9. Clay Morrow - Sons Of Anarchy
One of the 'First 9' members of The Sons of Anarchy motorcycle gang and also its one-time president, Clay Morrow is certainly one of the most interesting characters on the show. Although initially likeable, he turns out to be a self-serving man who values his own survival above all else. This leads to him murdering close friends and compromising on his values to allow drugs into the town of Charming CA. When we are introduced to the character he is the strong, upright pillar of the Sons of Anarchy, and his main interest is in the preservation of the gang and its members. Yet by the end of season one it is clear that his leadership is under scrutiny from other members of the gang, which isn't great for Clay as among other things he has degenerative arthritis in his hands which would disqualify him from the Sons of Anarchy if discovered. The full arc is captured by the always-enjoyable Ron Pearlman who can at once intimidate and yet appear vulnerable. He is a compelling character, and you get to watch him become more and more unraveled as the show progresses and see just how far he is willing to go to keep himself out of harm's way. It couldn't last forever though and his treachery and scheming catch up with him in the end as he leading to his death at the hands of Jax Teller, the show's protagonist.