Ford, James "Sawyer"

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AKA: Sawyer
Resided in: Knoxville, TN
Occupation: Confidence Man
Reason for Travel: Visiting Sydney to kill Duckett; deported for head butting the Minister of Agriculture
Flight Seat #: Unknown

James was born in 1968. His life would be defined by a tragedy that took place in 1976. One night, his father came to the house James and his mother were staying at. As he hid under his bed, James heard his father shoot his mother. His father then came into the room James was hiding in, sat on the bed, and shot himself. The reason for the murder-suicide was due to James' mother falling for a con-man's scheme. James from then on vowed to get revenge on the con-man who ruined his family, a man he only knew as 'Sawyer'.

A few years later, James adopted the name of the con-man responsible for his parents' death and became a con-man himself due to a $6,000 debt.  He had brief love affairs with women, such as Mary Jo.   Some, like Jessica (and her husband David) were drawn into fake investment schemes to pay off loan sharks like Kilo.  Sawyer had a longer relationship with Cassidy, who was no ordinary mark.  She wanted to be his partner in crime, but ended up being a victim of a long con herself despite his feelings for her (after his partner Gordy convinced him not to back out).

Apparently, Sawyer went to jail for this long con because Cassidy reported him.  She still visited him, and one day showed him a picture of her baby, Clementine Phillips, and said that Sawyer was definitely the father.  In front of her, he rejected the idea that he had a daughter, but after following Warden Harris' and Agent Freedman's direction to con fellow inmate Munson to reveal the location of the millions he stole, Sawyer used his cut to set up a bank account in Clementine's name.

In 2004, he finally got the opportunity to exact his revenge when ex-partner Hibbs informed him that the 'Sawyer' that conned his parents was Frank Duckett, a shrimp stand operator in Sydney. James traveled to Sydney to kill Duckett, but wasn't able to follow through until Christian Shephard, whom he met in a bar, encouraged him to do whatever he needed to do. After shooting and killing Duckett, Sawyer realized too late that he was conned by Hibbs, and that Duckett wasn't the man he was after.

On the island, Sawyer quickly adapts to their new environment and hoards as much equipment and supplies as he can. He uses these to barter with the other survivors and maintain some control over them. He also becomes an avid reader, devouring the books found in the wreckage and the Swan.  He frequently comes into conflict with Jack, Kate, Sayid and others because of his opportunistic ways, though with Kate, there is also an attraction.

Sawyer is able to barter himself a spot onto Michael's raft, and leaves with Jin, Michael, and Walt in hopes of finding a ship in the trade routes, or inhabited land. Their mission ends when the Others arrive, kidnap Walt, shoot Sawyer, and set the raft on fire.

Eventually, when the raft pieces get carried back by the current to the other side of the island, the raft group is ambushed by the tail section survivors and thrown in a pit because they are believed to be Others.  When it is understood that they are in fact also survivors of Flight 815, they travel together to the other side of the island to meet with the main group on the beach.  Along the way, Sawyer's shoulder wound from getting shot by the Others gets infected, and he falls septic.  Despite Ana-Lucia wanting to leave him behind, Michael, Jin and Mr. Eko decide to build a stretcher and carry him the rest of the way in.  After Shannon is accidentally shot in the confusing moments before the meeting of the two groups, Mr. Eko carries Sawyer back to the beach camp, to keep him from dying. 

Sawyer is nursed back to health by Jack and Kate.  At one point during his recovery when he is still partly delirious, he mumbles "I love her," possibly refering to Kate, while Jack is there.  He doesn't remember this afterwards, and goes back to his slick, sarcastic ways after getting better.  When led outside for the first time since recovery, he and Kate both see a black horse from Kate's past in the jungle.

At one point, Sawyer comes up with an elaborate scheme to get a hold of the guns.  He convinces Charlie to fake an attack on Sun, so that people would believe that the Others were after them.  This in turn sets off a chain of events where Kate suspects Ana is trying to start an army, and Locke believes the guns kept in the armory are in danger.  Sawyer cons Locke into hiding the guns, but follows him, and ends up stealing them for his own stash.

Sawyer is complex and at times shows a side which is not hardened or selfish; he believes that a particular boar is reincarnated Duckett, come for his revenge, but lets it go.  However, at times, he is cold and unforgiving, as shown by his killing a tree frog that was bothering him, symbolic of his dealings with many people.

Sawyer at one point lets down his guard after sleeping with Ana-Lucia, and she steals one of the guns.  The remaining stash is found after Kate goes with him to get to the heroin Libby needs for pain control.

After the deaths of Libby and Ana, Sawyer goes with Kate, Jack, Hurley and Michael to get their revenge, and retrieve Walt.  However, the group is betrayed by Michael, and they are ambushed and captured by the Others.  Sawyer is one of the 4 names on their list.

While Jack is isolated in a tank, Sawyer and Kate are imprisoned in the cages at the Hydra, where the two further develop their romantic connection.  Here, Ben plays mindgames with Sawyer in order to control his rebellious nature and manipulate Kate to do the same, at one point using Bunny #8 to convince him that he has a fake pacemaker implanted in his heart, and later showing him that he just conned the conman.

When Pickett returns to assassinate Sawyer, he and Kate pull off a daring escape, with the help of Alex.  She is not able to come with them, but they do manage to save her boyfriend Karl, and he is brought back to the main island in Alex's small boat with Kate and Sawyer.