilana who originally believed him to be the real Locke.
- Locke also met Penny in the flash-sideways timeline.
- See also Last meetings of John Locke.
- Locke was also aware of Eloise Hawking and Pierre Chang, the latter of whom he saw in the DHARMA Orientation videos.
- Seasons 1, 2 and 3’s nineteenth episodes have all dealt with a crash survivor discovering about Locke’s paralysis.
- John has a habit of injuring his legs, and has done so in every season before he died except the fourth.
- In „Deus Ex Machina“ from season 1, his leg is damaged by metal shrapnel, and later in the episode, he loses function in both legs. However, the paralysis disappears as suddenly and mysteriously as it had appeared.
- In „Lockdown„, his leg is crushed during the Lockdown procedure inside the Swan.
- In „The Man Behind the Curtain„, he is shot by Ben, and loses function in both legs. Just as in season 1, the paralysis disappears unexplained.
- In „Because You Left„, he is shot in the leg by Ethan Rom and in „This Place Is Death„, he falls down a well on his way down to the Frozen Wheel, and fractures his leg.
- Locke’s seat number was 24D.
- Locke, like Kate, is a Gemini.
- Locke saw Jeff Hadley‘s art exhibition in Sydney in the book Signs of Life.
- The name of the actor who played the Sleestak leader in Season Three of the 1970s TV show Land of the Lost was Jon Locke.
- Locke’s actions have so far brought about the destruction of two DHARMA stations on the Island, the Swan and the Flame.
- Locke likes Twinkies and dogs. As a teenager, Locke claimed his favorite hobbies were sports, fishing and cars. („Cabin Fever„) („Walkabout„) („Par Avion„)
- While working as a Home Inspector he met Nadia, Sayid‘s lost love, inspecting her house. As it is seen in Locke’s car door, his company phone number was 714-555-0116 („Lockdown„)
- In „The Man from Tallahassee„, Locke says, „For all you know, I was a commander in the Navy.“ Actor Terry O’Quinn had a recurring role as the CAG (Commander, Air Group) of a US Navy aircraft carrier on the television show JAG. His character’s name was Admiral Thomas Boone.
- Locke is the 3rd character to have three flashbacks in one season. Jack and Kate were the first two.
- The Walt apparition, when Locke is injured in the DHARMA grave, admonishes him that he has „work to do“. It is reminiscent of a scene from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining, when Jack Nicholson’s character is scolded in the restroom of the ballroom in the Overlook Hotel that he still has „work to do“. („Through the Looking Glass, Part 1„)
- A common nickname for people named John is „Jack“ (John F. Kennedy was often called Jack). Locke’s polar opposite on the series is named Jack.
- In the DVD commentary for „The Man Behind the Curtain„, the producers describe Locke’s relationship with Ben as being a multi-chapter showdown for who will be the „Master of the Island.“
- His bald head, besides O’Quinn trademark, is a reminiscent of the look of Marlon Brando’s Colonel Kurtz in the movie Apocalypse Now. Locke is called „Colonel“ in his past job and „Kurtz“ by Sawyer (Nicknames). The movie is an adaptation of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and also is set in the jungle.
- On an episode of The Colbert Report, in a segment called „Cheating Death“ there is a fictional check made out to Jeremy Bentham.
- After turning the wheel, Locke appeared in the Sahara around 2007. This means he skipped three years, and so in the present 2007/2008 time period he is still 48, despite being born in 1956.
- The box company where Locke used to work was owned by Hurley.
- After telling Desmond that he worked in a box company previous to coming to the Island, Desmond on a few occasions calls him ‘Box-Man’.
- The band .moneen. has a song on the album „The Red Tree“ called „Don’t Ever Tell Locke What He Can’t Do.“
- Both Locke and his father were strangled to death, in a very similar fashion.
- Locke is one of four characters to „move on“ in the flash-sideways without being part of a couple. The other three are Boone, Christian and Aaron.
- John is one of 22 main characters to have their names appear in a soundtrack title.
- The picture Locke drew as a five year old is very similar to the scene where the Monster rushes out of the Heart of the Island in Across the Sea.
- Last words: „Yeah, yeah, yeah, why, you know her?“
- Witnesses of his death: Benjamin Linus
Lost 