Few of the Sons of Anarchy's seven seasons, Jax discovers more, and his desire for revenge consumes him, with brutal and tragic consequences.

Most of the main characters in Sons of Anarchy are Jax's fellow biker club , with the alliances in the club constantly shifting. Over the course of the series, as the main characters start dying or being sent to prison, it is left as a mystery until the last episode who will succeed Jax as the club president, or even survive the show. That said, no matter the affiliation or morals of each character, the show's writing and character development are usually excellent. The best characters in Sons of Anarchy steal scenes and have fully formed arcs.

10 Wendy Case (Drea De Matteo)

Jax's Ex-Wife Has The Biggest Redemption Arc In Sons Of Anarchy

We first see Wendy when she's deep in her heroin addiction, which affects the health of her and Jax's unborn son. Despite trying to beat her addiction several times, both Gemma and Jax encourage Wendy to fail when they feel that she is causing problems in the club. However, she makes a triumphant and shocking return as a changed person later in Sons of Anarchy.

Wendy not only beats her addiction but drastically changes her life, gaining a new sense of courage. When she returns to Charming, Wendy stands up to Jax and his family, proving that she is now a capable parental figure. She is one of the few characters to challenge Jax and survive the series, with Wendy's fate in Sons of Anarchy being one of the few positive ones in the show, thanks to her redemption arc.

9 Chibs Telford (Tommy Flangan)

Chibs Is Often The Voice Of Reason In The Club

Chibs has one of the darkest backstories in Sons of Anarchy. He was kicked out of the IRA and attacked by the leader, Jimmy O'Phelan, which left him with distinctive facial scars. Chibs is one of the less violent of SAMCRO, but he has his moments, most notably when he gets his revenge on Jimmy at last. Chibs cuts Jimmy's face, mirroring his own scars, before stabbing him.

Chibs is one of the better characters in the show because his loyalty and (relative) emotional restraint worked in his favor, making him one of the few Sons of Anarchy. Unlike Clay and Tig, Chibs doesn't usually demand power and respect, but rather, he earns it naturally. His promotion to the club's president in the final season symbolizes hope after chaos.

8 Venus Van Dam (Walton Goggins)

A Character That Could Have Been A Disaster But Stole All Her Scenes

Venus Van Dam may be a slightly controversial character, as the role would now be given to a trans woman. That said, she is played sensitively and with grace by Walton Goggins, and her storyline in the show is both unexpected and a huge leap away from stereotypes. Venus is first introduced as part of a plan to blackmail an enemy of the club, but she hits it off with Tig.

Venus and Tig's relationship in Sons of Anarchy was both wholesome and built on trust and honesty. Tig is an extremely flawed character, but Venus brings out the best in him. Still, she is not a "savior" stereotype, and has a character arc of her own that doesn't revolve around Tig. Venus's sense of humor and larger-than-life personality mean that she steals the show whenever she is onscreen, but without ever being a joke or punchline.

7 Opie Winston (Ryan Hurst)

The Death Of Jax's Best Friend Changed The Show

Opie Winston is one of the biggest fan-favorite characters in Sons of Anarchy. We first meet him when he is trying to get his life on track after serving time in prison in service of the club, but he is soon pulled back in. Opie is often the calmer voice of reason for Jax, and his moral com balances out the brutality of life in SAMCRO.

Opie's violent death in Sons of Anarchy is a turning point for the show, which grows more hopeless from then on. Jax loses his most trusted friend, and continues his dark path. Opie is arguably the tragic soul of Sons of Anarchy, representing the struggle between the life of a club member and peace, making him one of the best characters in the show.

6 Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman)

Sons Of Anarchy's Villain Is A Perfect Foil For Jax

One of the best writing decisions in Sons of Anarchy concerns the club president, Clay Morrow. Clay appears to be fully in control, but is resentful of Jax, conspiring to mold him in his image, or keep him from taking over the club at all costs. While this struggle would have been internal for many characters, the Sons of Anarchy creators showed this physically with Clay.

