The 9 Most Devastating One Chicago Deaths, Ranked
The One Chicago shows deal with life and death every day, and sometimes, it hits too close to home.
All three shows — Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med — have lost characters, and some have been more heartbreaking than others. The latest finales weren’t deadly as past ones have been, but they did have us concerned for a couple characters.
Firehouse 51 said goodbye to multiple members during Season 12 (fortunately all choosing to leave Chicago or take a promotion), and Intelligence bid adieu to Upon (Tracy Spiridakos) when she left to start over.
While we wait to see what’s next for our favorite first responders, scroll through the gallery above to see the One Chicago deaths that still hurt, even years later, ranked from least to most devastating.
Chicago Med, Season 10, Fall 2024, NBC
Chicago Fire, Season 13, Fall 2024, NBC
Chicago P.D., Season 12, Fall 2024, NBC
9. Hallie Thomas (Teri Reeves)
Before Casey (Jesse Spencer) married Gabby Dawson (Monica Raymund) then Sylvie Brett (Kara Killmer), he was engaged to the doctor. And he was the one who tried to do everything possible to save her when the clinic she worked in was set on fire.
8. Cornelius Rhodes (D.W. Moffett)
Connor (Colin Donnell) and his father had quite the contentious relationship, but they could have possibly repaired some of it as Connor came to realize that he didn’t remember everything about his childhood correctly. However, then Cornelius died from an overdose of insulin. (The person responsible was none other than Norma Kuhling’s Ava, whose own death was just crazy.)
7. Evan Hawkins (Jimmy Nicholas)
Just as it seemed like Violet (Hanako Greensmith) and Hawkins’ (Jimmy Nicholas) relationship was getting on track—him being her chief complicated things—came the aptly titled “Completely Shattered.” It was all on hands on deck during a structure fire at a movie theater, and when the paramedic chief stepped in to help a victim, the building collapsed on them. Everyone quickly dug them out, and Violet started CPR, insisting, “I can save him” and begging Boden (Eamonn Walker) “let me try,” but sadly, there was nothing that could be done.
6. Benny Severide (Treat Williams)
Benny (Treat Williams) died of a stroke, and Severide (Taylor Kinney) didn’t even get a chance to see his father one last time. They never had the best relationship, nor did Benny and Boden (Eamonn Walker), but the loss greatly affected Severide afterwards. (And now that’s come up again, with the shocking reveal of a half-brother for Severide!)
5. Justin Voight (Josh Segarra)
Just as Justin (Josh Segarra) had finally cleaned up his act and had a family of his own, his attempt to help a friend led to his death. There have been few P.D. moments as heartbreaking as when Voight (Jason Beghe) found his son in the trunk of a car, shot in the head. Justin was later taken off life support in the hospital.
4. Nadia Decotis (Stella Maeve)
Nadia (Stella Maeve) was an escort before Erin (Sophia Bush) helped her get clean and eventually get a job at CPD. She was even studying to become an officer herself. However, serial killer Gregory Yates (Dallas Roberts) kidnapped, raped, and murdered her, and there are few things as disturbing in the One Chicago (and extended Dick Wolf) universe as hearing what he did to her during his trial in a crossover with Law & Order: SVU.
3. Alvin Olinsky (Elias Koteas)
Olinsky (Elias Koteas) was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit — and refused to turn his back on Voight — when he was stabbed multiple times. Those wounds would prove to be fatal, and Intelligence hasn’t been the same without him. (At least we got to see him one more time in the Season 11 finale, as a hallucination!)
2. Leslie Shay (Lauren German)
Chicago Fire suffered its first major loss in the Season 3 premiere, when Shay (Lauren German) didn’t make it out after an explosion. The firehouse hasn’t been the same since. Ambulance 61 hasn’t been the same. And we especially miss Shay and Severide’s friendship — there hasn’t been another one like it in the One Chicago universe, and there probably never will be.
1. Brian Zvonecek "Otis" (Yuri Sardarov)
Firehouse 51 was dealt a devastating blow in the Season 8 premiere when Otis (Yuri Sardarov) suffered severe burns in the mattress factory fire. His best friend Cruz (Joe Minoso) was at his side, and all season, that lost has been hard on him. He’ll never be forgotten, in part due to the memorial at the house.
Conversation20 Comments
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O
I am still not over Olinski leaving the show. So I thought why not bring him back. It's been done before. Here is my take. His death was fake, of course without Voight knowing. The fake death was to frame Danny the major, and of course Osha had to be on this too.To stop Danny from going after Voight for Bingham death, which he actually was framed in the recording to get get Voight..so writers, take it from there..please..
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P
Yesssssss great minds think alike
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G
I still miss Al and wish they would bring him out of hiding like they did Ziva on NCIS.
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C
Al was my favorite. That one hurt.
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R
Nadia Decotis, Alvin Olinsky and Brian "Otis" Zvonecek are the deaths that hit the hardest for me.
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R
Alvin Olinski MUST come back! The show is not the same without him and his wonderfully dry sense of humor!
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P
Otis was the saddest death. He added so much to the show. Leslie Shay was sad too. Killing Benny was a mistake, he was an easy side story, and it didn't feel like he had been used enough.
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C
in order the saddest was Otis, Shay, Al, Nadia, Justin, then Benny
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G
Ughhhh why SHAY, an ,OTIS had to go 🥺so sad
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P
Otis had to be the saddest death.
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C
Nadia's death was a rough one. I was really hoping she was going to become an officer after all she had went through. Alvin was my favorite detective on the show also
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P
Mercedes Irizarry.... 100% right on. You need to write into the show and spin this story line on them. I'd love to see Al come back. I was actually really bummed that Nadia didn't get a bigger storyline before getting killed off.
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B
Wow that's scary, that's where my mind was spinning trying to get Al back on the show
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O
Otis was the sadest death
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D
Please don’t kill off Atwater. Let him leave in a good way! He will be missed. Such a great character!
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F
It’s nice that both have lasting tributes. Shay’s name on the squad door, and Otis’s helmet memorial outside the station.
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L
not me remembering the old guy that took a video for his wife so he could say goodbye from the construction site cave in on season one episode nineteen
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G
For me it's Shay, Nadia, and Benny that hit me the hardest... Also, Al..... The others not so much...
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C
Uh what about Ava Bekker?
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B
Al, Justin and Nadia from Chicago PD
Otis and Shay from Chicago Fire
Miss them all! 😥😥😥