Boone Carlyle was a middle section survivor of Oceanic Flight 815, and Shannon's stepbrother. Before the crash, he had been used by Shannon for money and, as a result of this, his love for her was revealed and they had a one-night stand. Throughout his time on the Island, Boone would spend a lot of his time with Shannon before finally getting over his love for her and letting her go. He later became Locke's apprentice when the two discovered the Hatch and formed a close bond. Unable to open it, they followed a dream Locke had and found a plane sitting on a cliff. Boone climbed up into the plane but suffered severe injuries when the plane fell to the ground. Despite Jack's best attempts to save him, Boone realized he was going to die and told Jack to let him go. After Boone's death, Locke described him as a "sacrifice the Island demanded."

In the flash-sideways, Boone was reunited with his stepsister, Shannon, and, along with their friends from the Island, they moved on.

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Before the crash

Childhood

Boone Carlyle was the son of Sabrina Carlyle and stepson of Adam Rutherford. The two married when he was ten, and Shannon Rutherford, two years his junior, became his step-sister. His parents frequently left him with a nanny when he was young, and Boone, angry at being left alone, called her to his room repeatedly without cause. During one of these calls, when Boone was six, the nanny fell and broke her neck. ("Deus Ex Machina") ("Abandoned")

At some point in his teens, Boone worked as a lifeguard. According to Shannon, he didn't believe in guns and marched in protests as a “liberal.” He denied this, likely embarrassed. ("Pilot, Part 1") ("Pilot, Part 2")

Supporting Shannon

By the time he had turned 20, Boone was living in New York. After flying back to Los Angeles for Adam Rutherford's funeral, Boone comforted Shannon and gave his underage stepsister some alcohol to mollify her grief. He told Shannon she could live with him in New York if it would help get her career as a dance instructor started. After Shannon got the job, Boone was then offered a job by his mother. He accepted the job as the Chief Operating Officer of the wedding clothing subsidiary of his mother's company and had to move from New York. Shannon had asked him to ask his mother for some money, but he came back empty-handed. He said that his mother knew why he asked for the money. Boone then offered Shannon some of his own money to get her started in New York without him, but she refused because she wanted to prove herself. ("Abandoned")

Being conned

Although he would not openly admit it to anyone, Boone was in love with Shannon and often rescued her from abusive relationships by paying off her many suitors. While he was at a tennis court with Nicole (who may or may not have been his girlfriend), Boone received a phone call from Shannon pleading for him to come and help her. She was living with a man named Bryan in Sydney, and she told Boone things weren't so good. Boone flew to Australia and, although she initially denied there was anything wrong, Shannon showed him a bruise on her forehead discreetly, as Bryan kicked Boone out of their house. He went to the police station, and, while talking to the detective, Boone saw Sawyer being hauled off to be deported after being interrogated, not knowing that the next day both of their lives would change forever. Boone pleaded with Malcolm to help and even tried to use his family name to gain leverage. However, Malcolm was unwilling to help because Boone and Shannon were not blood-related, and joked that they (the cops) were not the "dating police." Boone decided to take matters into his own hands.

In the past, he had paid at least three men to leave Shannon, so he went to a marina where Bryan was working and gave him a check for $50,000, and made him promise never to see Shannon again. Later, when Boone went to Shannon's house to take her back home to America, Bryan was still there. When Boone confronted him, Bryan said, because of what Sabrina Carlyle had done to her, Shannon had set Boone up knowing he would pay Bryan off, and then he and she would share the money. Boone then attacked Bryan, but Bryan won the fight and Boone left the house embarrassed. That night, Shannon appeared at Boone's hotel room and told him Bryan had left her and taken all of the money. Intoxicated, she seduced Boone, and they had sex. Afterwards, Shannon suggested they return to Los Angeles and act like nothing had happened, leaving Boone feeling very confused and dejected. ("Hearts and Minds")

Flight 815

At the Sydney Airport, Boone attempted to upgrade their seats to first class. When he told Shannon the agent wouldn't upgrade it because Shannon had been difficult during check-in, she stormed off to try again. In response to Boone questioning how immoral she could be, she notified an airport cop that "some Arab guy" had left a suspicious bag in the waiting area, trying to prove herself. ("Exodus, Part 1")

