Oh sweet, sweet Grey's Anatomy. How we love you. You've done so much for your devoted fans over the years. You've surprised us, made us laugh, made us cry, made us swoon, tugged at our heartstrings, and broken our hearts completely in the fifteen seasons you've graced ABC. And you don't seem to be stopping anytime soon. We're happy for that, thirteen years into a show that just won't quit. Still, you've never been completely perfect. What show is ever perfect, anyway? It's just not possible.
Over the years, some of the Grey's Anatomy writers have made some pretty interesting decisions when it came to giving beloved characters the axe. On the other hand, Grey's Anatomy has also latched on to characters for multiple seasons that were either awful, boring, or just plain useless-- and they don't seem to be going anywhere just yet, for some reason. Some of our favorites got the chop, but the most useless characters around are still kicking. It just doesn't make sense sometimes.
We have put together a list of some character exits that may have been pretty epic at the time, but ultimately hurt Grey's Anatomy, or the very least made it less thrilling. Plus, we threw in some characters that just seriously need to check out. There may be some spoilers ahead if you've just started binge-watching this classic hospital drama, so be wary and tread with caution!
Check out our list of 14 Grey's Anatomy Character Exits That Hurt The Show (And 6 Who Need To Go)!
20. Hurt: Stephanie Edwards
Dr. Stephanie Edwards represented a lot as a Grey's Anatomy character, most notably embodying the trauma one experiences with a chronic illness. Edwards' sickle-cell disease was a focus of her character and pretty accurately depicted what it was like to be poked, prodded, put into clinical trials and tests, and try to survive with an illness that tries to hold you back.
We will it that her exit was one of the most well-known from Grey's Anatomy, but it was still a bit of a letdown. She literally almost burned alive, survived, and decided to just kind of dip out. Her absence was loud for quite a while, particularly for most of season fourteen.
19. Hurt: Mark Sloan
Whether you loved Dr. Mark Sloan or thought his existence on the show was for pure eye candy, he will always be one of the most iconic characters on Grey's Anatomy. Why did writers have him perish from injuries sustained by a horrible plane accident?
What's more painful is the fact that he had to hold Lexie's hand as she ed and eventually be put on life . Per his wishes in his will, the plug was pulled a month later. Sloan was the source of so much juicy drama, from being Sofia's father to the whole Addison-Derek affair scandal. Giving him the boot was definitely a mistake.
18. Needs to go: Owen Hunt
This doctor came around in season five and subsequently caused drama with just about everybody, especially romantic partners. Owen was unfaithful to his girlfriend, he led on another woman, he lied about the fate of that woman's husband so she'll finish a surgery, and he fired a great doctor. We're still not over the time he hurt those pigs and made his interns save them, either. There's a little bit of a sociopath in Dr. Hunt.
Maybe you could see his drama-causing as a reason to keep him on, but at this point he's a one-trick pony. You can only be a romantic drama machine for so long before it gets boring.
17. Hurt: Derek Shepherd
On the list of non-titular characters who are super recognizable from Grey's Anatomy, Dr. Derek Shepherd is right up there with Mark Sloan and Cristina Yang. McDreamy's relationship with Dr. Meredith Grey is probably one of the most iconic relationships in television history. The drama of it all!
Unfortunately, Patrick Dempsey was ultimately ready to move on to other endeavors after being a showrunner for eleven seasons and Shonda Rhimes apparently agreed with his decision. However, Shepherd was such a huge part of the show that writing him off that way seemed a bit final. No chance for a return, or even a cameo? The finality of Shepherd's exit left a sting that many fans have not healed from.
Hurt: Erica Hahn
Dr. Hahn initially seemed liken a throwaway character. She lacked a personality and had constant tiffs with the other doctors that grew tiresome at times. So why did her departure hurt Grey's Anatomy? Because so much more could have been done with her character.
Given her bond with Callie, one of the most beloved LGBTQ characters on television in a time where we didn't see much representation, they could have kept Hahn on and dug more into her backstory and molded her future. Alas, some things will never be, and Hahn was quickly replaced with another blonde LGBTQ character, as if they were interchangeable.
Needs to go: Maggie Pierce
Maggie Pierce ultimately has a good heart and is a nice person. She's also incredibly bright, having graduated from medical school at nineteen years old and gained the head position of her department at twenty-seven years old. However, she is probably the most immature character on the show at present.
She's always complaining about her flings and crushes and she opts for pettiness instead of drama that is actually enjoyable to watch. Imagine being a doctor, surrounded by tragedy and disease on the regular, and still complaining because some very superficial relationship didn't work out. This could obviously be the beginning of some character development, but so far, not much has happened.
14. Hurt: George O'Malley
George O'Malley's ing on Grey's Anatomy is right up there on the list of incredibly memorable and heartbreaking losses from the show. In that sense, it didn't "hurt" the show, but his character still had so much potential and perished before he could even become a surgeon.
O'Malley was a notable fan favorite; kind and gentle in his interactions with other characters. So much could have been done with his character on the show. He could have become an incredible surgeon and a great addition as a main cast member. Instead, he was hit by a bus. That back-and-forth scene between his attempted revival along with Izzie Stevens' was heartbreaking.
13. Hurt: Nathan Riggs
On one hand, Nathan Riggs was just an attempt to create a cheap knock-off of Derek Shepherd after Patrick Dempsey left the show in season eleven. Our show's protagonist needed another attractive doctor to be her love interest, so the writers just kind of tossed Dr. Riggs into the mix.
On the other hand, they could have worked out more of Riggs' interesting connections with Meredith Grey rather than have him depart with his newly returned ex-girlfriend Megan, whom he betrayed before she disappeared in an Army helicopter. He wasn't the best guy and certainly not a new McDreamy, but they could have done so much more with him!
12. Needs to go: Andrew DeLuca
Andrew DeLuca is definitely one of several potential suitors on Grey's Anatomy presently, but is there anything else? There are plenty of fine-looking people on this show that have some kind of personality, some kind of storyline. What does DeLuca have? Not much, other than that scene where he kisses Meredith Grey.
The most relatable aspect of DeLuca is how he struggles to adapt in a highly competitive profession. Anybody who isn't naturally competitive or introverted can vibe with him. Other than that, he's kind of wasted on boring storylines. Someone as charming, funny, and silly as Andrew DeLuca should be given something with a little bit of substance or be set free.
Hurt: April Kepner
Dr. April Kepner grew and changed so much through her time on the show. Grey's Anatomy is great at pumping out character development and Dr. Kepner is definitely a character who has developed. She became less self-absorbed, anxious, and cocky. She was actually kind of loveable towards the end, with room to grow further. Kepner eventually has a religious identity crisis involving the lives she's saved and lost, starts a path toward self-destruction, gets it together, almost perished in a car accident, gets married, then is simply written off the show? We don't get it.
Bring Dr. April Kepner back and give her more development!
