S.W.A.T. has had a long run which makes it susceptible to actor departures. As a result, several main characters have either left S.W.A.T. completely or had their roles reduced to guest appearances. CBS originally canceled S.W.A.T. after season 7, but the network unexpectedly reversed the decision shortly after. Unfortunately, its planned cancelation meant that several characters were written out of the show prematurely.
As a result of the reversed cancelation, S.W.A.T. season 8 features fewer main characters than usual and has even had to backtrack a few major decisions to accommodate for the surprise season. The S.W.A.T. cast still features strong and loyal team members, but there are more missing faces than usual. Luckily, even with the character exits, S.W.A.T. has maintained its exciting dynamics and uses its past character departures to build on future seasons.
6 Stephanie Sigman as Jessica Cortez
Jessica Cortez Left In Season 2
Stephanie Sigman joined S.W.A.T. in season 1 as Captain Jessica Cortez. Throughout the first half of season 1, she and Hondo (Shemar Moore) had a secret relationship which was made complicated when Cortez became Hondo's commanding officer. The two officially broke up in episode 13 when the commissioner caught the two of them together and they both chose their careers over the relationship. Their relationship was short-lived, but it was a significant detail in season 1 because it helped set up Hondo's character and future relationships.
Cortez left in the S.W.A.T. season 2 finale on good terms with her team. She left to work undercover for the FBI and while the position was meant to be temporary, season 3 revealed that her absence was permanent. While her departure from the show was unexpected, given her strong connection to the team, Cortez's happy ending made up for the surprising exit.
Sigman left S.W.A.T. to pursue other projects and has since appeared in several shows and movies, and has even been featured as a voice actor in Royal Crackers. Sigman also gave birth shortly after she left S.W.A.T., which means her decision to leave was both professional and personal. Despite her short time on the show, Cortez will remain a memorable character due to her influential effect on her team.
5 Lina Esco as Christina "Chris" Alonso
Chris Alonso Left In Season 5
Christina "Chris" Alonso was an essential character on S.W.A.T. during the six seasons that she appeared on the show. She was first introduced in the S.W.A.T. pilot, and she was highlighted as being the first female officer in the LAPD's SWAT. Chris officially left the series to help vulnerable immigrants achieve asylum safely. Shortly before her exit, Chris had also entered into a relationship with Jim Street (Alex Russell) which was years in the making. The romantic development made her exit all the more disappointing.
Lina Esco left S.W.A.T. on good terms to pursue other things. While she has not made an appearance on the show since leaving, her character has been mentioned several times by other S.W.A.T. team members. As she and Street are still dating, it is possible that Esco could return as a guest star. Chris and Jim's strong relationship could even lead to a wedding episode on S.W.A.T. which could feature other departed characters as well.
4 Kenny Johnson as Dominic Luca
Dominic Luca Was Demoted in Season 7
Kenny Johnson played Dominic Luca on S.W.A.T. as a main character from the show's premiere to season 6. He was later demoted to a guest star in season 7 and officially left the show prior to season 8. Johnson's Luca was, unfortunately, one of the victims of CBS' decision to reverse S.W.A.T.'s cancelation, but his character did receive a proper send-off. Given his importance to the show, it was nice to see that Luca was able to say goodbye to his teammates and come to terms with leaving his career in S.W.A.T.
Luca's reduced role in S.W.A.T. season 7 was the result of a counter-terrorism training session in London that turned into a vacation. The absence fit Luca's character well, but when he returned, he was faced with another challenge. Towards the end of season 7, Luca got shot, and his injury meant he could no longer pass S.W.A.T.'s physical test. For his safety and others, Luca was forced to resign from the team. The S.W.A.T. renewal for season 8 meant that Luca could have stayed on for another season, but he was unfortunately written off the show in season 7.
