‘The Simpsons’: Larry the Barfly’s death, explained

It’s rare for a cartoon to kill off one of its characters. Even rarer is when The Simpsons actually bids farewell to a relatively important character — but from time to time, it does happen, and Larry “Barfly” Dalrymple has just joined the relatively short list of the deceased.

In its 35 years on air, The Simpsons has only seen a handful of lead characters meet their end. While the actual number of characters who have passed is quite long, some deaths were more impactful than others. Off the top of my head, Edna and Fat Tony are just a couple of the characters we’ve bid goodbye to over the years, and who were actually important. But now, in season 35 episode 15, we said goodbye to Larry.

Who was Larry in The Simpsons?

Larry Dalrymple, known simply as “Larry,” was one of the barflies who frequented Moe’s bar. He was often seen with his best friend Sam, and more often than not, he was merely a background character at the bar, not drawing much attention to himself. In fact, throughout the entire series, Larry only had two lines, and he never talked with Homer, Lenny, Carl, or Moe.

Overall, he was simply known as one of the regular barflies, drinking beer and not doing much else. Though he appeared in several episodes, he was mostly useless to the story. However, that doesn’t mean he didn’t matter to Homer or the others. In fact, as we come to find out, Larry considered the barflies his best friends, affectionately referring to them as “Moe’s bros.”

How did Larry die in The Simpsons?

Larry’s cause of death was not disclosed in the series. Initially, we see Larry at the bar, going about his day, idling away time drinking his beer. However, when Moe closes the bar, Larry is found motionless on the stoop, not blinking nor flinching. Throughout the episode, no hints are given regarding his passing, but we do learn a lot about Larry.

Despite not having any protagonism in the past 35 seasons, Larry had his first and last major role in The Simpsons in the latest episode. The barflies from Moe’s Tavern, including Moe himself, embark on a road trip to scatter Larry’s ashes after his funeral. Along the way, they encounter Iris Dalrymple, Larry’s mom, and discover that Larry loved fishing. He often shared stories about his friends from Moe’s Tavern with her and at this moment, they realize Larry considered them his best friends.

While it was undeniably a sad moment, Larry’s presence often went unnoticed by fans of the show. However, his death provided a great episode filled with funny moments and even some tearjerker scenes. Goodbye Larry, you will be missed.