NBC has built a universe around its smash hit, Chicago Fire, and there's no questioning why.
The long-running drama is heading toward its thirteenth season with a full cast of excellent characters leading the way.
Last season, fans said goodbye to several favorites, but we were also introduced to some intriguing new faces.
While Chicago Fire can get soapy, it never fails to introduce us to well-developed characters who draw us into their fictional lives.
Unfortunately, we know for sure that some of our favorite characters have moved on.
Who Won't Be Returning for Chicago Fire Season 13?
In season 10, we said goodbye to Matt Casey, who briefly returned to marry Sylvie Brett in season 12.
The two of them made their final exit from the show after their wedding on Chicago Fire Season 12 Episode 6.
Earlier this year, fans received the shocking news that Eamonn Walker, who played Captain Wallace Boden, was stepping down from his role as a series regular.
We expect that Boden will show up here and there, but ultimately, his status as a major character ended with season 12.
Which Original Chicago Fire Cast Members Are Still Around?
After more than a decade, the Chicago Fire cast has seen quite a few changes.
But despite it all, some of these characters are still going strong.
Related: Eamonn Walker Leaves Chicago Fire With a Boden-Sized Hole
When a show stays on the air for this long, it's impressive to find cast members who have been on board since season 1.
Let's examine some of the people who have managed to keep the fires burning since the pilot episode.
Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide
Kelly Severide is an enigma of a character.
He's been through the wringer with his relationships but eventually landed on solid ground with his now-wife, Stella Kidd.
The two of them married on Chicago Fire Season 10 Episode 22.
Severide's career trajectory has been complicated, but these days, he's doing well as a lieutenant.
His family history is complicated, though, and it just got more so — a newcomer to Season 12 revealed in the finale that he and Kelly share the same father.
David Eigenberg as Christopher Hermann
Herrmann is a gem of a character.
Rarely dramatic, always charming, and a family man through and through, Hermann doesn't get the flowers he deserves.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 13: Everything We Know So Far
When we left off in Season 12, Chief Boden asked him if he would take his place as Captain of 51.
It's the perfect way to honor Herrmann's dedication to the house and acknowledge his love for his team.
Jo Minoso as Joe Cruz
Another original character with a checkered past is Joe Cruz.
He has family ties to a street gang, but Cruz has a heart of gold and has often been found in the least gang-related situations you could imagine.
Way back in season 3, he even taught a Zumba class. Can you imagine?
Cruz has been married to his wife Chloe since Season 8.
The two of them share one biological son and one they adopted after Cruz rescued him on a call on Chicago Fire Season 10 Episode 16.
Christian Stolte as Randall "Mouch" McHolland
Mouch is a fan favorite, and it's easy to understand why.
His friendship with Herrmann is one for the books, and the two even co-own a bar, Molly's.
His love for his wife Trudy (who has a much bigger role on the show's police spinoff, Chicago P.D.) is the stuff of romance novels.
Mouch is older than most of his colleagues, and he's had some difficulties with his health.
Related: Chicago Fire Season Finale Review: Never Say Goodbye
He's considered retirement before, but ultimately, 51 is home, and he hasn't been able to walk away.
As for career developments, Mouch announced during the finale that he plans to take the Lieutenant's test, so we're excited to see him move up after all this time.
Randy Flagler as Harold Capp
For someone who has been on the show as long as he has, Capp has had very little character development.
There have been moments of drama with him, like when he suffered from gas poisoning during Season 8, but he's been relatively underused over the years.
He's not married, but we did learn about a new girlfriend in the most recent season, so here's hoping he gets some kind of life update in Season 13.
Despite the somewhat confusing name, Capp is not, in fact, the captain of 51.
Other Major Characters Expected for Chicago Fire Season 13
As incredible as it is that these guys have been around so long, they account for a pretty small percentage of the overall cast these days.
Since its inception, Chicago Fire has introduced many great new characters who have found their place within the show's storylines.
Related: Chicago Fire Season 12 Report Card: Best Episode, Most Shocking Storyline, and More!
Several powerhouse women are anchor characters for the NBC hit now, and we can't wait to see their stories evolve in Season 13.
We also gained a couple of new characters last season that brought with them a decent amount of mystery and drama, so let's look at the rest of the anticipated Chicago Fire Season 13 cast.
