In which season did Detective Amanda Rollins first appear?

Detective Amanda Rollins first appeared in Season 13 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Actress Kelli Giddish debuted as Rollins in the season-premiere episode “Scorched Earth,” which aired on September 21, 2011.

Rollins arrived from the Atlanta Police Department and joined Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit during a major cast transition. Her introduction followed Christopher Meloni’s departure as Detective Elliot Stabler, placing Rollins alongside Mariska Hargitay’s Olivia Benson and Danny Pino’s Nick Amaro.

Giddish became a regular presence for more than a decade, and Rollins developed important professional and personal connections with Benson and ADA Sonny Carisi. She eventually left the main cast during Season 24, but the character returned as a series regular in Season 27.

A common mix-up comes from Giddish having appeared in the Law & Order franchise before playing Rollins. Those earlier appearances involved different characters; Rollins herself begins with “Scorched Earth” in Season 13.