Clay has arthritis in his hands, and the SAMCRO rules state that if a member cannot ride, then they cannot be a member of the club. This physical issue represents Clay's resentment and fear at the idea of losing his seat at the top. Clay being a member of the First 9 makes this extra painful, as the club is part of his legacy, adding to his character's depth.

5 Gemma Teller (Katey Sagal)

Jax's Mother Is Arguably The Biggest Antagonist In The Show

Clay might be the most obvious villain in Sons of Anarchy, but in of great writing, Gemma is the most complicated. Gemma is the SAMCRO matriarch, and her first real challenge comes in the form of Tara. She is fiercely loyal to her family and the club, but as Jax's mother and Clay's wife, Gemma's loyalty shows itself in strange ways.

As a Gertrude-like figure. Gemma takes Sons of Anarchy back to its Shakespearean roots, using her status as Jax's mother to manipulate his trust, but ultimately coming to a tragic end in the process. The club is more closely tied to her than its would like to it, and her unraveling mirrors the club’s fate, as Jax destroys everything that he once valued.

4 Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam)

The Main Character In Sons Of Anarchy Is Unrecognizable By The End

Sons of Anarchy would not have worked if Jax hadn't been such a great character. As the troubled antihero of the show, Jax balances his natural charm with brutality and depth that make audiences sympathize with him, even as he grows more irrational. Many of the best Sons of Anarchy episodes show Jax struggling with this dual nature.

Jax might occasionally be upstaged by other characters, but his storyline and tragic downfall are the heart of the show. His struggle to find his place in the world and save the fate of the club remains compelling no matter what actions he takes, and this is due to the excellent writing of the character. Jax remains a sympathetic protagonist even as he descends into villainy and becomes the man he never wished to be

3 Juice Ortiz (Theo Rossi)

Juice May Be The Most Tragic Character In Sons Of Anarchy

Juice is a polarizing character, but this works in his favor, as we see him growing up onscreen along with Jax. Juice is irresponsible and good-natured, with a sense of humor, but he has a secret that reveals more about the club than him. SAMCRO's original racist rule stated that Black would not be accepted, affecting Juice, whose father is Black.

Juice's desperation to be accepted leads to him being manipulated into ratting on the club to the police. Though the original rule is changed, it is too late for Juice, who confessed to Tig and Clay. Juice is the most tragic character in Sons of Anarchy, and one of the best written, as nothing he did was out of malice.

2 Chucky Marstein (Michael Marisi Ornstein)

Sons Of Anarchy's Most Unlikely Ally Is Hilarious

Sons of Anarchy is a very quotable show, but some of the best quotes in Sons of Anarchy come from the side characters. Chucky is hilarious, and while his introduction looked set to make him a short-lived joke, he stuck around to become one of the funniest characters. As Sons of Anarchy grew darker over time, the comic relief from Chucky was a welcome break from tragedy.

Chucky has an embarrassing disorder that results in the Triad Gang cutting off his fingers, leading Gemma to get him prosthetic hands, and the club often takes care of him. Not all the best characters in the show are bikers, and Chucky proves this. Chucky is constantly underestimated and underrated, but he is one of the best friends to SAMCRO, despite not being a biker himself.

1 Tig Trager (Kim Coates)

Clay's Loyal Second-In-Command Is Full Of Contradictions

Tig is one of the most complex characters in Sons of Anarchy, and he holds several different ranks in SAMCRO during his time in the series. While Tig may not be the main character, he steals the show in many of his scenes by being both outrageous and believable at the same time. His combination of brutality and fierce love makes him fascinating, but he never becomes a caricature.

Tig represents chaos, but he is often predictable due to his loyalty to Clay and the club, which Jax is then able to use against him. He may be violent and criminal, but Tig is terrified of dolls and adores animals, and unexpectedly falls in love after many seasons of meaningless sexual encounters. These contradictions make Tig the best character in Sons of Anarchy.