After Seven Seasons of Heart, Humor & Heroism — Why Darren Ritter’s Time on ‘Chicago Fire’ Had to End

Ritter has been saving lives since Season 7 of Chicago Fire, but he’s officially left the CFD.

Firehouse 51 has bid farewell to several powerhouses, but Chicago Fire fans will never forget Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) as he sets out for a new chapter outside of the Windy City.

During the Season 13 premiere of Chicago Fire, viewers learned that Ritter had reconnected with his ex-boyfriend, Dwayne, who moved to New York City after Ritter struggled to take the next step and move in together. Just as Ritter revealed that he was happy to rekindle the flame with Dwayne, he got a troubling update from Mouch, who’d gotten a troubling call from his CPD wife, Trudy Platt (Amy Morton), who has NYPD connections.

Dwayne was in the hospital with a gunshot wound and was being wheeled into surgery at the very moment. Ritter wasted no time, packing up his bags and flying to New York to stay with Dwayne at the hospital.

Ritter returned to Chicago in Season 14’s “Primary Search” after Dwayne recovered from his injuries, but he was swirling with thoughts over his future at the Windy City firehouse. Here’s what happened:

Why Darren Ritter left Firehouse 51

Ritter revealed he was leaving Firehouse 51 to go back to New York City and start a new life and rekindle his relationship with Dwayne.

At the top of Chicago Fire‘s October 8 episode, Ritter’s best friends, paramedics Violet Mikami (Hanako Greensmith and Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon), were elated to receive a text that Dwayne’s surgery went well and that Ritter would be home soon. Violet explained that she was happy to hear Dwaye was OK, and relieved Ritter was returning due to 51 losing firefighters recently.

While the trio enjoyed some wine at Ritter and Lizzie’s apartment, Ritter gave Violet the lowdown on his trip to NYC, revealing that he met Dwayne’s entire family in the hospital. Ritter admitted it was awkward to be the ex-boyfriend in that scenario, especially since he blamed himself for the incident. Had Ritter moved in with Dwayne in Chicago, maybe he wouldn’t have been shot in the line of duty in New York.

Violet called Ritter out for his pessimism; Dwayne getting shot wasn’t his fault, and Ritter shouldn’t use it as an excuse to push Dwayne away any further. Violet confessed that pushing loved ones away was her problem, but Ritter and Dwayne could still make it work, so he shouldn’t put up a wall.
“New York is not that far away,” Violet explained, giving Ritter plenty to mull over.

Later, Ritter visited Violet to tell her that he’d thought a lot about what she said and had taken her advice. Ritter called Dwayne to tell him how he felt, and the couple decided to get back together after realizing Dwayne also regretted the break-up.

“I am flying back to New York right after shift,” Ritter told Violet eagerly. “Already cleared it with Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) and Pascal (Dermot Mulroney).”

Violet asked Ritter how long he would be gone, but Ritter explained that with all of the CFD’s recent budget cuts, there’d be enough floaters for a while. After catching wind of Violet’s confusion, Ritter said, “Aren’t you the one who told me to go?”

“I didn’t mean for you to quit the CFD,” Violet said.

“I’m not quitting, it’s just an extended furlough,” Ritter explained.

Darren Ritter’s heartwarming goodbye with his Firehouse 51 friends

While Violet was heartbroken about losing Ritter at Firehouse 51, she ultimately understood that Ritter was doing what was best for him. As Ritter lugged his suitcases out of the apartment, Lizzie and Violet ambushed him to tell him that they were driving him to the airport.

“I know it’s only for a few months or whatever,” Lizzie began.

“We’ll see what happens,” Ritter said.

“But we are coming to visit you,” Lizzie promised as Violet nodded in agreement.

“You better,” Ritter smiled as Violet grabbed his suitcase.

“New York is not that far away,” Violet told him, echoing her previous sentiment.

Daniel Kyri’s emotional farewell to Ritter

In an August 2025 Instagram post, Kyri confirmed his exit from Chicago Fire after seven years, pinning a beautiful message for fans and the cast.

“While I know I may never find another cast and crew as amazing as this one, I intend to carry what I’ve learned from you to every set in the future,” he wrote. “Chicago Fire changed my life. Bringing Darren Ritter to the screen has transformed & healed me in equal measure. He is a man who embodies empathy, humility, compassion, and unwavering bravery to save lives. His heroism is further fortified by the way he navigates the world—a gay Black firefighter who is proud, fierce, loyal, & whole—a possibility I never got to see onscreen in my childhood but desperately craved…”

He continued, “I am so humbled & proud to have portrayed you,” Kyri continued. “I’m thrilled that my inner child would have looked at you each week in awe of everything you represent. You made history. Thank you so much, Darren Ritter. And goodbye.”

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