Why So Many Stars Left Teen Wolf Before The End: Unpacking The Departures Of Key Characters

Throughout its six seasons, Teen Wolf saw many characters come and go. This led to a constantly changing cast. While many familiar faces left the series some departures really changed the show's main feel and story direction more than others. From recurring friends like Danny and members of Derek's early pack like Erica and Boyd to temporary allies like Cora or the Alpha twins Ethan and Aiden Teen Wolf was always bringing in and writing out characters. This added to the questions about what went wrong with the Teen Wolf movie.

However the most impactful Teen Wolf exits that surprised viewers were the major players. Their absence had a deep and lasting effect on the main story and the characters who stayed. These were individuals who through a lot of screen time and important plot involvement became a big part of Scott McCall's pack and the supernatural world of Beacon Hills. Their exits whether by death or just moving away changed the series. Some of them are characters who did not even appear in Teen Wolf: The Movie. I remember feeling a real gap when certain characters disappeared.

Crystal Reed's Emotional Farewell And Her Reasons For Leaving Teen Wolf Behind

How Allison Argent's Dramatic Death Set The Stage For Future Departures

Allison Argent had a dramatic ending that fit her character. She was a central figure of Teen Wolf. In a heartbreaking goodbye the fierce bow-wielding hero died in Teen Wolf season 3 episode 23 “Meltdown.” She suffered a fatal sword wound from an Oni. After saving Isaac and his allies she died in Scott's arms. She affectionately called him "my first love" in her final moments. Actress Crystal Reed spoke about why she left Teen Wolf to Entertainment Weekly:

“I’ve grown into a woman from the show - from beginning to end - and I think that was the biggest motivating factor for me to leave. I feel that there’s nothing more that I can give to this character.”

Reed's kind comment shows that she simply felt she had outgrown Allison’s character. It did not make sense for her to keep playing a teenager. She also said: “Creatively, there were things I wanted to do differently, and I wanted to explore other avenues of film and TV.” This makes complete sense. Crystal Reed was 26 when she started Teen Wolf. By the time she left Reed was 29 and still playing a 17-year-old character. It seems she was very thankful for what Teen Wolf did for her career. But Crystal was ready to move on. Aside from Teen Wolf: The Movie Reed recently appeared in Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.

Tyler Hoechlin And Colton Haynes Also Made Their Own Decisions To Move On From The Series

From Pursuing New Opportunities To Unresolved Contract Disputes On Set

Derek was an early and important character in the Teen Wolf series. But as the seasons continued he became less central. Tyler Hoechlin left after Teen Wolf season 4. This was a big blow to the show. Teen Wolf had already lost several characters before Derek’s exit. However Hoechlin thought it was a good time to go after bigger things instead of fading into the background. Creator Jeff Davis told Buzzfeed about Hoechlin’s departure:

“Tyler Hoechlin decided he wanted more time to pursue movies. We talked and creatively agreed that maybe this was a good season to refocus on the teens of Teen Wolf, and while he won't be a series regular anymore, I can say that you probably won't have seen the last of Derek Hale. We love him and miss him.”

Derek was not fully written out of Teen Wolf after season 4. He returned for the Teen Wolf movie. However to the disappointment of viewers he was killed off. Derek died in flames with the Nogitsune choosing to sacrifice himself. Since his departure Tyler Hoechlin has been busy with movies and TV projects. He was recently in the praised 2020 movie Palm Springs. Hoechlin’s main focus has remained on television especially since taking on the role of Clark Kent/Superman in The CW's Superman & Lois. I think it is great that he found such an iconic role after leaving.

Colton Haynes’ exit from Teen Wolf is perhaps the most talked about. He spoke about the money reasons for leaving in his honest book Miss Memory Lane. Jackson was the Teen Wolf season 2 antagonist. He changed dramatically into a Kanima. But he died after allowing Derek to kill him to save everyone. This was a surprisingly redemptive turn for his character. Colton Haynes wrote openly about why he was written out fairly early in the series:

“A failed contract negotiation is what the press ran with, but the real truth was that they didn't want to pay me the same amount as everyone else [...] which wasn't a lot to begin with by Hollywood standards, even though my working quote — the fee I would be paid to appear on anyone else's show — was higher than most of the cast's.”

Haynes’ comments about why Jackson left Teen Wolf after season 2 also explained that he felt stuck between his team and the producers. He felt he was the one who got hurt. However not all feelings were bad. Jackson returned in season 6 and was also in Teen Wolf: The Movie. This showed a coming together between Haynes and the showrunners. In his book Haynes remembered that Jeff Davis had fought for him to get the role as Jackson despite homophobia from the network. This must have partly influenced his return to the franchise.

