Charles Widmore
From Lostpedia
Portrayed by Alan Dale
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- "Widmore" redirects here. For other uses of "Widmore", see: Widmore (disambiguation).
Charles Widmore is a wealthy industrialist and the father of Penelope. He has a long-running and mysterious rivalry with Ben Linus over control of the Island. The expedition of the freighter Kahana failed to return the Island to his control. For reasons unknown, Ben cannot kill Widmore even given the opportunity.
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Relationship with Desmond
Charles, an executive at Widmore Industries, offered Desmond Hume a job, which Desmond declined, saying all he wanted was Widmore's daughter's hand in marriage. Charles did not give him permission, stating that Desmond would "never be a great man". ("Flashes Before Your Eyes")
In 1996, Widmore purchased the journal of the first mate of the Black Rock, a 19th century British slave ship, at a Southfield's auction. Desmond found him at the auction, demanding to know Penny's new contact information. Widmore asserted that it was Desmond's cowardice that separated Desmond from Penny. Desmond asked why Widmore hated him; Widmore retorted that it wasn't he who hated Desmond. He then gave Desmond Penny's address. ("The Constant")
Widmore's disapproval of his daughter's relationship with Hume led to his interception of letters that Desmond wrote to Penelope while serving time in a military prison. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Widmore attempted to bribe Desmond to cease the relationship and never see Penelope again. He sponsors the sailing race around the world that Desmond, in an attempt to regain his honor, was participating in when he crashed onto the Island. ("Live Together, Die Alone")
Search for the Island
As seen in a video tape, Widmore brutally beat a blindfolded, unnamed Other, purportedly in his efforts to extract information about the location of the Island. ("The Other Woman")
According to documentary evidence Tom presented Michael, Widmore had purchased a Boeing 777 fuselage and disinterred 324 graves in Thailand to create staged wreckage of Oceanic Flight 815 in the Sunda Trench. ("Meet Kevin Johnson")
Widmore sent the Kahana to find the Island, hiring Captain Gault to head up the expedition.
After the rescue of the Oceanic Six
Widmore was apparently unsuccessful with the Kahana expedition. Sometime after the Oceanic Six were rescued, Widmore was confronted by Ben in his London penthouse. Widmore looked terrible, and when asked by Ben when he started "sleeping with a bottle of whisky beside him", he replied "When the nightmares started." The two argued about who was responsible for the death of Alex. Widmore claimed the Island was stolen from him. Ben threatened to kill Widmore's daughter, Penelope, whom Widmore had somehow hidden from Ben, and asserted that Widmore would never find the Island. Widmore mused that the hunt was on... for both of them. ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Trivia
- In Homer's Odyssey, Poseidon was the God of the Sea. He hated Odysseus and used his powers over the ocean to hinder Odysseus' attempts at returning to Penelope, his wife. Charles Widmore does not want Desmond to be with Penelope, and "controls the sea" with his freighter, Kahana, which resides off the coast of the island. It's possible that Charles Widmore is a Poseidon figure in that he controls the sea around the island and is hindering Desmond's attempts to be with Penelope.
- Widmore owns a chauffeured Bentley Arnage limousine.
- He owns the Widmore Corporation, manufacturer of the pregnancy tests used by Sun, Kate and Rachel. "Widmore Corporation" is also written on Henry Gale's hot air balloon basket and on a billboard when Charlie is walking out of a scene in "Fire + Water".
- May have some connection to a Widmore character in Bad Twin.
- Charles is of Old German origin, and its meaning is "free man". From "karl", similar to Old English "churl", meaning "man, serf".
- When Desmond is interviewed in the office of Charles Widmore, there is a picture of a polar bear and an image of a Buddha on the wall. On the top of the picture, the word "Namaste" appears.
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Charles Widmore/Theories
- What is his connection to the Island and how much does he know about it?
- How did he know that Flight 815 crashed on the Island?
- Why did he buy the Black Rock ledger?
- Does he know that Desmond is on the Island?
- What are the "rules" in his conflict with Ben, and how did killing Alex change them?
- Why can't Ben kill him?
- Why is he having nightmares?
- Where did he hide Penny?
- As his orders on the ship are given in Dharma branded folders, how is he linked to the initiative?
See also
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prominent members | Daniel Faraday • Kevin Johnson • Martin Keamy • Frank Lapidus • Charlotte Lewis • Miles Straume | |||
| Minor members | Freighter mercenaries • Hendricks • Jeff • Omar | |||
| Deceased members | Brandon • Captain Gault • Mayhew • Naomi Dorrit • George Minkowski • Ray • Regina | |||
| Associated characters | Matthew Abaddon • Charles Widmore | |||
| Items | Black box • Desmond's photograph • Satellite phone • Daniel's beacon • Payload • Gas masks • Helicopter • Daniel's journal • Daniel's machine • Calendar • Daniel's map • Keamy's device | |||
| See also: Freighter | ||||
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centric episodes | "Live Together, Die Alone" • "Flashes Before Your Eyes" • "Catch-22" • "The Constant" | |||
| Flashback characters | Auctioneer • Bartender • Billy • Brother Campbell • Marvin Candle • Delivery man • Derek • Donovan • Eloise • Daniel Faraday • Ms. Hawking • Mr. Hollister • Kelvin Joe Inman • Jimmy Lennon • Libby • Man wearing red shoes • Brother Martin • Master Sergeant • Charlie Pace • Partridge • Photographer • Physics student • Receptionist • Ruth • Sergeant • Jack Shephard • Soldier • Suited guard • Charles Widmore • Penelope Widmore • Young man | |||
| Items | Letters (Desmond) • Letter (Penelope) • Lightning Rod • MacCutcheon Whisky • Our Mutual Friend • Photograph • Satellite phone | |||
| See also: Main Characters | ||||
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centric episodes | "The Man Behind the Curtain" • "The Shape of Things to Come" | |||
| Mobisodes | "King of the Castle" • "Room 23" | |||
| Flashback characters | Richard Alpert • Annie • Marvin Candle • Casey • Dharma Rep. 1 • Horace Goodspeed • June • Olivia Goodspeed • Emily Linus • Roger Linus • Mike • Opal | |||
| Flashforward characters | Bedouins • Ishmael Bakir • Iraqi merchant • London doorman • Sayid Jarrah • Noor "Nadia" Abed Jazeem • Narjiss • Charles Widmore | |||
| Items | Ben's diary • Ben's maps • Ben's painting • Ben's photo • Ben's passports • Ben's tape • Tape recorder • X-ray • DHARMA parka • Telescopic baton | |||
| See also: Main Characters | ||||