3 Alex Russell as Jim Street
Jim Street Was Demoted in Season 7
Alex Russell's Jim Street was another victim of CBS' decision to create S.W.A.T. season 8, as Street was given the ending to his story in season 7. Street ended up leaving S.W.A.T. to go back to his old job at the Long Beach Police Department. He was originally recruited from the LBPD when he was just an officer, and now he is returning as the new team leader. The change is an exciting development for his character, but a disappointing one for the S.W.A.T. team.
Street's departure came as a disappointment when CBS announced it would be renewing S.W.A.T. again because it meant he could not appear in the show as a main character after the renewal. Street does appear briefly in S.W.A.T. season 7, but his role is heavily reduced, as he has already left for the LBPD by the time that season 7 starts. Regarding a possible return for Russell in S.W.A.T. season 8, Russell's costar, Shemar Moore, has said that it could happen, since Street is still alive in the S.W.A.T. universe.
Russell left S.W.A.T. as a result of the planned cancelation, in order to give his character a good ending. While plans for the show have changed since then, Russell's early exit gave Street some well-deserved closure. Knowing that he was still in a relationship with Chris when he departed also left some hope that the two could return briefly through a cameo in a future season. As Chris and Street are still good friends with the S.W.A.T. team, and the two have been mentioned since their exits, there is still a minor chance that they could reappear briefly.
2 Peter Onorati as Jeffrey "Jack" Mumford
Mumford Was Only A Main Character Briefly
Peter Onorati's Jack Mumford was a main character on S.W.A.T. in season 1 and was often seen at odds with Hondo. Jack led a team separate from Hondo's and even though the two groups often worked together, Hondo and Jack struggled with dealing with each other's different styles. While Jack was a recurring character in season 1, he was demoted to a guest star in later seasons and has since only appeared briefly in seasons 2, 4, and 7, with a smaller role each time.
Jack's appearances in season 2 were meant as a buildup towards his retirement, as episode 19 revealed that he had decided to leave S.W.A.T. after he got shot and questioned his career path. As a result, his guest appearances in seasons 4 and 7 have a different tone and show Jack more as a helpful aide to the S.W.A.T. team than an official consultant. Season 7 especially showed Jack more as a friend than a colleague, as season 7, episode 11, "Whispers," showed him, Hicks, and Buck laughing and reminiscing about the past together at a local bar.
While no official reason has been given for Onorati's increasingly limited role and subsequent departure from the show, he was likely written out to explore other characters' storylines. Onorati had originally split a lot of screen time with Moore's Hondo, and it was likely a creative decision to focus more on Hondo's team than both teams at the same time. While Onorati has appeared less and less over the years, he remains an important character to S.W.A.T.
1 Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle Carmichael
Nichelle Has Been An Important Recurring Character
Rochelle Aytes' Nichelle Carmichael is one of the most important characters on S.W.A.T. because of her connection to Hondo. Nichelle and Hondo started dating in S.W.A.T. season 3, shortly after meeting for the first time. The two shared a tense back-and-forth relationship for a few seasons and eventually broke up briefly, as Hondo was not emotionally or physically available for the relationship that Nichelle wanted due to the nature of his work. The two stayed friends and in season 5, they got back together after resolving their issues.
While Nichelle was only a guest star in seasons 3 through 5, she became a main character in S.W.A.T. in season 6. As her relationship with Hondo became more serious, she became a vital character in the show. Season 6 also revealed that Hondo and Nichelle got married and that they had their first daughter, Vivian. Their relationship was set for a happy ending by the time season 7 ended, but CBS' decision to continue the show thwarted what would have been a nice closure for the couple.
A S.W.A.T. cast update revealed that Rochelle Aytes would not be returning to her role as Nichelle in S.W.A.T. season 8, as Aytes wanted to pursue other projects. Nichelle's exit comes as disappointing news because it leaves things uncertain for her and Hondo's future. The best choice for explaining her absence is to just leave her in the background of the episodes, with hopes that she could briefly appear in future S.W.A.T. seasons. Given her almost fairytale ending with Hondo and her daughter, writing her off the show would be heartless.
