Family Guy confirms the giant chicken’s death after 23 seasons

Family Guy EPs confirm the giant chicken, Ernie, is officially dead after 23 seasons of epic battles with Peter

After more than two decades of chaotic brawls, Family Guy has officially retired one of its most iconic recurring characters — Ernie the Giant Chicken.

Executive producers Alec Sulkin and Richard Appel have confirmed that Ernie is dead, marking the end of his long-running feud with Peter Griffin.

The Chicken Fights are no more
Family Guy crew confirms that Erine the Giant Chicken is permanently killed off after The Chicken or the Meg ends with Meg decapitates him pic.twitter.com/vwBSD1pCIT

— Out of Context 20th Century Fox (@OOC20thFox) October 6, 2025

The feathered fighter’s fate was left uncertain following Season 23’s episode “The Chicken or the Meg,” where Meg Griffin dated Ernie’s son, Nugget. After a heated confrontation, Meg ultimately decapitated Ernie, leaving fans unsure if the character would return.

Now, the show’s creative team has made it official. “I think that the chicken has gone the way of all flesh,” Sulkin told TVLine. “We got so many great set pieces out of the giant chicken fights that they became hard to top.” Appel added that even the 2014 Family Guy–Simpsons crossover, which featured a massive brawl between Peter and Homer, pushed the limits of how far the gag could go.

Ernie’s death joins a short list of permanent character exits from Family Guy, including Stewie’s classmate Doug, who was killed off-screen in Season 21.

While fans may mourn the end of an era, Family Guy isn’t slowing down. Season 24 is set to premiere on Fox in 2026, with Hulu releasing two upcoming holiday specials to keep audiences entertained — the Halloween special “A Little Fright Music” drops October 6, followed by a Christmas episode later this year.

After 23 seasons of over-the-top fights, Ernie’s legacy as Family Guy’s ultimate rival lives on in animation history.