10 Best Grey’s Anatomy Characters, Ranked
Numerous great characters have been a part of Shonda Rimes’ long-running medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, from Meredith Grey to George O’Malley.
Grey’s Anatomy has become one of the best and longest-running procedural TV shows. Keeping a devoted audience for four seasons is difficult enough, but Grey’s Anatomy has maintained its audience for 19 seasons. This is thanks to its plethora of interesting medical cases and its large cast of entertaining characters.
With so many original cast members being killed off or leaving the show since its beginning, Grey’s Anatomy must constantly create new characters up to par with the originals. Shonda Rhimes manages this by creating fully fleshed-out backgrounds and story arcs; every character is introduced with an entire universe already inside them, and they blend seamlessly with the characters they’re surrounded by. From the sweet Lexie Grey to the lovable George O’Malley, there is no shortage of great Grey’s Anatomy characters.
10.Meredith Grey
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 19 | 407 |
Grey’s Anatomy‘s titular character, Meredith Grey, is the thread that ties everyone together. The daughter of a groundbreaking surgeon, Grey was born into surgery. Audiences feel her drive and passion from the first time she opens her mouth and know that she loves few things as much as surgery.
Portrayed by: Ellen Pompeo
Grey has become one of the show’s most divisive characters. Some fans love her and believe she’s worthy of her position, while others hate her and think Meredith is an unworthy protagonist. While she often complains about her life, she’s an award-winning surgeon, a good friend, and a great mother who helped define a new age of TV where young girls could see a successful woman. Still, she’s not everyone’s favorite.
9.Andrew DeLuca
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 7 | 112 |
During Season 11, Andrew DeLuca first appeared on Grey’s Anatomy as an intern. It didn’t take long before DeLuca became adored by his coworkers, thanks to his quick thinking and natural surgical skills. DeLuca had a rough go of it, being physically assaulted by Alex Karev, having a complicated relationship with his father, rejecting help for his bipolar disorder, and later being murdered.
- Portrayed by: Giacomo Gianniotti
Andrew’s death was sudden and unjust, making it one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s saddest deaths. While Rhimes is no stranger to making her characters go through hell and back, DeLuca carries his head high. Even until the end, he died fighting to save a patient who was a victim of sex trafficking.
8.Teddy Altman
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 8 | 154 |
A cardiothoracic goddess, Teddy Altman first came to Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital after Owen Hunt convinced her to be their new head of cardio. As Teddy was a veteran who served in Afghanistan with Hunt, her arrival was welcomed by her student, Cristina Yang, who believed Teddy to be so talented she was willing to trade her husband for Altman’s teaching.
- Portrayed by: Kim Raver
Compared to other surgeons at Grey Sloan, Altman always seems to keep a level head and has a heart of gold. She’s an incredibly talented surgeon whose slow-burn love story with Hunt kept audiences on the edge of their seats. While Altman made controversial decisions in recent seasons, she remains one of the good ones.
7.Lexie Grey
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 6 | 115 |
One of Grey’s Anatomy‘s biggest rays of sunshine, Lexie Grey quickly became a fan-favorite thanks to her cheerful personality and constant rambling. During Season 3, Lexie joined the show as an intern, where audiences learned she was one of Meredith Grey’s sisters.
- Portrayed by: Chyler Leigh
Though Meredith wasn’t a fan of Lexie at first, Lexie quickly made friends in the hospital and earned her reputation as one of the best surgeons in her intern class. Lexie would also go on to be part of one of the show’s most epic romances with Mark Sloan, only to tragically die in a plane crash after admitting they both love each other. She deserved more time on the show and a happy ending.
6.Maggie Pierce
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 9 | 187 |
Why Kelly McCreary Left Grey’s Anatomy Another of Meredith Grey’s sisters, Maggie Pierce, became Grey Sloan’s new head of cardiothoracic surgery during Season 10. Unlike other new characters, audiences had a close tie to her. The show revealed that Maggie was adopted and that her birth parents were Ellis Grey and Richard Webber.
- Portrayed by: Kelly McCreary
Maggie quickly worked her way into audiences’ hearts, being a brilliant surgeon but fighting to prove herself after her young age was called into question. Like Lexie, Maggie is an optimistic chatterbox, the complete opposite of Meredith. Unfortunately, Maggie left the show after a decade, leaving Grey Sloan with zero Greys.
5.Mark Sloan
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 8 | 139 |
One-half of the plastics posse, Mark Sloan was an ENT and plastic surgeon at Grey Sloan. Unfortunately for audiences, Sloan died after a plane crash, along with the love of his life, Lexie. Before arriving at Grey Sloan, audiences only knew Mark as the man who had an affair with Derek Shephard’s wife.
- Played by: Eric Dane
While audiences were meant to vilify Sloan, they fell in love with him and his charm instead. Sloan was a talented surgeon, not just for his skill but for how he always made his patients feel beautiful. Before his death, Sloan also became a father, completing his full 180 from playboy bachelor to devoted father.
4.Alex Karev
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 16 | 343 |
One of Grey’s Anatomy‘s original characters, Alex Karev, was the head of pediatric surgery at Grey Sloan. Karev earned himself the nickname “evil spawn” early on for his short temper and playboy tendencies. However, Karev had one of the best character arcs over his 16 seasons.
- Portrayed by: Justin Chambers
As Karev grew up, he put aside his immaturity and focused on his work. Karev always fought for his patients and went out of his way to help every child, even if it put his career on the line. Despite all his growth, the Grey’s Anatomy writers ignored his development by having Karev leave his wife and friends without saying goodbye in person.
3.George O’Malley
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 6 | 105 |
George O’Malley became a beloved character early on in Grey’s run and was often referred to as “one of the good ones.” Unlike other surgeons, O’Malley never saw patients and surgeries as prey; instead, he held vast respect for everyone he treated. O’Malley put everyone first, from fixing a heart solo in an elevator to helping Dr. Bailey deliver her baby.
- Played by: T. R. Knight
This is not to say that O’Malley didn’t make any mistakes, but he deserved a good ending. After a “breakdown of communication” with Rhimes, O’Malley died during Season 6, ending his run on the show. O’Malley’s death was an unexpected and tragic twist that fans remain upset about.
2.Miranda Bailey
| Seasons | Number of Episodes |
| 19 | 372 |
Miranda Bailey is one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s most iconic characters and the glue that holds everyone and everything together. Audiences meet Bailey as a general surgery resident when her interns – Meredith, Alex, Cristina, Izzie, and George – join the hospital. Her witty remarks, moral compass, and talents made her a joy to watch from the start.
- Played by: Chandra Wilson
Dr. Bailey’s constant sarcasm is one of many reasons fans can’t get enough of her. Her ability to make others fear her one moment and be their friend the next is her superpower. She’s currently one of the few remaining original characters left, and audiences are hoping that the amusing and lovable Bailey stays until the show’s end.
1.Cristina Yang
| Seasons | Number of episodes |
| 10 | 220 |
Cristina Yang is one of the best-written female characters in television history. A gifted original intern, Yang then goes on to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, earn a Harper Avery nomination, and later become the director of cardiothoracic surgery at a world-renowned Swedish hospital.
- Played by: Sandra Oh
Yang went through life-altering traumatic experiences, including a hospital shooting, a plane crash, an ectopic pregnancy, and more. Still, her resilience and dark humor throughout it all is what makes her stand out. Yang was criticized often for being too focused on her career, but that’s why she’s so loved. Cristina shows audiences that a woman can focus on a career, rather than raising a family. As such, she’s easily Grey’s Anatomy’s best character.
