What Happened to Vance on 'NCIS'? The Show’s 500th Episode Delivers a Major Twist

Just a week after viewers learned that the NCIS agency was being shut down (just the agency, not the show), they were handed even more devastating news. In Season 23, Episode 13, titled “All Good Things,” which aired on March 24, 2026, and marked the 500th episode, Director Leon Vance (played by Rocky Carroll) was killed off.

We know, it’s a pretty shocking twist considering Vance has been part of the NCIS family for 18 seasons, having joined in Season 5 way back in 2008. Alas, it is what it is, and not much can be done about it. But what exactly happened to Vance, and will viewers see him again? Keep scrolling to find out.

Director Leon Vance was killed in NCIS’s 500th episode, which aired on March 24, 2026, after being shot by a corrupt agent. But before that, he manages to diffuse a bomb that was intended to destroy evidence tied to a smuggling ring, which, surprise, surprise, involves CID Director Wayne Rogers and a corrupt agent who had been assigned to work alongside Timothy McGee (Sean Murray) and Jessica Knight (Katrina Law) after they were transferred to another agency following NCIS’s dismantling.

While Vance appears to be wearing a bulletproof vest at the moment, the Angel of Death, who looks a lot like Ducky (Adam Campbell), reveals he wasn’t. But there is a silver lining to his death because Vance exposes the corruption that led to NCIS being temporarily dismantled, ultimately saving the agency. If you recall, Rogers had orchestrated a fake scenario that led to the agency’s shutdown, but thanks to Vance, all of this was revealed to the Department of Defense.

While Vance’s bravery cost him his life, in turn, he saved NCIS.

With that settled, you might be wondering why Rocky decided to leave NCIS in such a way and if viewers will ever see him again (on the show, that is). And we’ve got some good news about that.

It wasn’t Rocky’s decision to leave NCIS; it was the production team that decided to kill off his character. The producers wanted a “big moment for the 500th episode,” the actor told E! News, and this is what they came up with. Rocky shared that producer Steven D. Binder wrote “a meaningful ending for Vance,” representing “a real love letter to the character that really summarized his journey and his impact on the show.”

While Rocky said he thinks the episode was “great” and wasn’t just saying it “to be a team player,” he did question the producers' direction for his character at first. He asked why Vance couldn’t be written off like Gibbs, who went to Alaska, or Tony and Ziva, who left for another country.

After sharing his hesitations, he was told by everyone involved, “We don’t have to put this show on the map — it’s on the map — but we have to remind people why it is one of the most watched shows in the world and has been on as long as it has. Let’s do something spectacular for the 500th episode. And this is what we’ve come up with,” Rocky shared.

Although Dec. 11, 2025, marked Rocky’s last time filming as a live character on NCIS, his time on the show isn’t over.

He’ll still be working behind the scenes, directing select episodes. He also told TV Insider, “I don’t think you’ve seen the last of Director Vance,” adding, “I think NCIS has cornered the market in the ghost stars, people returning, being, and playing significant characters. We do more ghost stars than we do flashbacks.” So it’s safe to say Rocky will still be involved in the show, just not in the same capacity.