what happened to jackson in teen wolf
Jackson Whittemore doesn’t die in Teen Wolf – his story takes a few big turns: he becomes the kanima, is “reborn” as a werewolf, leaves for London, and later comes back in the final season and movie.
What happened to Jackson in the show?
Early seasons (1–2): rival, then monster
- Jackson starts as Scott’s cocky rival and Lydia’s popular jock boyfriend at Beacon Hills High.
- Obsessed with Scott’s sudden skill, he pushes to become a werewolf himself and gets caught up in the supernatural mess.
- Instead of turning into a normal werewolf, he becomes the kanima – a shapeshifting lizard-like creature driven by someone else’s will, and he ends up killing and paralyzing people under mind control.
Season 2 finale: “death” and transformation
- Jackson appears to die after being used as a weapon, and his body is zipped into a bag – then is found encased in a clear cocoon and starts to move.
- Lydia reaches him emotionally, which “pulls him back,” and he finally completes the transformation from kanima into a proper werewolf (with bright blue eyes).
Why he leaves Beacon Hills
- After the Season 2 events, Jackson breaks up with Lydia and leaves Beacon Hills to start a new life in London, which also reflected Colton Haynes leaving the series at that time.
- In-universe, the others just say he moved to London, and for several seasons he is only mentioned, not shown.
His later return
- Jackson eventually comes back in Season 6B, now living in London, hunting supernatural threats, and openly in a relationship with Ethan; the show confirms he is both werewolf and kanima.
- He returns to help Scott’s pack fight the Hunters led by Gerard Argent and Tamora Monroe, showing he’s shifted from arrogant antagonist to a reluctant but loyal ally.
Forum and “latest news” angle
Fans still talk a lot about what happened to Jackson in Teen Wolf because:
- Some feel his Season 2 arc (kanima → werewolf → sudden exit) was “botched” or too abrupt, especially since he left right after his big transformation.
- Others say his absence made sense because the actor left, and his later return in Season 6B and the Teen Wolf movie gave him some payoff and closure.
On fan forums and Reddit, you’ll often see takes like:
“He left the show after that so there really was no storyline after other than the fact that he moved to London.”
So, in short: Jackson becomes the kanima, almost dies, is saved by Lydia and turns fully into a werewolf, leaves for London, and eventually comes back as a more mature, still-sarcastic supernatural hunter in the final stretch of the series.
TL;DR: Jackson didn’t just disappear or get killed off – he transformed from kanima to werewolf, moved to London, then later returned to help the pack in the last season and in follow‑up content.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.