Although the fictional Springfield from The Simpsons has barely changed over the last 25 years, occasionally real-life has a very real impact on the animated town. The recent death of Edna Krabappel's longtime voice actress Marcia Wallace will see the creators retire the character from the show, now in its 25th season.

Show producer Al Jean released a statement explaining Wallace "was beloved by all at The Simpsons and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character." 

The Edna Krabappel character first appeared in the second full-length episode of the show in 1990, and has been a recurring character since. As Bart's 4th grade teacher, the show frequently followed her troubled love life, including a multi-season romance with Principal Skinner. In season 23, Krabappel married Ned Flanders as the result of a fan vote.

It has not yet been announced how Edna will leave the show, although the producers have insisted it will be unrelated to the previous announcement that a notable character will be killed this season.

This will not mark the first time The Simpsons writers have written out popular characters. The death of Phil Hartman in 1998 saw the retirement of Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure, as well as the various other minor characters voiced by Hartman. A couple of characters have also been killed as part of the series' stories, most famously Maude Flanders.