Who Are The Others In Lost?
Short Answer
The Others in Lost are the island's secret resident society, called Hostiles by DHARMA, who serve Jacob's protector tradition through Richard Alpert, Ben Linus, born members, and recruited outsiders. They matter because they reveal that the island already had politics, religion, enemies, and rules before Oceanic 815 crashed.
Connected Story Threads
Ben turns the Others' protector tradition into a secretive political machine built around fear, lists, and his need to be chosen.
The Others claim authority from Jacob even though most members never meet him directly, which makes interpretation and manipulation possible.
Dharma calls them Hostiles, while the Others see Dharma as an occupying research project violating sacred Island territory.
The Temple shows the Others' ritual side, including healing, judgment, and fear of the Smoke Monster.
Ben leads the Others by mixing real Island knowledge with fear, deception, and claims of access to Jacob.
Direct Answer
The Others in Lost are the Island's secret resident society, called Hostiles by DHARMA, who serve Jacob's protector tradition through Richard Alpert, Ben Linus, born members, and recruited outsiders. They did not all arrive one way: some are long-term Island followers, some come through recruitment, some are born or raised inside the group, and some are absorbed after conflicts such as the Dharma purge. That is why "the others in Lost," "the others on Lost," and "how did the Others get on the Island" all lead to a layered answer rather than a single origin story.
Why It Matters
The Others matter because they turn Lost from a castaway story into a story about an already occupied Island. Their kidnappings, lists, fake village, Temple rituals, fertility crisis, submarine access, and war with DHARMA reveal that Oceanic 815 has entered a society with its own laws, myths, enemies, and moral compromises.
Story Context
Under Ben, the Others become especially morally compromised. Ben uses Jacob's name, Richard's authority, and the group's fear of outsiders to protect the Island while also protecting his own power, which is why the line between protector culture and cult behavior becomes deliberately uncomfortable.
Related Characters, Places, and Concepts
More Questions About The Others
The DHARMA Initiative in Lost is the 1970s research group that built the Swan, Pearl, Orchid, Hydra, Flame, Staff, Tempest, Looking Glass, and other island stations before The Others wiped it out in the Purge. It matters because DHARMA connects the Hatch, the Incident, time travel, and Oceanic 815's crash to Lost's larger island mythology.
Jacob is the Island's long-time protector, the twin brother of the Man in Black, and the person who brings candidates to the Island because he believes flawed people can still choose good.
The Man in Black in Lost is Jacob's unnamed brother, the Smoke Monster's human origin, and the trapped island antagonist; Lost never confirms a personal name for him. He matters because the ending depends on stopping his escape without destroying the island's light.
Ben Linus is the former Dharma child who becomes leader of the Others, using intelligence, fear, and Jacob's name to control the Island while secretly craving approval he never receives.
The Man in Black uses Locke's body because Locke's reputation as a man of faith lets him manipulate Ben, approach Jacob's circle, and exploit Island rules without revealing himself too early.
Ben kills Jacob because years of rejection, Alex's death, and the Man in Black's manipulation turn his loyalty into rage, allowing Jacob's brother to use Ben as the loophole he needs.