Jack Sullivan is the main tweenaged protagonist of The Last Kids on Earth book series and TV series. He, along with his friends Quint, June, and Dirk, are (possibly) The Last Kids on Earth and they try to survive the zombie apocalypse while making the most of it by having fun.
Biography[]
Books[]
Jack is an orphan who mostly spent his early years in the foster care system; eventually landing at the house of the Robinsons' in the Winter of 2014, and had a lousy time under their roof.
Before the Monster Apocalypse, Jack became a student at Parker Middle School, where he developed a massive crush on a girl named June Del Toro in his journalist class and made his first and only best friend, Quint Baker, whom he often defended against a big school bully named Dirk Savage.
Start of the Apocalypse[]
Near the end of the school year in early June, Jack and Quint rode the bus talking over plans for a summer hang out when Dirk comes along and eats Quint's egg-sandwich (which he also stated reeked like squirrel butt). Irritated, Jack stands in Baker’s defense and retaliates verbally which nearly gets him socked as a result when the bus abruptly stops in front of the school, where Jack hears someone screaming, and then many zombies appearing.
Then, a larger monster grabs hold of the bus and squeezes it hard enough that the door simply pops open and Jack, Quint, Dirk, and other students come pouring out. After regaining his senses he warns June of a zombie about to attack her. He warns her in time and she manages to flee into the school, with Jack and June locking eyes at the last second before she shuts the school's door.
Jack and Quint regroup, and they both agree to stay in touch using their walkies, but after Jack runs to the Robinsons' house, he finds out they left him. He climbs into his foster brother's tree house, but accidentally drops the walkie from the tree house, breaking it. Jack, being too terrified, curled up on the floor and slept for days. He listened to the newspeople on a radio up until the 5th day of the apocalypse, where the radio stopped. 4 days later, he worked up the courage to explore his now destroyed home.
Book 1[]
Book 2[]
Book 3[]
Book 4[]
Book 5[]
Book 5.5[]
Danger on the Diamond[]
The Last Kids on Earth: Thrilling Tales from the Tree House[]
Book 6[]
Book 7[]
Book 8[]
Book 9[]
Series[]
Jack is an orphan who mostly spent his early years in the foster care system; eventually landing at the house of the Robinsons', and had a lousy time under their roof.
Before the Monster Apocalypse, Jack became a student at Parker Middle School, where he developed a massive crush on a girl named June Del Toro in his journalist class and made his first and only best friend, Quint Baker, whom he often defended against a big school bully named Dirk Savage.
Start of the Apocalypse/Episode 1[]
Near the end of the school year, Jack and Quint rode the bus talking over plans for a summer hang out when Dirk comes along and eats Quint's egg-sandwich (which he also stated reeked like squirrel butt). Irritated, Jack stands in Baker’s defense and retaliates verbally which nearly gets him socked as a result when the bus abruptly stops in front of the school, where unbelievably, wormholes open up above them in the sky.
As a variety of monsters poured out from it, zombies ravaged the streets; with the bus being taken hold of by one of the larger monsters, dropping the passengers inside below. Recovering quickly, Jack warns June of an unnoticed zombie approaching from behind wherein she ducks and runs inside the school, reminding Jack of her last known location before she shut the door.
Given half of the walkies set by Quint, Jack makes it home in time for his foster family to abandon him at the last second. The walkie breaks when Jack attempts to climb up the tree house rope ladder while being chased by a mailman zombie, prompting him to spend the next nights holed up for safety until he regained his senses and went looking for food (after irresponsibly gorging himself on his foster brother's snack chest) alongside tools to repair the walkie. This is where he clashes with a monstrous beast (whom he dubs by the odd sound of his roar) "Blarg", stabbing him in the forehead which causes his acidic blood to stain his right eye red before escaping.
Aftermath (present time)[]
Back in his tree house, having finally repaired the walkie, Jack tries contacting Quint but receives no answer. Dejected, he heads back into his makeshift bed and awaits answer for the next few days. During this time he documents the number of days that passed since the apocalypse started with a camera. When finally, Quint calls back, Jack is given confirmation that he's still alive and invited over to his house for a friendly reunion.
After making it to Baker's house (after a few close-calls with 2 Dozers and zombies), Jack and Quint have a brief banter before settling on taking refuge from the tree house (after Jack manages to persuade Quint by telling him about his homemade slushies), taking Baker's family truck , which had been modified to be a monster fighting machine that he dubbed "Big Mama".
