In a shock no one saw coming, SNL fan favorite Bowen Yang has announced he’s leaving the show after this weekend’s episode. This news went viral in a matter of minutes, hitting all timelines simultaneously. Yang’s last episode of Saturday Night Live will air today, on December 20, 2025, featuring none other than his Wicked co-star and close friend Ariana Grande as the host, and Cher as the musical guest. It will be a big, emotional goodbye.Yang made his entrance on SNL in 2018 as a writer for the show before making appearances as one of the cast members, which occurred in 2019. Yang quickly gained popularity due to his wit, warmth, and the characters he portrayed.Being one of the first Chinese-American cast members on the show, as well as one of the most open members of the LGBTQ+ community, Yang helped break barriers while entertaining the viewers. With the Emmy nominations, viral sketches, and a massive fan base, his contributions to SNL and comedy will be difficult to fill in.A unique SNL legacyBowen Yang's ascent at Saturday Night Live has been swift and unforgettable. Joining the writers' room in 2018, he quickly proved that he had a sharp comic voice. Just a year later, he stepped in front of the camera, standing out with his deadpan delivery and wonderfully absurd characters: from bizarre sketches to instantly iconic ones, like being the iceberg that sank the Titanic.What makes Bowen's journey on SNL special isn't only the roles he played, but how he changed the feel of the show. As one of the first cast members of Asian descent and one of the few openly LGBTQ+ breakout stars on SNL, Yang helped expand who gets to be seen and celebrated in mainstream comedy. His Weekend Update appearances, often funny and sometimes deeply thoughtful, became must-watch moments.With Emmy nominations and growing recognition, Bowen didn’t just make people laugh. He helped turn SNL into a space for broader cultural conversation, and that’s a big deal.What this means for SNL and for Bowen Yang’s next chapterBowen Yang - Source: GettyBowen Yang’s departure isn’t an isolated incident, though. Indeed, SNL’s current Season 51 has already witnessed many changes, with many cast members departing even before the season started. While it’s uncommon for people to step down or quit mid-season, some stars will be joining Bowen Yang’s ranks, as he will be part of many other big stars who left SNL during pivotal times.For SNL, it also means another reinvention, finding some new voices that can fill the void that Yang leaves in terms of the contributions he has made in the past, whether it’s from Weekend Update or through his costume sketches. For fans, it’s also mixed emotions, nostalgia for what he brought, and looking forward to what’s next.As far as Bowen is concerned, it seems like these announcements are more of a forward motion and less of a goodbye to his past endeavors. Between his large film role in Wicked, his highly successful podcast Las Culturistas, and other ventures in line, it seems like his departure is a solid indication that he is ready to move forward to the next phase of his life.Whether you're celebrating his greatest sketches or cheering him on from afar, the fact that remains is that Bowen Yang's time at SNL was iconic, and his future only looks bigger.For more such insights on SNL, keep following SoapCentral.