With the news that Ellen Pompeo will only appear as Meredith Grey in eight episodes of Grey's Anatomy season 19, her exit is now being teased by showrunner Krista Vernoff. While it seems as though Meredith will be dealing more with her home life and children, she's certainly not the first character to bow out of the show.
Whether tragic deaths or moving on to new hospitals, characters have come and gone, leaving marks on viewers' hearts. There are some departures that Redditors simply cannot get over, even years later, and the most difficult to watch.
Jackson Avery
The pandemic causes Jackson to recognize racial inequity in medicine, prompting him to take over his family’s foundation in Boston to make real changes. Over the series, viewers watch Jackson become an individual apart from his family. He doesn’t generally use his name or family to get ahead unless absolutely necessary.
Jackson’s departure to be involved with the foundation shows how he recognizes he’s in a position to change medicine. Despite the fitting exit, Lightningli33 writes, “He had so much growth…and I had grown super attached to him.” Fans hate losing favorite characters, and Jackson is no exception.
Arizona Robbins
From losing her leg to becoming the mother to Callie and Mark’s baby, Arizona has seen enough highs and lows to last a lifetime. In season 14, she gains custody of Sofia, but realizes the child wants to move back to New York to be with Callie and her friends, so she leaves the hospital.
Snails4speedy dislikes Arizona’s exit because Jessica Capshaw “didn’t want to leave.” Though it’s been reported that Capshaw’s contract wasn’t renewed (via Cosmopolitan), Arizona’s departure feels like a cop-out reason to stop writing the character. It’s too convenient that Callie broke up with Penny, making an opening to reunite with Arizona.
Mark Sloan
In Grey's Anatomy, Mark was a ladies’ man but was trying to change by becoming a good father to Sofia and repairing his friendships with both Addison and Derek. Mark was simply getting better and better, showing growth and his desire to be a better person. Fan psld119 writes, “he had become such a great character,” making his season 9 death after the plane crash even more difficult.
Mark and Lexie’s relationship was a true turning point for him as he was discovering what he wanted out of life. His holding her hand and pouring his heart out to her as she dies tugs at the heartstrings and indicates to viewers that there’s no way he’s going to live without her.
Lexie Grey
Lexie is a fan favorite character, so her death in season 8 is a tragic loss for the series. Initially depicted as the annoying half-sister that Meredith never asked for, Lexie makes a name for herself at the hospital and is able to set herself apart from her sister.
She has a photographic memory and tends to ramble in conversation. Viewers learn various facts about her life, including thinking apples shouldn’t be fruit. When Lexie succumbs to her injuries from the plane crash, it’s a pivotal moment as everything, including the futures of the doctors, changes. KrystalPistol writes that Lexie’s “death destroyed me,” showing the impact the lovable character has on fans.
Callie Torres
For several seasons, viewers watch as Callie realizes her sexuality, stands up for herself against her parents, and becomes a mother, which makes her a likable and confident surgeon. Despite having a tumultuous relationship with Arizona, Callie drops everything to move to New York with a woman she meets online and loses sole custody of Sofia.
Fan Famous-Eagle-9025 explains, “The show didn't give her the goodbye that she very much deserved.” The storyline was very quick, and it felt like a last-minute addition to the series that didn’t give Callie the justice she deserves for having played such a pivotal role in the series and in the characters' lives. Her departure should have had a larger build-up and impacted her friends.
Derek Shepherd
Plenty of rumors surrounded Patrick Dempsey’s departure from Grey's Anatomy, so fans should have anticipated his exit. Yet, Derek’s season 11 death hit viewers hard. He saved four people from a car accident but sustained significant injuries from his car being hit by a semi-truck, and Meredith ultimately pulled the plug on his life support.
Derek’s death episode is an important marker for the series, and some fans think it didn’t do the character justice after a long buildup of his and Meredith’s romance. Considering rumors surrounding the Grey’s Anatomy set, fan brittanybebe explains the episode is not a “truly moving and poignant final episode for Derek.” Despite his voiceover, Derek’s departure through death is not a satisfying, emotional climax that fans deserve, making it an especially difficult character exit.
Alex Karev
Karev is introduced as a tough intern with a bad attitude but grows into a capable doctor who works well with children and addicts. He abruptly leaves Seattle and his wife, Jo, to rekindle his romance with Izzie and be a father to the children she birthed using his sperm.
His season 16 departure outraged fans, as Danyellarenae1 writes, “I think I woulda rather him died than leave with IZZY!” After everything Izzie put him through and the progress he has made in his personal life, he drops everything to be with her. It doesn’t add up to Karev’s character progression, disappointing fans with his personality and storyline.
Izzie Stevens
Izzie is fired from the hospital after administering the wrong dosage of a medication to a patient, prompting her departure from the series. Coming from a rough background, she always looks to her morals over the law, regularly ignoring hospital protocols to do as she pleases.
Fan Lucario1209 explains that “part of the show’s magic left for me once she did.” Izzie is the voice of compassion, eager to show sympathy to patients. She has a caring bedside manner in comparison to her friends who tend to be cold, trying to keep from forming patient relationships. Izzie’s departure changes the series' landscape, especially as it affects Alex Karev.
Cristina Yang
After Cristina loses the Harper Avery Award, she is confused about her career progression and accepts an offer to travel to Zurich, only to find out her former mentor and lover, Preston Burke, wants to offer her his job.
In Grey's Anatomy, Cristina was a transformative character over the years, both personally and professionally. She excels as a doctor and even learns to open up to others. Her friendship with Meredith is beautiful and supportive, even if they often bicker. Fan marshmallow09er says, “the show never feels the same once she leaves.” Cristina’s departure loses a cynical personality full of sarcastic humor that the show never fully regains.
George O’Malley
George’s season 6 death is an especially emotional moment in the series. He jumps in front of a bus to save a woman but sustains brutal injuries, so the hospital staff cannot initially identify him. When he traces “007” in Meredith’s hand to alert her of his identity, her reaction is heartbreaking.
Danielfq writes that “his death just felt really huge.” With tons of crying and shouting, George’s death impacted all the doctors since he was a caring character whose death was befitting of his personality. He brings certain bumbling humor to the hospital as he grows into his confidence to be taken seriously as a doctor. George’s departure leaves a gaping hole in fans' hearts.