S.W.A.T. Exiles Cast: List Of Characters Not Returning For Spin-Off

The “S.W.A.T.” universe is expanding, but not every member of 20-Squad is coming along for the ride. In fact, you might be surprised by how few of the original series’ characters are making the leap to Starz’s upcoming “S.W.A.T. Exiles.”

Premiering on Friday, September 25, the spin-off once again stars Shemar Moore as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson, who is roped back in by S.W.A.T. to lead a new team of young, problematic recruits. Those newbies include Ronen Rubinstein (“9-1-1: Lone Star”) as Jude Callan, Freddy Miyares (“Grey’s Anatomy”) as Ethan Cole, Zyra Gorecki (“La Brea”) as Cassidy Han, Lucy Barrett (The CW’s “Charmed”) as Samantha Bishop, and Adain Bradley (“All American”) as Malik Henderson.

Three series regulars from the original “S.W.A.T.” are confirmed to be making appearances on “S.W.A.T. Exiles” — Jay Harrington (David “Deacon” Kay) and Patrick St. Esprit (Commander Robert Hicks) will show up in the pilot, while David Lim (Victor Tan) will reportedly guest-star closer to the end of the season — but no other returns have been made public aside from that trio.

Read on for a breakdown of main “S.W.A.T.” characters who were still around for the show’s final season but aren’t currently slated to appear on “S.W.A.T. Exiles.” For this list, we’re excluding characters who already left “S.W.A.T.” before the end of its eight-season run on CBS.

This one might be the biggest surprise of all: As far as we know right now, “S.W.A.T. Exiles” has no plans to bring back Rochelle Aytes as Nichelle, who ended “S.W.A.T.” as Hondo’s wife and the mother of his young daughter Vivian. Aytes only showed up for one episode of the original series’ final season, but she appeared in more than 50 episodes overall, and was a series regular for both Seasons 6 and 7.

Though a guest appearance from Nichelle hasn’t been confirmed, we wouldn’t be surprised to see her show up at some point. For starters, Aytes is now available; she was busy playing Dr. Mary Morstan on “Sherlock,” but the CBS drama was canceled in March 2026. Additionally, the actress herself has said she’s game to reprise her role.

“We have a baby together, so if they wanna bring Nichelle back, I’m all for it,” Aytes told PopCulture.com in October 2025. “That show does not die. The fan base for ‘S.W.A.T.’ is so strong, and it just lives on.”

Of all the names on this list, Devin is the one with whom we’ve spent the least amount of time. Annie Ilonzeh began recurring on “S.W.A.T.” in its eighth and final season (she was eventually promoted to series regular), making her the very last team member recruited to 20-Squad. Despite her limited presence in the overall series, however, Devin was an important recruit, one Hondo personally handpicked himself. Devin also came equipped with an intriguing backstory; she was originally a fast-rising rookie on the LAPD, but when her father murdered a Sheriff’s Deputy, Devin relocated to the Oakland P.D. Though some members of the 20-Squad were hesitant to accept Devin as their new teammate at first, Hondo vouched for her and they eventually came around.

Niko Pepaj recurred on “S.W.A.T.” for two seasons before being promoted to series regular for the CBS drama’s swan song. His character, Miguel “Miko” Alfaro, joined the team full-time at the end of Season 7, following a lengthy feud with 20-Squad member Jim Street (Alex Russell), with whom he shared a long and complicated history. Unlike Alfaro’s shifting dynamic with Street and other team members, his relationship with Hondo was one of mutual respect. So if Alfaro ever does cross paths with his old team leader on “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” at least we know they’ll get along.

After recurring in Seasons 5 and 6 of “S.W.A.T.,” Anna Enger Ritch was promoted to series regular for the CBS drama’s final two seasons, cementing Zoe as a member of 20-Squad. In her earlier days, Zoe regularly clashed with authority figures who chastised her for her recklessness, but by the end of the show’s run, she was a firm believer in the team’s ways. With Hondo as her mentor, Zoe learned to open up and work with her fellow squad members, eventually reaching the rank of Police Officer III.

Which of these “S.W.A.T.” characters do you hope to see someday on “S.W.A.T. Exiles”? Drop a comment with your pick(s) below.