Boone took Shannon to the food court to relax before the plane took off, however, Shannon continued to yell at him about not getting the upgrade to First Class. Boone found a table next to Paulo and Nikki, and asked Paulo if they could borrow a chair. Before he could sit down, Shannon stormed off and told him to "stop flirting with random guys," and Boone followed her out of the food court. ("Exposé")

After boarding Flight 815, Boone sat in Business Class seat of 9E, next to Shannon. While in their seats, Shannon searched for her asthma medicine that she forgot to pack. Boone, who remembered to bring it for her, smiled, pulled the medicine out of his pocket, and handed it to her. ("Exodus, Part 3")



On the Island

Days 1-42 (Season 1)

After the crash of Flight 815, Boone helped Jack in getting many of the passengers away from the exploding wreckage. While he was willing to help, Boone did several things wrong in the panic of the moment. He incorrectly applied CPR to Rose, blowing air into her stomach, before Jack stopped him and sent him to get pens to perform a tracheotomy. He then ran around asking other survivors (including Nikki - who seemed utterly perplexed by his request) for pens and retrieved a large amount of them which Jack never used. Later that day Boone offered Shannon a chocolate bar, and she refused, saying she would eat something better on the rescue boat. Eager to redeem himself from his earlier mistakes, Boone was put in charge of watching the injured survivors while Jack set out to the cockpit. ("Pilot, Part 1"), ("Exposé")

The next day, he went out with Sayid, Kate, Charlie, Shannon and Sawyer to get to high ground and send out a distress call. They were walking through the jungle when a polar bear charged at them. Sawyer shot and killed it, and they were left to ponder where it could have possibly come from. They were ultimately unsuccessful in acquiring a signal, as all channels were blocked by a distress signal that had been repeating for sixteen years. ("Pilot, Part 2")

They made camp for the night on their way back down from the mountain, and while everyone was sleeping Boone lifted the gun off Sawyer. When everyone asks why he did so, he said somebody needed to stand guard with the gun. The group gave the gun to Kate, thinking she was trustworthy. ("Tabula Rasa")

Boone argued with Shannon, telling her she could not provide for herself. This prompted her to flirt with Charlie so he would catch a fish for her. When Charlie returned with a fish, Boone accused her of being too manipulative. That night, Boone and Hurley helped with Claire's memorial service for those who did not survive the crash. ("Walkabout")

On day 6, Boone saw Joanna struggling to stay afloat in the ocean. He was the first one to enter the water in an attempt to save her but soon was pulled underwater by the same riptide. Jack, who entered the water shortly after Boone, saved him but was unable to get back in time to save Joanna. Boone was despondent and bitter, blaming himself for Joanna's death. He grew angry at Jack for going after him rather than Joanna. He tried to establish himself as useful and attempted to ration the camp's remaining water supply on his own. The other survivors mistook this as an attempt to steal all the water for himself and caught him when he tried to give it to a sick Claire. He was about to be attacked and harmed when Jack intervened on his behalf. ("White Rabbit")

When Jack attempted to persuade the rest of the survivors to move to the caves he discovered, Boone and Shannon decided to stay at the beach camp with Kate, Sawyer, Sayid, Michael, Walt and others as they believed there was a possibility they might still be rescued. ("House of the Rising Sun")

While he was treated as an outsider for a brief time, he was quickly accepted back into the fold after he proved himself to have a helpful and friendly attitude after all. He assisted the survivors on several projects, including Sayid's attempts to triangulate the French signal, and rescuing Jack from the cave-in. ("The Moth")

After Shannon's inhaler ran out, Boone went looking for her replacements in Sawyer's stash. Sawyer beat Boone for going through his stuff, and Boone ran to the caves to tell Jack and the other survivors what Sawyer had done. It later turned out Sawyer did not have the medicine, but Sun was able to help Shannon using some plants native to the Island. ("Confidence Man")

When Hurley built a golf course, Boone encouraged Shannon to come with him to see Jack, Hurley, Michael and Charlie play. At the game, Boone bet against Sawyer for two bottles of sunscreen for Shannon. ("Solitary")

When Hurley tried to take an island census, Boone informed him that Sawyer had the flight manifest. When he asked Hurley why he was making the census, Hurley told him about the attack on Claire at the caves. Shannon then refused to move there, to Boone's dismay. ("Raised by Another")

