Lance Reddick’s Missing Character Explained (And How It Connects To The Show’s Biblical Themes)

While Lost May be centered on the main character passengers of Oceanic Flight 815, the JJ Abrams show featured many memorable guest stars, including the late, great Lane Reddick. The series ran for six seasons, from 2004 to 2010, and became an absolute hit for North American audiences. Fewer shows have had more fan theories than Lostas viewers loved debating the meaning of supernatural phenomena like the Smoke Monster and “The Others”.

One of the most popular Lost The fan theory is that the survivors of Oceanic Flight 818 are actually dead and that the island is their purgatory. This theory is supported by the large number of biblical references in the series, both overt and implicit. For example, the beloved character John Locke is seen as a representation of Jesus Christ. Lost the ABC network built on this in a particularly memorable piece of promotional art that depicted the show’s cast posed as The Last Supper painting, with Locke in the position of Jesus. Connecting further to LostThe biblical theme of is the character of Lance Reddick.

Lance Reddick played Matthew Abaddon on Lost

Abaddon is introduced in season 4 and has ties to Charles Widmore

Lance Reddick first appears in Lost season 4, episode 1, “The Beginning of the End.” He introduces himself as Matthew Abaddon, a lawyer for Oceanic Airlines, to Hurley at the Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. In reality, Abaddon is an agent of Charles Widmore. Abaddon initiates some of the series’ most important events, including reuniting the science team and helping Locke find the other Flight 815 survivors. Abaddon comes to an end in Season 5, Episode 7, “The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham”, when he is shot and killed by Benjamin Linus.

Abaddon’s appearances throughout the episodes of Lost are full of mystery. The character’s backstory is kept purposely vague, and viewers are left wondering whether he is a force for good or evil. Of course it’s true Lost fashion, Abaddon is killed just before things start to become a little clearer. Reddick deftly interprets Abaddon’s enigma as an ominous yet auspicious guide. Maybe it’s his soft voice or his confident demeanor, but Reddick clearly has an understanding of how to portray such an enigmatic character.

Matthew Abaddon’s Biblical Name Explained

His name means “God’s gift of destruction”

Like so many themes in Lost, Matthew Abaddon is more than just a mysterious figure, but a symbol. For those well versed in theology, the name Abaddon is an absolute revelation. In the Bible, Abaddon is an angel from the Book of Revelation who opens the way to the Abyss. The Abyss is a prison for demonic angels who must reside in the abyss until Judgment Day (via Revelation Study Guide). Abaddon means “destruction” and, according to the Bible, he leads a swarm of locusts, which he will unleash on the wicked in the End of Days.

The meaning of Matthew in Hebrew is “gift from God”, which is a curious juxtaposition of the character’s surname. Put them together and the name essentially means “God’s gift of destruction.” Than Lost established with its biblical symbolism, Abaddon appears to represent a guardian angel destined to fulfill the island’s purpose. Abaddon’s job is to get the right people to the island or the Abyss. It’s not necessarily the same kind of abyss that the Bible describes, but it’s pretty close.

Other great performances by Lance Reddick

Reddick is best remembered for his roles in The Wire and John Wick franchises

Lance Reddick has played a wide variety of tough roles throughout his career. His first big break was in the acclaimed crime drama The thread, where Reddick played Cedric Daniels, a detective who started out in the narcotics division and later became a criminal defense attorney. Reddick also had a major role in the sci-fi series Fringe as Special Agent Phillip Broyles, and he played Zeus, the king of the gods, in an episode of Disney Plus Percy Jackson and the Olympians. As for film, Reddick is best remembered as Charon, the hotel manager in the John Wick franchise.

Reddick has also lent his vocal talents to numerous animation and video game projects over the years. He voiced Commander Zavala in Destination games and Sylens in Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden Horizon West. Some of his notable voiceover credits on animated TV shows include The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Beware Batman, Rick and Morty, Duck Tales, and Castlevania. One of Reddick’s final roles before his death in 2023 was as the voice of the evil red dragon Thordak in The legend of Vox Machina. The season 4 episode “A Deadly Bargain” was dedicated to Lost actor.