The Simpsons has never been a show that shies away from saying goodbye to its residents of Springfield. Over the decades, fans have seen characters like Bleeding Gums Murphy, Maude Flanders, and Edna Krabappel meet their ends. However, the creative team behind the long-running animated series draws a very firm line when it comes to one specific member of the Simpson household: the family pet, Santa’s Little Helper.
As the show celebrates its historic 800th episode, executive producer Mike Price has revealed that the thought of killing off the beloved greyhound is something the writers simply “couldn’t picture.” In a recent conversation, Price opened up about why some characters are untouchable, no matter how much drama a death might bring to the storyline.
A Death That Would Mean “The End of Everything”
The milestone 800th episode, which aired as part of the Season 37 finale, puts the family dog front and center. The story follows Marge Simpson as she becomes desperate to get Santa’s Little Helper healthy, bringing the canine’s mortality into focus for viewers. While the episode explores themes of loss and aging, the writers never seriously considered taking the storyline to its darkest conclusion.
Speaking with Collider about the episode, Mike Price explained that there was never any real debate about killing off the dog.
“There was never going to be a world, I don’t think, where it ended with the dog really dying or anything like that,” Price said. “We couldn’t picture that. No, there was never a moment where we were like, ‘Oh, the dog should really be gone.’ He’s such an important part of the show, too.”
Price went even further to stress just how crucial the character is to the fabric of the series. He pointed out that while the show has killed off minor characters like Larry the Barfly, taking a similar approach with Santa’s Little Helper would cross a line the show cannot come back from.
“I know there’s been a lot of discourse lately about various characters on the show dying,” Price continued. “It’s one thing to kill off Larry the Barfly, but if you kill off Santa’s Little Helper, that will be the end of everything.”
Why Santa’s Little Helper Is Different From Other Characters
Santa’s Little Helper holds a unique place in The Simpsons universe that separates him from almost every other character in Springfield. Unlike characters who were introduced gradually over the seasons, the greyhound has been part of the narrative since the very beginning.
The dog made his first appearance in the series premiere, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” which aired on December 17, 1989. In that iconic Christmas episode, Homer Simpson uses the family’s holiday money to bet on a dog race, only to lose everything. When he sees the losing greyhound about to be put down by his owner, Homer brings the dog home as a Christmas present for Bart and Lisa. That moment of compassion turned a losing bet into a lifelong family member.
For over 36 seasons, Santa’s Little Helper has been a constant presence in the Simpson household. He has slept on the family’s couch, eaten their food, and provided countless moments of both comedy and heart. The dog has been there through divorces, fires, and every crazy scheme Homer has ever dreamed up. Removing him permanently would feel like tearing a page out of the family album.
The Rules of Death in Springfield
The discussion about Santa’s Little Helper comes at a time when The Simpsons has been making headlines for how it handles character deaths. Earlier in 2025, the show caused a stir online when a flash-forward in the Season 36 finale appeared to show the death of Marge Simpson. Fans were outraged, believing the show had killed off its beloved matriarch for good.
Showrunner Matt Selman quickly stepped in to clarify the situation, explaining that deaths in future episodes are not meant to be taken as permanent canon.
“Obviously since The Simpsons future episodes are all speculative fantasies, they’re all different every time,” Selman told Variety. “Marge will probably never be dead ever again. The only place Marge is dead is in one future episode that aired six weeks ago.”
Selman also emphasized that the show operates on a very flexible continuity.
“The Simpsons doesn’t even have canon!”
This philosophy has been a hallmark of the series for years. In a separate interview with PEOPLE timed to the 800th episode, Selman elaborated on how death works in the world of Springfield.
“That’s always been part of our storytelling is that nothing sticks and that it’s kind of like Groundhog Day,” Selman explained. “Very few things stick.”
He pointed to Lisa’s vegetarianism and the death of Maude Flanders as rare examples of changes that have remained part of the show. However, he noted that even Maude’s death, which happened back in Season 11, is an exception rather than the rule.
When Deaths Do Happen, They Usually Stick
Despite the show’s flexible approach to continuity, The Simpsons has built a reputation for treating death more seriously than many other animated series. Back in 2014, when the show was preparing to kill off a character in the Season 26 premiere, executive producer Al Jean made a promise to viewers.
“When we kill ’em, they stay dead,” Jean stated during a conference call.
Jean specifically contrasted The Simpsons approach with that of Family Guy, which famously killed off the family dog Brian only to bring him back three weeks later after fan outrage. For The Simpsons, Jean insisted that death would be permanent.
This promise has held true for several characters over the years. When voice actress Marcia Wallace passed away in 2013, the show retired her character, beloved teacher Edna Krabappel, rather than recasting her. The character was given a proper send-off in 2021 when an episode addressed her death directly, using archival recordings of Wallace’s voice with permission from her estate.
Similarly, Mona Simpson, Homer’s estranged mother voiced by Glenn Close, was killed off in 2008 in an episode that explored Homer’s complicated grief. And jazz musician Bleeding Gums Murphy, who served as Lisa’s mentor, died in Season 6 in what many fans consider one of the most emotional episodes in the series’ history.
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The Line The Show Won’t Cross
So why is Santa’s Little Helper protected when other characters have been fair game? According to Mike Price, it comes down to the dog’s role as a pure, innocent member of the family. Unlike the human characters, who are flawed and often cause their own problems, Santa’s Little Helper is simply a loyal companion who loves his family unconditionally.
The dog has survived countless adventures throughout the series. He has been raced, kidnapped, cloned, and even replaced by a series of identical-looking cats after his original passing was briefly addressed in a 2004 episode. In “I (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot,” Santa’s Little Helper was run over by Dr. Hibbert’s car, leading Lisa to go through a series of replacement pets. However, even that storyline ended with the original dog returning, reinforcing the idea that some characters are simply too important to lose.
The 800th episode of The Simpsons, titled “Irrational Treasure,” is now available for streaming. It features special guest stars from the HBO series The Pitt, including Noah Wyle, who voice medical personnel attempting to help Santa’s Little Helper. For fans worried about the dog’s fate, Mike Price’s comments should provide plenty of reassurance that Springfield’s most famous greyhound isn’t going anywhere.
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