That ‘70s Show: What Happened To Every Character In The Final

Most That ‘70s Show characters went off on their own brand-new journeys in the series finale. That ‘70s Show followed the lives of Eric Forman, his family, and his friends as they came of age in Point Place, Wisconsin, from 1976 until 1979. The series ran for eight seasons from 1998 until 2006, with the period sitcom having a fitting ending as the teens joined in The Circle, rekindled old flames, and counted down to midnight on New Year’s Eve 1979 – at which point That ‘70s Show cut to black.

After 16 years, several That ‘70s Show characters returned for a new decade and chapter in That ‘90s Show, which focuses on a new generation of Point Place teens. The sequel series follows That ‘70s Show’s original characters Eric Forman (Topher Grace), Donna Pinciotti (Laura Prepon), and their daughter Leia (Callie Haverda), who are spending the summer of 1995 in Point Place with her grandparents Red (Kurtwood Smith) and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp). Meanwhile, Fez, Jackie, Kelso, and Leo also returned for That ’90s Show. But what happened to these characters in the That ’70s Show finale?

Eric Forman

Lead character Eric Forman was absent for all of That ‘70s Show season 8 until the last few minutes of the series finale. In his final arc of the series, Eric was sent to Africa to teach for a year and earn free tuition for college. This was when Topher Grace left That ’70s Show at the end of season 7. After having broken up with Donna while he was away, Eric returned at the end of That ‘70s Show’s final episode to explain that he still loved her and regretted ending their relationship. It wasn’t revealed in the episode whether Donna and Eric had gotten back together, but That ‘90s Show officially confirms this considering their daughter was born within the next year.

Since Eric was working toward free tuition and Donna was preparing to go off to school herself, the two finally went off to college together after That ‘70s Show ended. In fact, That ’90s Show reveals that Eric landed his dream job in Chicago: teaching a course on the religion of Star Wars. Much like the name of Eric and Donna’s daughter, Leia, this is a reference to Eric Foreman’s Star Wars obsession.

Donna Pinciotti

Compared to other That ‘70s Show characters, Donna arguably experienced the biggest changes, which began when she decided to break up with Randy Pearson. Donna realized she was finally ready to go off to college, so as she prepared to count down to 1980 with her friends in That ‘70s Show’s finale, she was also only hours away from leaving for school. She even extended her time in Point Place on New Year’s Eve just to see Eric when he came home.

After hours went by and Eric didn’t show up, Donna simply prepared to say goodbye to her friends, her dad, who was moving to Florida and selling the house, and the Formans, who had treated her like another daughter over the past few years. However, Eric showed up at the last minute in That ‘70s Show’s finale, with their reunion and kiss implying the two were back together. That ’90s Show fulfilled Donna’s dream in the original series by revealing that she eventually became a successful published author, with Eric by her side.

Red & Kitty Forman

Both Red and Kitty were preparing for the next chapter in their lives after Eric left in That ‘70s Show season 8. Eventually, Bob offered them the opportunity to move down to Florida with him and open a bait shop. Initially agreeing to the move, Kitty and Red began showing their Point Place house to prospective buyers before That ‘70s Show’s finale. However, the couple realized in the last episode that, unlike most That ’70s Show characters, they weren’t ready to leave Point Place, so Kitty and Red announced at their New Year’s Eve party that they would be staying.

Hyde had even given Red season tickets to the Green Bay Packers, which partially influenced the characters’ decision to remain home. That ‘90s Show’s images reveal that Kitty and Red are still living in the same house in 1995 – they never moved away even after Eric and Donna went off and started a life together. Kitty and Red in That ’90s Show‘s cast not only confirms this, but also reveals how the two were involved in their granddaughter Leia’s upbringing. Considering Leia Forman spent an entire summer with her grandparents in That ‘90s Show season 1, Red and Kitty have clearly remained close to Eric, Donna, and their daughter during the 15-year gap.

