2009 Character Cup Finals

UPDATE: This poll will remain open for 2 days.

Congratulations to Sawyer! Though he was the heavy favorite to win it all, he is taking home the bronze medal after holding off a resurgent Desmond.

Sawyer 51% - Desmond 49%

This is it, ladies and gentlemen! We have reached the Finals! Including the consolation match, there have been 191,854 votes cast in this years Character Cup tournament. Those votes have brought us to this moment right here.

Two men are still standing. In one corner we have John Locke- an original Lostie and a juggernaut fan favorite. For much of the series, he has been a driving force in revealing many of the show's mythological elements. In the other corner we have Ben Linus- the brilliant one-time leader of the Others and a likewise fan favorite. Ever since his debut in Season 2, Ben has proven time and again that he is a wily fox and can almost never be trusted.

In many ways, these men are polar opposites. While John Locke was healed of his paralysis by the Island, Ben Linus was given cancer. While Ben trusted almost solely in himself, Locke was a believer of fate and trusted the Island to show him its will. Locke tried to lead people in a mostly-honest and open way while Ben ruled almost as a dictator. Ben Linus was never one to lose sight of his goals but John Locke was often plagued with doubt and lost faith numerous times. In the end, John Locke turned up dead but Ben Linus is still alive.

There are, however, many similarities between these men. At one time or another, both men were called to be leader of the Others. John Locke and Ben Linus often made it difficult for people to trust them. Both of them have a tendency to lose control of their emotions. Both have taken the lives of other people. Both have been confronted by the Smoke Monster and lived. Ben and John both turned the Frozen Donkey Wheel and were exiled from the Island and both of them returned on Ajira Flight 316. In the end, it appears that both of them were being used as pawns this entire time by the Island's seemingly supernatural residents.

It is impossible to apply the term 'hero' or 'villain' to either of these men, for they both have their merits and their flaws. It is now your turn to crown one of these flawed but beloved characters your 2009 Character Cup champion.

2009 Character Cup Final Match: Ben Linus vs. John Locke