Boone was a part of the search party that went looking for Claire after she was taken by Ethan. Boone and Locke split up from Jack and Kate and began to form a bond. They talked of their lives before the crash, but Boone did not believe Locke had worked at a box company. When Locke threw a flashlight to Boone, it fell on top of a hatch buried in the ground. ("All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues")

Boone worked with Locke to break into the Hatch, stealing the axe to break the glass, and even lying to Shannon, at Locke's request, about what he was doing. Because he was away from the beach so much, Shannon started to form a relationship with Sayid, which Boone grew jealous of, especially when Shannon sang for Sayid. ("Whatever the Case May Be")

Locke built a trebuchet to open the Hatch but that ultimately failed. Boone told Locke the survivors were getting suspicious since they were not bringing back boar, but Locke replied, "What we're doing here is far more important." As Boone regularly went on hunting trips with Locke into the jungle, Locke began to notice his feelings toward Shannon. Boone eventually told Locke that he wanted to tell Shannon what they were doing. Soon after he said this, he knocked Boone out, drugged him, and tied him up to a tree 4 miles east of camp. While tied up, Boone experienced a hallucination of being chased by the Monster and finding Shannon dead.

He eventually found his way back to camp and attempted to kill Locke for causing his sister's death. When Boone told Locke that Shannon had died in his arms, Locke asked Boone why there was no blood on him. Boone realized the entire thing was a hallucination, and when Locke asked Boone how he felt when Shannon died, Boone couldn't help but give the honest answer that he felt relieved. The experience helped Boone learn to let go of Shannon, and become more devoted to "listening to the Island" with Locke. ("Hearts and Minds")

When Michael and Walt fought on day 25, Walt found refuge with Boone and Locke, who taught the boy how to throw a knife. Later that day at the caves, Boone shrugged off a nagging Shannon, and, instead of helping her, went off with Locke to find Walt's missing dog, Vincent. However, Boone and Locke stumbled upon Claire instead. ("Special")

Knowing Ethan would return for Claire, the survivors decided to have some people take shifts to act as guards all day and night. Boone volunteered to be one, but Scott was still killed when Ethan attacked coming not from the jungle but from the ocean. ("Homecoming")

After Charlie killed Ethan in a failed capture, things began to cool down on the Island. Sayid came to Boone to explain that he and Shannon were drawing closer. Boone became aggressive, and Sayid told him he was not asking Boone's permission. Boone told Sayid that Shannon had a thing for "guys who can take care of her" and would leave him eventually. ("...In Translation")

On day 40, Locke took Boone to the Beechcraft he had seen in a dream. On the way there, Locke confided in Boone about his paralysis and healing. Because Locke was having difficulty walking, he told Boone to climb into the plane to investigate.

Boone discovered the Beechcraft was really a Nigerian drug runner plane when he found a number of Virgin Mary statuettes all filled with heroin. He tried the plane's radio and briefly made contact with someone who claimed to be a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815. The plane fell with Boone still inside, and he was crushed. Locke carried him back to the caves, where Jack asked him what had happened. Locke said Boone had fallen off a cliff, then left for The Hatch. ("Deus Ex Machina")

Jack, with the aid of Sun, battled desperately to save Boone, even giving him some of his own blood in a transfusion, but Jack could not save him. He realized Boone's leg was compartmentalizing the blood and attempted to cut it off, but Boone stopped him, not wanting Jack to use all of the survivors' medical supplies fighting to keep him alive. Boone died a few moments later. His last words were "Tell Shannon...tell her..." He died before he could complete his last phrase. ("Do No Harm")

Post-death

Boone's death coincided with the birth of Aaron Littleton to Claire. As Claire brought her newborn son back to the beach, Sayid and Shannon returned from their romantic day together at a stretch further down the beach. Against the backdrop of the joy of Claire's newborn, Jack was forced to deliver the heartbreaking news to Shannon that her brother had died. ("Do No Harm")

Boone's death was felt by the entire camp - especially Shannon. She seemed unable to cope with his death and sat with his corpse in the caves. Later that day, Boone was buried along with the other deceased survivors in the graveyard. When Shannon was unable to speak at his funeral, Sayid did instead. When Locke showed up, Jack attacked him for causing Boone's death. However, it would be Shannon who attempted to avenge her brother's death as she held Locke at gunpoint in a confrontation. She pulled the trigger, but was prevented from hurting Locke by Sayid as he pushed her out of the way - this seemed to dampen their blossoming relationship. ("The Greater Good")

