10 Best Character Exits from the One Chicago Franchise, Ranked

NBC’s One Chicago franchise is comprised of three active series: Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Fire. The franchise has been on the air since 2012 and is going strong in the present day. A big appeal for the series is the frequent crossover of characters from all three series, which fostered a sense of community that spanned across all three series.

With such an extensive franchise, many characters have come and gone from the series. The way the exits of the characters are handled is just as important as the way they were introduced, and an improperly done exit can tarnish the arc of a character that has been built over the course of several seasons. These 10 characters had the best-handled exits in the One Chicago franchise.

10. Jay Halstead Returned to His Army Roots

Jay Halstead is the most recent character exit in the franchise; as one of the original core characters of Chicago P.D., he’s a passionate and strong detective who had massive character and professional growth throughout his time in the series. His brother, Dr. Will Halstead, was later introduced and then became an original main cast member of Chicago Med.

Jay Halstead went to Bolivia alongside a US Army Task Force to combat cartel activities. While he was in Bolivia, he divorced his wife, Detective Hailey Upton. The relationship arc that had been being built so carefully over the course of several seasons came crashing down in one fell swoop. While the professional character arc could have been handled easily by this reasoning for his exit, the decision to implode the relationship in the manner the writers did not make very much sense.

9. Antonio Dawson Left to Be With Family in Puerto Rico

Antonio Dawson is one of the first members of the Chicago Police Department to be introduced in the original franchise series, Chicago Fire. Antonio is the brother of Firefighter/Paramedic Gabriella ‘Gabi’ Dawson. Detective Dawson helped take down Hank Voight over his harassment of Firefighter Matt Casey and was later selected by Voight to work in his Intelligence unit, thus making him one of the original main characters of Chicago P.D.

Antonio Dawson endured a lot of trauma during the course of his career. His marriage imploded, his children were kidnapped and assaulted, and he was also severely injured on multiple occasions. Combined with the constant exposure to the worst parts of humanity, Dawson experienced mental health issues that led to addiction. After resigning from the CPD, Hank Voight helped him check into an off-the-books rehab facility. He later moved to Puerto Rico to be closer to his family.

8. Will Halstead Left Chicago Med Behind to Reunite With a Lover

Dr. Will Halstead is the brother of Chicago P.D.‘s Detective Jay Halstead. Will is introduced as a playful, slightly impulsive, but gifted Doctor who returns to Chicago after some time away in New York after leaving his practice. After reoccurring on Chicago P.D., Will would become a main character on Chicago Med when the series debuted.

Will would help ground the series with his down-to-earth nature. He would also help drive the plot forward with his stubborn nature, which led him to clash with his coworkers on more than one occasion. Will gave the show a stable foundation, while still keeping the plot dynamic and interesting. Will left Chicago Med after eight seasons. He resigned after sabotaging defective hospital technology that was harming patients, which tracks with his personality and morals. Later on, it was revealed he moved to Seattle to be with his ex, Dr. Natalie Manning, who had left the series before Will. There is no doubt Natalie was always Will’s true love, so seeing him go to be with her does make sense.

7. Gabby Dawson Left to Help Others Abroad

Gabby Dawson was one of the original characters in Chicago Fire. Dawson was known for her heart and her fantastic skills as a paramedic, even though her temper could sometimes get her in trouble with authority. Dawson grew a lot over her seasons on Chicago Fire, including learning how to be a firefighter as well as a paramedic. She also got married to Lieutenant Matt Casey, which was a very popular fan pairing.

Dawson’s continued growth and her desire to follow her heart made her decision to leave Chicago to assist with hurricane relief in Puerto Rico make sense. She has always been passionate about helping those who can’t help themselves. Dawson had a good send-off in the series and, overall, her exit meshed well with the progression of her character over the course of the series, even if it meant divorcing Matt Casey to focus on her own journey.

6. Sylvie Brett Left Chicago to Follow Her Heart

Sylvie Brett was a new addition to Chicago Fire after the death of paramedic Leslie Shay. She works hard to prove her worth to her colleagues who are still reeling from the loss of a dear friend. Sylvie quickly shows she is a brilliant paramedic. After a few episodes, she fits right in at Firehouse 51 and breathes a new sense of life into the series.

