His death didn't come as too much of a surprise, given the fact that Criminal Minds let the actor go over hiatus. The real surprise came due to the huge death at the very end of the episode. Mr. ... Hotch was written out of Criminal Minds in Season 12 due to actor Thomas Gibson's behind-the-scenes behavior.

What happened to Aaron Hotchner?

So, what happened to Hotch on 'Criminal Minds'? At the start of Season 12, Hotch was said to have gone on a "special assignment," which effectively took him off the show and away from the other characters for the foreseeable future at the time.

Does Aaron Hotchner die in Season 13?

He tried to hang onto the ledge and begged Agent Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez) to help him up. Unfortunately, he lost his grip and dropped to the ground. He banged his head and died.