It's a sad thing when a man does, especially one so young. There is so much life yet unlived, and he'll never get to see the people that his children have become. Sadly, that is the case for the dearly departed Man of Mayhem for SAMCRO, Opie Winston. Of all the characters in Kurt Sutter's epic saga of the outlaw motorcycle club, Opie has been one character that has very effectively been the hero. In the context of Joseph Campbell's monomyth, Opie has gone through all 17 steps. This article will focus on a few of those steps and how it will impact the future of the series.
    Opie's call to adventure begins in the very first episode of the series. We see Opie working as a logger, attempting to stay out of the outlaw lifestyle in order to appease his wife, who does not wish to see her husband return to prison. This creates conflict in their finances where they cannot make ends without also earning money through less than legal means with the club. 
    Throughout the course of the first season, Opie is seen to straddle the line between his family and the outlaw world he has known.  He is perceived as a rat by other members of the club, which inevitably leads to him having to prove his loyalty in assassinating a potential enemy of the club who will hurt their gun running business. This is where he fails in his road of trials. He loses the great love of his life, his wife Donna, and his metamorphosis begins. He finds comfort of the road, shirking his duties as a father and finding a confidant in the stepfather of his best friend, who essentially holds the power of life and death as it was he who decided that Opie had to die, which lead to the death of his wife.
    He is constantly tested throughout the series: the death of his first wife, the coming to terms with his second wife's pornographic career, the dissolving of that marriage due to his infidelity, and the death of his father. He begins season 5 with his life outside the club, distancing himself from the world that has taken so much from him. It is his loyalty to this family that eventually brings him back into the fold and what leads to his eventual demise. By trying to protect his family, he leads himself into prison to look after the safety of his brothers. It is here that he frees himself of the fear of death, sacrificing himself so that his brothers may live in a moment that is heartbreaking, horrifying, and yet somehow fitting for this man.
    While the tragedy of Opie's sacrifice will not be forgotten anytime soon by fans of Sons of Anarchy, it is his sacrifice that will propel the rest of the series. Opie was the greatest friend that Jax Teller had and his death will fuel Jax into the man that will sacrifice nothing else to take down his greatest enemy, who may very well be Damien Pope. Opie's death had to happen to make Jax the most ruthless character he can be, perhaps even worse than Clay Morrow. Time will tell, but Jax will certainly not be the same.
    R.I.P. Opie.