Sylvie may not have been an original character for the series, but she spent nine seasons on Chicago Fire. Sylvie elevated the series with her charm and dedication. After a complex romantic plotline between Sylie and Matt Casey, they wedded in Season 12, Episode 6, “Port in the Storm.” Sylvie then moved to Portland to be with Casey and the children of his late friend he had taken in. After the lengths Casey and Brett had gone to for each other, this exit storyline makes sense for Brett’s character and feels well-earned for her.

5. Erin Lindsay Hit Her Breaking Point and Left for a Fresh Start

Erin Lindsay has been through a lot in her life, not to mention all she has been through in the course of her time at Chicago P.D. Lindsay went through an abusive childhood and was heading down a bad path before Hank Voight came into her life and took her in. This inspired Lindsay to join the police, where she would eventually work under Voight in the Intelligence Unit.

Lindsay’s ferocity and drive for justice made her a brilliant detective. However, it also made her cross the line on numerous occasions. After Internal Affairs zeroes in on Lindsay, Voight steps in to protect her. He gets her a job on a federal task force in New York City, and she takes the opportunity.

4. Matt Casey Moves on to Look After Loved Ones

Matt Casey is one of the original lead characters of Chicago Fire. The Lieutenant has been a true leader on and off duty for 10 seasons of the series. He led Truck 81 into some dangerous situations, but his level-headed nature allowed him to be the man people trusted to lead them into a blaze. For many years, Lieutenant Matt Casey was a fixture on Chicago Fire.

Casey’s loyalty is one of his most celebrated traits. With this trait being so ingrained in his character, it made sense that when the children of his fallen firefighter friend came to him needing help, he would help them without question. Casey decides after deliberating that he would move to Portland, where the Darden brothers live to take custody of them until the youngest is of age. His team and his fiancé are sad to see him go, but it makes sense given his connection to the family that was explored in earlier seasons of the series after the passing of Firefighter Darden.

3. Alvin Olinksy Died of Devastating Circumstances

Alvin Olinsky is the longtime best friend and partner of Sergeant Hank Voight in Chicago P.D. Olinsky is quite an ornery character and has a gritty nature from his years of police service. Olinsky isn’t afraid to cross the line but holds his cards closer to his chest than Voight does. Their camaraderie was a big draw for fans when Chicago P.D. premiered.

Olinsky’s loyalty to Voight would put a nail in his coffin when his DNA is found on the dead body of Justin Voight’s killer, who Voight killed to avenge his son’s murder. Olinsky is put in prison, and there, he is targeted and later murdered. His team is horrified, and Voight is shattered. This highly emotional exit was a shock to the system for the series. Olinsky’s death brings out a raw edge in his team members as they work to avenge his death and exonerate him posthumously. This exit was emotional but furthered the plotline and prompted the emotional exploration of other characters in the series.

2. Connor Rhodes Left After Experiencing a Horrific Loss

Connor Rhodes was a fan-favorite character in the early days of Chicago Med. He had an intriguing backstory surrounding his family that provided exciting layers to his character. Rhodes shakes things up at Med by challenging the status quo as a new face with an interesting medical background.

As a character, Rhodes brought a wide variety of plotlines to the series, both personally and professionally, especially surrounding his romantic life and his family history. These two plotlines would overlap and cause one of the most distressing moments in Chicago Med history. After his father’s suspicious death is revealed to be a homicide, the drugs that caused the death are linked to Connor’s love interest Dr. Ava Bekker. Connor confronts her, and she reveals she killed Connor’s father so they could be together. She then kills herself in front of him. Connor then leaves Chicago to escape being forever tied to such a tragic moment.

1. Brian ‘Otis’ Zvonecek Died in the Line of Duty

Brian ‘Otis’ Zvonecek was a member of Firehouse 51 who worked under Lieutenant Casey on Truck 81. Otis was known for his sense of humor and enjoyed a close friendship with fellow firefighter Joe Cruz. Otis was also a part owner of Molly’s Bar, a common hangout spot for characters in the One Chicago franchise.

Otis died in a mattress fire in the Season 8 premiere episode. His death devastated Firehouse 51 and especially affected his best friend, Joe Cruz, who was with Otis as he delivered his final words in the hospital before passing. Otis’s sacrificed is memorialized with a statue outside the firehouse, where all firefighters and paramedics share a moment together after the ceremony and a moving speech from Chief Boden. The exit of Brian ‘Otis’ Zvonecek from Chicago Fire is the best of the franchise due to the masterful acting, well-crafted story, and how the impact of his passing resonated throughout the series after the initial exit.