Grey's Anatomy has had an incredible number of successful seasons and is a household name in the world of medical shows. Since it has so many episodes and 19 seasons, there has been an amazing amount of characters that have filtered throughout the series. Whether they lasted a while or only had one memorable storyline, fans of the show are very dedicated to them and appreciative of what they added to the medical drama. Show runner Shonda Rhymes is always keeping it fresh and leaving her audience speechless with the plot lines she comes up with, and the crossovers with Grey’s Anatomy’s sister show, Station 19, have added more pomp and interest to both series.
Fans of the show know to be cautious when getting attached to a new character on the show, because within a few seasons, they can either be killed off or just disappear entirely. One of the most heartbreaking moments on the show was the death of Derek Shepard, a world-renowned brain surgeon, husband to Meredith, and father to three kids. His death shocked fans because they didn’t see it coming, even though Grey’s Anatomy is known for killing off fan favorites without a second thought. There have been so many great characters in this series, so here’s a list of the best, ranked.
10 Cormac Hayes
Hayes was introduced after Alex Karev's exit from the show, which fans are still not over, and he was a fresh face to the usual cast. Hayes was so great because of how easily he blended with the other characters, taking his role as the Head of Peds very seriously, and often talking about his deceased wife, letting us know more about him as a whole. He didn’t remain static, but also proved to have a strong character with his morale, quitting on the spot once Owen Hunt shared an incriminating secret with him, leaving his job so he wouldn’t have to report his friend.
9 Callie Torres
Callie Torres was another character that left the show abruptly once they decided to move on from her storyline, but still, she was one of the coolest doctors that hospital ever had. She actively enjoyed cutting into people and was unapologetic for who she was and who she loved. She had her own style and was a fan favorite, especially when they explored her backstory and home life as a young person. She also lost several people she loved, such as George O'Malley, whom she married, and Mark Sloan, who was the father of her child.
8 Derek Shepard
You can’t think about Derek Shepard and not hear his iconic line, "It’s a beautiful day to save lives." Before we get into his personality, Derek was one of the best neurosurgeons Grey Sloan ever had, and his death was truly tragic. At the beginning of their marriage and relationship, Derek was perfect for Meredith. He made so many grand gestures and assurances that she was the love of his life that it was swoon-worthy. Fans are still stuck on the post-it note and the candle house he built for Meredith to show where their future house was going to be.
7 Jo Wilson
Wilson is a really interesting character, because for many, it’s hard to remember that she’s been on the show for several seasons. She’s also been through so much and has had great character development throughout her time on the series. She carries a lot of baggage but proves to have a big heart as she takes everything in stride, such as discovering how she was conceived and the reason why her mother gave her up. Not only that, but escaping her abusive husband and finding solace in Alex Karev. After Karev leaves her, she decides to become a mom to a baby that was left motherless at the hospital, and it proved to be a great change of pace for her.
6 Teddy Altman
Teddy Altman is a memorable character because of how she was introduced to the audience, abruptly left, and then came back with incredible character development. As a trauma surgeon, Altman has seen it all, and she’s not phased by much, working at high speeds with precision and dedication. One of her best and saddest storylines is how dedicated she became to Meredith when she fell into the hands of COVID-19, spending hours without sleep trying to get her in a conscious state once again. She didn’t stop until Meredith was healthy and then went through an extreme depressive episode, giving herself an episode that was one of the best of the entire season.
5 Amelia Shepherd
Amelia is a fighter. When her brother Derek passes, she joins the show in the role he was previously in, and for the first season she appears, the other doctors often compare her to who Derek was. Soon enough, Amelia becomes her own person and dominates the scenes she’s in, being meticulous with her work while also caring deeply for her patients. She’s a recovering addict and finds solace with Richard whenever either of them needs a meeting to remain strong in their sobriety. One of her best scenes is when Teddy is going through her depressive episode and Amelia defends her to Owen, who doesn’t understand why she’s so sad. In that moment, Amelia is a champion for whoever needed to hear that feeling that type of sadness is okay and should be worked through, no matter what it is, because it truly matters.
4 Cristina Yang
Cristina Yang is considered the one that got away. She was Meredith’s person, the one that basically lived in her and Derek’s house because she had best friend privileges. Yang was cold and abrasive, yet selfless when she needed to be. She was among some of the best surgeons on the show, and fans were devastated when she exited the series, now only appearing via texts with Meredith. One of her biggest accomplishments is winning an Avery award for 3-D printing a heart conduit, which is a huge deal.
3 Miranda Bailey
When Miranda became chief, it was like everything was right in the world. She’s part of the "big three": Meredith, Richard, and herself. Fans knew right away that she's not one to mess with, establishing herself as someone to respect because she was a woman in charge. Her husband, Ben, is a firefighter at Station 19, and fans were delighted when Miranda got even more screen time by appearing in crossover episodes of the sister show. Miranda Bailey is a force to be reckoned with, and while she goes through struggles just like her fellow characters, there’s not much that could really knock her down.
2 Richard Webber
Richard is very much the dad of the entire show and hospital. Since the first season, he’s talked about retiring, but to this day he’s still around and teaching new interns how to become residents. Like every character in the show, Richard has been through a lot, such as losing his wife and niece and getting poisoned by his iron levels. Richard proved to be a great father figure to not only Meredith but also Amelia, with whom he often has AA meetings, and Maggie, his actual blood daughter. As he often says, Richard is the chief of chiefs, and it would be difficult to see him leave the show, so fingers crossed that doesn’t happen anytime soon.
1 Meredith Grey
It's difficult to imagine Meredith Grey not being at the top of this list. Ellen Pompeo is the only one who could play Meredith for nineteen seasons and keep her character from being stale and boring. It was announced that Pompeo would be leaving the show after the nineteenth season, leaving the series in great hands with other well-established characters. However, no one could replace Meredith Grey. Grey has almost drowned, was blown up by a bomb, witnessed her husband being shot, lost a child, performed groundbreaking surgeries, and became a living legend in the hospital she worked at. There’s no beating Meredith Grey.