The main character on Sons of Anarchy was always Jax Teller, the vice president of the titular motorcycle club based in Charming, California. But in the series finale of the FX crime drama, Jax killed himself in a fashion similar to his father's death, riding his bike into the path of an oncoming semi-truck. While it's unusual for a TV series to kill its primary protagonist, Jax's death served as a symbolic sacrifice.
After all, Jax spent the final episode sending his sons away to prevent them from growing into the life in which he was trapped. Jax wanted them to grow up hating him and the life he lived to protect them. He was on the run from the cops after committing several messy, high-profile murders after technically being excommunicated from the club -- although he was respected by Chibs, his replacement as club president, and a few of the remaining Sons of Anarchy members.
Jax Teller's Core Relationships on Sons of Anarchy
A solemn Jax Teller with a leather jacket stands by a motorbike in a car park
Played by Charlie Hunnam, Jax Teller had a rather complicated relationship with his parents, Gemma and John Teller. He heavily depended on his mother, even though they clashed on significant and fundamental objectives. And in Season 1, Jax saw his late father in a whole new light. He found a manuscript that John had written, laying out his issues with the Sons of Anarchy as a founding member. This prompted Jax to question the club and his role in it, frequently trying to change the group as he climbed the ranks.
Jax was also married to Tara and had two sons. Tara was killed in Season 6, which launched Jax on a road of revenge that ran counter to his earlier goals of reforming and legitimizing the Sons of Anarchy. He became so singularly focused on revenge that he lost sight of the future Tara wanted for her family. Also, he was completely unaware that Gemma had killed Tara, so he focused his rage on the wrong places.
Jax Teller's Fate was Inspired By Shakespearean Tragedy
Jax's death was a polarizing event for fans when it occurred during the series finale episode, but it was planned all along. Sons of Anarchy's intention was for Jax to be a tragic figure in the vein of classic characters like Shakespeare's Hamlet. Like with Hamlet, the audience knew what Jax should do. However, to some extent, they understood why he was doomed to fail in following through. Therefore, the logical conclusion for the character was for him to die.
During a 2014 interview, showrunner Kurt Sutter specifically referenced Hamlet when discussing Jax's death. He was also open about his intention to make Sons of Anarchy a tragedy in the classic sense and not just a series where tragic events happen. He explained that classical tragedies include the death of the main character, and that was a significant factor in killing off Jax. It wasn't enough for him to lose his wife, mother and children, he also had to die himself.
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