Grey's Anatomy has been airing for 19 seasons, with the latest season bringing in a slew of new characters for fans to get to know. As saddening as it is to let old characters go, after a while some change and some fresh perspective can be a good thing for a show.
If same characters stay on for too long, fans will inevitably grow tired of them, and begin to resent the everyday flaws that they ignored previously. In a show, as long-running as Grey's Anatomy this is to be expected, and it's why so many characters get unfairly hated on.
Reed Adamson
"Reed Adamson gets way too much hate for being a mildly annoying character that never got a chance to develop," said Reddit user 4boys4bellies. Despite having some "annoying" moments, Reed also showed empathy towards her fellow residents after the merge.
She gave sound advice to Karev and challenged Izzie, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing at the time. Had she lived long enough, she could have become a good friend to some main characters, but she never got the chance due to the shooting at the hospital. It's always easy to hate on the characters that never had the opportunity for growth.
Amelia Shepherd
"It makes me sad so many people hate Amelia, I’ve loved her since Private Practice, she can be annoying sometimes, but I don’t think she deserves all the hate she gets," said Reddit user lolaveux. Amelia was already a fan-favorite on Private Practice, and it was expected that fans would love her on Grey's Anatomy as well.
Even though she has some annoying storylines, like the tumor plot, or her beef with Meredith, she's also an incredibly important person. She is Meredith's sister, an aunt to her nieces and nephews, a friend, and a mother. She makes mistakes like everyone else, but given the crappy deal she's been dealt, she's doing pretty well in life in general.
Leah Murphy
"I actually liked how annoying she was because everyone was happy and coupled off, and it was good to have a thorn in everyone's side. Plus she didn't moan any more than Izzie or Jo," said Reddit user mercy_death. The user pointed out something interesting, which is that everything needs balance and even too much happiness on the show can make fans displeased.
Murphy also got a lot of hate for filing the sexual harassment claim against Arizona, even though she was in the right. Arizona was acting completely unprofessional and blaming the victim should never be the answer.
Jo Wilson
"I don't get why so many people hate her. She had moments when she was annoying but not as many as some other characters," said Reddit user gokurotfl. She's one of the most hated characters in the fandom, and it isn't really clear why other than people really don't like it when she brings up she used to be homeless.
It's understandable that the latter might be slightly annoying, but being homeless is a life circumstance one is unlikely to forget. That aside, Jo has had one of the best arcs on the show, and some fans think she could even become Meredith's new person, now that Alex is gone for good.
Erica Hahn
Relationships between women is one of the reasons people are still watching Grey's Anatomy. And before there was Arizona and Penny and Eliza, there was Erica Hahn, which was Callie's first female love interest. She's also a very unjustly hated character.
"She was an ass to Cristina, but except that, she had an edge that people didn't like, and it most likely has to do with her being a woman," said Reddit user xjakob145. She is hated for qualities Cristina is sometimes applauded for, and it doesn't seem fair. The users of Reddit have also pointed out that the biphobic remarks towards the end of her stay were intended to make fans hate her character. It makes it easier for her to be written out of the show.
Owen Hunt
"Owen for sure as well. People only remember the bad things he’s done and not any of the good," said Reddit user Calikola. It's likely that it was Owen's toxic relationship with Cristina that cemented the hatred in the eyes of viewers. What was one a fan-favorite relationship, became a train wreck due to his inability to accept Cristina the way she was.
However, nobody is denying that Owen has done so many good things for the people he cares about. He's a good friend and a loving father, but his character seems to fall into patterns that are nobody's favorite.
Miranda Bailey
"I didn't even know people didn't like Bailey???? Like MIRANDA BAILEY?! Yeah, over the seasons she gets petty and vindictive, but it's still Bailey!" said Redditor Liv-Affect13. She is one of the original cast members, and she helped so many doctors on their career paths.
It can even be argued that Bailey is the person with the most character growth on the show. She becomes who she's meant to be through mentoring interns and residents, and finding love for the second time in a healthier form. But she is nowhere finished, and her character recently could use some self-reflection, because she can appear self-righteous at times, which is probably what fans have picked up on.
Teddy Altman
"I mean she is hated so much, and I understand what people don’t like about her, but I feel Amelia summed it up correctly by saying that was PTSD and self-destructive behavior," said Reddit user the_wicked_queen. When Teddy first joined the show, she was such a good character, everybody loved her.
It's possible the recent hatred for her character is connected to the messy romantic plot they've written for her. Overall, she has always been a great friend to the people around her, even to those who didn't always appreciate it.
Eliza Minnick
Sometimes TV characters aren't meant to be universally loved but are a plot device that is meant to stir trouble for characters. "Eliza Minnick does not deserve all the hate she gets she was just doing the job she was brought in to do," said Reddit user Whatamidoing_sadd.
The situation with Minnick was messed up from the beginning. Bailey should have been transparent with Webber, and perhaps it wouldn't have gotten so bad. She did, however, still ghost Arizona without an explanation which wasn't the nicest thing to do.
Izzie Stevens
"I don't understand why Izzie is so hated tbh she is as flawed as any other Grey's character," said Reddit user DapperAd8639. Izzie is a very polarizing character, and she is either passionately loved or hated. The truth lies somewhere in the middle.
She has made mistakes like every other character on the show. She's cheated, lied, and hurt the people she loved. But she was also a compassionate doctor and a loyal friend. She had a great sense of humor and baked when she was stressed, and it's odd to see a character that was as warm and loving as Izzie get hated on so much for the things other characters do as well.