The main mystery in the exciting 2000s drama Lost is whether the plane crash survivors make it back home, and the identities of the Oceanic Six are revealed in one of the most memorable storylines. These six characters are able to escape the island and return to the United States on January 7, 2005, which is 108 days after their plane went down. In season 4, episode 1, "The Beginning of The End," the fact that six people return home is explained, and by the end of season 4, the series has shared who each person is.
For the most part, these characters are fan favorites who have had riveting arcs since the pilot episode, although one member is a surprise. The Oceanic Six includes one Lost character with a special ability, although they are all tied to the island in magical ways. Despite dreaming of saying goodbye to the dark and difficult experiences they have shared, these characters find that life back home is still complex. In a stunning plotline, the Oceanic Six members come back to the place to the island, and they are each an unforgettable part of the series.
Jack Shephard
Jack Shepard (Matthew Fox) is one member of the Oceanic Six and given his strong presence in the pilot as a doctor who can help the other survivors and who assumes a leadership position, this is not unexpected. Jack and the other five characters are rescued by Penelope Widmore's (Sonya Walger) boat called the Searcher. John Locke (Terry O'Quinn) explains to Jack that he can't be honest about the experiences on the island, as this is not what the island desires. Although Jack and Locke are enemies, Locke is helpful here, and this is an early sign that something is strange and different about the island.
Jack's time off the island is marked by alcoholism, mental health struggles, and a complex relationship with Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly). He and Kate become engaged and then split up as she is raising Claire Littleton's (Emilie de Ravin) son Aaron, who is actually Jack's nephew. After Locke takes his own life, Jack becomes determined to go back to the island, and he is the character who convinces the other Oceanic Six members to come with him. He believes that their time there is unfinished and this feels inevitable as he is a candidate to replace Jacob (Mark Pellegrino), the character who is in charge of keeping the island safe.
Sun-Hwa Kwon
Sun-Hwa Kwon (Yunjin Kim) also returns home, and she lies that her husband Jin (Daniel Dae Kim) died in the plane crash when, in reality, the couple passes away on a raft in 2007, which is two years after she makes it back to America. She becomes the mother of a baby girl, which is both hopeful and painful since she misses Jin. Similar to the other characters, Sun never forgets about the island. She speaks to Penny's father Charles Widmore (Alan Dale) several times, as she is aware that he wants to locate the island, and she tells him that they both want Ben Linus (Michael Emerson) to die.
Sun's experiences back home are heightened by her discovery that Jin is actually living on the island. As Sun and Jin the rare couple to survive the plane crash on Lost, their separation is particularly heartbreaking. She wants to return to the island so she can see Jin again and the series creates a compelling argument for the fact that like the other Oceanic Six members, Sun can't move on easily, which makes living a regular, happy life impossible. Sun and Jin spend time together in 2007 on the island before dying on a raft, in one of the most impactful deaths of the series.
Kate Austen
Kate Austen also returns to the U.S. as an Oceanic Six member, and since she had been arrested and accompanied on the plane by a U.S. Marshall, this homecoming brings complicated feelings. More than the other survivors, Kate's post-island life appears to be on track, but as Lost is filled with surprises, she finds herself miserable. Kate is on trial for murder changes but is acquitted of killing her father. She almost marries Jack, although his envy over Sawyer Ford (Josh Holloway) and Kate's parenting of Aaron ruin their happy ending. Kate's also reflects on how difficult it is to let go of the island and achieve happiness elsewhere.
It makes sense that Kate is an Oceanic Six character given her relationship with Jack and her determination. Her time back home is focused on being the best parent that she can be for Aaron, which stuns her since she wasn't sure about being a parent. Of all the survivors, it is perhaps the most surprising that Kate goes back to the island since she has created a content, stable life, but this proves that her love for Jack is so strong that he can inspire her to do anything.
Aaron Littleton
Claire's son Aaron also leaves the island, and while the Lost epilogue wraps up some mysteries, this is one narrative thread that is thankfully and properly cleared up. In season 4, episode 4, "Eggtown," it is shared that Kate is raising Aaron after Claire has remained on the island. This plotline shares more about Kate's character than Aaron's since he is young and not much is shown about his life or personality. However, Aaron is important as he shows that Kate is loving and compassionate, two personality traits that she never would have associated with herself before.
The fate of Aaron is in jeopardy on the island, as Claire is pregnant with him when Oceanic Flight 815 crashes and The Others living on the island capture Claire. It's a relief that he is home safe with Kate, although this is a tense and complicated situation. While he is too young to truly remember this time of his life, it's a shame that he spends so many years without his mother, although in season 6, episode 17, "The End," the series suggests that Claire and Aaron see each other again.
Sayid Jarrah
Sayid Jarrah (Naveen Andrews) also goes home as part of the Oceanic Six and his time after the island is painful. One of his main storylines is his love story with Nadia (Andrea Gabriel), his friend who becomes his wife. Sayid was part of the Special Republican Guard in Iraq and is a complex character who is never able to escape violence, pain or death throughout his life. When Widmore kills Nadia because she is aware of the island, it makes for one of the saddest deaths on Lost. Sayid takes action and works for Ben as a hitman in order to get back at Widmore.
Because he has experience with war, Sayid does not shy away from saving people or protecting what is his. Although he feels bad for killing people in the past, he agrees to murder Widmore's staff because he wants to hurt him and also wants to help his own friends. Similar to his other plotlines, this one is nuanced and layered, and Sayid questions what is right and what is wrong many times before he agrees to go back to the island.
Hurley Reyes
Hurley Reyes (Jorge Garcia) is a soft, sensitive character who is also an Oceanic Six member. Hurley.will always be haunted by the numbers that he played and won the lottery with before the plane crash. After coming home, he tries to live a regular life, meeting Sun's baby and working, but he keeps seeing the numbers which he believes are more of a curse than a blessing. He gets in trouble for driving his car away from the police and he returns to Santa Rosa Mental Hospital.
Hurley is one of the most important characters on Lost as his kind, cheerful personality helps with the fear of being stranded on the island. He realizes he can't stay home when Charlie Pace's (Dominic Monaghan) ghost tells him that the island wants him to come back. When Jack lets Hurley know that he thinks the Oceanic Six should board a flight headed back there, Hurley is already aware of their destiny, which speaks to how perceptive he is.
How The Oceanic Six Return To The Island
Eloise Hawking (Fionnula Flanagan) knows the island's location and helps the Oceanic Six go back to the island on Flight 316 in season 5, episode 6, "316." After Ben tells Jack that things are going wrong and this is because Jack has come home, the characters know what they must do. They crash in the same way and follow the same pattern. Jack accepts Ben's blame and agrees to fly back, learning that the other Oceanic Six members have to accompany him. Kate wants to find Claire and reunite her with Aaron, although she leaves the child with Claire's mother.
The fact that these important characters return to the island proves that they ended up on the island to meet each other, which is explained in the series finale of Lost. Sun, Jack and Sayid die here and in season 6, episode 17, "The End," it is shared that Hurley is now looking after the island instead of Jacob and working with Ben, which also proves that the survivors can never move away from Ben's influence on them.