Lost is a fantastic show, and despite its rocky ending, it will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greats. Part of that has to do with its relentless storytelling and myriad mysteries, but an equal part stems from the gorgeous character work. While later seasons focused primarily on wrapping up the overall story and rounding out the mythology, the first couple of seasons provided a lot of rich character development.
Of course, there's a massive difference between a good character and a likable character. This is every major castaway on Lost, ranked by their likability.
10 Ana Lucia Cortez
Coming at the bottom of the pack is the most infamous "Other" - Ana Lucia Cortez. Ana Lucia certainly has a tragic backstory, and she generally means well. She doesn't want to be an emotionless robot hellbent on violence; it's just how she copes with her situation and leads a pack of survivors who aren't exactly adept at surviving.
But she's not a likable person at all. Even though she means well, her primary flaw is being stubborn. She never wants to be seen as weak, and as such, she overcompensates by treating everyone in a demanding and overly-aggressive fashion.
9 Sawyer
Some may bemoan putting Sawyer so far down on the list, but really, he's not super likable at all. Throughout the first two seasons, Sawyer serves as the resident antagonist.
He treats everyone poorly (which includes his constant barrage of offensive nicknames), he constantly lies, and he outright steals from people. That's not even including his casual racism and misogyny. But even in later seasons, when Sawyer "loosens up" and becomes more likable, he's still a very cold and distant person, especially towards those who aren't in his immediate friend circle.
8 Kate Austen
Speaking of cold and distant - Kate Austen. Lost fans aren't particular fans of Kate, as many consider her very unlikable, conceited, and aggressive - not to mention her backstory was one of the most boring and unsympathetic of the entire cast.
Like her eventual boytoy Sawyer, Kate doesn't treat many people with respect, and she's only outright friendly to a very select few. She's also very needy and grows insanely jealous, she never listens to advice or orders (usually getting everyone in trouble in the process), and she's the most stubborn of all the castaways. At least she's not racist.
7 John Locke
John Locke isn't outright hostile to anyone in particular. But therein lies the problem. Locke is one of those people who will act friendly and well-meaning to your face and then literally stab you in the back for "the sake of the island."
Locke isn't one to joke around, and he remains relatively quiet around others, leading many to label him unsettling and mysterious - if not outright creepy. He's also insanely selfish, often sacrificing others (like Boone's life and Jack's sub off the island) for the sake of his own happiness and spiritual contentment. He's a fascinating character, but not a particularly likable person.
6 Sayid Jarrah
Sayid is one of the most complex characters on Lost. His past is marred in tragedy, like inadvertently leading his friend Essam to commit suicide and serving as a soldier and interrogator in the Iraqi Republican Guard - a past he's not particularly proud of.
He also uses his "talents" on the island as well, like torturing Sawyer to reveal the location of Shannon's inhaler. That said, he generally acts in the best interests of the castaways and puts his numerous talents to good use. He's also quite friendly, provided someone doesn't tick him off in the first place.
5 Jin & Sun
Jin and Sun are also very complex characters, particularly Jin. Sun is generally quite friendly to everyone, and she's one of the purely "good" characters on the show. However, their pairing is tanked by Jin. Aside from Sawyer, Jin has perhaps the greatest character arc of the entire series.
By later seasons, he is very friendly and chummy with the likes of Sawyer, Charlie, and Hurley. However, earlier seasons portray him as a very strict disciplinarian who controls his wife and yells at (and sometimes even attacks) anyone who approaches him and Sun.
4 Charlie Pace
When it comes to the Lost castaways, very few are as friendly as Charlie Pace. Charlie is very cute and very friendly to basically everyone he comes across - especially Claire Littleton. He's also quick to help people out and always acts in the best interests of the group. Heck, he even sacrifices his own life so that the castaways can escape the island.
However, he also has a bit of a darker side that comes out on occasion. His bizarre storyline throughout season two was especially troubling, even portraying Charlie as a secondary antagonist alongside Sawyer.
3 Jack Shepherd
Like or hate his general approach, Jack Shepherd is a stellar leader. Even though he is very hesitant towards stepping up, Jack serves as a competent leader throughout much of the series - a trait that he inhabits from the get-go.
He is friendly and helpful to quite literally everyone, and even his standoffish approach to others (like Sawyer and Locke) is a result of their behavior endangering the group. There's a reason that a large majority of the castaways follow Jack and his orders - he's really good at it.
2 Claire Littleton
It's really hard to hate Claire. She even gets a pass in the later seasons when she acts in an antagonistic manner, as she's under the influence of the island and The Sickness.
Throughout much of Lost, Claire is just a friendly, jovial, happy go lucky individual who just wants to hang out with her baby (and Charlie, to a smaller extent). She is jovial to everyone, she doesn't get into personal altercations or feuds, and she generally stays out of the primary "action."
1 Hurley Reyes
If there's anyone friendlier than Claire, it's Hurley. Hurley doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and he just wants everyone to get along. Unlike many others, his primary character flaws don't involve violence or stubbornness or passive aggression.
Even when he's put in charge of the hatch's food, he acts in the best interests of everyone and hands it out in an equal fashion and number so as not to upset anyone in particular. In fact, he outright stresses about antagonizing people and causing them to feel neglected. Now that's the sign of a great person.
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