Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for ABC's Lost.

This article contains discussions of suicide, abuse, drug use, and death.

Summary

• Lost was a roller coaster of emotions, with moments of triumph and despair, challenging themes, and realistic depictions of human nature.
• The diverse cast of characters allowed Lost to explore culturally specific themes, making it an internationally acclaimed show.
• The show's most emotional moments included Jack's selflessness, Kate's reveal of a toy plane's significance, and the deaths of beloved characters like Alex and Jin-Sun.

ABC's best shows of all time, Lost's best moments felt like a genuine triumph while its lowest moments felt like complete and utter despair.

In addition to its themes and tropes that would primarily resonate with North American audiences, Lost achieved international fame partially because its diverse cast of characters aided immensely in representing different worldviews accurately. While this is a more standard practice today, this was beneficial to Lost because viewers worldwide could connect better with more culturally specific themes such as race and multiple religious practices. Irrespective of Lost's divisive ending, the show as a whole left its mark for its challenging themes, realistic depictions of human nature at its best and worst.

15 The Pilot Episode

The beginning of everything

Lost's famous pilot episode played with the audience's emotions as it was hard-hitting, came at viewers fast, and barely gave anyone a chance to process what was going on. After surviving a plane crash, Jack runs toward the voices of people screaming and crying and discovers that he isn't the only survivor. Viewers might not catch it upon first viewing, but the emotional aspects of the scene lie in the characterization of Jack, as the protagonist doesn't hesitate to put himself in harm's way to help others - something that would later become crucial to his character.

14 Kate Opening Up To Jack About The Toy Plane

An emotional Lost reveal

Jack and Kate's romance in Lost is one of the worst in the show largely because of the characters' lack of chemistry. Despite this, they've had a few emotional moments that resonated with viewers. In season 1's "Whatever the Case May Be," Kate is seen desperately trying to retrieve a mysterious silver case from Sawyer - and after making a deal with Jack to share its contents with him, he helps her get it. The emotion lies in the fact that the toy plane was a memento from Kate's childhood friend, and one of the last vestiges of her life before the crash.

13 Alex's Death

One of Lost's saddest deaths

Similar to Jack, Alex was one of the show's most-liked characters because of her selflessness and willingness to go the extra mile to help others in a crisis. Furthermore, Alex vouched for her adoptive father Ben when Locke was about to kill him for shooting Charlotte, thus reinforcing her ability to see the good in things even during the worst of times. These irable traits, made it truly distressing when she was unceremoniously shot in the head by the mercenary Keamy after Ben chose to leave the island instead of coming to her aid.

12 The Exodus

One of Lost's best arcs

Although Michael was among one of Lost's most hated ing characters, his relationship with his son Walt was one of the few redeemable qualities of an otherwise selfish character. Nevertheless, "The Exodus (Parts 1-3)," sees Michael, Walt, Jin, and Sawyer attempting to flee from the island via a makeshift raft - and for a brief moment, it appears as though they'll succeed. However, after a group of pirates shoots Sawyer and kidnaps Walt, they blow up the raft thus leaving Michael, Jin, and Sawyer adrift - all of this tense action occurs at the end of the first season effectively ending it on a highly emotional note.

11 Charlie's Sobriety

Charlie's character was a highlight of the show

Charlie was well-received by viewers because of his amiable personality and friendship with the equally likable Hurley. Despite this, one of his darkest demons was his crippling heroin addiction - a habit he'd developed well before the events of the show. However, after Locke took it upon himself to guide the young man away from the drug, an even stronger and brighter side of Charlie shined. This newfound lease on life struck a chord with audiences because addiction is a very real, tangible thing, which made Charlie's arc even better.

10 Libby Preventing Hurley From Jumping Off A Cliff

Lost handled this moment with care

Libby coming to Hurley's rescue was an emotional moment for viewers because Hurley was someone who always looked after others and was something of a gentle giant despite his imposing presence. Moreover, feelings of self-loathing can be relatable for many people, and Lost handled it with care and accuracy. Hurley's girlfriend Libby preventing him from taking his own life was powerful because it displayed how strong the characters' bond was regardless of the circumstances.

9 Hurley Mourning Libby

One of the saddest Lost scenes

Once again displaying the quality of writers in Lost's writer's room, Libby rescuing Hurley convinced audiences that there was hope for the couple, however, Michael accidentally killing Libby prevented their relationship from truly blossoming. While Libby's death was unexpected, it appropriately established that Hurley would have to once again overcome a major hurdle moving forward, and it cemented the idea that nobody was truly safe. While Hurley would eventually recover from his loss, it was still really tough seeing him mourn the love of his life.

8 Locke Losing A Kidney Because Of His Father's Deception

Locke was always a fascinating character

The heavily religious John Locke worked as a perfect foil to the scientific and data-driven Jack. While the rivalry between Jack and Locke arguably elevated the show, it also firmly reminded viewers how important Locke's faith was to him. That's why it was particularly soul-crushing when it was revealed in the season 1 episode "Deus Ex Machina" that Locke was tricked into donating one of his kidneys to his adoptive father under the pretense of love and divinity. Even despite the tragedies seen throughout the show, this reveal felt particularly cold.

7 Boone's Death

Lost wasn't afraid of killing popular characters

Boone was one of Lost's more popular characters as he was ive and loyal throughout his life. Furthermore, his apprenticeship under Locke made for some genuinely insightful conversations and thought-provoking moments fairly early into the show. Despite being a part of season 1's main cast, Boone was killed off halfway through the season after sustaining serious injuries from a great fall. This was a game-changer for TV back in 2004 as audiences were used to the leads somehow surviving anything the show threw at them. Boone's death was shocking and a reminder that Lost wasn't like most other shows.

6 Penny And Desmond Reconnecting

Penny and Desmond's journey was quite convoluted

Desmond and Penny's relationship was one of the show's best as the characters' chemistry and genuine feelings for one another was a beacon of hope in the otherwise challenging show. Despite the tumultuous nature of their romance, viewers constantly rooted for them as Desmon's life was particularly sad to watch spiral out of control. With his ability to mind travel to different periods while physically being elsewhere was a trip, it was heartwarming to see that the constant in his life and the one person capable of keeping him grounded was Penny.