The Simpsons Just Brought Back Apu (& Killed Him Off) After 8 Years

The Simpsons just brought back Apu after eight long years in a prominent moment, and has quickly killed him off. The Simpsons is now in the midst of Season 37 of the animated series, and it’s the first of a four season renewal with FOX. The franchise is getting even bigger in the coming years with the release of a second movie as well, so that means there are going to be many characters in the mix in terms of who we might get to see in future stories. This also includes characters who have been moved to the background in the last decade too.

The Simpsons has been known to bring in any character and get rid of them for a fun joke, and that’s true for former fan favorites who used to have a lot more screen time. Taking the opportunity to do so with this year’s Treehouse of Horror special, The Simpsons did just that by not only bringing back Apu, but also revealing the first look at the Kwik-E-Mart we’ve seen in a very long time. But while this is a fun return and nod to the past, Apu himself is (hilariously) already dead.

The Simpsons Brings Back and Kills Off Apu

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XXXVI’s final segment, “Plastic World,” imagines a post-apocalyptic version of Springfield that has been buried under generations’ worth of plastic trash. It’s left the final survivors scrapping for the final bits of food and water, and soon Lisa and the other survivors fall through the surface and reach a much deeper level of the Earth. It’s here that they see a now ruined Kwik-E-Mart buried under the rubble, with a dead Apu and Jailbird inside. It’s a very quick joke, but it’s one of the first real times Apu has been acknowledged in nearly a decade.

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While Apu has been seen a bit here and there in the opening credits or crowd shots over the years, his last real appearance on screen came during the Season 29 episode, “The Serfsons” in 2017. This was the last time the character was heard speaking on screen, and was then relegated to background cameo appearances from that point on. This addressing of Apu is far from confirming his fate, and more likely just another joke poking fun at fans fearing that the longtime character had been fully killed off. It’s less funny for the Kwik-E-Mart as it has largely disappeared as a location, but at least the newest season does address this with a bloody return.

What Happened to Apu?

As for why Apu has been relegated to this background role in the last decade, it’s been a result of some notable criticism and backlash for the character. Sparked by the release of Hari Kondabolu’s documentary, The Problem with Apu, Apu’s depiction of South Asian people and culture was viewed as harmful. Former voice star behind the character Hank Azaria revealed in 2020 that he was no longer voicing the character (and doesn’t plan on ever returning to the role), but The Simpsons has not yet recast or even revealed future plans for Apu as of this time.

The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman was asked about Apu’s future just earlier this year with Cracked, and unfortunately did not have any word on the character’s fate, “I can’t talk about Apu right now. I don’t know. I don’t know.” But regardless of whether or not there are any actual plans for the character in the future, The Simpsons was able to find humor in the situation by killing him off during an episode where many other characters die without any real “consequences.”

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