Once they've settled (and hauled most of Quint's stuff inside the tree house), Jack and Quint then venture out for supply runs while also (in Jack's own lead) search for June.
While doing so however, they nearly crash into Dirk Savage on streets. Against Quint's protests, Jack opts to persuade Dirk to join their group and is amazed by his strength when a Winged Wretch nearly grabs him (with Dirk hurling it into a nearby building). When more Wretches arrive, the trio speed off while evolving into a brief argument, escalating into the revelation of June's current status (evinced by Dirk) which causes Jack to be the more determined in finding her.
After making it back to safety in the tree-house, Quint makes Jack go looking for fuel for Big Mama. At a nearby gas station (with his drone filming), he becomes despondent after finding a picture of a happy typical family within a disused vehicle from and explains that he never had a real family. It wasn't until after he filled up his container with enough fuel that he is ambushed by a large mutt-like creature who licks his face passionately like a dog. Despite indecision and attempts of leaving, Jack is persuaded when he is surrounded by zombies (and his only weapon at hand falling out of reach from the beast's saliva) watching in awe as the creature knocks down the undead before giving him a ride on his back towards the tree house.
Dirk and Quint let the monster stay on the condition that Jack takes after him, with the latter naming him "Rover". The next day, Quint has Jack and Dirk go another supply run at a hardware store for tools, in spite of Dirk criticizing Quint for being too afraid of going.
At the hardware store, Jack comes across a ping-pong table that he feels is the perfect gift for Quint with Savage opting to help. They are stopped however when the odor of decay emits around the store, finding themselves cornered (with Sullivan muttering fearfully "Not him.") by Blarg. Inquiring Jack as to why he is being stared down; Blarg spits out his backpack with Jack answering: "I think he's been hunting me," much to Dirk's alarm.
As the duo run (with Blarg falling behind, tied up by hoses falling on him) they encounter a multitude of hidden undead drawn by the commotion. They escape through by Dirk utilizing the ping-pong table as a shield wall. The truck doesn't activate instantly as Blarg gets closer by the second, Jack manages to kick it in gear and speeds off afar; losing the former by lubricating the road with butter ghee from one of Quint's additions to Big Mama (which causes Dirk to change his perspective).
Still shaken by the experience, Jack confesses to Quint that he is being chased after by Blarg, with the trio agreeing on fortifying their tree house; building a moat (that they also used for swimming), added spikes to the bark and around the bough, crafty weaponry for defenses.
After that, Jack tests out the new saddle invented by Quint for Rover and goes out on a ride. The lengthy adventure takes him up on a hill near the school where he shoots photos of the scenery around him before noticing one of the school windows having June’s favorite sweater hanging. Convinced that she was still at the school, Jack has a plan developed in how to rescue her, despite the worry and doubts his friend Quint and Dirk has for the aftermath.
Arriving at the school once more, they roamed school hallways for June, finding it empty and desolate. Dirk solemnly tells Jack that she probably passed like the other victims of the apocalypse when they reach the teachers lounge doorway, which has been closed off. They scram when it turns out to be a mass of zombies piled together into a ball which chases them throughout the school hallway (and even up the stairs) until they reach the end of it on the second story. Just when they thought their lives were over, the doors from behind open up in time and they fall through to see their unlikely savior: June, who chastises them angrily for disrupting the barricades she set up in the school that kept the undead out. Just then, one of the undead break through the door she opened and grabbed Jack by the leg. Jack becomes amazed at her skills when she propelled herself into knocking away the undead in time for them to move into another classroom that is heavily guarded by chairs and tables she set up. They escape and find another classroom to rest in. ADD MORE
Season 2[]
Months after defeating Blarg, Jack's goal of maintaining his friends' satisfaction as a group becomes increasingly challenged by their constant bickering over claims, ideals, and issues. Deciding to settle this the easy way, after Dirk makes a suggestion to collect gardening tools to grow crops, they arrive at the mall but they are quickly pursued by a large worm-like beast .
The worm beast chases the gang through out the mall until they trick it into rushing off the mall's balcony into the ground floor entrance, forming a massive hole
The squad starts gathering supplies. and having fun. After convincing them to frolic around the mall (with Jack and June spending a little moment together riding around on a Segway), the gang feast on grub from restaurants, stores, and candy parlors
But once they're done, they start to view over options of escape from the surrounding zombies when they realize that they are trapped. ADD MORE TO THIS, AND ALSO ADD STUFF FROM THIRD SEASON
Season 3[]
The Last Kids on Earth and the Staff of Doom[]
Physical Appearance[]
Jack is the second tallest among his group of friends, with fair skin, straight black hair, dark blue eyes, and a lean physique. His typical outfit, which he wears both indoors and outdoors, consists of a red and white baseball shirt with elbow-length sleeves, a fingerless glove on the right hand, dark blue trousers, and white and red light-up sneakers, which he covers up with duct-tape because he hears about someone who got electrocuted wearing them and he thinks they make him look silly, while June describes him in June's Wild Flight by saying that they are "kinda rad".
