Jackson Avery, portrayed by actor Jesse Williams on the hit primetime medical drama, Grey's Anatomy, was introduced in season 6, after Seattle Grace Hospital merges with Mercy West, giving the show a whole new cast of recurring characters. Jackson comes from a long line of surgeons, his grandfather being the most famous and for whom the coveted Harper Avery Award is named.
Jackson's biggest struggle is being able to separate himself from his well-known lineage and pave his own way while practicing medicine. Jackson is also one of the show's biggest heartthrobs and has his fair share of drama when it comes to love and relationships.
"Nobody has just one soulmate. That'd be such a dumb system!"
In season 7, Mark recruits Jackson to help Mark's ex, Lexie, as she struggles with PTSD from the hospital's mass shooting and other trauma in her life. Jackson talks to Lexie after work one night about matters of the heart.
Lexie is still reeling from her breakup with Mark, but Jackson wants to be there for her. He shoots down her fears that Mark was her only soulmate, saying you can have more than one. He later adds that if there was only one soulmate for everyone, there'd be a line out the door for Lexie.
"I kissed you back."
April and Jackson's relationship starts in a somewhat unconventional way when they sleep together the night before their board exams, throwing both of them off of their game for the big test. They meet in the bathroom during a break from the exams.
Both April and Jackson are very much on edge and start talking about the events from the night before. Discussing what happened only makes them want to do it again, and after acknowledging that he kissed her, Jackson locks the bathroom door so they can be alone once again.
"I love everything about you. Even the things I don't like, I love."
Jackson and April's relationship is tumultuous, to say the least, and they eventually call it quits. April meets an EMT named Matthew and things move pretty quickly for the next couple.
In season 10's mid-season finale, it's April's wedding day, and as she stands at the altar with Matthew, in front of all of their family and friends, Jackson stands up in the crowd and objects to the nuptials, professing his love for April.
"I know it might not be what you planned or how you planned it, but we can get married and have an awesome kid."
In season 9, April tells Jackson that she's late. The two have been seeing each other for a while, but admittedly, haven't been the safest when it comes to their physical encounters.
April is panicked over the idea of being pregnant because the way all of it is happening is not at all what she had envisioned for her life. She's relieved when the pregnancy test comes back negative, which really hurts Jackson's feelings.
"If I had to hear something like that, I'd want to hear it from you."
One of the things this show is great at is finding ways to show the parallels between the patients' problems and the doctors' treating them. In an episode of season 7, Jackson and Lexie are still seeing one another, even though Jackson knows Lexie's feelings for Mark are lingering.
A patient with cystic fibrosis being treated by Jackson and Lexie must end things with his girlfriend because she too has CF. Lexie has to deliver the heartbreaking news to their patient, but Jackson tells her that she is the best person to give news like that, almost like he's asking her to end things with him as well.
"Please show up for her, please!"
In season 14, April is in a really bad car accident that leaves her fighting for her life as her friends and colleagues try everything they can to save her. After being in the operating room for hours, Owen tells everyone to pray, saying that's all they can do now and all April would want them to do.
Jackson isn't the most religious person, but he sits at April's bedside and begs God to bring her back because he still loves her so much.
"I will watch you. I will worry about you. I'm not gonna apologize for that. It's kinda what I'm here for."
Jackson and April are dealt a heavy blow as a married couple when they lose the baby April is carrying. Their relationship was already fragile and this loss is almost too much for them to handle.
Jackson does his best to care for April and no matter how much she pushes him away or tries to tell him that she is okay, he knows his wife and is there for her no matter what. He's open with April and tells her that he's not going anywhere.
"Something that feels this good, can't be bad"
In the beginning, Jackson has to work hard to win April's heart because she's working just as hard to deny what she's feeling and how good her relationship with Jackson could be.
April made a promise that she would save herself for marriage, but breaks it one night with Jackson, which convinces her that Jackson must be bad for her if she can't control herself around him. Jackson believes the opposite though and thinks they are meant to be and he sets out to prove that to April.
"How about I take you on a proper date?"
One of the most surprising relationships in recent seasons of the show is the one between Jackson and Maggie. Fans and critics are on the fence about the feelings that develop between these two characters because they're technically related.
Maggie is Richard Webber's daughter and Jackson is Catherine Avery's son. As Richard and Catherine are married, this makes Maggie and Jackson step-brother and step-sister, but that still doesn't stop Jackson from asking Maggie out on a date.
"You're beautiful. You're brilliant. You're powerful."
Despite their parents' relationship, Jackson falls hard for Maggie and he realizes that she has all the power in their budding relationship. Jackson lays it all out for Maggie, telling her that she has everything that he wants and he's falling for her.
Maggie is the hesitant one in the relationship, and Jackson knows that. At this moment, he calls her out, saying that he has "sunk" and she keeps showing him that she's capable of walking away from what they have.