Michael Kelso

Beloved That ’70s Show character Michael Kelso was absent for most of season 8, as Ashton Kutcher left the series after the first few episodes of the last season but returned for the series finale. Kelso moved to Chicago to be closer to his infant daughter, Betsy, working as a security guard for the Playboy Cub. Kelso returned to Point Place in the finale to ring in the ‘80s with his friends, which included being the last person to fall off the water tower in the decade, joining in The Circle one last time, and wearing That ‘70s Show’s Stupid Helmet.

Kelso revealed that he had taught his daughter how to say “burn” and was promoted to supervisor at his job, confirming that moving to Chicago was the best decision for his path to maturity. Indeed, 15 years later, That ’90s Show revealed that Kelso and Jackie ended up together. Moreover, Kelso and Jackie’s teenage son Jay is in a relationship with Leia, Eric and Donna’s daughter.

Jackie Burkhart

After spending much of That ‘70s Show season 8 wrestling with her romantic feelings for Fez, the finale of the show sees Jackie Burkhart accepting Fez as a partner. Jackie and Fez officially got together in the series’ penultimate episode, so she and Fez were preparing for their first real kiss during That ‘70s Show’s finale. However, the respective fates of these That ’70s Show characters were revealed to have branched off sometime before That ’90s Show. After dumping Fez, Jackie married Kelso, divorced him, married him again, then divorced him again. Jackie and Kelso’s marriage in That ’90s Show remains intact – for now. The two have also revealed plans of wanting to get married for a third time.

Fez

Like Jackie, Fez’s storyline in That ‘70s Show’s ending is almost exclusively about his new relationship. Throughout That ‘70s Show season 8, Fez was mostly embarking on a womanizing streak, so it was unclear how his future would go. Notably, Fez had worked at a hair salon throughout season 7 where he was a popular shampoo boy. Consistent with Fez’s ambitious attitude and skills, That ’90s Show revealed that – rather than shrinking from the heartbreak of losing Jackie – Fez instead focused on running his successful hair salon chain – Chez Fez.

Steven Hyde

Before That ‘70s Show’s finale, Steven Hyde was given the last Grooves record store owned by his father, suggesting he would be staying in Point Place thereafter. Danny Masterson’s Hyde is the only original That ‘70s Show character missing from That ‘90s Show. Hyde also purchased Red season tickets for the Green Bay Packers using the money Red had put in a savings account for him – part of why the Formans stayed. During That ‘70s Show’s finale, Hyde confirmed that he and his “wife” Samantha have officially broken up, as she was actually married to another man. Hyde gathered his friends in the Forman basement for the last Circle of the decade.

Bob Pinciotti

Donna’s father Bob Pinciotti made the biggest change in That ‘70s Show’s finale. After living next door to the Formans for over a decade, Bob retired and decided to move to Florida and open a bait shop. He invited Kitty and Red to go with him, but they chose to remain in Point Place at the last minute. Before leaving, Bob sold his house in Point Place, which ended up pushing Donna to finally go away to college. In That ‘90s Show, Bob Pinciotti flew back to Point Place from Florida for his granddaughter Leia’s birthday.

Randy Pearson

Randy Pearson (Josh Meyers) was introduced in That ‘70s Show season 8 as a replacement for both Eric and Kelso. After playing such a major role and even briefly dating Donna, Randy was overwhelmingly hated by That ‘70s Show fans, and only appears in one scene during That ‘70s Show’s finale. Randy has a single line where he tells Kitty that his grandfather was on the waiting list for Green Bay Packers season tickets for 30 years, after which he is never seen again. Since Randy didn’t show up for the Formans’ New Year’s Eve party, it’s unclear what happened to him at the end of That ‘70s Show.

Leo

Played by the legendary Tommy Chong, Leo is easily the most mysterious and hilarious That ’70s Show character. In the series finale, Leo’s weird role in That ’70s Show continued as he joined the gang when Kitty said her goodbyes to everyone, with Leo earning nothing but praise. After Red and Kitty announced their decision to stay in Point Place, Leo announced his decision to move there, which was strange because he’s always been the town’s resident stoner. Nonetheless, That ’90s Show did confirm that Leo stayed in Point Place after the original show’s finale with the reveal of Leo’s home in the spinoff.