Mentions of sexual abuse, torture, and death
Summary
- Sons of Anarchy had heartbreaking moments that left viewers in tears, from Opie's wife being killed in a mistaken identity shooting to Tig's daughter being burned alive.
- Gemma, one of the strongest characters, was sexually assaulted, leaving her broken and seeking revenge.
- The final season saw Bobby being tortured and killed, and Jax sacrificing himself by crashing his bike into a truck to mirror his father's death. The series had tragic and unexpected deaths throughout.
Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), Sons of Anarchy followed the many troubles of the club both among its and with other organizations, as well as the personal struggles of the of the club.
Sons of Anarchy was a success with critics and viewers and lived on for a total of seven seasons full of action but also a lot of drama. Not only did the series see the fall of SAMCRO due to terrible leadership, lies, betrayals, and conflicts with other groups, but it also saw the deaths of some of its most beloved characters. Surely, Sons of Anarchy also had its heartwarming moments that made the audience shed a couple of happy tears, but the moments that made viewers cry the most were the most tragic ones.
10 Donna Shouldn’t Have Been In The Car
Sons of Anarchy season 1, episode 12 “The Sleep of Babies”
At the beginning of Sons of Anarchy, Opie (Ryan Hurst) had recently been released from jail and was staying away from the club as his wife didn’t want him to go back to jail. However, financial struggles and more led Opie to return to the club. Some time later, ATF agent June Stahl (Ally Walker) made Clay believe that Opie had ratted on the club, so he planned his murder. Unfortunately, Opie and his wife, Donna, switched places at the last minute and she was driving the car when Tig (Kim Coates) pulled up behind her and shot her, believing she was Opie.
9 Gemma Is Sexually Assaulted
Sons of Anarchy season 2, episode 1 “Albification” and episode 2 “Small Tears”
Gemma (Katey Sagal) was one of the strongest characters in Sons of Anarchy, but even she was broken at some point. At the end of season 2’s episode “Albification”, Gemma was kidnapped by Ethan Zobelle’s people, who handcuffed her to a cage, beat her, and sexually assaulted her, leaving her with a final warning for Clay. In the next episode, Gemma dealt with the immediate physical, mental, and emotional consequences of the assault.
8 Half-Sack Is Killed By Cameron Hayes
Sons of Anarchy season 2, episode 13 “Na Trioblóidí”
The final episode of Sons of Anarchy season 2 was an emotional rollercoaster with not one but two moments that made viewers cry. First, Half-Sack (Johnny Lewis) was tasked with protecting Abel, Tara, and Gemma, but the latter left to exact revenge on Polly Zobelle. On his way to Jax’s home, Half-Sack was followed by Cameron Hayes, who wanted revenge for his son’s murder. Hayes’ plan was to kill Jax’s baby son, Abel, but as he was there to protect them, Half-Sack rushed towards Cameron to stop him, and the young prospect was fatally stabbed.
Sons of Anarchy: Why Half-Sack Was Killed Off In Season 2
One of the most unforgettable deaths in Sons of Anarchy was that of Half-Sack, who was killed off in season 2 – and here's why.
7 Abel Is Kidnapped By Cameron Hayes
Sons of Anarchy season 2, episode 13 “Na Trioblóidí”
After stabbing Half-Sack, Cameron Hayes threatened Tara with his knife and took baby Abel with him. As soon as Jax learned about it, the whole club rushed to find Cameron and rescue Abel, but they caught up with them too late. Cameron boarded a boat with Abel and left, with Jax, Clay, and the rest watching helplessly. Jax dropped to his knees crying and screaming, and made it his #1 mission to rescue his son and get revenge on Cameron Hayes and his allies.
