The 10 Greatest Anti-Heroes: #10 Benjamin Linus

TV Show: Lost
Actor: Michael Emerson

With every deliberate squint of his barbed-wire blue eyes, former Leader of the Others Benjamin Linus used to command complete control of his tropical kingdom, dropping hints like crumbs while the survivors fumbled helplessly through the foliage looking for answers. Then his daughter was killed, and the Machiavellian Ben died along with her. Easily convinced to murder his mysterious leader, Jacob, Ben now exists in a no-mans land between the forces he formerly perceived as good and evil and is just as confused and terrified as the rest of the ragged, mud-soaked characters. But while he lived before to serve the trinity of Jacob, the Island and Power, he seems to be finding some form of humanizing repentance now, first through his words at Locke’s funeral, “He was a better man than I will ever be, and I’m sorry I killed him,” and then through his actions in his alternate life, giving up his career for a student. As always, however, it’s very difficult to tell; Ben walks the fine line between man and maniac with deceptive ease.

Benjamin Linus Quotes:

“You have to understand: Everything I did, I did for the Island.”

“Those things had to happen to me. That was my destiny. But you’ll understand soon enough that there are consequences to being chosen. Because destiny, John, is a fickle bitch.”

“God doesn’t know how long we’ve been here, John. He can’t see this island any better than the rest of the world can.”

Benjamin Linus Video:

Next: The 10 Greatest Anti-Heroes: #9 Tony Soprano