With a show as monumental and long-lasting as NCIS, there are bound to be actors who need to step away.

After awhile, actors often feel that they’ve outgrown a show and need to take other steps in their career. Sometimes, though, the show creators also decide to axe a character for the purposes of the plot. In NCIS, fans were devastated on many occasions when they lost a character they grew to love.

Some of the losses were harder to swallow than others. We’re taking a look back at the most heartbreaking departures from the crime show as some spin-offs promise to bring back favorites.

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Sasha Alexander (Caitlin Todd)

Initially, Sasha Alexander was expected to be on the show as Caitlin Todd for six years, but simply couldn’t make it. After two years, she decided it was too much work as the show’s constant filming schedule took a toll on her. Her departure from the show ended up having a major effect on the entire plot as she was shot by a double agent, leaving an eerie sense of grief to fall over the whole team.

Cote de Pablo (Ziva David)

The spot on the team proved hard to keep filled as Caitlin’s replacement, Cote de Pablo, also left the shoe early. She was loved by fans for her interesting dynamic with Michael Weatherly as the pair played Ziva and Tony. That ship came to dominated the storyline at times. However, Cote ditched the role when she didn’t fell confident in the direction writers went. Don’t worry, though, she’ll be making a comeback for NCIS: Tony & Ziva.

Emily Wickersham (Eleanor Bishop)

When Cote stepped away, the NCIS team were yet again tasked with finding a replacement. Emily Wickersham played Eleanor Bishop, playing the role for seven seasons. Yet again, the position on the team fell through when she left. This time, there wasn’t much of a reason given for her departure. She did, however, have a baby not too long later and stepped away from acting altogether.

Pauley Perrette (Abby Sciuto)

Pauley Perrette played brainiac Abby Scuito who was a forensic scientist for the team. In real life, Pauley has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and criminal science. She previously said she isn’t looking to return to acting, but Pauley certainly has options, anyway. When she left, rumors brewed that she had issues with Mark Harmon who was a massive and main actor on the show.

Michael Weatherly (Tony DiNozzo)

After his partners kept dipping, Michael Weatherly stepped away, too. As Michael played Tony DiNozzo for thirteen seasons, he eventually suffered from being burnt out. It was easy for writers to kick Tony from the plot as he was so distinctly linked to Ziva anyway. So, now, they’re reviving the pair for their spin-off show which was made easy by the way writers left both of their plots.

David McCallum (Ducky Mallard)

Ducky Mallard became a beloved character with the actor, David McCallum, bringing life to the medical examiner. After his character retired, they still brought him around for cameo episodes and appearances as he was that loved by fans. However, in 2023, David passed away, forcing the show creators to write out the character too. They honored David with an episode dedicated to his memory. Michael Weatherly returned briefly to the show to attend Ducky’s funeral.

Mark Harmon (Leroy Jethro Gibbs)

As arguably the main character of the show, Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ departure changed the entire energy of NCIS. When he exited the show, it was simply because he felt he’d given everything he could to the character. After all, he worked on the character for nearly two decades. That doesn’t mean he fully left the NCIS universe, though, as he stayed on as an executive producer and returned to help as a narrator on NCIS: Origins, a spin-off focused on his younger self.

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