Why did Otis leave ‘Chicago Fire?’

Brian “Otis” Zvonecek (Yuri Sardarov) was one of the most beloved characters on Chicago Fire. He was one of the main reasons audiences fell in love with the series, thanks to his charming antics and his camaraderie with best friend Joe Cruz (Joe Minoso).

Otis’ outsized presence in the minds of Chicago Fire die-hards is growing increasingly misleading, though. He was a big part of the series at one point, but he hasn’t appeared in an episode in over five years. The firefighting drama just kicked off its 13th season, so we figured now was as good a time as any to discuss why Otis is no longer around.

Is Otis still alive on Chicago Fire?

Chicago Fire is inching closer to a decade and a half on the air. That’s an eternity in television time, so it makes sense that the series would have to cycle through different faces as cast members decide to leave. Fire experienced such an occurrence when Matt Casey (Jesse Spencer) was written off. Otis is a different story, though.

The actor who played Otis, Yuri Sardarov, felt that he had exhausted the character’s potential, and the writers and producers had a plan that would send his character off on a high, though admittedly tragic, note. Instead of keeping Otis alive, and simply writing him off the show, they felt that killing him off would be a more dramatic decision.

Otis was critically wounded in the season 7 finale, and while his fate was left unclear, his death was confirmed in the season 8 premiere, “Sacred Ground.” He was hit with an infernal backdraft during a fire at a mattress factory, after slamming a door that saved the rest of the 51 crew.

Will Otis be returning to Chicago Fire?

Chicago Fire has brought back deceased characters in the past. The season 3 premiere saw the return of Andy Darden (Corey Sorenson), who died in the pilot, and Leslie Shay (Lauren German), who died in the season 2 finale. The episode featured extensive use of flashbacks, could the series be planning something similar with Otis?

Unfortunately, the chances of seeing the character return are low. It’s been years since Otis was last seen, and trying to bring him back in a flashback capacity would do little to flesh out the stories that are going on in the present. Plus, Yuri Sardarov has stayed busy with recurring roles on shows like The Rookie and FBI: International. It’s best to just leave the memory of Otis as is.