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Future

Walt as future leader

Theory 1: Locke, Ben, and Walt share the features of the "special" person who is chosen to lead the Island by the Others.

Evidence:

• Walt, Locke, and Ben share many characteristics: bad fathers, troubled home lives, raised without mothers, both born off island and contacted/observed as young children by Richard, love the Island, contacted by the Others as children, and all capable of special insights into the Island's working.
• These commonalities may imply the (necessary?) characteristics of the leaders the Others chose to lead them, and could have implications for Walt.
• The Others only have a rough approximation and a few clues who the "special" people are, and thus rely on clues (i.e. the similarities shared by Locke and Ben, the test Alpert gives Locke as a boy, and the tests the Others ran on Walt (blood tests, etc.)) to find them.
• Walt is to Locke as Ben is to Richard.
• Like Locke (the picture he drew of the Monster as a boy) and Ben ("I always have a plan"; "I used to have dreams, too"), the Island communicates with Walt, giving him visions of the future in his dreams that influence his behavior (i.e. burning the escape raft) to make certain events occur. Like them, he also did not want to leave the Island.
• Ben said that the Others would never give back Walt, presumably because he is so special. When they finally have to, it is not inconceivable that they also have a plan for ultimately getting them back, especially after Michael is dead - though his grandma seems like a tough customer in There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3.
  • The fact that they gave him back despite of what Ben said might be an evidence that he is not what they were looking for.
  • Ms. Klugh asks Michael has Walt ever appeared somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. This is a direct reference to his special ability (whether controlled or uncontrollable) to appear to various Losties on the Island.
• Walt and Locke are special because they are the only two people (besides Ben and Jacob) that know that they are not supposed to leave the Island.
  • Rose knows too (in a way). She also knows how special the island is, and Eko knows too.
• Now that Locke is dead There's No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3, Walt might be the candidate to replace him, and thus one of the Losties who "has to go back" according to Ben. In the end, the Others may have thought Locke was their chosen one, but it turns out it was one of the other Losties who had bad fathers, troubled home lives, raised without mothers. Possible candidates who meet at least some of these criteria are: Jack, Kate, Sawyer, Hurley, or of course Ben again.

Status

• Walt made it off the Island. What John saw was an illusion/mental projection created by Jacob or The Monster. The vision gave Locke strength not to give up his life, but continue to live for some great purpose.
  • Cuse was quoted in an Entertainment Weekly article that "...there's a circularity to the way the story of Michael and Walt is going to unfold in the overall mythology, and that is a long-planned approach."

Rescue Boat Call Scene

• Walt did not tell Locke anything new, after his scene ended, that would lead Locke to believe that he must stop Naomi from making the call. Walt only told him that Naomi is about to get them rescued off the Island, and Locke already knew that he must stop them. Locke already knows that they're "not supposed to" be rescued.
  • From the moment they crashed on the Island, Locke has known that the Island is their destiny and there is no other life for them (much like the psychic told Claire regarding Aaron). This is why he has been destroying every means of getting off the Island (i.e. condoning Walt's burning the raft, blowing up the submarine, and knocking out Sayid before he was able to locate the source of Rousseau's distress signal). Locke already knows that they're "not supposed to" be rescued. All Walt had to tell him was that Naomi was about to make the call, and Locke already knew he had to stop her.
  • Eventually Locke will fail at these attempts, and they will be rescued (just as Desmond eventually failed at his attempts to save Charlie).
    • This doesn't follow. Desmond failed at his attempts to save Charlie because Charlie was "meant" to die. If it is true, as Locke believes, that they are meant to stay on the Island, then they will stay. If it weren't for the fact that _at least_ Jack and Kate leave, it would seem that they are all destined to stay there, and that there is nothing they can do about it.
      • Locke may know that they are "not supposed to leave" but that doesn't mean they aren't going to - hence the Oceanic Six.

