Throughout its run, one of the toughest aspects of this hit show for fans to come to terms with was the fact that not a single one of their favorite characters were ever truly safe. Between the wars that the Sons of Anarchy fought against rival motorcycle clubs and gangs, disagreements with suppliers, run-ins with the law and even friction within the club, Jax and the crew's lives were constantly put at risk.
This danger did not only go one way, however, as the members of the Redwood Original could certainly pack a punch themselves. Let's take a look at some of the most dangerous figures to set foot in the world of SAMCRO, both working for the Sons and against them.
Otto Delaney
While originally incarcerated for five years, Otto ended up spending the rest of his life behind bars due to carrying out many dirty deeds for SAMCRO from the inside. From the moment that Otto learned of the death of his wife Luann, he spiraled out of control.
While not in a position of power, Otto was tough and durable and survived attacks from white nationalists that almost saw him lose his eyesight completely, as well as trauma at the hands of Lee Toric. His many acts of gruesome violence include slamming June Stahl's head into a table, biting his own tongue off, killing Toric's sister, and then offing Toric himself after enduring much abuse from the former U.S. Marshal.
Charles Barosky
An ex-cop and leader of the corrupt gang of Stockton Police Department officers, Barosky is the man in charge when it comes to dealings in Stockton. Even when the likes of SAMCRO and Nero Padilla decided to do business in Stockton, it was necessary for them to gain Barosky's approval, even bringing him on board as a business partner.
Barosky seemed to be willing to do whatever it took to get to the bottom of an investigation, as was the case when he sliced open the throat of one of the Persian gang members running a shady adult film studio. He later turned on SAMCRO and worked as an informant for the Lin Triad, which saw him do significant damage to the club.
Lee Toric
As a former U.S. Marshal, Toric may not have had the same level of authority as many other characters on this list, but he certainly did well to cause maximum damage with the little authority he had. After his sister was stabbed to death by Otto, Toric paid Tara a chilling visit and ensured that she was framed as an accomplice to the murder.
In addition, Toric went so far as to murder one of Nero's escorts and pin the murder on Nero, as well as exact revenge on Otto for his sister's murder. This revenge included postponing Otto's execution date, and making Otto's life so miserable that he would wish to be executed.
June Stahl
A twisted ATF Agent, Stahl would stop at nothing to harass SAMCRO and attempt to prosecute them for gun running. She threatened and attempted to recruit Opie (an act that led to Donna's death), and even managed to get Bobby incarcerated until her case was eventually dropped.
She was both gun-ho and utterly ruthless in her lust for glory and even murdered her own partner and lover as part of a plot to frame Gemma Teller for murder.
Marcus Alvarez
As head of the Mayans M.C. Oakland Charter, Alvarez was the head of almost all illegal drug distribution out of Northern California. He had one of the largest motorcycle clubs at his command, as well as the services of puppet clubs such as the Calaveras, who were yearning for a patcher. So great was his influence and ability to cause violence, that SAMCRO requested a sit down with him to discuss turning their rivalry into an alliance.
Apart from his authority, Alvarez is also deadly with a gun in his hand; he took out both Gill and Rig of the One-Niners at point blank range. Ruthlessly unforgiving, Alvarez condemned his own son Esai to death due to his failure to assassinate Clay Morrow and Ernst Darby.
Clay Morrow
The former SAMCRO president, Clay would do whatever it took in order to maintain power, make money, and keep his darkest secrets from slipping out. When SAMCRO was betrayed by SAMBEL member Keith McGee, Clay took it upon himself to remove his cut and throw him off the rooftop, despite Keith having been First Nine. He also ordered Tig to kill Opie when he assumed that Opie had been turned against the club, resulting in Donna's death.
Clay brutally beat Gemma as a means of keeping his secrets revolving John Teller's death and even resorted to murdering Piney when Piney disclosed his knowledge of the situation. His brutal acts even go as far as to bite a prison guard's nose off when he found himself incarcerated.
Chibs Telford
A former medic for the British Army, Chibs was a member of the Real IRA until he was thrown out by Jimmy O' Phelan, who scarred his face, took his wife and daughter from him, and told him never to return to Ireland. He later became SAMBEL's first prospect, and later patched over to SAMCRO.
Not only did Chibs eventually exact his revenge on Jimmy, but his loyalty resulted in him becoming Jax's Sergeant At Arms and later his Vice President. He also exacted revenge on Randall Hightower for his murder of Opie on behalf of Jax, and became SAMCRO President at the show's climax, making him the ultimate survivor on SOA.
Damon Pope
The most powerful gangster in Oakland, Pope controlled numerous criminal organizations including the One-Niners, who themselves posed much threat to SAMCRO over the years. His brutality was immediately seen upon ordering the deaths of both Leroy and Darnell at the hands of August Marks, due to their recklessness when handling affairs following the death of Pope's daughter.
Pope had far-reaching influence in California, and even organized the prison beating that resulted in Opie's death. He also had Oakland police officers on his payroll, one of whom lured Tig out to a train yard to watch his daughter burn to death in retaliation for the death of Pope's daughter. With his combination of brutality and influence, it took some expert planning on Jax's part to rid SAMCRO of this formidable threat.
Galen O'Shay
One of the much-feared and respected Irish Kings, Galen was a leader of the Real IRA and in charge of SAMCROs illegal gun supply. So great was Galen's influence on the Sons of Anarchy's survival, that Jax needed to go against his own wishes and keep Clay alive seeing as Clay was the only member that Galen would do business with.
Galen proved himself to be a foe who should never be crossed, as once Jax decided to pull out of the gun trade, Galen organised the explosion that decimated the entire SAMCRO clubhouse. Had Jax not gotten wind of this plan, Galen would have killed the entire charter and their families.
Jax Teller
Having had the strength to push Clay out of the club and take over as President, Jax is the strongest character around. After killing Tara's stalker Josh Kohn and exacting revenge on AJ Weston for the crimes he committed against Gemma, Jax continued to commit a long list of fatalities, including the deaths of gang leaders such as Hector Salazar and August Marks.
Jax also eventually got his long-awaited revenge on Clay and gruesomely killed his mother Gemma as revenge for what she did to Tara. Furthermore, he proved himself to be a great strategist by planning the assassination of Damon Pope and pulling the trigger on Charles Baroski and Galen O' Shea. Out of all of the characters in SOA, Jax certainly had the most blood on his hands.