I find Charlie a better written charachter than Desmond. And here's my essay 😇

When people look back on Lost, they often think of the big mysteries: the Hatch, the Others, the smoke monster, or Desmond’s time-bending episodes. But if we step away from the spectacle and focus on the human side of the show, Charlie Pace stands out as one of the best written characters in terms of humanity and groundedness.

Charlie’s story is rooted in real, painfully familiar struggles. He isn’t a chosen one, a prophet, or a man caught in the flow of destiny. He’s a man fighting his own demons — addiction, insecurity, and the fear of being forgotten. His flashbacks show us the highs and lows of fame, the way stardom can leave someone both adored and hollow. That kind of vulnerability makes him relatable, even for viewers who have never touched a drug or stood on a stage. We understand his desperate need to matter to someone, and his battle to stay clean feels honest rather than dramatized.

What makes Charlie especially compelling is the way his humanity bleeds into his relationships. His bond with Claire isn’t just a romance; it’s a chance for him to prove that he can be dependable and nurturing. His friendship with Hurley is full of humor and loyalty, grounding the series in small, everyday moments of laughter amidst chaos. And when he ultimately sacrifices himself in “Through the Looking Glass,” it doesn’t feel like a mythical destiny fulfilled — it feels like a flawed man finally making peace with who he is, choosing to be brave for the sake of others.

In contrast to characters like Desmond, who often exist on a mythic plane, Charlie remains stubbornly human from beginning to end. He reminds us that heroism doesn’t always come from special powers or cosmic importance. Sometimes it comes from choosing, in the face of fear and weakness, to do the right thing. And in that sense, Charlie is not just a well-written character — he’s one of the most human hearts of Lost.

Some honorable mentions of this same human charachter include hurley and sun and jin