It’s been over a decade since Jax Teller rode his father’s knucklehead into the front of a semi-truck, and yet, we’re all still obsessed with the ghosts he left behind. If you’ve spent any time in the Sons of Anarchy fandom, you know the name. Sons of Anarchy the First 9. It sounds like a legend because, honestly, that’s exactly what it is. It’s the story of how a couple of broken Vietnam vets came home to a country that hated them and decided to build a brotherhood that eventually tore itself—and a small town in California—to pieces.
Fans have been begging for a prequel series for years. We want to see the 1960s. We want to see a young, idealistic John Teller before the weight of the club turned his soul black. But despite the constant rumors and the "leaked" posters you see on Facebook, the actual status of a First 9 show is... complicated.
The Men Behind the Patches: Who Exactly Were They?
Most people think SAMCRO started with Clay and Piney, but the "First 9" is a specific group of dudes who were there at the very beginning or shortly after. They weren't just bikers; they were guys trying to outrun the trauma of war.
Here is the actual roster of the First 9. No fluff, just the facts:
- John "JT" Teller: The philosopher-king. He founded the club in 1967 with Piney. If you watched the original show, you know his "manuscript" was basically the Bible for Jax.
- Piermont "Piney" Winston: JT’s best friend and the moral (if grumpy) compass of the early days. He stayed with the club until Clay murdered him in Season 4.
- Lenny "The Pimp" Janowitz: The third member. Interestingly, he was played by real-life Hells Angel legend Sonny Barger. In the show's lore, he’s the only one of the original crew still alive, sitting in Stockton State Prison.
- Keith McGee: He eventually moved to Northern Ireland to start the Belfast charter (SAMBEL). If you remember Season 3, you know Clay pushed him off a roof for being a rat.
- Wally Grazer: The fifth member. He didn't make it to the series timeline. He took his own life in 1986 because he was dying of cirrhosis and didn't want to go out on a hospital bed.
- Thomas "Uncle Tom" Whitney: A guy with a knack for theft who was eventually stabbed to death in prison.
- Chico Villanueva: The first Hispanic member of the club. He died in 1976.
- Otto "Lil' Killer" Moran: Not to be confused with the Otto played by Kurt Sutter. This Otto was found dead in the Sacramento River in 1985.
- Clarence "Clay" Morrow: The last of the original nine. He was sponsored by Piney in 1972 after he got back from Vietnam.
The Prequel That Got Stuck in Development Hell
Kurt Sutter, the mad scientist behind the whole SOA universe, had a very specific vision for Sons of Anarchy the First 9. He didn’t want it to be a seven-season epic. His plan was a four-part miniseries.
The idea was to start in Vietnam with JT and Piney and end with the arrival of Clay Morrow. It would have been a period piece—very political, very gritty, and focused on the social upheaval of the late 60s. He even wanted to release John Teller’s actual book, The Life and Death of Sam Crow, alongside the show.
So, why hasn't it happened?
The short version: Disney bought Fox. When Disney took over FX, things got messy. Sutter was eventually fired from his own universe in 2019 following reports of "abrasive" behavior on the set of Mayans M.C. Since Disney owns the rights to everything Sons, and Sutter is no longer in their good graces, the project is effectively on ice.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
You'll see a lot of "fan theories" claiming that Jury White (the Indian Hills President) was one of the First 9. He wasn't. He served with JT in the war, but he didn't join the club until later.
Another big misconception? That the club was always about guns and drugs. In the beginning, it was basically a social club for vets who felt like outsiders. The "anarchy" in the name wasn't about chaos; it was about the political philosophy of living outside a system that they felt had betrayed them.
Why the Story Still Matters in 2026
The reason we still care about Sons of Anarchy the First 9 isn't just because we like leather jackets and Harleys. It’s because the story of John Teller is a tragedy. We know how it ends. We know the club he started to "find peace" turned into a criminal enterprise that killed his sons and destroyed his family.
Seeing the beginning would be like watching a car crash in slow motion. You want to see the moment when the "idealism" of the 60s met the "realism" of the 70s.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to scratch that Sons itch while waiting for news that might never come, here is what you can actually do:
- Read the Comics: BOOM! Studios released a Sons of Anarchy comic series that dives into some of the earlier days and side stories you didn't see on screen.
- Watch "The Abandons": This is Kurt Sutter’s new show on Netflix (released late 2025). It’s a Western, but it carries that same "outlaw family" DNA that made SAMCRO so compelling.
- Track the Rights: Keep an eye on the licensing deals between Sutter Ink and Disney. Unless a bridge is mended, or the rights are sold back, the First 9 will remain a "what if."
The legacy of the First 9 is written in the blood of the characters we spent seven years watching. Whether we ever see them on screen again or not, their shadow is what made the original show a masterpiece. For now, the best we have are the letters John Teller left behind.