Monster

• Walt is just another projection that the Monster (maybe Jacob) used to move things along. He knows that only by saving Locke and manipulating him to perhaps convince Jack not to save the Losties--and, in effect, killing them and raising the possibility that the Island will be discovered and thereby tainted--can the Island be kept whole. This is substantiated by Ben's insistence that everything he did he did for the "island." Which is Jacob, the manifestation of the power of the Island.
  • But Ben also worked against Jacob (i.e. the Island) when he tried to kill Locke. Or maybe he just didn't want anyone else to be able to see and talk to Jacob.
  • If Jacob was going to show Walt to Locke, surely he wouldn't have shown an aged Walt - he'd show Walt as he looked when leaving the Island. This would ensure Locke actually recognized him. The Walt that Locke sees is actually Walt, and he has aged at an accelerated pace, in much the same way as Ben seems to (e.g. compared to Richard Alpert).
    • The actor who plays Walt is going to age, however they wanted him to still appear relatively young (hence the over-sized clothing and the frequent face close ups.) I don't think his rapid aging after being off the Island for only about a month (show time) is relevant.
      • If it wasn't, Locke wouldn't have mentioned that it was "Walt... only taller."
    • In reality Malcolm David Kelley, who plays Walt, is 14 years old. In the show, Walt is supposed to be 10 years old. This explains the rapid aging, it has nothing to do with events inside the plot.
  • When Walt appeared to John, he was just a manifestation of the Island. Therefore it is the Island that is asking Locke to help. As we know Locke has "some sort of communion with the Island."
    • This explains why Jacob said, "Help me." Jacob is the Island. And since he knew that Jack and Naomi were trying to get rescued, he needed John's help to save the Island--to save him.
      • This would also explain why Ben shot Locke because Jacob asked Locke not Ben and this is why Jacob either brings Walt or a manifestation of Walt to help him.
        • Locke got Walt to create the Monster, which in turn created a double of Walt to help Locke.
• The writers gave us subtle proof that Walt was a manifestation of the Island or of Locke's imagination. Walt always called Locke, "Mr. Locke" but when Walt appeared to Locke in "Through the Looking Glass" he called him "John."
  • In that case it would probably be the former, since Locke would probably imagine Walt calling him by what he always did, "Mr. Locke".
• Walt is not Smoke Monster. Bea Klugh asked Michael if Walt was ever somewhere he shouldn't have been, and Michael was caught off-guard by the question, showing us that Walt has (at least) the ability to manifest himself away from his current physical location.
  • Actually the producers confirmed in a recent podcast that Walt's appearance on the Island has been part apparition, part monster.

Captivity

• There may be some connection between Walt's strange powers and Aaron. Aaron is shown crying immediately after Charlie dies. While this may just be a coincidence, or just a factor of a miserable trek through the jungle, there could be something special that happens to children brought to or (in a rare case) born on the Island.
  • Neither Alex nor Karl have shown any special abilities like Aaron did. Alex was definitely born on the Island. It is unknown whether Karl was born on the Island or brought there after his birth.
    • It is possible Alex was not born on the Island. We know nothing concrete of Rousseau's past, only what she has told us. And almost every one of the characters has had a reason (or two) to lie about their past.
• Walt may have been taken to the Barracks and saw the Others without their disguises, because he told Michael that the Others are 'not what they seem' and 'they pretend'.
• He and Michael were directed to the second island, where they are still captive.
• Escaped from Hydra Island by swimming, explaining why he always appeared wet.

