Even though it's been a decade since the series finale aired on television, Lost continues to be a show that is widely discussed and fondly remembered. Character development was always one of the show's greatest strengths. One of the characters who developed the most over the course of the show was James "Sawyer" Ford.
At first, Sawyer seemed incredibly unlikable. Flashbacks revealed him to be more complex as fans witnessed the traumatic tragedy he experienced as a child and his lifelong struggle to overcome it. The situations Sawyer faced and the choices he made on the Island made him an even more nuanced character. These are the 10 biggest ways Sawyer changed throughout the show.
Became A Leader
No longer the black sheep of the group, Sawyer eventually stepped and became the leader he always had the potential to be. This was particularly true after Locke left the Island and the group found themselves in the 1970s. Juliet, Jin, Miles, and Daniel Faraday all looked to Sawyer for leadership and he delivered.
He found a way to make the group part of the Dharma Initiative. Not only did Sawyer lead his group, but he also became the respected and effective head of security for the Dharma Initiative. When Jack returned to the Island, he had to accept that the once irresponsible Sawyer was now one of the most responsible among them.
Committed To His Relationships
While Sawyer had plenty of experiences with women, he'd never been the type to seriously and fully commit to a relationship. That changed when he entered into a relationship with Juliet. He fully committed to her and they built a life together for three years on the Island.
Being stuck on the Island with the Dharma Initiative during the 1970s actually became one of the best things that ever happened to them. Sawyer and Juliet were able to find stability and compassion in their relationship, things they'd been missing for most of their lives. Sawyer did little things like picking a flower and bringing it home for Juliet, the likes of which he'd never done in the past. Even when Kate and Jack appeared in the 1970s and upended the life Sawyer and Juliet had built, Sawyer remained fully committed to Juliet.
Moved Past And Accepted His Trauma
Sawyer spent most of his life struggling with the trauma he experienced as a child. While hiding underneath his bed, he heard his father kill his mother and his father then committing suicide.
Through his experiences on the Island, Sawyer confronted his past and found a way to accept it and move on. When he time-traveled to the 1970s and became a member of the Dharma Initiative, Sawyer theoretically could've left the Island and prevented the tragedy from happening. As he later explained to Jack, he didn't do because "what's done is done."
Became More Compassionate
At the beginning of Lost, no one would have described Sawyer as compassionate. Yet, he developed a great deal of compassion for the other survivors. When Martin Keamy and his mercenaries attacked the Dharma Initiative barracks, Sawyer ran into the chaos in order to bring Claire to safety.
He also showed compassion in less high-stakes situations like when he taught Jin some English and helped Hurley get an old Dharma van up and running. It wasn't a life or death situation, but it was important to Hurley, and Sawyer helped him. These are fun, small, and kind things Sawyer never would have done in the past.
Made Sacrifices To Help Others
Flashbacks showed many of the self-serving choices Sawyer made in his past. He continued to make many self-serving choices during his first weeks on the Island. That started to change as he developed relationships with the other survivors of Oceanic 815 and he grew to care for them.
Sawyer even began making sacrifices to help others. In order to help Kate and some of the others escape the Island, Sawyer jumped out of a helicopter and into the ocean, even though it compromised his own chances of escape. In the 1970s, Sawyer risked his position and the life he built with the Dharma Initiative when he brought a gravely injured young Ben Linus to the Others. Sawyer made this sacrifice, not for himself but because it was what Juliet wanted.
Gained Respect For The Other Survivors
Sawyer stopped treating the other survivors with disdain and began treating them with respect. He didn't always agree with individuals like Jack or Sayid who he'd issues with in the past, but he grew to trust, rely on, and respect them.
Sawyer's harsh background and life as a con man taught him to trust no one but himself. On the Island, he eventually let go of his attitude and saw the value of respecting others.
No Longer A Con Man
Sawyer spent most of his adult life as a con man. He was excellent at what he did and managed to con and outsmart his many targets. Sawyer definitely used some of these skills on the Island, including an elaborate scheme to acquire the group's guns in which he successfully conned Jack, Locke, and many of the other survivors.
As time went on, he stopped being a con man altogether. He became more honest and didn't deceive others as he had in the past.
Stopped Being So Bigoted
Soon after fans met him, Sawyer revealed himself to be a bigot. He lashed out at Sayid soon after meeting him and argued that Sayid was responsible for crashing the plane. Sawyer went on to call Sayid nicknames like "Terrorist," "Mohammed," and "Captain Falafel." Other bigoted nicknames included calling Hurley "Lardo" and referring to Jin as "Mr. Miyagi."
Sawyer didn't stop using nicknames like "Doc" or "Freckles" when addressing Jack and Kate respectively. He did stop using offensive nicknames and stopped being a bigot in general, though.
Stopped Trying To Get Others To Hate Him
Kate once told Sawyer that he tried to get others to hate him because he didn't want to get close to and inevitably hurt by anyone. She saw through the facade Sawyer put on.
Through the connections he formed, Sawyer allowed himself to get close to others. He stopped trying to get everyone to hate him. It turned out Sawyer could be quite likable and trusted once he did this.
Cared About The Greater Good
Against all odds, Sawyer became someone who cared about the greater good. He helped Jack and the others defeat the Man in Black and save the Island and the larger world.
His evolution into caring about the greater good is also shown in the flash-sideways. Instead of being a con man, Sawyer is a police detective dedicated to protecting others. He's still struggling with his past trauma, but he also upholds the badge that he wears. It is telling that this is the last version of Sawyer that fans see before he awakens and moves on in the series finale.