Chicago Fire Season 14: The Real Reason Ritter Leaves

Chicago Fire finally answered the Ritter question. After weeks of fans asking why Darren Ritter is leaving, the October 8 Season 14 episode laid it out clearly — and yes, it is a relationship thing.

So, why is Ritter leaving?

Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri) is packing up Firehouse 51 to try again with Dwayne in New York City. The episode checks in on Dwayne first: paramedics Violet Mikami and Lizzie Novak get a text that his surgery went well and he is recovering. At that point, they think Ritter will be back in Chicago soon — which Violet is especially happy about, since 51 has already lost a few people lately.

How the episode plays out

• Violet and Novak meet up with Ritter after his trip to New York. He tells them about an awkward hospital encounter with Dwayne's family. He blames himself and says it might not have happened if he had just moved in with Dwayne back in Chicago. (That geography is a little clunky, but the point is: distance and hesitating to commit helped break them.)
• Violet gives him the push: make it work with Dwayne.
• Ritter calls Dwayne, lays it all out, and hears that Dwayne regrets the breakup too.
• They decide to start over. The last scene has Violet and Lizzie driving Ritter to the airport, and the three of them share a teary goodbye.

Daniel Kyri says goodbye too

Off-screen, Daniel Kyri already gave the character a proper send-off in an August 2025 Instagram post. He did not undersell how much the show and its people meant to him:

"While I know I may never find another cast and crew as amazing as this one, I intend to carry what I have learned from you to every set in the future,"

"Thank you so much, Darren Ritter. And goodbye."

So there it is: Ritter leaves in Season 14 to reunite with Dwayne in New York, the show builds it to an emotional exit, and Kyri bows out with a heartfelt farewell of his own.