From the original flagship Law & Order to its sister shows like Special Victims Unit, this is a franchise that is no stranger to a character exit. In fact, the Dick Wolf universe is often known for being a revolving door of actors and characters, with fans wary of growing too attached. For every mainstay character like Captain Olivia Benson, there are dozens who have had far shorter tenures in the fictionalized procedural world.

While many exits have been emotionally satisfying or thematically memorable, some have been less so. Catherine Manheim’s recent exit as Kate Dixon on Law & Order was seemingly handled without much of a concluding story built around it. And while learning that Detective Elliot Stabler had left the show’s SVU squad was certainly memorable, it was shoehorned in as a rushed, surprised explanation at the top of Season 13 and so never had a chance to be a memorable story itself (his return to the franchise in Organized Crime, however, has been very memorable.) But in the many combined decades of being on the air, the Law & Order world has produced a number of character exits that just stick with fans in the best way.

10Chris Noth’s Detective Mike Logan Started Off The Franchise And Left To Follow His Morals

Final Episode: Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Season 7, Episode 21 “Last Rites”

Written by
Siobhan Byrne O’Connor, Marygrace O’Shea, Warren Leight, & Peter Blauner

Directed by

Tom DiCillo

Air Date
August 17, 2008

IMDb Score
8.6/10

Chris Noth was one of the actors who started it all. As Detective Mike Logan in the original Law & Order series, he was onboard from the pilot episode. Logan set the tone as a detective with a complicated, traumatic past, as he had to navigate the criminal world against his own traumas, particularly his religious trauma.

Though he initially was a regular on the original show, he later transferred and became a regular on Law & Order: Criminal Intent​​​​​​. In his final episode of the series, he investigated a corrupt ADA who made a big name for herself by prosecuting people she actually believed were innocent. When she had Logan’s partner arrested on fraudulent charges, it was Logan’s final straw. After talking with a priest (showing healing from his religious trauma), he left the NYPD behind. His final episode was a satisfying culmination of his healing and morality story arc.

9Detective Ed Green’s Exit Was Dramatic and Nailbiting

Final Episode: Law & Order, Season 18, Episode 14, “Burn Card”

Written by
Ed Zuckerman & David Wilcox

Directed by
Mario Van Peebles

Air Date
April 23, 2008

IMDb Score
8.3/10

Detective Ed Green, portrayed by Jesse L. Martin, began on the show as a detective in Gang Intel with an energetic and aggressive policing style. As a partner of Jerry Orbach’s iconic Detective Lennie Briscoe, he underwent a lot of harrowing plotlines — and key character growth. Eventually, he was promoted to Senior Detective.

His final episode, though, was an intensely memorable event, culminating in him at the center of a murder investigation following his fatal shooting of a murder suspect. Investigations uncovered that Green owed money to the suspect at one point, painting him in a suspicious light. However, the proceedings revealed Green had in fact shot the suspect to save others. Despite being vindicated, though, Green was unable to process the guilt he felt from the incident and left the NYPD. In the history of character exits, his is one of the few to have an entire, dramatic final arc built around it.

8Detective Carmen “Nova” Riley Left Organized Crime On Her Own Terms

Final Episode: Law & Order: Organized Crime, Season 2, Episode 22, “Friend Or Foe”

Written by
Rick Marin & Barry O’Brien

Directed by
Ken Girotti

Air Date
May 19, 2022

IMDb Score
8.5/10

Detective Carmen “Nova” Riley, played by Nona Parker Johnson, had one of the most interesting and satisfying arcs on Organized Crime​​​​​​. As an undercover cop, she infiltrates the Marcy Killers to investigate the cruel, seemingly untouchable crime boss, Preston Webb. Despite suffering traumatic personal losses while undercover, she rises through the ranks of the Marcy Killers and learns that her own brother is dangerously close to starting a charity sponsored by Preston Webb.

By the end of her arc, Preston Webb is found mysteriously murdered and his wife Cassandra is arrested for the crime (with charges later dropped.) However, immediately after, Nova turns in her resignation, strongly implying that she was actually the one responsible for Webb’s death. She leaves the city altogether and moves back to her hometown with her brother, the two of them finally being able to live a life in peace.

7Sam Waterson’s Jack McCoy Had a Well-Publicized Exit

Final Episode: Law & Order, Season 23, Episode 5, “Last Dance”

Written by
Rick Eid & Pamela J. Wechsler

Directed by
Alex Hall

Air Date
February 22, 2024

IMDb Score
8.4/10

District Attorney Jack McCoy had been a regular presence on Law & Order since the premiere of Season 5. When the series returned after twelve years of being off the air, Sam Waterson’s return for that 21st season was highly celebrated. His familiar face and character helped bridge a decade-long gap between the old and the new series.

However, in Season 23, it was announced that Waterson would be retiring from the show. Unlike some more recent franchise exits, Waterson’s final episode received a lot of hype with a whole publicity campaign launched around the farewell. McCoy’s final case amounted to a highly pressurized political entanglement, with the governor’s political opponent set to win the election and fire McCoy. Instead, McCoy chose to step aside during the current governor’s tenure to ensure that he could appoint a successor with integrity.

6Captain Cragen’s Retirement Paved The Way For Benson’s Promotions

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 15, Episode 11, “Amaro’s One-Eighty”

Written by
Kevin Fox, Warren Leight, & Julie Martin

Directed by
Nick Gomez

Air Date
January 15, 2014

IMDb Score
8.2/10

Dann Florek’s Captain Donald Cragen was a beloved member of the Law & Order world. Appearing in the flagship series’ first episode, he soon transferred to helm the successful spin-off, SVU. As a complex yet compassionate character, his time leading the SVU squad room was memorable.