Ability

• Walt may have a strange ability that allows him to project himself back through time from 2007 to 2004 to give Locke a mission. (Perhaps at the request of Jack, who wants to undo the chain of events that led to him leaving the Island)
• Walt had 'special powers' (we know this because when he was in Australia with his mother, he 'summoned' a bird he was looking at in a book), so it would make sense for Jacob to have him near, as it appears The Others are looking for 'special' people, like Locke.
• He and Aaron represent "light" and "dark" pawns in a struggle between two sides, as metaphorically suggested by Locke during the backgammon game.
• Much of the apparent psychic ability Walt has displayed while on the Island may stem from his reading of the Green Lantern comic book. Inspired by this, Walt may be the so-called "the magic box". Walt summoned the polar bear after seeing it in his comic book. Walt has the power to make his wishes appear. This might be why the Others wanted him.
  • It is Vincent, not Walt, that has psychic powers: when something "strange" happens to or around Walt, Vincent is with him (the bird in the flashback, throwing the knife, etc.); when Walt appears to Shannon, she's taking care of Vincent (Vincent also finds the DHARMA van and knows Nikki and Paulo are still alive).
    • Except in the Missing Pieces, there is a pile of dead birds outside the window to Room 23 when Walt is in it. Room 23 is on Hydra Island. Vincent is still on the main island at this time.
• In addition to animal empathy, Walt may possess the ability to manipulate probabilities.
  • When playing backgammon, he always gets the exact rolls he needs to move ahead in the game.
  • During an argument with Walt about finding a missing Vincent, Michael says, "I'm going to get your dog back as soon as it stops raining." Walt looks out from under the shrapnel that was covering them, and almost instantly, the rain stops.
• When Ms. Klugh is questioning Michael, she asks him, "Did Walt ever appear in a place where he was not supposed to be?" Michael does not understand what she is asking, so she clarifies, "You say he was halfway around the world, but... did you see him?" She could be suggesting that Walt can project his image across great distances (as in the paranormal phenomenon of astral projection). The Others may know that he appeared to Shannon and Sayid.
• Walt may be capable of teleporting himself across space and time, like Richard Alpert, hence he was teleporting himself to Shannon in order to warn her of the danger she was about to face, or indeed to cause her death.
• Walt used his powers to teleport into a room with a computer, allowing him to contact Michael. It is this incident that alerted the Others to his potential danger to them.
  • Walt didn't use the computer to contact Michael, it was the Others using it to lead him into their trap while watching from the Pearl.
    • It may have been Walt who contacted Michael at first. The Others caught him doing that and decided it to use it to their advantage and get Michael there.
• In "Special", Walt's ability to see with his mind's eye is a sign of the artistic vision he received from his father.
• Walt will return in season 4, but will have aged (as in real life) approximately three years. This will be explained by time moving slower on the Island.
• Walt's powers may be, in essence, a "younger version" of the same abilities that Desmond has.
  • Another possibility is that Walt's abilities pertain to the concept of "space" (being in multiple places at once, manipulating physical elements such as backgammon dice and weather) and Desmond's pertain to "time" (crossing from present to past, seeing future events and thus having the capacity to alter the "direction" in which time flows).
  • He could also be the opposite of Desmond in the sense that Desmond sees the future and attempts to stop it, Walt could be in the future and tells Shannon "They're coming ad they're close" referring to Ana Lucia in an attempt to stop it from happening unforunately it didn't work or the "Universe changed" in accordance with what Desmond was told when he went back into the past. This also agrees with Walt telling Locke that "He has work to do", this meant that he had to stop Naomi and Jack, however Jack called his bluff and once again the universe "Corrected itself" much in the same way Desmond tried to save Charlie only that Walt is trying to do it from the future.(If any of you watch Heroes its a bit like Hiro trying to stop the bomb going off).
• Walt is actually Jacob
  • Not likely- Jacob appears to be an old man.
    • If this is linked to the above theory, though...
• Walt appeared to Locke to change the past. He comes from the future which we know from Jack's flash-forward, in which somebody dies, probably Michael, because the lostaway returned which is connected to his death. In order to change this event, Walt trys to hold all of them on the Island. Because of that he is older.
• Walt's special powers were passed on to him from his mother Susan Lloyd who came from the Island, originally a slave on the Black Rock. She died of an unspecified "blood disorder." Alvar Hanso (who is also theorized to have come from the Island via the Black Rock) had something unusual about his blood, something that would cause "heart problems" (according to The Lost Experience). Hanso was reported to be "older than he looked" suggesting unnaturally long life, if not immortality, presumably a result of living on the Island. This longevity is manifested in a blood anomaly or "disorder" that can cause death when islanders leave the Island. Passed on to Walt off the Island, the anomaly is the cause of his special abilities.
• Walt's special power is somehow related to birds.
• Walt is "special" because his body and mind both travel time as opposed to Desmond who has only traveled with his mind.
• Walt has some influence/control over electromagnetic fields. This is why the bird runs into the window because migrating birds use magnetic fields for navigation. Walt may be able to be in two places much like the bunnies in the Orchid orientation film.
  • Walt's control over electromagnetic fields allows him to transport both his mind and his image between time periods. He must use a constant to do this. Several constants still exist on the Island for Walt. The most obvious one is Vincent - which explains why he appeared to Shannon, who was caring for Vincent. However, his connection to Locke also allowed him to appear to Locke as well.
  • When he appeared to Shannon (before she died), he seemed to be frantic, trying to warn Shannon of her death. He was still going back in time when he was talking to Shannon which explains why he was talking backwards.
• Walt's abilities will be instrumental in getting the O6 back to the Island in season 5.
• Walt is Matthew Abaddon. First of all, Abaddon refers to Locke in the flashback as "Mr. Locke", just like Walt. He also convinces Locke to take the walkabout, seeming like he will know what will happen. Abaddon also says he took a walkabout once, and this could be a reference to the Island.
• In "Tabula Rasa" when Michael exclaims that he will search for the dog when it stops raining, Walt makes the rain cease.

Misc

• Michael did not actually use the computer physically to communicate with Walt. The computer tapped into Michael's mind somehow, or vice versa.
  • The producers stated on the promo for 'Secrets of Lost' (Blue-Ray special feature), that it indeed was Walt, who Michael was talking to. However, they didn't say if Walt did is physically, or telepathically.
• Walt will meet up and talk with the oceanic six. He will become a major character again in the "2006-2008" time line of the show. Malcolm David Kelley's current age will match up correctly to the future timeline.--Jbaltiero 14:49, 6 May 2008 (PDT)
• He must go back with the rest of the Oceanic 6 because he was on the plane too.
• Michael, Walt's father, much like Aaron's father was/is an artist or painter who wasn't around much or at all for the childhood of either Walt or Aaron. They are both "special" and require some kind of special attention. There may be some link, especially because Backgammon/Light Vs. Dark is such a common theme, and Walt and Aaron could represent a potential battle between the two forces.

Pop Culture Reference

• Walt's character, a child with special powers in the midst of a strange situation, could be a reference to the literary work of Stephen King, who often centers his stories around similar "special" children, such as in the Shining, Carrie, and Firestarter.

Room 23 (Walt)

• Walt has a unique condition that allows him to "tap into" The Island's power(s)
• When we first see walt use his powers his kills a small bird, when he kills alot more whilst being in room 23 his power has grown vastly and is able to do alot more.