On a show with 16 seasons, the number of characters can add up to the hundreds or even thousands. At the start of Grey's Anatomy's sixteenth season, the show had an all-time high ensemble of 14 main actors. Out of this number, only four can be traced back to the early seasons.
Grey's Anatomy has been ABC's highest-rated drama for a number of years and part of this is thanks to the brilliant way in which characters are written. Even the single episode characters normally have much to offer. Collectively, these have been the most beloved and the most annoying characters so far.
Likable: Miranda Bailey
Miranda likes to give people reality checks. Her tough persona earned her the nickname "The Nazi." But she has constantly proved that she can have a warm heart too. Her tough love has helped many doctors rise to greater heights.
She is also a perfect example of self-improvement. When she was first introduced in the show, she was an intern who was lacking in confidence. But after being mentored by Richard Webber, she grew a lot and became the Miranda we know today.
Can't Stand: Preston Burke
Burke does the worst thing anyone can do—leaving your partner at the altar on your wedding day. He even quits his lucrative job because of love. He tries to redeem himself years later by making some of Cristina's career dreams come true but there was no way viewers could ever see him the same way again.
His new wife Edra also sacrifices her career so that Burke can focus on running the Klausman Institute for Medical Research but he still ends up gifting the facility to his ex Cristina. He is definitely nothing close to a good lover.
Likable: Richard Webber
Richard has his flaws. First, he is an alcoholic. Second, he cheats on his wife Adele even though he shown to care about her deeply. When she dies, he becomes totally devastated. What makes him appealing to viewers is that he's a good boss too. He always minds the welfare of his juniors and impacts plenty of knowledge on them.
The proof of his good work is evident from the fact that four of his medical students namely Derek Shepherd, Miranda Bailey, Cristina Yang, and Alex Karev have risen to become Chief of Surgery in future seasons.
Can't Stand: Gary Clarke
Nothing good can be said about Gary Clarke. He insists that his wife shouldn't be taken out of life support despite doctors telling him there's nothing more that can be done. After his wife dies, he sues Derek Shepherd and the Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital.
As if that's enough, he purchases a gun and conducts a mass shooting at the hospital. He eventually shoots himself to avoid getting arrested. One can't help but wonder what the point of his actions was. His wife had even a form stating that she should be taken off life support in case things ever got worse.
Likable: Meredith Grey
Meredith has grown a lot. She started off as a bubbly intern who defied her mother before going on to become a surgeon and later as boss. She is talkative but that's part of what makes her interesting. And in the ER, she is one of the very best.
She's been through plenty of misfortunes like the death of Derek Shephard and the drowning at Elliot Bay but she has remained strong, She has managed to raise her three children well. One thing Meredith struggled with was relationships. She was conflicted between Derek and Finn. Watching her bounce between the two men was quite interesting.
Can't Stand: Penelope "Penny" Blake
Penny was basically introduced in the show as a "character you should hate." In Season 11, she shows up at Meredith's party and it is immediately revealed that she is one of the doctors whose negligence led to McDreamy's death.
Penny is the root of the bad blood between Meredith and Amelia. She is also responsible for the custody battle between Callie and Arizona. Not to mention his own feud with Stephanie. Luckily for fans, Penny doesn't last long. She exited the show in the twenty-third episode of Season 12 titled "At Last."
Likable: Derek Shephard
It's hard to hate someone who keeps reminding everyone that every day is "a beautiful day to save lives.”Derek likes living a simple life. Despite being a successful doctor, he initially prefers to live in a trailer. Later on, he moves in with Meredith. He is also an icon of healthy eating, making sure to get the most nutritious meals.
Sadly, Derek passed away and fans are still struggling to get to terms with his demise. Many felt his death was unnecessary and brutal, given how hard he worked and how much progress she had made on the show.
Can't Stand: Izzie Stevens
Izzie's annoying moments can fill a book. She teases George O'Malley, making him think she wants to date him yet she doesn't mean it. She also mistreats Alex and runs away from him when he decides to marry her.
There's that time Izzie spends almost half a season being intimate with the ghost of her ex. For a show like Grey's Anatomy, that's a really bizzare hotline. Even after leaving the show, Izzie still manages to do damage. In Season 16, Alex leaves his adorable wife Jo and flees to Iowa in order to be with Izzie.
Likable: Cristina Yang
Sandrah Oh's character is hilarious and adorable. Despite being written off the show a number of seasons ago, the character is still fondly remembered by fans.
Everything about Cristina is interesting, whether it's her relationship with Preston Burke, her rocky marriage to Owen Hunt or her dilemmas about abortion. There's also the hilarious facts that she names her interns using numbers because she doesn't want to memorize their names.
Can't Stand: Owen Hunt
First appearing in Season 5, Owen initially comes off as sympathetic. He has PTSD after working as a surgeon in Iraq but then he embarks on a string of unforgivable actions. He almost strangles Cristina Yang and even makes her feel guilty about not wanting a child despite the fact that she made it clear she didn't want one.
Owen is blunt too, insisting on airing out hurtful thoughts instead of just keeping things to himself. He yells when he is operating a patient and even denies a patient the right to an abortion on one occasion simply because he is angry that Amelia is pregnant with Link's baby.