After Detective Nick Amaro is involved in a gunfight that results in him unknowingly paralyzing an unarmed teenager, the squad room is in a place of emotional uneasiness. Though the case is resolved, Cragen has one final bombshell for the group: he is taking all of his unused vacation days and embarking on a six-month cruise with his girlfriend that will lead into his retirement. In his final scenes, he shares some emotional moments but the biggest moment of all comes when he announces that Benson will take over as the new interim supervisor, laying the groundwork for her continual future promotions through the ranks.

5Detective Amanda Rollins Got A Happy Not-So-Final Ending

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 24, Episode 9, “And a Trauma in a Pear Tree”

Written by
David Graziano & Julie Martin

Directed by
Norberto Barba

Air Date
December 8, 2022

IMDb Score
8.0

Detective Amanda Rollins’ exit is one of the best for a few reasons. Firstly, Kelli Giddish’s departure was so sudden and upsetting, that it inspired new heights of fan fervor, with audiences rallying around her and her character to voice their support. Because of this, her exit has not necessarily stuck. Since leaving as a series regular, she’s appeared on Organized Crime and guest-starred on SVU, with hints that she may yet return in a more regular capacity after all.

And though the character’s final appearance as a series regular is still a controversial choice, it is also one of the few times a Law & Order character is given a truly happy ending as a departure. She finally marries her longtime love, A.D.A. Sonny, Carisi, and accepts a teaching position that appears to make the most of her natural talents. Even if it hadn’t left the door open for her return, the fact she was able to leave without extensive trauma makes it a big win.

4SVU‘s A.D.A. Barba Left Following An Intense Moral Quandry

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 19, Episode 13, “The Undiscovered Country”

Written by
Michael S. Chernuchin

Directed by
Alex Chapple

Air Date
February 7, 2018

IMDb Score
8.4/10

Raúl Esparza’s complex and deep performance as Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba over the years made the character an undeniable icon. Joining the SVU cast in Season 14, Barba’s intelligent wit and no-nonsense prosecution style made him not only a formidable ADA but a memorable character. During his time on the series, he formed a very close friendship with Olivia Benson.

When Esparza departed the series as a regular in Season 19, he was written a controversial yet incredibly memorable exit. Witnessing the suffering of a brain-dead, infant boy with MDDS during a right-to-die trial, Barba is forced to reckon with watching his own father endure the agony of life support, leading to him turning off the brain-ded-but-not-physically-dead baby’s life support. Though he is exonerated, Barba feels wracked with guilt and resigns as an A.D.A.

3Detective Nick Amaro’s Intense Exit Led To Benson’s Legal Motherhood

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 16, Episode 23, “Surrendering Noah”

Written by
Julie Martin & Warren Leight

Directed by
Michael Slovis

Air Date
May 20, 2015

IMDb Score
8.2/10

After Christopher Meloni’s sudden departure after Season 12, Danny Pino joined the SVU cast. In true Law & Order fashion, Detective Nick Amaro came from a traumatic past and spent his time on the show trying to work past his intense emotional baggage. After four years as one of the show’s leads, he carved out a devoted fanbase.

In Nick Amaro’s final episode, he expressed a desire to become a sergeant, though Benson had to unfortunately give him the hard truth that his past misconduct history would prevent that from happening. Later on, during a shootout in the courtroom for the trial of Johnny Drake (violent rapist and baby Noah’s biological father), Amaro shoots and kills Drake, freeing up Benson to fully, legally adopt Noah as her own child. Amaro is injured but undergoes physical therapy and ultimately decides to retire and restart in California to be close to his children. He and Benson promise to remain friends.

2A Surprise Twist Ending Makes A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot’s Exit One Of The Best

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 5, Episode 4, “Loss”

Written by
Julie Martin & Warren Leight

Directed by
Constantine Makris

Air Date
October 14, 2003

IMDb Score
9/10

After coming onto the show to look into the SVU squad during an investigation, A.D.A. Alex Cabot (played by Stephanie March), became a regular and beloved cast member. She had a rather high rate of success when it came to winning cases and she wasn’t afraid to pull every string at her disposal to call in favors or sway judges to sign warrants. During her time, she and Benson also became good friends.

However, in Season 5, Cabot became the target of the Colombian Drug Cartel. Her final episode as a series regular began with her being gunned down by the cartel. However, in a memorable twist, it is revealed that she instead faked her death for her own safety and entered witness protection. She returned to the series years later as a member of a secret organization helping women escape domestic violence, proving it is always an exciting story with Alex Cabot.

1The Perfect Emotional Ending & Homage To John Munch’s Detective Years

Final Episode: Law & Order: SVU, Season 15, Episode 5, “Wonderland Story”

Written by
Julie Martin & Warren Leight & Ed Zuckerman & Lawrence Kaplow

Directed by
Jennifer Getzinger

Air Date
October 16, 2013

IMDb Score
8.1/10

Richard Belzer’s Detective John Munch had the distinction of appearing on ten different shows as the same character. The character originated as a series regular on David Simon’s Baltimore-based Homicide: Life on the Street before crossing over to Law & Order: SVU following the cancelation of Homicide. As a member of the SVU squad, Munch’s acerbic yet joking wit and conspiracy-minded attitude continued to have him stand out in the ensemble.

His final appearance as a series regular takes place during a fairly commonplace case. In “Wonderland Story,” he officially retires from the NYPD to be a DA investigator, but it’s the final moments of his episode that truly make it stand out. As he cleans up his desk, he looks at a stack of photos while a brief clip plays of his time from Homicide, sitting at his desk, sorting through suspect photos. His phone rings. Instinctively, Munch answers: “Homicide” before correcting himself and telling the caller he’ll find them a detective. It’s a bittersweet moment that pays tribute to Munch’s historic character run and beginning, made all the more bittersweet in the wake of Richard Belzer’s passing.