- "You gotta be shittin' me..."
- ―Kozik's last words
  
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Herman Kozik was a member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original charter on the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Played by American actor Kenny Johnson, Kozik makes his debut on the episode "The Culling" in season two; playing a recurring role throughout season three and season four. Kozik met his demise in the episode, "Call of Duty".
Quick Answers
What was Herman Kozik's past before joining the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club?
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Biography[]
Before his life as a street biker, Herman Kozik was a junkie, who after defeating his addiction, joined the United States Marine Corps. Eventually, Kozik was discharged from his service and joined the Tacoma chapter of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club where he gained the rank of Sergeant-at-Arms. He transfered to SAMCRO, despite having a rough relationship with Tig Trager. It's revealed they once owned a dog together, which has fans believing there might have been something between the two. In Polish, the word kozik means "small, pointy knife." It is revealed in Season 4 that he had a brother.
Season 2[]
"The Culling"[]
With a war with the League of American Nationalists fast approaching, Kozik heads down to Charming to provide backup for the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original. SAMCRO go in to lockdown, families and friends pile in to the clubhouse to keep everyone safe whilst the Sons handle business. President Clarence "Clay" Morrow speaks to the masses, telling them the club is embarking on a mission that could put members in danger, everyone is safe under SAMCRO's roof.
Kozik and Tig
In Church, the club discuss their plan to deal with the ATF heat and June Stahl breathing down their necks. Filip "Chibs" Telford is still concerned that Jimmy is going to hurt his family after Stahl exposes him as a rat, Jackson "Jax" Teller tries to reassure him. Chief Wayne Unser steps forward and gives the club some images of Leagye leader, Ethan Zobelle meeting with the IRA, with these images they should be able to convince Jimmy that the betrayal is from Edmond and Cameron Hayes, SAMCRO's IRA point of contact, not from SAMCRO.
Outside of Church, Kozik speaks with Clay and says he can do anything SAMCRO needs, he also has an uneasy greeting with Alexander "Tig" Trager, a man he clearly has history with.
The Sons ride out to meet the League for their fight night, organised earlier by Jax and AJ Weston. As expected, Weston has turned up with numerous men and weapons. Weston scoffs at them telling them "Fair is for losers, I'd rather win". One-Niners and Lin Triad members armed to the teeth emerge from the trees, outnumbering the Aryans at least 4 to 1. Weston submits, telling his guys to drop their weapons. Jax suggests they stick to the plan and a mass brawl breaks out between the 20 men, every member of the Sons wins their 1 on 1 as sirens begin blaring. Deputy Chief David Hale arrives on the scene, furious at the Sons and the AB for getting in to it inside Charming. Weston is then arrested for arson by Hale. Clay tells Tig to call Unser and get him to move on the cigar shop.
Season 3[]
"SO"[]
Kozik heads down to Charming for Kip "Half-Sack" Epps' wake, he was murdered a few days ago. Kozik explains that he was hoping to jump charter to SAMCRO but he knows that Tig is likely to downvote him. Clay tells Kozik that they can handle Tig and get him on board. The club pay their respects to Half-Sack, upon his coffin is his kutte, addorned with Half-Sack's full colours, posthumously making him a full patch of the Sons.
As everyone regroups outside the church, a van pulls up and begins firing at the crowd, people dive for cover as bullets fly through the air. Numerous people are hit, including Chucky and a young boy, the most notable casualty of all being Hale, who was run over by the van driver and dragged along the street, Unser and Jacob rush to his aid but quickly realise that he is dead, his brains leaking on to the road. One of the shooters fell from the fan after Charming PD exchanged fire with the van. Overwhelmed with emotion and rage, Jax attacks the shooter, bursting through the cops and slamming the man's face against the road.
He appears mysteriously again in the Season 3 premiere at Half-Sack's wake, where he tells Clay and Bobby that he wishes to return to the Charming charter. When Kozik and NOMAD biker Happy show up at SAMCRO with transfer papers, Happy is accepted but Kozik isn't as Tig vetoed the vote due to lack of trust. Kozik decides to stick around to earn Tig's trust. He and Piney lure the Mayans' heroin shipment into SAMCRO's hands after flattening the van's tire. Later, he and Tig sneak into St. Thomas to silence the Calaveras member from the drive-by as part of SAMCRO's new deal with the Mayans.
Kozik is revealed to have a contentious relationship with Tig and, in Episode 3.8, Tig states that the contention involves a female from both of their pasts. When Tara Knowles and Margaret Murphy are taken hostage, Kozik proves to be useful. When Salazar demands that the club kill Marcus Alvarez, Kozik is the one who convinces Alvarez to play along to help buy time so SAMCRO can find a way to get the women back.
Following Tara's rescue, Tig once again votes against Kozik's transfer. The "woman" from both of their pasts is revealed to be a female dog named Missy in Episode 12 of Season 3. In that interaction, he says to Tig, "I loved her too." He was present at the execution of ATF agent June Stahl.
