Lost Series Ending Explained: Who Are the Survivors at the End of Lost?

Lost, one of the greatest television series of all time, ended its run in May 2010 with six seasons under its sleeve. Fans of the franchise have been looking forward to the finale to receive answers to uncountable theories. It was one of the top 10 finales to some; to others, it raised more questions than before.

The final episode was packed with twists as it slowly leaned viewers into a fondness for the series. Time travel, alternate realities, and monsters all came to a satisfying end.

Some of you might have expected a flashy ending, but it was straightforward and gave the characters one last chance at a reunion. The final church scene made people second guess if everyone had died in the initial crash and if the island was indeed a purgatory.

Yet, before I begin explaining the finale, let me clarify that they were alive during the events on the island. Every adventure and emotion they went through was real. The church scene took place only after all the survivors had died.

How did everyone reunite in the afterlife with shared knowledge? Read on to learn the beautiful symbolism behind the church scene.

Did Anyone Survive at the End of Lost?

Kate, Rose, Bernard, Sawyer, Desmond, Penya, and Claire survive the finale of Lost. However, the afterlife church scene has confused many as they met in the afterlife despite not having died at the same time. 

All the season 6 survivors died naturally in their course of life and not because of the island tragedy. Hurley and Ben, the new protectors of the island, had also survived and probably outlived everyone else, but even they must have met an end at some point in time.

Are They in Heaven at the End of Lost?

At the end of Lost, the characters in the church scene meet in the afterlife. Everyone regains their time on the island, and they reach a church. Christian Shephard explains to Jack that flash-sideways were created by the Oceanic 815 survivors so that they could find each other.

The church symbolizes that the survivors have made peace with everything they left behind and are ready to embrace a new future with those with whom they shared the most intense emotions. The light that floods the church at the end might symbolize the souls moving on.

However, this has confused many viewers as many of them died during different times, some in the early seasons, some in later seasons, and some survived the ordeal. The island’s protectors were immortal, so how could they have met together in the afterlife with shared memories?

Time works differently in the afterlife. Even if everyone died at different times, they still arrived at the same place to move forward together. Their attachment to each other pulled them all together after their deaths.

Lost Season 6 Finale Explained

At the island, Jack is ready to fix the Heart, but Hurley is the one who the island needs as a protector. Hurley drinks water from the previously active stream, and Jack claims that now Hurley is like him. Jack is then lowered into the Heart and carries Desmond back with a rope.

Jack fully accepts his upcoming end and tells Desmond they will meet in another life. As he finds the cork, he drops it into the Heart. Slowly the light starts to return, and water starts flowing. Hugo and Ben pull out the rope but only find Desmond at its end. Jack is seen engulfed in light.

Ben tells Hurley that his job as a protector will need him to care for people, the thing he does best. Hurley wonders how he can help people if they aren’t even allowed to escape the island. He further explains that Jacob’s way of running things doesn’t have to go on. Hurley may be able to change the fact that people can’t get off the island. He can make things better in his own way.

Ben even accepts the role of helping Hurley, saying that it would be his honor. In the last scene, Jack is awake outside the Heart and knows that his life is ending. He collapses at the same spot where he first awoke after the crash. The episode next declares that Jack has found his purpose and has passed away.

In a flash, sideways, everyone arrives at Eloise’s church. It turns out everyone has shared memory and is up-to-date with everything that has happened throughout the series. Jack finally realizes that it is the afterlife, as everyone had died at some point in time and gathered there.

After the group celebrates their reunion, they sit in the church pews. As the church doors open, a white light engulfs the room.

I think everyone got what they wanted in the last episode of Lost. Those who wanted to see how the Heart would be fixed saw Jack dying to save everyone. Those who wanted a happy ending got the final church scene where everyone was at peace. Some loose ends still exist here and there, but nothing major that people need to spend sleepless nights over.

Lost is currently available to stream on Hulu.

So what did you think of Lost’s final episode? Was ‘The End’ a satisfying enough finale to the super hit series that ran for six long years? What other queries do you have regarding Lost? Tell us in the comments below!