He also has the Cosmic Hand given to him in The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade, and it soon became part of his arm. The Cosmic Hand grew from only reaching Jack's wrist to reaching his shoulder.
After Ghazt the General allowed Jack to obtain the rest of his zombie manipulation abilities in The Last Kids on Earth and the Forbidden Fortress, the Cosmic Hand grew very noticably in size, particularly around Jack's bicep.
Personality[]
Jack Sullivan describes himself as cool, confident, good with girls, and a somewhat reluctant hero of the recent zombie apocalypse. Although he can seem sometimes cocky, rude, bossy, and self-indulgent, it is really a facade to disguise his insecurities. He is very over-protective of his friends and often leaves them behind if he is doing something 'dangerous', much to their annoyance.
In matters of serious events, Jack can become apprehensive and very concerned with his friends‘ well-being (shown with his friends nearly getting injured by the Wormungulous at the mall); showing a more mature and sincere side of him when it comes to selflessness. Though this sometimes crosses the lines of being overprotective as he refused to let his friends go alone on missions or tasks, he considers dangerous for them after a near death experience.
According to June, she says in The Last Kids on Earth: June's Wild Flight that his "Brain is weird. Total weird brain." and that he "Talks a lot. Like, all the time. Never shuts up!". She also says that "when things get bad - he has this amazing (and amazingly annoying) ability to be his most gung-ho." He is enthusiastic and loves to have fun, and for his buddies to have fun too.
However, Jack has also displayed several negative qualities such as being vain of his ego. Refusing to admit that he was troubled or wrong, he prefers to mask his true feelings with bravado. He is also quite selfish as shown when his friends encountered the possibility of other human survivors. Rather risk the new life with his friends, Jack refrained from seriously pursuing an initiative to find a way to communicate with other human communities out of fear for being alone. However, these negative traits were mostly enhanced by Rezzoch's influence as a means to weaken him and gain a suitable host.
Weapons and Abilities[]
Louisville Slicer[]
Jack formerly had a full baseball bat named the Louisville Slugger, until it shattered against one of Blarg's teeth (but in the book, it's already shattered). Since the middle of the series' titular pilot movie, Jack has been carving the bat's remaining half into a sharp sword. In The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond, the Slicer is struck by interdimensional energy, which in The Last Kids on Earth and the Midnight Blade is revealed to have changed the Slicer into a midnight black, magical weapon that can control zombies and bend them to the users will.
Wrist-Rocket[]
Jack has a wristband slingshot weapon, which he uses against Blarg with one of Quint’s Acid Eye Blast capsules. It was originally confisticated by his head teacher.
Cosmic Hand[]
Jack receives the Cosmic Hand when the Scrapken wraps one of its tentacles around Jack's right arm, squeezing, forcing Jack to cut off the tentacle. The tentacle reforms into a glove, which allows Jack to wield the Midnight Blade (Louisville Slicer) without hurting himself. After Bardle uses a spell on the glove that allows it to sap the powers of Ghazt's tail, the Cosmic Hand changes from a glove to becoming part of Jack. As the Cosmic Hand develops onto Jack's arm, it allows him to control zombies without the need of the Midnight Blade. When Jack grabs onto a Howler, it shows him images of the Howler's thoughts/memories, and something similar happens when he touches a Mortar Monster. When the Cosmic Hand grows up to Jack's shoulder, it can adapt to "help" Jack in a situation where he's having strong emotions, such as becoming the Cosmic Spear to help save June from the Splotchers, becoming the Cosmic "Bubble" to protect Jack from the downpour of monster guts, and becoming the Cosmic "Slicer" which allows Jack to communicate with zombies. The Cosmic Hand also give Jack the ability to understand Ŗeżżőcħ's language and to receive thoughts from Ghazt. Finally, since it's made from a tentacle, it has a very strong suction-cup grip.