Shannon became increasingly more unable to cope and refused to let go of her brother's memory, even going as far as to drag both their suitcases to the caves during the first exodus of the beach camp. She was aided by Sayid, and their relationship seemed to repair itself as he allowed her to grieve. As the raft prepared to sail, Walt gave Shannon custody of Vincent to help make her feel better after the loss of Boone. ("Exodus, Part 1")

Locke revealed to Desmond that he had felt extremely guilty because he had been a great influence on Boone, and this had eventually resulted in his death. ("Live Together, Die Alone, Part 2")

Twenty-seven days after Boone's death, Locke was in search of further instructions from the island. He set up a sweat lodge and consumed some of the same paste he had put on Boone earlier in their stay on the island. It seemed as though nothing was going to happen until Boone appeared beside John in the sweat lodge.

When Locke tried to apologize to Boone, the latter acknowledged (with a hint of sarcasm) that he was a “sacrifice the Island demanded,” something Locke had repeatedly described him as. Boone attempted to lead Locke away, but John discovered that he had lost the use of his legs. Boone put him in a wheelchair.

Boone led John around Sydney Airport and warned him that it was up to him to save another survivor's life. Locke saw Charlie and Claire. Boone responded they were "fine... for a while" (hinting at Desmond's later premonition of Charlie's imminent death). Locke saw Jin and Sun arguing, but Boone assured him that Sayid would lead them to safety and that Hurley and Desmond would be fine as well. After John saw Jack, Kate, and Sawyer being accosted by Henry, Boone told him that he must clean up his own mess before he could help them. Boone, realizing John wouldn't comprehend on his own, led Locke to the top of the escalator. There, John found Eko's stick, covered with blood. Boone, now pale and bloody as he was when he died, told Locke to save Eko before it was too late. ("Further Instructions")

According to the fabricated story of the Oceanic Six, Boone was one of the three people who survived the initial crash but died before rescue. According to Jack, Boone suffered extensive internal injuries and died soon after the crash. ("There's No Place Like Home, Part 1")

During the Island's increasingly frequent time-shifting, the survivors returned to the night of Boone's death, and Locke witnessed the lighting of the hatch. He then explained to Sawyer why he had been banging on the hatch, and he then exclaimed that Boone's death, and the person he was, helped him get to where he is now. ("The Little Prince")

Just beyond the opening of the Cliffside cave is a room in which Jacob had written the last names of several candidates on the walls and ceiling, and a number preceding each one. When the wall is first seen, all of the names and numbers are crossed out except for those preceded by one of The Numbers. The Man in Black explained that each name is the name of a candidate. Boone's surname, Carlyle, is crossed out. According to it, Boone's number is 226.

Flash sideways

During the flight, Boone talked to John Locke, who claimed to have recently had a walkabout. The idea of a walkabout fascinated Boone, and he told Locke that, in case of a crash, he would stick by him. Boone told Locke about his trip to Australia, where his sister was in a relationship. He claimed that his sister wanted out of the relationship, but when he arrived, she did not want to leave with him. After the plane landed in LAX, Boone said goodbye to Locke and shook his hand. ("LA X, Part 1")



Boone greets Jack in the Afterlife. (" The End ")

A few weeks after the flight, Boone somehow remembered his old life and made contact with Hurley. He later "rescued" Shannon from a bar and got into a fight in the adjacent alley, though the fight was set up by Boone and Hurley to have Shannon rescued by Sayid. He then observed with Hurley as she met Sayid and remembered her former life. During this time, Boone told Hurley how difficult it was to get her back from Australia.

Boone later went to the church where all the Flight 815 survivors reunited. He hugged Jack, giving him closure for failing to save him on the Island. He later "moved on" with the rest of his friends, sitting to the right of Juliet and Sawyer. ("The End")

Trivia

Unanswered questions

Unanswered questions Do not answer the questions here. Keep the questions open-ended and neutral: do not suggest an answer. More details...

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Boone Carlyle/Theories

What awoke him after death?

See also