In what season did Elliot Stabler leave SVU?

Elliot Stabler left Law & Order: Special Victims Unit at the end of season 12.

The departure follows the season 12 finale, “Smoked,” in which Stabler shoots Jenna Fox after she opens fire inside the SVU squad room. Fox had killed the men responsible for assaulting and murdering her mother, as well as Sister Peg, before Stabler intervened. The shooting leaves Stabler on administrative leave and facing psychological evaluation, anger-management training, and an internal review.

Christopher Meloni, who played Stabler, did not return as a regular cast member for season 13 after contract negotiations failed. The character’s retirement is handled off-screen: during the season 13 premiere, Captain Cragen explains that Stabler has left the force rather than complete the required evaluations.

The wording can cause confusion because Stabler’s final regular SVU season was season 12, while his retirement is discussed in season 13. He eventually returned in season 22 and continued as the lead of the spin-off Law & Order: Organized Crime.