With new episodes of NCIS on pause, fans can’t help revisiting the departures that hurt the most. Across more than two decades, the series has said goodbye to many beloved agents — sometimes through tragedy, sometimes through bittersweet new beginnings. Here are five exits viewers still aren’t over:
Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette)
After 15 seasons, Abby left following the attack that killed Clayton Reeves. She departed to honor him by starting a charity in his name — an emotional farewell that marked the end of one of the show’s most iconic characters.
Ellie Bishop (Emily Wickersham)
Bishop’s exit shocked fans when she appeared to betray the U.S., only for it to be revealed she’d gone undercover on a secret mission — leaving the door open for a possible return.
Ziva David (Cote de Pablo)
Presumed dead after leaving in Season 11, Ziva later resurfaced and reunited off-screen with Tony and their daughter — but her departure still stings for longtime viewers.
Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly)
The team’s joker walked away after discovering he had a daughter, choosing fatherhood and a new life in Paris over fieldwork.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon)
The heart of the series retired to Alaska in “Great Wide Open,” sharing a quiet goodbye that left the team — and fans — forever changed.
No matter how long it’s been, these farewells still hit hard… but at least their episodes are always waiting to be rewatched.