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In the initial plane crash, John Locke acquires a scar over his right eye.

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Throughout the series, the scar heals somewhat, but it never fully goes away.

He still has it in his final appearance in The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham.

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When in Locke's form, the Man in Black also has the scar. Since he can only take the form of dead people, that means that Locke died with the scar.

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However, the Island heals people. While it can't heal certain major things, it has been consistently shown to heal minor things like scratches and scars.

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Since Locke spent significant time on the Island, why didn't his scar ever fully heal?

Rogue Jedi
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    Locke and the island have a love/hate relationship, I'm not surprised he got the short end of the stick in this regard in exchange for his legs. – BlueBuddy Jun 09 '16 at 02:02
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    For those wondering, it does appear to be the character's scar, not the actor. I don't see it in any non-Lost images. – Izkata Jun 09 '16 at 02:21
  • "However, the Island heals people. While it can't heal certain major things, it has been consistently shown to heal minor things like scratches and scars." - as far as I remember, the island did heal several pretty "major things". Though, true, Benjamin Linus still required to undergo treatment at one point. – O. R. Mapper Jan 05 '23 at 23:53

1 Answers1

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SPOILERS ALL

It likely signifies his ability to see things differently from the moment he lands on the island - you can tell that from the outset he sees the island more as an opportunity and blessing than an obstacle.

Several historical examples of scars being used to symbolize capability and manliness can be found here: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/05/07/men-and-scars/ and we know that Locke's initial reason for taking that trip was to find himself and fulfill a destiny he believed he had.

In the false reality of Season 6, I don't see that scar on him, as he didn't take that journey. This is contrasted by his flash vision of himself on the island:

It also may have to do with ancient Egyptian symbology, as we see the Eye of Horus intertwined with the show's mythology as well: http://www.egyptianmyths.net/udjat.htm

Specifically of interest is the phrase from that page "It was believed to ward of sickness and capable of bringing the dead to life (as it did with Osiris)." as we know that in Season 6 there is a false resurrection of Locke. Perhaps this was telegraphed to the viewers as early as Episode 1. More information about the Eye of Horus and Lost can be found here: https://4815162342execute.wordpress.com/lost-themes/eye-of-horus/ and
http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Eye_of_Horus#religion

americanpegasus
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  • This answer has some great deeper meanings. If you could add some in-universe reasoning, I'll definitely accept it. – Rogue Jedi Jun 12 '16 at 21:09