The 31 Best Grey's Anatomy Characters

Scalpels down: surgeons who stayed two decades share the board with a heart patient who never made it out of bed, and with residents fans still argue about.

1. 1
   Cristina Yang

   Sandra Oh's fiercely ambitious cardiothoracic surgeon and Meredith's best friend, a series regular for the first ten seasons.
   1000pts
2. 2
   Meredith Grey

   The show's title character, played by Ellen Pompeo, who rose from surgical intern in the 2005 pilot to chief of general surgery.
   759pts
3. 3
   Alex Karev

   Justin Chambers' brash intern who grew into a pediatric surgeon over 16 seasons before leaving the show in 2020.
   730pts
4. 4
   Owen Hunt

   Kevin McKidd's former Army trauma surgeon who joined in season 5 and later became chief of surgery.
   691pts
5. 5
   Tom Koracick

   Greg Germann's sardonic neurosurgeon and former mentor of Amelia Shepherd, promoted to series regular in season 16.
   669pts
6. 6
   April Kepner

   Sarah Drew's devout, high-strung surgeon who arrived from Mercy West and became an attending trauma surgeon.
   647pts
7. 7
   Miranda Bailey

   Chandra Wilson's no-nonsense resident nicknamed The Nazi, who later became the hospital's chief of surgery.
   647pts
8. 8
   Derek Shepherd

   Patrick Dempsey's neurosurgeon, nicknamed McDreamy, whose romance with Meredith anchored the show until his death in season 11.
   597pts
9. 9
   Levi Schmitt

   Jake Borelli's intern nicknamed Glasses, who joined in season 14 and later dated orthopedic surgeon Nico Kim.
   478pts
10. 10
    Teddy Altman

    Kim Raver's cardiothoracic surgeon and Owen's Army friend, who joined in season 6 and returned in season 14.
    478pts
11. 11
    Addison Montgomery

    Kate Walsh's neonatal surgeon and Derek's estranged wife, whose popularity earned her the spinoff Private Practice.
    478pts
12. 12
    Ben Warren

    Jason George's anesthesiologist turned surgeon and Bailey's husband, who later became a firefighter on the spinoff Station 19.
    478pts
13. 13
    Catherine Fox

    Debbie Allen's urologist and Jackson's mother, who heads the Fox Foundation and married Richard Webber.
    478pts
14. 14
    Maggie Pierce

    Kelly McCreary's cardiothoracic chief, revealed in season 11 as Meredith's half-sister through Ellis Grey and Richard Webber.
    478pts
15. 15
    George O'Malley

    T. R. Knight's gentle intern nicknamed 007, who was fatally hit by a bus in the season 5 finale while saving a stranger.
    478pts
16. 16
    Mark Sloan

    Eric Dane's plastic surgeon, nicknamed McSteamy, who was Derek's former best friend and the father of Callie's daughter Sofia.
    404pts
17. 17
    Amelia Shepherd

    Caterina Scorsone's neurosurgeon and Derek's younger sister, who crossed over from Private Practice and joined Grey's full time in season 11.
    404pts
18. 18
    Preston Burke

    Isaiah Washington's cardiothoracic surgeon, who left Cristina at the altar at the end of season 3.
    404pts
19. 19
    Jo Wilson

    Camilla Luddington's resident turned general surgeon and OB-GYN, who joined in season 9 and married Alex Karev.
    319pts
20. 20
    Atticus Lincoln

    Chris Carmack's orthopedic surgeon nicknamed Link, who joined in season 15 and fathered a son with Amelia.
    319pts
21. 21
    Jackson Avery

    Jesse Williams' plastic surgeon and heir to the Avery family fortune and foundation, a regular from season 7 to season 17.
    319pts
22. 22
    Denny Duquette

    Jeffrey Dean Morgan's heart-transplant patient, whose romance with Izzie ended with his death in the season 2 finale.
    319pts
23. 23
    Stephanie Edwards

    Jerrika Hinton's surgical resident, who joined in season 9 and left after the season 13 finale.
    319pts
24. 24
    Nathan Riggs

    Martin Henderson's cardiothoracic surgeon, who joined in season 12 and left with Owen Hunt's sister Megan Hunt in season 14.
    319pts
25. 25
    Richard Webber

    James Pickens Jr.'s longtime chief of surgery and mentor to Meredith, and a former lover of her mother Ellis Grey.
    217pts
26. 26
    Arizona Robbins

    Jessica Capshaw's pediatric surgeon who married Callie and lost a leg after the season 8 plane crash.
    217pts
27. 27
    Izzie Stevens

    Katherine Heigl's former model turned intern, whose romance with heart patient Denny Duquette drove the show's second season.
    217pts
28. 28
    Lexie Grey

    Chyler Leigh's photographic-memory surgeon and Meredith's half-sister, who died in the season 8 finale plane crash.
    217pts
29. 29
    Andrew DeLuca

    Giacomo Gianniotti's intern turned surgeon, who joined in season 11 and was stabbed to death in season 17.
    217pts
30. 30
    Ellis Grey

    Kate Burton's renowned general surgeon and Meredith's mother, whose Alzheimer's disease shaped the first three seasons.
    217pts
31. 31
    Callie Torres

    Sara Ramírez's orthopedic surgeon, recurring in season 2 and a series regular from season 3 to season 12, who married pediatric surgeon Arizona Robbins.
    0pts

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