Miranda Rae Mayo as Stella Kidd
Stella is a staple of the show, having been around since Season 4.
Her relationship with Kelly Severide is one of the reasons fans love the show so much.
There's a lot of mystery surrounding her character's background, but sources close to the show have teased that we might finally learn more next season.
Andrea Newman, Chicago Fire showrunner, said recently that we might be in for a bit more backstory where Stella is concerned.
At the end of last season, Severide told her he might be interested in starting a family of their own.
It's not clear what Stella will do with that information, but it's sure to cause some drama in the coming episodes.
Daniel Kyri as Darren Ritter
One of the only examples of LGBTQ+ representation on the show, Daniel Kyri's Darren Ritter, is a multi-layered and beloved character.
He came out as gay in season 8 and was met with nothing but support from Herrmann, who he first confided in.
Fans loved that Ritter's coming out story wasn't full of drama and homophobia and instead was treated like a quiet moment between friends.
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Since joining during Season 7, he's been the center of some good plots on the show, but we're hoping to see more of him as the show focuses more on its characters next year.
Ritter is a meaningful character for many fans, and in our opinion, he doesn't get nearly enough screentime.
Here's hoping that changes!
Hanako Greensmith as Violet Mikami
Violet is one of the most popular characters on Chicago Fire and with good reason.
She's kind, level-headed, and fiercely protective of people she loves.
In season 12, she took newcomer Lizzie Novak (Jocelyn Hudon) under her wing and built a solid working relationship with the former floater.
Violet has also been struggling with her feelings for Sam Carver, with whom she's had a casual friends-with-benefits relationship.
Season 13 will surely bring more attention to that relationship after Carver told Violet he loved her last season.
Between friendships and relationships, there are plenty of new stories coming Violet's way next season.
Michael Bradway as Jack Damon
Jack Damon is a bombshell new character whose big reveal in the Season 12 finale shocked fans of the show.
Well, not all fans — there were a few who correctly predicted that Damon, played by Michael Bradway, was another secret love child of the late Benny Severide.
Jack revealed his identity to his half-brother, Kelly, at the end of last season, and we hardly had time to see the seasoned firefighter react before the credits rolled.
Related: Could Chicago Fire Survive Losing Kelly Severide?
We can expect to learn more about Damon, who his mother was, and why no one knew he existed when Season 13 returns.
There's no doubt that this news will shake up the entire house.
We're also wondering what — if any — impact this news will have on Kelly and Severide's potential baby plans.
Jocelyn Hudon as Lizzie Novak
Jocelyn Hudon joined the cast last season amid lots of cast changes, and she impressed viewers so much that she's already been promoted.
NBC announced that Hudon will be in Season 13 as a series regular, so we can expect to see quite a lot more of the fan-favorite new character.
Already, Lizzie is lovable.
She and Violet (Hanako Greensmith) have amazing chemistry and work really well together as partners.
Next season, we hope to learn more about Lizzie's back story.
We're thrilled she's staying around to bring some new blood to the cast.
Jake Lockett as Sam Carver
At the end of Season 12, Sam confessed his love to Violet, effectively ending their situationship.
When she didn't respond the way he'd hoped, Sam quietly slipped out to go on another extended leave of absence.
What this means for his and Violet's relationship remains to be seen.
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We're hoping that he and all his baggage are back from furlough by the time Season 13 premiers so we can jump right into whatever is next for those two.
Now that Violet has a better understanding of Sam's history, she's got an apology to make, and we can only hope Sam is ready to hear it.
He's got some work to do to process his long-held trauma, too, so with any luck, he'll spend some time working on that before jumping into anything with Violet.
Who Will Be Chicago Fire's New Chief in Season 13?
As we saw, former Chief Boden asked Herrmann to take his place as the leader of the house before he departed.
But we also know that Herrmann isn't exactly qualified for the job.
Rumor has it that a new character will be introduced as 51's chief, but there's no word on who will play him yet.
That's all for now, but we'll keep you posted on any major cast changes between now and the Season 13 premiere!
We're excited to see what's next for these characters after such a short season left us wanting more.
Who are you most looking forward to learning more about next season What storylines do you want to see played out? Let us know in the comments!