Grey's Anatomy is a long-running medical drama that follows the chaotic lives of surgeons, residents, and interns inside (and out) Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital in Seattle, Washington. With more than 400 episodes under its belt and a total of four Primetime Emmy Awards, Grey's Anatomy has proven itself to be one of the most popular and well-written shows on the market. The show has even been the source of a number of spin-offs, including Station 19 and Private Practice.
One thing that Grey's has become known for is its cast (criticisms and all). Showcasing stars like Isiah Washington, Katherin Heigl, and Jesse Williams, a number of phenomenal actors have walked the hospital halls of Grey's Anatomy. With the recent news that star Ellen Pompeo has left the show after nearly two decades, why don't we have a look at some of the departures the show left us with.Here are the cast's best departure episodes, ranked.
10 Sara Ramirez / Callie Torres — "Family Affair"
Callie Torres was brought on early in Grey's Anatomy, and quickly became one of the most beloved characters. Between her relatable chaotic inner dialogue and her exploration of her sexuality, she was one of the show's most liked characters. That being said, many fans disliked Callie's change in behavior when she met Penny Blake. Callie's departure from the show came when Penny left Seattle for New York, and she decided to uproot her entire life for Penny. With this movie, she loses custody of Sophia and still moves to NYC regardless. Sara Ramirez has gone on to star in a number of series post-Grey's Anatomy, including And Just Like That.
9 Justin Chambers / Alex Karev — "Leave a Light On"
Alex Karev was one of the few original cast members remaining at the time of his departure. While some fans didn't like the way Alex was written off the show, others found it wholesome. His departure is handled in a series of letters written to Meredith and Jo as he explains how he got back in touch with Izzie Stevens, who is the mother of his twins as he previously donated sperm to her when they were married. Justin Chambers' off-screen exit felt somewhat rushed considering the impact his character had had on the show, but was equally effective considering the initial love he had for Izzie.
8 Jerrika Hinton / Stephanie Edwards — "Ring of Fire"
Stephanie Edwards was one of the most impressive residents to ever walk the halls of Grey Sloan Memorial. Despite her childhood struggle with sickle cell anemia, she managed to become the most impressive doctor in her class. After a rapist takes Stephanie and a young girl hostage, the hospital is put on lockdown. Stephanie responds by lighting the man on fire, which causes an explosion. She manages to escape said fire via the rooftop, where she screams for help. The stress from this causes Stephanie to see what she's missing in life, thus she chooses to leave Grey Sloan and "see everything that's not in a hospital."
7 Preston Burke / Isaiah Washington — "Didn't We Almost Have It All?"
Cristina Yang and Preston Burke seemed made for each other based solely on their shared love of surgery and cardiothoracics. The pair had a tumultuous relationship that included an ectopic pregnancy and Cristina helping Burke perform surgery after he was shot. Despite her doubts, Cristina actually managed to say yes to Burke's marriage proposal and nearly went through with it until he told her it wasn't what she wanted and left. While Cristina was technically jilted, Burke's decision only made her more driven to pursue her career. While Isaiah Washington's departure from the show came after a homophobic comment towards T.R. Knight behind-the-scenes, his character's departure shook the audience and brought new direction to the series.
6 Patrick Dempsey / Derek Shepherd — "How to Save a Life"
Shonda Rhimes hinted at Patrick Dempsey's departure from the series by sending him to Washington to work for the President while Meredith stayed behind in Seattle. While driving to get back to Seattle, Derek witnesses a car accident and stops to help the survivors get out of the vehicles and treat their injuries. Help finally arrives and the victims of the crash are taken away to the nearest hospital, but as Derek gets into his car to drive away, he is struck by a semi and does not survive his injuries. Derek leaves behind a grief-stricken wife who takes off and doesn't contact anyone until after having her secret baby.
5 Chyler Leigh / Lexie Grey — "Flight"
The plane crash is without a doubt one of the worst catastrophes to ever strike the staff at Grey Sloan Memorial. When their plane crash-lands in the middle of nowhere, Meredith and Cristina scramble to find where their friends are while treating their own injuries. Everyone seems injured but alive, until they find Lexie, who is pinned under the wing of the plane. Mark barks orders for them to get supplies for her, but they all know that it won't help. He soothes a dying Lexie by telling her how much he loves her and how they were meant to be together. Chyler Leigh went on to pursue other acting opportunities, leaving behind a wonderful memory of Meredith's sister.
4 T.R. Knight / George O'Malley — "Now or Never"
Considering that George was one of the original five interns to work under Miranda Bailey, his sudden and unexpected departure from the show shook fans to their core. After telling his close friends, aside from Izzie, that he was enlisting in the Army, George suddenly quits the resident program and leaves to spend time with his family. While he is out, George is hit by a bus after saving a distracted citizen from the same fate. George's face was unrecognizable when he was brought to the hospital and was only recognized when he wrote 007 — his nickname throughout their intern year — on Meredith's hand.
3 Eric Dane / Mark Sloan — "Remember the Time"
Mark Sloan is the beloved/loathed playboy at Seattle Grace, who's probably slept around with most of the staff. Despite some of his much-hated character traits, Mark proves himself a loyal friend and a good father. Eric Dane was interested in starring in TNT's drama series The Last Ship and requested to be written off the show. Rhimes gave Mark one of the best send-offs in Grey's Anatomy history as he struggles to stay alive in the hospital before his body simply shuts down because his soulmate Lexi is dead. This episode brought tears to many eyes and will always be a gut-wrenching watch.
2 Sandra Oh / Cristina Yang — "Fear (of the Unknown)"
Cristina Yang is arguably one of the most beloved characters on the series. We see her grow from a cold-hearted intern into a compassionate and driven doctor. While Cristina and Meredith may have seemed inseparable, the time came when they had to forge their own paths as Cristina left Seattle to go work in Switzerland and take Burke's place as Head of Cardiothoracics. Sandra Oh cited feelings of finality — she had played Cristina for 10 seasons — as the reason for her departure on the show, which didn't soothe the heartbreak at all. The pair has one last dance party before Cristina's emotional departure, which would bring great change to the show altogether as Maggie, Meredith's half-sister, was brought on to replace Cristina.
1 Ellen Pompeo / Meredith Grey — "I'll Follow the Sun"
Despite the fact that Rhimes has previously been quoted saying that there is no show without Ellen Pompeo or Meredith Grey, it would seem that things have changed. As one of the few remaining characters from the original cast, Meredith is beloved by everyone, so it only makes sense that her departure from the show would arguably be the most emotional departure in the history of Grey's Anatomy. In Meredith's final episode, we follow her on her last day at Grey Sloan Memorial before moving her family to Boston to work with the Catherine Fox Foundation to research Alzheimer's.