Adult Sheldon's appearance in the George's unexpected death in Young Sheldon season 7, episode 12, "A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture." After the Cooper patriarch's funeral service, however, the family comedy/drama shifts its storytelling to the clan moving forward.

To establish a connection with the flagship series, the Young Sheldon finale brought Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik to physically appear as adult Sheldon and Amy from the future. This marks the pair's first on-screen return since The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019. Beyond their cameos benefit to the prequel's storytelling, it also allows CBS to offer an update on how the Pasadena gang is doing in the future. Unfortunately, instead of a happy revelation, the Cooper-Fowler couple's involvement implies that Leonard may already be gone thanks to a couple of new clues to his dark fate.

Sheldon & Amy’s Son & Penny Reference Hint At Leonard Dak Post-TBBT Fate

Having Two Leonards In The Same Social Group Would Be Confusing.

Unfortunately, no other The Big Bang Theory character appears in the Young Sheldon finale, but there are two particular reveals suggesting that Sheldon's best friend is dead. Firstly, Sheldon and Amy continue to refer to their son as Leonard. Their firstborn's name was long confirmed in the spinoff and was inspired by Sheldon's love for both Leonard Hofstadter and Leonard Nimoy. Oddly, they don't have the need to nickname him differently. It would be weird, not to mention confusing, to have both of them be called the exact same name when they are part of a single social circle.

So, while name-dropping Penny sounds innocuous, considering her friendship with Sheldon, the writers must have known that not mentioning or showing Leonard would have narrative implications.

To back this idea up, Sheldon only brings up Leonard's wife in the closing moments of the Young Sheldon finale. As the couple walks out of his office to attend Leonard's hockey game in Pasadena, Amy mentions that their daughter wants to take acting classes, to which Sheldon quips that this is what happens when they let Penny babysit. Chuck Lorre and his team know how vital Easter eggs and references are. So, while name-dropping Penny sounds innocuous, considering her friendship with Sheldon, the writers must have known that not mentioning or showing Leonard would have narrative implications.

It shouldn't be difficult to include Leonard's name during adult Sheldon and Amy's final Young Sheldon conversation anyway. The pair could have easily inserted him into the discussion when they brought up Penny's babysitting of their unnamed daughter. Amy could have also mentioned him when Sheldon claimed that he has always been an agreeable person. Instead, there isn't any acknowledgment of Leonard's current existence in their lives. Considering his friendship with Sheldon and romance with Penny, the writers must have known that the lack of information about him post-The Big Bang Theory would pose questions about his whereabouts.

Can The Big Bang Theory’s Leonard Really Be Dead?

Sheldon's Best Friend Had A Host Of Health Issues In The Big Bang Theory.

The Young Sheldon finale doesn't explicitly reveal how far into the future adult Sheldon and Amy are from. However, based on their comments, it's safe to say that their son is in his early adolescence while their daughter is a few years younger than him. That means it would have been more than a decade since they won the Nobel Prize in Physics, making them and Leonard in their 50s, which is not old by all means. However, considering Leonard's well-established health issues, which include sleep apnea and asthma, he may have died in the last several years.

Young Sheldon Failed To Acknowledge Leonard

Leonard's Role In Sheldon's Life Is Never Mentioned In Young Sheldon.

Understandably, the Young Sheldon finale's priority isn't paying tribute to The Big Bang Theory. While the prequel stands on the shoulders of its parent series, it has already come a long way from its early days of only catering to Sheldon and focusing on expanding his story. Young Sheldon has eventually found its identity, stepping outside The Big Bang Theory's shadow and becoming a proper family comedy/drama, and it is the better for it. This is the reason why its two-part finale devotes the majority of its time to the family dynamics in the aftermath of George's death.

Despite these, not once did The Big Bang Theory prequel mention Leonard and his friendship with Sheldon.

That being said, the series capper isn't the only opportunity for the spinoff to acknowledge Leonard. Throughout its seven-year run, Young Sheldon featured a plethora of references to The Big Bang Theory. It brought back Simon Helberg as Howard and Bialik as Amy (before her cameo) for its voiceovers. Despite these, not once did The Big Bang Theory prequel mention Leonard and his friendship with Sheldon. While Young Sheldon never mentioned Raj and Bernadette, the show is able to get away with it because they weren't as close to the socially-inept genius as Penny and her husband.

