Years after The Big Bang Theory ends, the Pasadena gang members have gone on to do many other things. The CBS nerd-centric sitcom introduced Sheldon’s friend group, and for 12 years, fans closely followed as they navigated their professional and personal lives. Unlike the usual friendship sitcom, however, The Big Bang Theory was unique in a way that it featured several socially-inept characters, which added a layer of difficulty for them to navigate the world. Not only did it differentiate them from the likes of Friends, How I Met Your Mother, and even Seinfeld, but it also made it easier for the public to root for them.
Despite putting too much focus on Sheldon and Amy’s Nobel Prize bid in season 12, CBS surprisingly staged a great The Big Bang Theory finale. The newlyweds eventually won the academic accolade, allowing Sheldon to reach his lifelong dream. Meanwhile, Penny and Leonard’s pregnancy may have been divisive, but it was still heartwarming to see. Howard and Bernadette got into a good rhythm with their two kids. Finally, while CBS could have given Raj the ending that he deserved, being single allowed him to not be forced into a marriage, giving him time to focus on himself. Beyond The Big Bang Theory, however, they continue to live great lives.
7 Sheldon
Despite being an ensemble series, The Big Bang Theory‘s true lead is Sheldon. While this wasn’t the case in earlier seasons, it became clear over time as its storytelling slowly shifted towards developing more of his personal arc. Almost every big episode in the show was about him and his story, and on the rare occasions that he was relegated to a supporting cast, he still stole the spotlight by being the source of comedy or the instigator of events. This is also the reason why Sheldon is the center of The Big Bang Theory‘s first and only spin-off, Young Sheldon, which serves as the character’s origins story.
The great thing is, despite being a prequel, Young Sheldon features adult Sheldon narration by Jim Parsons, which allows it to offer updates on how he’s doing in the future. Through this, it has been confirmed that he and Amy share a son named Leonard, and a couple of more kids. He also wears his Nobel Prize medal everywhere he goes, and he may be working on his autobiography. Sheldon seems genuinely happy in the future, which is a good thing.
6 Penny
Intriguingly, Young Sheldon’s voiceover has yet to mention anything about Penny, although she is one of Sheldon’s best friends. Given this, there hasn’t been any concrete update about the character in the post-The Big Bang Theory franchise. That being said, since she was pregnant in the nerd-centric sitcom’s finale, it’s safe to say that she had already given birth to her and Leonard’s first kid. Since expecting didn’t seem to faze her from continuing her job at Bernadette’s company, it’s likely that she continues to work there after delivering her baby. Perhaps, she may have even climbed the corporate ladder, considering how great she is as a medical sales representative.
5 Leonard
Similar to Penny, Young Sheldon has yet to reveal anything about what happens to Leonard after the events of The Big Bang Theory. Considering his wife’s pregnancy, however, it’s unlikely that he pushed forward with donating specimens for Zack and Marissa’s kid. Instead, it’s likely that he is focusing on raising his and his wife’s kid — something that he had been dreaming of doing since the beginning of the show. Perhaps, Leonard’s mom, Beverly even frequents visiting Pasadena to see more of him and his baby. It’s worth noting that after years of animosity, the pair finally patched things up towards the end of The Big Bang Theory‘s run.
4 Amy
Besides adult Sheldon, Amy was actually the first person to make a voice cameo in Young Sheldon, which gave the public an idea of how things are going in the future for the star-crossed couple. Sheldon’s wife has guested in The Big Bang Theory prequel twice now, and in both instances, she confirmed that their marriage is still going strong. Granted that there’s still consistent bickering, it sounds like they are really happy with their growing family. Sheldon still has some odd tendencies, but Amy is doing a much better job handling him and his idiosyncrasies, which is a huge reason why they work so well as a couple.
3 Howard
Surprisingly, Sheldon and Howard remain good friends in the post-The Big Bang Theory universe. Aside from Amy, Howard is the only character from the nerd-centric sitcom who has made a guest appearance in the prequel. As it turns out, the socially inept genius recruited his astronaut friend to tell the story of why he really hates engineering. Admittedly, Howard’s Young Sheldon cameo was disappointing. CBS could have done so much more with it, considering the pair’s history. However, the fact that Sheldon was able to recruit Howard revealed that not only are they still great pals, but it also means that they still live in proximity to each other.
2 Bernadette
Howard’s wife, Bernadette was often overlooked in The Big Bang Theory. Like Amy, she was a late addition to the cast, only becoming a series regular in season 4. However, his existence in the nerd-centric sitcom was actually integral to several key points, including Howard’s redemption from a sleazy man to a devoted husband and father. At the end of The Big Bang Theory, Bernadette was raising two beautiful kids while also thriving in her career. Howard didn’t say anything about his wife when he made a guest appearance in Young Sheldon, but it’s safe to say that the Wolowitzes are still very happily married.
1 Raj
Out of all the main characters in The Big Bang Theory, Raj’s ending was the most disappointing. He was the only one who didn’t have a partner, and the fact that he was the most romantic out of them made things so much worse. Kunal Nayyar has tried defending his character’s fate, but it doesn’t help in terms of the argument that Raj was overlooked and underutilized throughout The Big Bang Theory‘s run.
Young Sheldon hasn’t really said anything about what Raj’s life is like in the future, but as he learns to slowly love himself first, it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that he is finally able to find the love of his life. Perhaps, that person may even be Missy, who has been confirmed to be re-married after separating from her first husband. Given the pair’s chemistry the last time they were together in The Big Bang Theory, it will be great to learn that they eventually paired up.