6 Jax Reunites With Abel
Sons of Anarchy season 3, episode 11 “Bainne”
The of SAMCRO spent most of season 3 in Ireland looking for Cameron Hayes and Abel, and after having to deal with a couple of enemies, such as Father Kellan Ashby (who gave Abel to another family) and Jimmy O’Phelan, the latter was key in Abel’s rescue. At the end of the episode, Jimmy handed Abel over to Jax and took Father Ashby away, and he was aware that Jimmy was going to kill him. Jax having Abel in his arms again was a “sigh of relief” moment, and it’s inevitable to be moved by this heartwarming moment.
5 Tig’ Daughter Is Burned Alive
Sons of Anarchy season 5, episode 1 “Sovereign”
Tig’s actions throughout Sons of Anarchy led to some of the show’s most tragic moments, and in season 5, SAMCRO met one of the series’ most dangerous villains: Damon Pope, a dangerous and powerful drug kingpin. Thinking the One-Niners were responsible for an attack on Clay, Tig acted impulsively and tried to run over the Niners’ leader, but instead, he killed his date, Veronica Pope, Damon’s daughter. In revenge, Pope kidnapped Tig and his daughter, Dawn, and while Tig was handcuffed and shackled, he burned Dawn alive right in front of Tig.
Sons of Anarchy Secretly Made Tig Responsible For 2 Huge Tragedies
Sons of Anarchy saw many tragic deaths, and Tig Trager was responsible for two tragedies that hit the same family. Here's what happened.
4 Opie Sacrifices Himself For The Club
Sons of Anarchy season 5, episode 3, “Laying Pipe”
Dawn’s death was far from the end of Pope’s revenge plan. Opie had himself arrested to Jax, Tig, and Chibs (Tommy Flanagan) in prison, where Pope revealed another part of his plan: Jax had to choose which of them was going to die in prison in order for the rest to be freed. Jax planned on choosing himself, but Opie stepped in and hit one of the guards, who took him away to kill him in front of his brothers. Opie’s final line (“I got this”) and him looking at Jax right before he was fatally hit in the head, along with all the suffering he went through and how loyal he was to Jax and the club, made Opie’s death one of the most heartbreaking moments in Sons of Anarchy.
3 Tara Is Killed By Gemma
Sons of Anarchy season 6, episode 13 “A Mother’s Work”
Throughout Sons of Anarchy season 6, Jax and Tara went through many problems in their marriage following Tara’s arrest after Otto killed a prison nurse. In the season finale, Jax and Tara came clean to each other and made up, but Gemma still believed Tara had ratted on Jax and the club. Gemma attacked Tara at her and Jax’s home and forced her head into the sink full of water while she stabbed the back of her head with a carving fork, killing her. When Jax returned home to wait for Patterson to turn himself in as they agreed, he found Tara’s lifeless body in the kitchen.
2 Bobby Is Tortured & Killed
Sons of Anarchy season 7, episode 9 “What a Piece of Work is Man”
Bobby Munson (Mark Boone Junior) was one of the most loyal of SAMCRO, and he stayed as such until the very end. Sons of Anarchy season 7 saw the unleashing of a series of chaotic events as a result of Gemma’s lies, as she blamed Tara’s death on others. Bobby was kidnapped by August Marks’ men, who tortured him for information and removed his eye, four fingers, and broke his jaw. When August and Jax met to free Bobby per an agreement they had made, August shot Bobby right in front of Jax as payback for betraying him. Bobby’s death was unfair and unexpected and deeply affected the whole SAMCRO family.
1 Jax Kills Himself On The Road
Sons of Anarchy season 7, episode 13 “Papa’s Goods”
All of Gemma’s lies were discovered by Jax at the end of Sons of Anarchy, and unfortunately, that also led to Jax’s death. Jax had killed Jury white, president of the Sons of Anarchy Nevada charter, believing he was a rat and after an argument about Jax’s father. However, Jury wasn’t a rat, and as the death of another SAMCRO member is punished with death, Jax had to meet “Mr. Mayhem”. To his surprise, Chibs and the rest decided not to kill him, so Jax sacrificed himself on the road by letting his bike crash directly into a truck, mirroring how his father died.
