After 19 seasons, Criminal Minds you've had opportunities to kill off beloved characters over the years.
Criminal Mindswhich premiered in 2005, follows a group of criminal profilers who work for the FBI as members of its behavioral analysis unit. The crime drama explores different fictional cases and shows how behavioral analysis helps the group find their unknown subjects.
The Criminal Minds original series has been renewed by Paramount+ after its original run in 2020. Criminal Minds: Evolution brought back most of the cast with Joe Mantegna, AJ Cook, Kirsten Vangsness, Aisha Tyler, Adam Rodriguez again Paget Brewster reprising their characters Other key characters – such as Matthew Gray Gubler's Reid – made cameos.
After pulling off a bunch of surprising character deaths in the revival, the runner Erica Messer it spoke of what is to come.
“I don't think we can ever prepare for anything happening with a beloved actress,” she told Us Weekly exclusively in May 2026 before giving the audience a break.
Rodriguez praised Criminal Minds and how they deal with the death of characters.
“We love being there. This is a dream job. It's a great place to show up and go to work every day. Nobody wants it to end and nobody wants to leave,” he told us in May 2025. “So hopefully we'll be doing the show for a long time.”
He continued: “I hope that no one will sacrifice themselves for the sake of good television and that we find other people that we can build that are suitable. Will finally achieved that goal this year. But I think that he will bring something else to the show that the fans can enjoy and suffer with us.”
Keep scrolling to remember the show's most devastating death:
Haley
Everyone remembers where they were when George Foyet aka The Reaper killed Hotchner's wife (Thomas Gibson) while the BAU was forced to listen in on the phone.
Maeve
Reid's romance with Maeve (Beth Riesgraf) was cut short when her boyfriend killed her in season 8.
Gideon
It's been years since Mandy Patinkin left the show as Gideon but Criminal Minds still found a way to reveal that she was killed off-screen in season 10 by a serial killer in one of his past crimes.
Strauss
Despite his ups and downs with the BAU, Strauss (Jayne Atkinson) had won it when he was poisoned by the unknown known as The Replicator in season 8.
Will
Josh Stewart he has had a recurring role as Will on Criminal Minds since 2007. Stewart raised eyebrows in 2024 when he revealed that he will not play again in future seasons of the show. His character died in the 2025 episode when Will collapsed after suffering a headache.
Roxy
During the May 2026 episode, Luke (Rodriguez) was mourning his loss while helping the BAU solve a case. It wasn't until the end of the two-episode premiere that viewers learned her dog, Roxy, had to be put down.
