Did the Man in Black know he would lose his powers?

During the finale of Lost, The Man in Black travels with Jack to the Source of the Island's powers in order, in his objective, to destroy the Island and finally get away from it.

However, Jack's plan was to use this opportunity to finally defeat the now-Mortal Man in Black and prevent his departure from the Island.

Did the Man in Black know he would become mortal when the Island's power was removed, and was willing to risk this vulnerability in order to escape, or did he simply have a fatal oversight on his plan?

plot-explanation lost

Best Answer

The Man in Black did not know that he would become mortal; he expected that he would be free from the island but retain his form and powers.

This is made plain by analyzing the scene with Jack and MiB (as Locke) just after they come out of the cave, following Desmond's extinguishing of the heart. Jack tackles Locke and punches him. Locke tastes blood, and the look on his face registers surprise. He then touches the blood and looks at his hand in shock. Jack then smiles, and, with the line that confirms that MiB didn't know, says, "Looks like you were wrong, too!" (and, of course, punches him a few more times).

Here's a screenshot from that scene:

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What did the Man in Black want Lost?

The Man in Black wants Jacob and the candidates dead so he can leave the island, and he wants the devil dead for the curse it had on him.

Why did the Man in Black turn into smoke?

He tried to harness the power of the Light to leave, but his adoptive mother thwarted his plans and killed all the survivors in his village. He, in turn, killed her in a rage. Jacob took revenge by casting him into the Heart of the Island, which transformed him into the Smoke Monster.

What was the big creature in Lost?

In its real form, the Smoke Monster was actually the mysterious Man in Black (Titus Welliver), who may or may not have been the first resident of the island. Audiences weren't given an explanation as to why the Smoke Monster made itself look like John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), even after killing him.

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Images: Saurabh Singh, Annushka Ahuja, Annushka Ahuja, Anete Lusina