There have been a lot of exits this year on Chicago Fire, but we’re still salty about these five actor exits.

2024 was yet another season of change for Chicago Fire. Across the year, we bid farewell to another wave of incredible characters, some whose exits were promoted by the actors’ desires to leave the show and others for creative reasons that have left fans more than a little puzzled.

Change is something we’ve come to expect from the shows, but that doesn’t mean it’s become any easier seeing favorite characters written off.

As 2024 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at the five Chicago Fire exits that have left us salty beginning with a character whose exit we knew was coming but still haven’t been able to get over.

5. Kara Killmer As Sylvie Brett

Truthfully, the reason Kara Killmer is at the bottom of our list is because the show gave Brett truly one of the greatest exit storylines the show has seen. We got to enjoy Brett’s presence for several episodes in season 12 as the show built to Killmer’s departure from the show and said departure came with a happy ending for her and Matt Casey.

The main reason we’re salty about her departure is simply because we really miss the character. Brett was such a key part of 51 and it still doesn’t quite feel right without her around.

4. Rome Flynn As Derrick Gibson

Moving along to some of the exits that truly left us salty we have Rome Flynn’s Derrick Gibson.

When it was announced that Flynn was going to be joining the cast, we were thrilled as we knew he’d be a perfect addition to the cast. Flynn is an incredible actor and he could have brought so much to the table via his role on Chicago Fire. Unfortunately, the show never truly gave the character a chance to shine.

Just as we were starting to get to know him, the writers threw in an unexpected twist in having Gibson abruptly exit 51 in order to seek treatment for a prescription drug problem that came literally out of nowhere.

This was defintely a case of the show bringing in a character and then not really knowing what to do with him, which is a shame as Flynn would have been a great long-time addition to the show and Gibson had such wasted potential.

3. Michael Bradway as Jack Damon.

When we met Michael Bradway’s Jack Damon in season 12, it became clear immediately that his character was keeping a secret. What we never expected was for that secret to be that he was the half-brother of Severide!

As that reveal dropped in the season 12 finale, we were shook and so excited to see how it would change up the dynamics at 51 in the new season. Sadly, we never really got the chance to see the storyline play out as things quickly took a turn for the worse for Damon as the season began. His whole persona shifted and he began ruffling feathers at 51, leading to exit at the firehouse and the exit of Bradway shortly after.

Honestly, we still can’t quite believe how the show managed to squander the potential of that storyline in the way it did. It would have been so amazing to see Severide take a mentor role and show his brother the ropes, rather than seeing Damon turn into a cocky know-it-all who lashed out once the truth came out.

2. Alberto Rosende As Blake Gallo

When it was revealed that Alberto Rosende would be exiting Chicago Fire in season 12, we expected that he’d get a proper sendoff. Instead, we were greeted with a very rushed goodbye which saw Rosende make a brief appearance before leaving town to move to Michigan.

We understand that the writers had to work around Rosende’s schedule and his decision to leave the show, thus creating the rushed exit but it felt like a disservice to see a character who had become so central to the show leave in the way he left without any real fan fair at all.

The good news was that the door was left open for him to return, but we’re still salty about the sudden exit of Rosende and how the writers had to handle his exit.

1. Eamonn Walker – Chief Wallace Boden

Without a doubt, the exit we’re most salty about is the departure of Eamonn Walker as Chief Wallace Boden, and there’s a simple explanation for why we’re so bitter about this exit.

Season 12 saw Boden accepting the Chicago Fire Department’s Deputy Commissioner which resulted in him stepping away from 51, as he would need to work at the CFD headquarters rather than out of 51. The exit was one that came as a surprise to fans as Walker has been a part of the show since the beginning and was such an integral part of the series.

With his character’s promotion, it was revealed that Walker would no longer be a series regular on the show; however, it was teased that we’d still get to see Boden in more of a recurring role. Well, we’re several episodes into the show’s thirteenth season and there has yet to be a single appearance from Boden at all. It was hard enough having to accept that Boden would not be a mainstay after season 12, but the fact he’s yet to appear in season 13 has left us more than a little salty.