Relationships[]
June Del Toro[]
June is shown to be a girl who Jack crushes on from the beginning of the books and show. Before the apocalypse, he joined the school newspaper as the photographer to get close to and impress June. Post-apocalypse, when he tries to “rescue” her, June makes him well-aware that she isn’t a damsel-in-distress and that she doesn’t need saving. Throughout their adventures, they become best friends after he convinces her that having friends in the apocalypse makes things better. In the books, their relationship eventually mellowed and became platonic, with Jack seeing her as a friend while in the TV Show, its made apparent that Jack and June have a mutual crush on each other.
Quint Baker[]
Even before the apocalypse, Quint and Jack were best friends, and Jack says that he was his only friend, too. It is unclear how long they have known each other for or how they met, but they clearly have a strong bond over the things that they love. Post-apocalypse, Jack’s only thoughts were to survive and to fix his radio to make sure that Quint was still alive and be reunited with the only person that he really trusts. They seem to know a lot about each other, and share many interests.
Dirk Savage[]
Before the apocalypse, Dirk used to bully Jack and Quint. However, Jack obviously knew how and tried to stand up to him, making sarcastic quips like the one about him being similar to a ”rotund panda bear”. After the apocalypse, Jack and Quint find him wandering on his own on the streets, and they are quite surprised when he saves them from a Winged Wretch. Jack convinces him to join them so as not to be alone. From then on, they are shown to be progressively good friends.
Rover[]
Rover is the first friendly monster Jack meets after the apocalypse. They meet at an abandoned car wash where Jack is getting fuel, and he licks Jack affectionately. Jack is wary of him at first, but then they quickly become inseparable, and Jack gives him the name Rover, not knowing his monster name.
Thrull[]
When Jack first meets Thrull, he saves them, tells Jack that he is a hero for slaying Blarg with the former giving him a quest to complete the bestiary, which Jack happily accepts as Thrull says that it will save his friends. Thrull becomes somewhat of father figure to him in the Book 2 of both the book and Netflix series, and earns Jack‘s trust. However, it is eventually revealed that he was just using him and his friends as pawns as he was actually a servant of Rezzoch, This betrayal greatly affected an already emotionally-tormented Jack into making a suicidal risk of baiting the Wormungulous whilst becoming distrustfully angry at all monsters.
Bardle[]
When Thrull betrays the Wakefield gang, they unexpectedly find a new ally in Bardle, who instantly replaces Thrull as another father figure to Jack. In spite of being a bit cold and apathetically direct, it is very clear that Bardle cares for Sullivan in a filial manner; helping him in many different ways, and is always there to answer Jack’s questions. When Bardle dies at the hands of Thrull in The Midnight Blade, Jack is the most devastated out of the team, and keeps remembering how Bardle looked and what he said in his last moments as Jack knelt by his side. Luckily, this does not happen in the cartoon, as it was cancelled, but there's a slim possibility that it might be revived.
Skaelka[]
Skaelka is one of the friendly monsters that lives at Joe's Pizza. Jack seems to see her as a friend, but is still wary of her for her love of decapitation. He calls her a 'looney tune' because of her war-loving nature and crazed way of doing things, but she is a great ally to him and the team.
Trivia[]
- Jackson is a common American, Scottish, Irish and English surname, which can also be used as a first name. It literally means "son of Jack". Jack, in origin, is another variation of the name John/Jonathan, meaning “(God is) Gracious.”
- The Irish surname (O’)Sullivan means Dark-eyed; with its Irish Gaelic form being "Ó Shúileabháin". This alone is appropriate due to Jack’s eyes being midnight blue (a darker shade of blue).
- In the books, Jack's feelings of romance are not explicitly shown to be reciprocated by June, but in the animated series' second book episode "Stay on Target", she starts to show reciprocation, prompting Dirk and Quint to tease her. By the end of the second season finale, she and Jack hug after destroying the Tree of Entry, resulting in both moving apart shyly.
- Jack has one of the typical Irish looks such as "Black Irish" due to his surname (and ancestry) being Irish with his hair color also black.
- By head canon fans, Jack is considered a year older than Quint and June while Dirk is 2 years his senior.
- Many fans on Discord believed that his first name Jack could be short for Jackson.
- Though his birthday was briefly said in the books, it is not revealed or discussed much. But (before confirmation was made about them) a brief conversation between Brallier and a fan on twitter has shown that it can be up to the fans in making one for fanfics. [1]
- Before Max made confirmation about birthdays, many fans headcanoned Jack’s birthday to being the same as his actor’s Wolfhard’s birthday: October 21.
- In Book 9, it's implied Jack thinks he could beat Quint in a fight.
- In Book 3, it is revealed that Jack's left buttcheek is his favourite.
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