By the end of Lost, the mysteries become a bit too convoluted, but layered characters like Jack and Locke manage to keep the show grounded with their personal struggles. Jack and Locke are the two most effective leaders of the survivors on the island, but their philosophical differences often set them against each other. Ultimately, whether they are working together or against each other, Jack and Locke's best eight moments in Lost can be ranked based on entertainment value and importance to the story.

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8 Jack And Locke Argue At Boone's Funeral

Jack Never Fully Trusts Locke After This Incident

One of the tensest moments between Jack and Locke comes at Boone's funeral, where Jack confronts Locke over not being entirely forthcoming about the extent of Boone's injuries. He also correctly accuses Locke of lying about how Boone was injured in the first place, publicly undermining Locke's credibility. Jack and Locke are two of the best characters in Lost, so whenever they have an intense exhange like this one, it's certain to send ripples through the rest of the story.

Sure enough, this argument puts Jack and Locke on opposing sides for the first time, and their relationship never fully recovers. After Locke lies about Boone's injuries, Jack is not able to trust Locke ever again, which puts them constantly at each other's throats, even when they work together. Still, as important as this argument is for Jack and Locke's relationship, it doesn't have a strong enough impact on the rest of the characters or the overarching story for it to rank any higher than eighth.

7 Locke Saves Jack From Falling Off A Cliff

Jack Nearly Chases An Apparition Of His Father Off A Cliff

In one of the earliest but wildest twists in Lost, Jack begins seeing his deceased father watching him from a distance, leading him to go charging off into the jungle multiple times. On one occasion, Jack stumbles onto his father's empty coffin, further convincing him that he's really seeing his father. The next time Jack goes chasing his father, he is tricked by the Man in Black into running off a cliff, but manages to catch himself on some overhanging roots long enough for Locke to arrive and pull him up.

Although this moment happens early in Lost, it's a foundational moment in Jack and Locke's relationship. Soon after this, Jack and Locke become ideologically opposed to each other in almost every way, and without this moment of trust early on, they might never have been able to work together as much as they did. Without the combined efforts of Jack and Locke, things like opening the Hatch could never have happened, so this is a crucial moment for the pair, even though some later events end up outweighing them.

6 Locke Tells Jack He Must Return To The Island

Locke Thinks The Oceanic Six Must All Return To The Island Together

Although Locke is not one of the famous Oceanic Six who make it off the island, he does eventually make his way off the island when he turns the wheel that stops the island's time jumping. When he does return from the island, Locke immediately begins seeking out the Oceanic Six. He finds Jack when he's itted to the hospital Jack is working at, and he immediately begins trying to convince him to return to the island, claiming that bad things have been happening since the Six left the island.

Initially believing he had failed, Locke leaves and is murdered shortly afterward by Ben Linus. However, it's revealed just before Locke's death that he did convince Jack, and that he's been buying plain tickets back and forth over the Pacific Ocean, hoping to crash on the island again. This proves to be critical, as Jack and the others all have key roles to play in Lost's final act. This moment might not be the most exciting one between Jack and Locke, but few are as important to the narrative.

5 Locke And Jack Divide The Survivors

Jack Wants To Get Off The Island And Locke Wants To Protect It

Jack and Locke are often in philosophical disagreement, and that conflict comes to a head at the beginning of Lost season 4, when Jack and Locke split the remaining survivors between them based on who wants to the boat and who doesn't. Jack is convinced that this boat is their best and only chance of getting off the island, while Locke believes that the people on the boat are evil and bringing them to the island could have devastating consequences.

Neither Jack nor Locke is able to convince the entire group that they are right, which leads to the split. Locke leads his group to the Others' old barracks to begin their lives there, while Jack continues his efforts to make with the people near the island. This conflict leads to the creation of two distinct groups within the survivors' faction, completely changing the dynamic of the show. Although Jack and Locke were opposed to each other for some time before this, the chances of them ever making up are dashed in this showdown.

4 Jack And Kate Save Locke From The Black Smoke

Kate Scares The Monster Away With Dynamite

One of the most suspenseful moments between Jack and Locke occurs when the two are part of an expedition attempting to transport dynamite from a crashed ship to the Hatch on the other side of the island. While returning with the dynamite, the group is intercepted by the monster, who grabs hold of Locke's leg and attempts to pull him down into a large hole in the ground. Despite Locke urging Jack to let him be pulled into the monster's lair, Jack grabs Locke and holds him up long enough for Kate to scare the monster off with dynamite.

This is one of the most pulse-pounding moments in Lost, and although it always feels like Locke will live, enough important characters die in the show to make it feel like he could really be killed. Further, the tension between Jack and Locke bleeds into this scene, making the audience wonder if Jack might give in to Locke's request and let him be dragged down into the monster's lair. Ultimately, there are some Locke and Jack moments with a similar level of suspense and a bigger impact on the plot, but not many.

3 Locke Confronts Jack At The Radio Tower

Locke Thinks Everyone Will Die If Jack s The Boat

Locke's confrontation with Jack at the radio tower in Lost season 3 is not only incredibly suspenseful, but also hugely significant to the plot. After nearly being killed by Ben, Locke manages to make his way to the radio tower where he pleads with Jack not to the boat, as he believes it will lead to the deaths of everyone on the island. At this point in the show, fans are forced to choose which one of them they think is right, as it's unclear who exactly is on the boat and why they are there.

Further, both Jack and Locke have been wrong about things enough that it's easy to imagine either one of them being wrong in this instance. To add to the suspense created by the radio controversy, Locke also threatens to kill Jack, making the audience wonder if this might finally be the last showdown between Locke and Jack. Jack ultimately s the boat, leading to a string of events that end with the Oceanic Six making it off the island, but there are dire consequences as Locke suggested, making this a monumental moment for the iconic duo.

2 Jack And Locke Blow Open The Hatch

Jack And Locke Use Dynamite To Blow The Door Off Its Hinges

One of the first big mysteries in Lost is the Hatch, so when Jack and Locke finally manage to open it with dynamite from Rousseau's ship, it's incredibly gratifying for viewers. This is also one of the best examples of Locke and Jack working together toward a common goal. Locke and Jack have extremely different skillsets that complement each other nicely on the rare occasions they work together, making it satisfying when they manage to bust open the Hatch, even if it only leads to more controversy.

Opening the Hatch also proves to be a monumental event in the show, as it leads to a plethora of new storylines and characters, including Desmond and the introduction of the DHARMA initiative. The Hatch turns out to be something of a Pandora's Box for Lost, as things only get more complicated and intriguing from this point on. So, while this is a crucial event that's incredibly entertaining to watch, there is one Jack and Locke moment in Lost that's even better than this one.

1 Jack And Locke Clash Over Entering The Numbers

Jack Tries To Stop Locke From Entering The Numbers

In one of Lost's peak moments, Jack's frustration with Locke boils over, and he threatens to let the timer expire without entering the numbers if Locke doesn't let him stop Sayid from torturing their captive. This leads to a tense exchange that is layered with levels of suspense and intrigue. In this scene, it feels like anything from Jack shooting Locke to the Hatch exploding with everyone inside could happen, making this one of the best pieces of dramatic tension in the entire series.

This argument represents Lost at the top of its game, and while Jack and Locke have some other incredibly entertaining scenes together, none of them can compete with this one. The combination of dramatic tension and high stakes make it impossible to look away from this scene, and the masterful production makes the suspense palpable. Further, the Hatch argument perfectly encapsulates the "man of faith" versus the "man of science" conflict that defines Jack and Locke's relationship for most of Lost.