End of an Era: ‘Family Guy’ Permanently Kills Off Peter Griffin’s Nemesis, Ernie the Giant Chicken

After over two decades of chaotic, city-destroying brawls, Fox’s long-running animated comedy Family Guy has officially concluded one of its most legendary running gags. Ernie the Giant Chicken, Peter Griffin’s iconic rival, has been killed off in Season 23, and showrunners confirm this time, the death is permanent. The shocking demise took place in the Season 23 episode, “The Chicken or the Meg.” The episode centered on a surprisingly emotional arc where Ernie the Giant Chicken initially welcomed Meg Griffin into his family—after she began a romance with his son, Nugget. However, a predictable run-in with Peter forced the chicken patriarch to demand that Meg choose between her father and his son.

In a move that sealed Ernie’s fate and added another layer of darkness to Meg’s character, she responded by brutally decapitating the Giant Chicken. The scene ended with Ernie’s headless body staggering before finally collapsing, marking the definitive end of the rivalry that spanned back to the show’s first season.

Given Family Guy‘s history of cartoon logic and undoing character deaths (most notably, Brian Griffin’s brief exit), fans initially speculated that Ernie might return. However, executive producers have confirmed that this death is final, joining only a handful of recurring characters who have been permanently written out of the show, such as Stewie’s rival, Doug.

Executive producer Alec Sulkin explained the reasoning behind the decision in a recent interview, noting the creative difficulty in maintaining the escalating absurdity of the brawls.

“Honestly, I feel like we got so many great set pieces out of the giant chicken fighting with Peter that they became hard to top,” Sulkin said. “It’s a lot to ask of our production crew, and we may have just gotten the best out of that character.”

Fellow executive producer Richard Appel referenced the 2014 crossover episode with The Simpsons, which featured a massive chicken-style brawl between Peter and Homer, suggesting that event served as a high-water mark that was nearly impossible to surpass.

While the famous feud has concluded, Family Guy fans can look forward to new content, including holiday specials set to debut on Hulu before the show returns to Fox for Season 24 in 2026.