Ride Or Die: The Definitive List

My friend Joe and I are having a slight disagreement about which persons, real or fictional, we would want to have by our side should any drama jump off. You know, the people you can always count on, no matter what the situation is. We basically agree on who should be on the list, but we can't really seem to reach any accord on the order in which each should be placed.

Anyway, since my opinion is the only one that matters (shaddap!), here's my official top five list of people I consider to be "ride or die":

1. Stephen Jackson. Although Stephen Jackson currently plays with the NBA's Golden State Warriors, he made the list while he was with the Indiana Pacers during the infamous brawl at the Palace a few years back. When Ron Artest went into the stands, Stephen Jackson was right behind him. Stephen didn't know why he was throwing punches, and I don't think he even cared. All he knew was that his boy was swinging, so he was swinging too. Punch first, and ask questions later. If you're down with Stephen, your back is got. It's automatic.
2. Ando Masahashi. Fans of NBC's Heroes know exactly why Ando is on my list. When his best friend Hiro, armed with the power to manipulate time, embarked on a quest to fulfill his destiny in the first season, Ando backed him up. Even though this quest put them both in harm's way, Ando, with no weapon or supernatural power of his own, was Hiro's companion and protector throughout.
3. Samwise Gamgee. Sam saved all of Middle Earth from peril when he accompanied Frodo into Mordor and made sure the ring of power was cast in the fires of Mount Doom to be destroyed. All of this because he made a promise. "A promise. 'Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee.' And I don't mean to." Okay, so I've seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy way too many times, but you get the point.
4. Al "A.C." Cowlings. O.J. needed a ride. A.C. not only provided the Bronco, he provided his own services as chauffeur. He did all of this with police helicopters circling above and the rest of LAPD in pursuit. A.C. just calmly kept driving until O.J. was ready to stop. (I should point out that my friend Joe feels A.C. should be #1 on this list.)
5. O-Dog. You definitely want O-Dog on your side. Cause that fool is out his hookup. In fact, if he wasn't a sociopath he'd be higher on my list. O-Dog was so crazy, I shuddered at the sight of Larenz Tate for a long time thereafter. He hunted down and helped kill the fools who murdered Cain's cousin. Then, when Cain felt he needed to pistol whip Chauncy, O-Dog offered up his piece without asking a question and even checked to make sure it was loaded (because bullets might have been necessary for all he knew) before he handed it to Cain. And when Deena's cousin and his boys came gunning for Cain, O-Dog came out with a pistol in each hand shooting back at those fools. Yep, I've watched Menace II Society a few times also.

There's my top five. Those are the people I want with me if I find myself having to walk down a dark alley. There were others in consideration, but I think these selections embody the spirit of the list. Is there anyone you think I've left off?

-e