Will The Big Bang Theory Franchise Ever Clarify What Happened To Leonard?

Despite Young Sheldon's End, The Universe Will Continue.

The Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady-created TV franchise will continue via a couple of spinoffs. To start, Georgie and Mandy's sequel series titled Georgie And Mandy's First Marriage will premiere in the fall, focusing on the couple as they start a new life as parents to Baby Cece. Considering the timeline, it may be tricky, but if it has the same format as its predecessor, with Adult Georgie narrating the events of his marriage to Mandy, the writers can slip in details about Leonard, especially since the pair quickly developed a kinship when they met in The Big Bang Theory.

If that isn't an option, Lorre is also working on a separate The Big Bang Theory spinoff. Details about the new show are still under wraps, but it is expected to be more connected to the nerd-centric sitcom than Young Sheldon. Given this, there's a bigger opportunity to reveal details about Leonard's whereabouts and status post-The Big Bang Theory. No release date has been set for the endeavor, which means that the viewers may have to wait a while longer, but it's better than not having any prospects with regard to this matter.

Finally, a clarification on Leonard's status can be revealed via a The Big Bang Theory reunion — something that has been clamored for a while now.

Finally, a clarification on Leonard's status can be revealed via a The Big Bang Theory reunion — something that has been clamored for a while now. There were hopes that the Young Sheldon finale could feature the complete Pasadena gang in light of Parsons and Bialik's confirmed appearance. That didn't happen, but it doesn't mean that a proper get-together with the rest of the cast is out of the question in the future.

What Else Leonard's Dark Fate Could Be

Leonard & Penny Could Be Divorced

There could be other reasons that Leonard might no longer be in the picture. One big reason could be explained by looking at another of Johnny Galecki's shows. Before The Big Bang Theory, he starred in Roseanne as David Healy, the husband of Darlene and the father of her child. However, when Roseanne returned to the air years later, Galecki was only there to drop in with a cameo, and it turned out that he and Darlene finally broke up for good, and he was no longer part of his child's life.

Johnny Galecki was a recurring character on Roseanne from seasons 4-9.

Leonard's death would be tragic and devastating for Big Bang Theory fans. However, Leonard and Penny getting divorced would destroy their happy ending on a show that was never about those endings. That would be darker than Leonard's death, and it is something most fans would never forgive.

Leonard Being Dead Would Harm The Big Bang Theory Universe

Leonard's Death Would Hurt Too Many Characters

There is a big problem with Leonard dying and an even bigger problem if he and Penny end up separating and possibly divorcing. This would ruin Penny's story on The Big Bang Theory. The biggest issue here is that if Leonard goes away, either by death or for any other reason, Penny will end up left as a single mother. This is problematic because Penny never wanted to have children but eventually gave in because Leonard wanted kids so badly. Penny being a single mother is a nightmare scenario for the character.

Leonard's death also affects other characters' final storylines. Sheldon and Amy named their son Leonard after his best friend and Leonard Nimoy. Having Leonard possibly die at such a young age would also make Sheldon's story end tragically. He had already lost his dad, who Young Sheldon proved wasn't as bad as Sheldon had made it seem. Now he would lose his best friend. Someone else who would be hurt is Beverly, who reunited with her son in TBBT finale. Add in the other fans, and this is not the right decision.

TBBT Killing Off Leonard Wouldn't Benefit The Series

This Isn't What The Big Bang Theory Is About

In the end, The Big Bang Theory killing off Leonard would never work for the show or its fan base. This isn't a show about the beloved characters dying. It isn't even a show about them failing, as through the series, fans watched them overcome all odds. Some comedy sitcoms use death and do it well. Young Sheldon did this with its final season and Sheldon's dad. This, however, is not what The Big Bang Theory is all about, and having Leonard die would possibly kill the series' future.

It will be tough to bring the show back without Johnny Galecki, who has already said he isn't interested in full-time acting anymore. However, there are plenty of other stories with the other characters that could work without Leonard and Penny. Keeping them alive, but not around the new projects, would allow Leonard and Penny's happy ending to remain happy and keep The Big Bang Theory fan base satisfied.