Dunno if this has been said, but I don't feel like looking to see and I think this is a legitimate possibility. So please read and give feedback.
I think the man in black shirt has taken the shape of other people before. What we know for sure is that at some point Locke came to the island, left the island, died off the island, then returned to the island, and became "the man in black" along the way. This allowed him to fool everyone else, including us, with only Jacob knowing the difference.
So far, the only other person that we know for sure has died off the island, then come to the island, was Christian. This leads me to believe that black shirt took Christian's form when he came to the island on Oceanic 815, and any time we've seen him alive on the island he's been in the form of the man in black shirt.
The man in black stated that he would look to find a loophole any way possible with the intention of killing Jacob. This obviously shows that A)He cannot physically kill him on his own(similar to Ben and Widmore) and B)His loophole includes getting somebody else to willingly choose to kill Jacob.(that part is important)
I think this all starts (TIMELINE) as far back as when Widmore, leading the Others, orders Ben to kill Rousseau. As he's about to, he sees baby Alex and decides not to kill Rousseau but takes Alex for her own safety. (This will lead to the scene beneath the temple, where dead Alex in the form of "black shirt" tells Ben to follow whatever "Locke" tells him.) This is a complete manipulation Black Shirt knew would work because of how guilty Ben felt for causing Alex's death.
Then we go off the island (TIMELINE), Jack's relationship with his Christian grows worse as time goes on, until finally when Sarah leaves Jack for another man and he accuses Christian of being him (could be important because we never found out who it was or just insignificant to address). This is extremely important as it causes a final break in any bond with Jack and Christian. Christian then leaves to go to Australia where he dies without speaking to his son again. This leaves Jack overly distraught with the way he left things with Christian, and he then he takes his body back on 815.
As soon as they crash on the island, Black Shirt takes Christian's form and possibly others also, until he finally talks a faith-filled John Locke into moving the island. He is also talked into dying via Richard via "Locke" from the future, as well as Christian who encourages it as a necessary sacrifice.
Now we have Locke AND Ben off the island. At this point however Ben simply wants to get back to the island and has no idea of any plan in effect. Eloise Hawking tells him to bring all of them back including a dead John Locke, who he kills out of jealousy and hatred for being special, when in reality he's simply been kept alive by Jacob and Black Shirt. (He falls out of a building Jacob revives him, Ben shoots him and "Walt" tells him to get up)
Finally, unknown to Ben, he brings Locke's body back which Black Shirt takes the form of and fools those who know him into thinking a miracle has happened. Then we see an entire string of events from Ajira 316 crash to the statue scene showing a planned out loophole.
It all explains: why Christian was alive on the island, why Locke listened to what he told him, why Ben followed everything "Locke" told him to do, and why the real Locke has been strung along to believe that he's special.
Basically, his loophole was to get John Locke to leave the island and kill himself or die, have Ben, Jack and the Oceanic 6 bring his body back, and get a guilty Ben to follow "Locke's" every request eventually killing Jacob. This all took a very long time to accumulate.
I think there are a few holes however. What is Richard's place with the island? Why was Eloise Hawking helping Ben and Oceanic 6 get back? What was she gaining by doing that? Why is the relationship between Ben and Widmore so similar to Blackshirt and Jacob? And finally, "They're coming..." Who are "they"? and why is Blackshirt so concerned?
So that's it, please plug any holes, add any incites or important clues related to this piece, but I think I really just touched the basics of this master plan of a loophole, and I think we need to know everything that happened between the Black Rock arriving and the Others inhabiting the island, because that's a huge gap. Thanks guys
I think the man in black shirt has taken the shape of other people before. What we know for sure is that at some point Locke came to the island, left the island, died off the island, then returned to the island, and became "the man in black" along the way. This allowed him to fool everyone else, including us, with only Jacob knowing the difference.
So far, the only other person that we know for sure has died off the island, then come to the island, was Christian. This leads me to believe that black shirt took Christian's form when he came to the island on Oceanic 815, and any time we've seen him alive on the island he's been in the form of the man in black shirt.
The man in black stated that he would look to find a loophole any way possible with the intention of killing Jacob. This obviously shows that A)He cannot physically kill him on his own(similar to Ben and Widmore) and B)His loophole includes getting somebody else to willingly choose to kill Jacob.(that part is important)
I think this all starts (TIMELINE) as far back as when Widmore, leading the Others, orders Ben to kill Rousseau. As he's about to, he sees baby Alex and decides not to kill Rousseau but takes Alex for her own safety. (This will lead to the scene beneath the temple, where dead Alex in the form of "black shirt" tells Ben to follow whatever "Locke" tells him.) This is a complete manipulation Black Shirt knew would work because of how guilty Ben felt for causing Alex's death.
Then we go off the island (TIMELINE), Jack's relationship with his Christian grows worse as time goes on, until finally when Sarah leaves Jack for another man and he accuses Christian of being him (could be important because we never found out who it was or just insignificant to address). This is extremely important as it causes a final break in any bond with Jack and Christian. Christian then leaves to go to Australia where he dies without speaking to his son again. This leaves Jack overly distraught with the way he left things with Christian, and he then he takes his body back on 815.
As soon as they crash on the island, Black Shirt takes Christian's form and possibly others also, until he finally talks a faith-filled John Locke into moving the island. He is also talked into dying via Richard via "Locke" from the future, as well as Christian who encourages it as a necessary sacrifice.
Now we have Locke AND Ben off the island. At this point however Ben simply wants to get back to the island and has no idea of any plan in effect. Eloise Hawking tells him to bring all of them back including a dead John Locke, who he kills out of jealousy and hatred for being special, when in reality he's simply been kept alive by Jacob and Black Shirt. (He falls out of a building Jacob revives him, Ben shoots him and "Walt" tells him to get up)
Finally, unknown to Ben, he brings Locke's body back which Black Shirt takes the form of and fools those who know him into thinking a miracle has happened. Then we see an entire string of events from Ajira 316 crash to the statue scene showing a planned out loophole.
It all explains: why Christian was alive on the island, why Locke listened to what he told him, why Ben followed everything "Locke" told him to do, and why the real Locke has been strung along to believe that he's special.
Basically, his loophole was to get John Locke to leave the island and kill himself or die, have Ben, Jack and the Oceanic 6 bring his body back, and get a guilty Ben to follow "Locke's" every request eventually killing Jacob. This all took a very long time to accumulate.
I think there are a few holes however. What is Richard's place with the island? Why was Eloise Hawking helping Ben and Oceanic 6 get back? What was she gaining by doing that? Why is the relationship between Ben and Widmore so similar to Blackshirt and Jacob? And finally, "They're coming..." Who are "they"? and why is Blackshirt so concerned?
So that's it, please plug any holes, add any incites or important clues related to this piece, but I think I really just touched the basics of this master plan of a loophole, and I think we need to know everything that happened between the Black Rock arriving and the Others inhabiting the island, because that's a huge gap. Thanks guys