Season 4[]
Kozik appears with the club waiting outside Stockton State Prison for the SAMCRO members to be released. He hugs Tig upon his release. Tig finds out that Kozik patched into SAMCRO after he was sent to Stockton, a fact Tig cheerfully accepts upon being released.
Kozik stepping on the landmine, seconds before exploding
Kozik loses a shipment of guns shortly afterwards to local kids who sell them to two of Vivica's sons but are caught later and after a beating by Kozik and the rest of SAMCRO they confess and the stolen goods are retrieved.
In episode "Call of Duty", Kozik arrives and tells Clay and the other Sons that all the Irish are coming to town for the face-to-face with Romeo and Luis, and to collect their special ordnance. Romeo and Luis show Jax and Clay two bodies of bloodied men, saying they're the ones who attacked Tara. Jax reminds them there's a third man. They say they're on it, but Jax wants to be there to finish the third.
The club meets. Jax tells them he'll deal with the Lobos Sonora Cartel on his own since it's about Tara, not the club. But the club is having none of it, they all offer to help, even Kozik.
The Sons and the Galindo Cartel charge at a Lobos encampment along with Luis and his guys. After one Mexican is killed immediately, Romeo interrogates one and shoots him when he doesn't answer. Another says the rest of the guys are in the woods, but Romeo kills him anyway. The Sons and Galindos head for the other camps in the woods.
All of them, however came across a field of land mines, planted there by the Lobos that are camping there. One member of the Galindos is blown up in the process. While trying to navigate around, Kozik accidentally stepped on one of the mines. Kozik's last words were "You gotta be shittin' me!" before the mine blew him up, killing him. This final line may have been an inside joke, as Kenny Johnson played Detective Curtis Lemansky in the crime drama series The Shield, which was also produced by Kurt Sutter. Lemansky, like Kozik, was killed by an explosive device, a grenade.
Chibs and Jax then avenge Kozik when they use the IRA's RPGs to kill all of the camping Lobos.
Back at the club, Clay tells them to give Kozik's cut to his brother while his MC cut is to be sent back to the Tacoma charter. Juice, on whom Kozik's hand landed after his death, is notably upset after he hears that Kozik had family.
Later, SAMCRO members (including Jax, Tig, Bobby, Chibs) do shots at the bar in honor of Kozik.
Murders committed []
Unnamed Mayan - Shot in the eye in 1998 (Issue 2)
Personality[]
Unlike others, Herman Kozik was friendly, well-meaning, calculating, selfless and calm. Well-liked by many, Kozik was shown to be extremely loyal to SAMCRO when he volunteered to help Piney lure the Mayans' heroin shipment into SAMCRO's hands, he and Tig snuck into St. Thomas to silence a Calveras member, he helped SAMCRO with the situation involving the kidnapping of Tara and Murphy by Salazar, he beat up the youngsters to find out where was the stolen shipment of guns, and when he volunteered to help SAMCRO and the Galindo Cartel in their fight with the ruthless Lobos Sonora Cartel which ultimately cost him his life. He was shown to have a very complicated relationship with fellow Sergeant-At-Arms biker Tig Trager but by season 4, they seemed to have left their problems in the past and have become close friends. This is shown when Tig sadly asks Jax if Kozik died quickly and when he and the rest did shots at the bar in honor of their fallen brother.
Gallery[]
Trading Cards[]
Trivia[]
- Herman Kozik's death is similar to the death of Detective Curtis Lemansky from the popular crime drama series The Shield. Both Sons of Anarchy and The Shield were shows that Kurt Sutter worked on, and both Lemansky and Kozik were performed by Kenny Johnson.
- In the episode Dorylus, one of the street punks who challenges him to a game of basketball calls him a "lemon head" (likely meant to reference his hair). This appears to be another insider reference to his character on The Shield, who went by the same nickname.
- Originally, Kozik was meant to survive the battle with the Lobos and then return to Tacoma, but due to Kenny Johnson's conflicting schedule with another project, Kozik was killed off.
Appearances[]
 Season 2 appearances
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| "Albification" | "Small Tears" | "Fix" | "Eureka" | "Smite" |
| "Falx Cerebri" | "Gilead" | "Potlatch" | "Fa Guan" | "Balm" |
| "Service" | "The Culling" | "Na Trioblóidí" | ||
| Season 3 appearances
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| "SO" | "Oiled" | "Caregiver" | "Home" | "Turning and Turning" |
| "The Push" | "Widening Gyre" | "Lochán Mór" | "Turas" | "Fírinne" |
| "Bainne" | "June Wedding" | "NS" | ||
| Season 4 appearances
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| "Out" | "Booster" | "Dorylus" | "Una Venta" | "Brick" |
| "With An X" | "Fruit For The Crows" | "Family Recipe" | "Kiss" | "Hands" |
| "Call of Duty" | "Burnt and Purged Away" | "To Be, Act 1" | "To Be, Act 2" | |