Dylan O'Brien's Reduced Role And The Unexplained Absence Of Daniel Sherman

From Real-Life Accidents Impacting Screen Time To Mysterious Character Disappearances

Stiles Stilinski was a major part of what gave Teen Wolf so much heart. So it was especially upsetting for viewers that Stiles was barely in Teen Wolf season 6. He also did not appear in the movie. The movie explained Stiles’ absence by suggesting he worked for the FBI after leaving the show to pursue an FBI internship. Also, Lydia says in the movie that she broke up with Stiles because she had a recurring dream about him dying in a car accident. This is creepy writing considering Dylan O’Brien was actually thrown from a moving vehicle on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure. This accident almost took his life. It is very sad to think about.

This same accident obviously less importantly caused delays. These delays partly led to his fewer appearances in the show’s final season. After this Dylan O’Brien was happy with how Stiles’ story ended in the show. He decided not to appear in the movie even though it was "a difficult decision." It seems he felt his character's journey was complete and he was ready for new projects. I can understand wanting to move on after such a severe real-life event.

At the end of Teen Wolf season 3 Isaac left Beacon Hills never to return. After the Nogitsune the big villain of season 3 is put into a box Isaac seems to leave with Chris. This makes it seem like these two characters had been through enough and just needed a break from it all. However Chris comes back to the show but Isaac never does. It is baffling. His unexplained absence led to fair questions about why Isaac left Teen Wolf. Even though his story was left open and Isaac was not killed off he did not return for Teen Wolf: The Movie. This was disappointing for such an interesting character in the series. He was Derek’s first alpha a member of Scott’s first werewolf pack and was a love interest for Allison. The reason is probably less mysterious than Isaac simply ghosting his friends. Right after he left Teen Wolf Sherman starred as Kol Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries’ spin-off The Originals. It is most likely that there were simply scheduling conflicts. It is a shame we never saw him again.

Arden Cho's Departure And The Uncomfortable Truth About Pay Inequality

How Kira Yukimura's Character Was Written Out And The Actor's Fight For Fair Treatment

Kira was an exciting character in Teen Wolf. Her send-off is probably the most disappointing of all. The reason why Arden Cho left Teen Wolf was out of her control. She had previously said she was looking forward to season 6 but she never came back. The network decided Kira’s story was finished. This seems unfair compared to other cast members who got more dramatic endings. Kira stayed with the skinwalkers with the idea that she might return. This only led to another unexplained character absence and a lack of proper ending. It felt incomplete for fans.

Arden Cho spoke to The Cut about how hard it was to be suddenly dropped from the show. She also said that Paramount+ asked her to play Kira again in Teen Wolf: The Movie. However she turned it down because she was offered much less pay than her white co-stars. Cho explained that she was taking a stand for a principle. She said: “I wasn’t saying ‘no’ necessarily for me or because I was angry. I was saying ‘no’ because I hope that there will be more equality in the future.” This highlights an important issue in Hollywood. Her decision was a brave one.

Over six seasons of Teen Wolf the show explored many different kinds of supernatural creatures. These came from all over history. Lydia is a banshee or wailing woman from Celtic stories. She can predict death. Deputy Sheriff Jordan Parish is a hellhound and guardian of the underworld. The show made this role bigger to include guarding the supernatural and keeping its existence a secret from the world. The show also introduced many kinds of shapeshifters. These include Malia a werecoyote and Kate a werejaguar from Aztec stories. In season five there were many types of creatures created by the Dread Doctors. These included Chameleons Electric Eels and Scorpion-Men from Mesopotamian stories. It is clear the show tried to keep things fresh by exploring different myths.

The Enduring Legacy Of Teen Wolf Despite Its Many Cast Changes

Reflecting On How The Show Continued To Captivate Audiences Through Six Seasons

In its final season Teen Wolf introduced the Ghost Riders or the Wild Hunt. These were based on English stories. The Ghost Riders were cursed to hunt forever. They were often seen riding at night and on storms. Teen Wolf took this story further. It gave them credit for towns that mysteriously disappeared in history like Roanoke. The final enemy of the series came from Native American stories. The Anuk-Ite was said to paralyze anyone who looked at it with fear. The show made this power into an ability to feed on people's fear and turn them to stone if they looked directly at it. The show always found new threats for its characters to face.

Despite all the cast changes and surprising departures Teen Wolf managed to keep its audience engaged. The bond between Scott and Stiles was always a main draw. The will-they-won't-they story between Stiles and Lydia also kept viewers hooked. The show tackled emotional struggles and personal growth for its characters. This resonated with many fans. It explored themes of friendship loyalty and sacrifice. These universal themes helped the show maintain its appeal. Even with actors leaving the core spirit of the show remained strong. I think it is a testament to the creators and the actors who stayed that the series continued to be so beloved.