At one point, Lost was the biggest television show on the planet. J. J. Abrams’ mysterious drama ran from 2004 until 2010 and attracted huge audiences before the likes of Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones truly marked the start of a new golden era of TV. Yet, despite all of the commercial success and critical acclaim, Lost ended on something of a sour note. The final episode and conclusion to the story disappointed most fans.

Although the ending may not have been what most viewers had hoped for, Lost still made a huge impression on fans. It is no wonder then that many of them came up with compelling theories about the series, trying to make sense of its various mysteries, characters, and plotlines. Many of these fan theories even proved to be better than what the show actually gave us.

15 The Others Are Descendants Of The Castaways That Survived

In this theory from Reddit, fans argue that the Others shown in the 2004 season of Lost are descendants of the original castaways from Dharma in 1977. Although Ben and Richard supposedly killed everyone, some viewers suspect that they may have spared the younger castaways, allowing them to grow into the Others.

14 The Events Are Just A Game

A few fans have suggested that the entire events of Lost could be a game between powerful characters such as The Man in Black and Jacob, with the twisted and mysterious things on the island being just part of the game they play with each other as they compete for dominance.

13 Walt Would End Up As Leader Of The Island

There was a lot of speculation about what future Walt might have on Lost as he seemed destined to play an important role. This was never really revealed after he was kidnapped, but some theorized that he would eventually go on to become the leader of the mysterious island.

12 The Moon Collided With The Island

One theory about Lost says that in ancient times, a celestial body crashed into Earth at the precise location of where the island is located. This led to the creation of the moon, but also gave the island its mystical properties and is the reason that so many strange things happen there.

11 Locke Became Jacob

In the show, Locke shares a strong connection with Jacob. While it was eventually revealed the two are separate characters, some argue that the two are the same person. When Locke seemingly died, they argue he became lost in the timeline and ended up returning as Jacob.

10 The Smoke Monster Protected The Dharma Initiative

There has long been speculation among fans that the Smoke Monster had something to do with the Dharma Initiative. A few theories argue that the mysterious being was created by the Dharma Initiative and acted as its protector.

9 The Whispers Are The Islanders From The Future

While the whispers proved to be nothing more than the memories of those unable to move on to the next world, some fan fans argued that they could have been something more impressive. This theory contends that the whispers were, in fact, future versions of the islanders, with the older people attempting to warn their past selves about the dangers to come.

8 Miles And Charlotte Are Adam And Eve

In the first season of Lost, the islanders discover a pair of skeletons buried in the ground that they dub Adam and Eve. One theory states that these are actually the skeletons of Miles and Charlotte, who may have died from aneurysms and were buried to be found by the survivors.

7 The Survivors Were Awakened In The Future

According to this particular theory, the survivors of the plane crash did not awake on the island straight after the accident. Instead, they were rescued and put in a sort of suspended animation. Centuries later, they were revived, but rather than risking the crash victims going mad by seeing the future, they were slowly reintroduced through strange events on the island.

Related: 15 Little-Known Details From The Set Of Lost

6 The Island Is Purgatory

One of the earliest fan theories about Lost was that the island itself was purgatory, with those trapped on it all having died in the plane crash rather than survived. While this is something of a common trope in fiction, it would still have been an improvement over the ending we got.

5 The Flash Sideways Is Really An Alternate Timeline

While the series conclusion made it clear that the flash sideways shown in season six of Lost were a kind of purgatory, fans have continued to speculate that they could still be an alternate reality. They show that the characters can change the past and give an indication of how events might have played out.

Related: 15 BTS Pics From The Set Of Lost That Make Us Relive Every Mystery

4 There Were Two Smoke Monsters

Although the Smoke Monster was one of the best parts of Lost, the character did have some contradictions in the way that it seemed to behave quite erratically. Some believe that this means that there are actually two Smoke Monsters. One is more evil while the other is kinder and less violent.

3 The Island Was Constantly Going Back In Time

Perhaps the most prominent fan theory about Lost was that the island was involved in a time loop. Those on it were constantly being sent back in time, explaining why so many strange things happened and why the castaways were able to heal wounds or not age properly.

Related: 15 TV Shows To Watch If You Still Miss Game Of Thrones

2 The Light At The Center Of The Island Represents Time

The light at the center of the island in Lost played a central role in the story during the final seasons of the show. Some believe that it may have represented the concept of time. This is mainly because of how time is heavily involved in the strange events on the island.

1 The Smoke Monser Fixed The Timeline

Another explanation for the Smoke Monster that fans have put forward is that it was a natural construct that was responsible for fixing any deviations in the timeline. The introduction of time travel in Lost resulted in the timeline being broken several times and some theories say that Smoke Monster would correct these instances.

Next: 20 TV Shows To Watch On Netflix If You Love Sci-Fi