Throughout its six-season run, saw its fair share of characters come and go, leading to a frequently evolving cast. While many familiar faces exited the series, some departures significantly altered one of the best supernatural teen shows’ core dynamic and narrative direction more than others. From recurring friends like Danny and members of Derek's initial pack, such as Erica and Boyd, to more transient allies like Cora or the Alpha twins Ethan and Aiden, Teen Wolf was constantly introducing and writing out characters, leaving mounting factors of what went wrong with the Teen Wolf movie.

However, the most impactful Teen Wolf exits that left viewers reeling were the on the central storyline and the remaining characters. These are the individuals who, through extensive screen time and crucial plot involvement, became integral to Scott McCall's pack and the supernatural world of Beacon Hills. Their exits, whether through death or simply moving away, reshaped the series. Some of them are characters who did not even appear in Teen Wolf: The Movie.

Allison Argent had a dramatic ending worthy of her character, who was a cornerstone of Teen Wolf. In a heartbreaking farewell, the fierce, bow-wielding hero met her end in Teen Wolf season 3, episode 23, “Meltdown,” after a fatal sword wound inflicted by an Oni. Having just saved Isaac and his allies, she succumbed to her injuries on the ground, cradled by Scott, whom she affectionately called "my first love" in her final moments. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, actress

“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 gracious comment communicates that and that it did not make sense for her to be playing a teenager anymore. She further elaborated: “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, and by the time she moved on, It seems she was extremely grateful for what Teen Wolf did for her career, but Crystal was ready to move on. Aside from Teen Wolf: The Movie, Reed most recently starred in Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.

Derek was an early-established key player in the Teen Wolf series, but as the seasons went on, he became more secondary. Tyler Hoechlin left after Teen Wolf season 4, which was a huge blow to the show. Teen Wolf had already had several losses before Derek’s exit. However, Hoechlin thought it a rather than fade into the background. In an interview with Buzzfeed, the creator, Jeff Davis, revealed the following 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.”

– via Buzzfeed

Derek was not totally written out of Teen Wolf after season 4, and he returned for the Teen Wolf movie - however, to the dismay of viewers, he was killed off. Choosing to sacrifice himself, Derek perishes in flames with the Nogitsune. Since his departure, Tyler Hoechlin has kept busy with a mix of film and television projects, most recently the acclaimed 2020 movie Palm Springs. Hoechlin's primary focus has remained on television, especially since

Colton Haynes is perhaps the most contentious Teen Wolf exit because he in his very honest and vulnerable memoir, Miss Memory Lane. Jackson was Teen Wolf season 2’s antagonist after dramatically transforming into a Kanima, but he died after implicitly giving Derek permission to kill him in order to save everyone. This was a surprisingly redemptive turn for his character. Colton Haynes wrote candidly about why he was written out relatively 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.”

– via Business Insider

Haynes’ comments on why Jackson left Teen Wolf after season 2 also explained that , and he is the one who got hurt. However, it wasn’t all hard feelings - Jackson returned in season 6 and was also in Teen Wolf: The Movie. This marked a reconciliation between Haynes and the showrunners. In his memoir, Haynes recalled that Jeff Davis had fought for him to get the role as Jackson despite homophobia from the network, so this, in part, must have informed his eventual return to the franchise.

Stiles Stilinski was a big part of what gave Teen Wolf so much heart, so it was especially gutting for viewers that Stiles was barely in Teen Wolf season 6. He is also not in the movie - the movie explains Stiles’ absence by , following his leaving the show to pursue an FBI internship.

In addition, Lydia says in the movie that she broke up with Stiles because she had a recurring dream about him dying in a car accident, which is eerie writing considering , an accident that almost claimed his life (per Variety).

It was this very accident that, obviously less importantly, caused delays that partly led to his fewer appearances in the show’s farewell season. Following this, Dylan O’Brien was satisfied with how Stiles’ story was left in the show and decided not to appear in the movie, despite this being “a difficult decision” (per Variety).

At the end of Teen Wolf season 3, Isaac left Beacon Hills, never to return. After the Nogitsune, the big bad of season 3, is contained in a box, Isaac seems to leave apartment 402 alongside Chris. This gives the impression that these two characters have been through enough and simply need a break from it all. However, whereas Chris returns to the show, . His unexplained absence led to fair questions about why Isaac left Teen Wolf.

Although his storyline was left open and Isaac wasn’t killed off, he didn’t return for Teen Wolf: The Movie. This is deflating for such a compelling 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 canonically ghosting his friends. Right after he left Teen Wolf. It’s most likely that there were simply scheduling conflicts.

Kira was a thrilling character in Teen Wolf, and her send-off is probably the most disappointing of the lot. The reason why Arden Cho left Teen Wolf was out of her control because she had previously stated she was looking forward to season 6, only to never return. which seems unfair compared to other cast members who got more epic endings. Kira stayed with the skinwalkers with the implication that she might return, which only led to another unexplained character absence and a lack of closure.

Speaking to The Cut, Arden Cho opened up more in retrospect about . She also revealed that Paramount+ asked her to reprise her role as Kira in Teen Wolf: The Movie - however, she turned it down because she was offered significantly less pay than her white co-stars. Cho detailed how it was taking a stand for the principle: “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.”

Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, Business Insider, Variety, The Cut