The Most Heartbreaking Grey’s Anatomy Exits

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Grey’s Anatomy is one of the longest-running dramas in television history. Because of that, fans had to get used to some of their favorite characters leaving the show. While such exits were common, some of them hit us a lot harder than others.

Sometimes, we were sad to see the characters leave because of the circumstances (such as gruesome deaths) behind their departure. Other times, we were sad to see someone go simply because we loved the character that much. Just what were the most heartbreaking exits from Grey’s Anatomy? Keep reading to find out!

Callie Torres leaves us crying

Callie Torres meant many things to many fans. As an awesome orthopedic surgeon, she was an inspiration to girlbosses everywhere. At the same time, she was a bisexual icon during an era where TV didn’t have (and honestly still doesn’t have) many of those. She was also a devoted wife and mother; between this and everything else, it was easy for countless fans to see a bit of themselves in Callie.

Most of those fans were sad to see Callie go, though compared to some of the other characters on this list, she got a very happy ending. It was rough going getting there, though, because Callie first had to deal with a nasty divorce followed by an even nastier custody battle. She actually loses that custody battle, but her ex granting her shared custody helped this fan-favorite character leave the series on a high note.

Saying goodbye to Cristina Yang

It was obvious that Cristina Yang was something special from her very first appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. As a doctor, she was the ultimate guru of cardiothoracic surgery. And as a character, she was Meredith Grey’s person, and her character and heart throughout the series revealed just how lucky Meredith was to have her.

Compared to other characters, Yang arguably got the happiest exit of them all. Her medical knowledge only grew over the years, culminating with a successful trial where she treated various cardiothoracic conditions with her own 3D-printed conduits.

When she was invited to speak about her successes to the Klausman Institute for Medical Research in Zurich, Switzerland, her ex, Preston Burke, invited her to run the institute. She subsequently moved overseas and left the show as a bona fide medical legend.

Mark Sloan’s slow demise

When it comes to sad exits from Grey’s Anatomy, few characters have a more heartbreaking story than Mark Sloan. He was one of several doctors who flew to Boise, Idaho to help separate conjoined twins. The plane crashed, and while Sloan survived the initial crash, he was soon diagnosed with cardiac tamponade/

After that, things moved achingly slow. The character went comatose and only woke up long enough to say goodbye to his coworkers and family. However, he died before he could say goodbye to his baby daughter, and if that didn’t make you cry, all the montages of his best moments were enough to make every fan into an emotional wreck.

Lexie Grey’s sudden death

All of these character exits were sad, but Lexie Grey’s death was an emotional rollercoaster. She came into the show as Meredith Gray’s half-sister, and the two of them often clashed over their very different upbringing. They grew closer together over time, but that time was cut short because Lexie was in the same plane crash that ultimately killed Mark Sloan.

In fact, Mark was there for her in her final moments. The two were a romantic item, so Mark was understandably devastated to discover that Lexie had been partially crushed underneath the plane wreckage. She died with a smile discussing the future she would never get to have with Mark. Thinking about her last words–”meant to be”–is enough to ruin any given fan’s entire day. 

The loss of fan-favorite George O’Malley

George O’Malley was one of those Grey’s Anatomy characters who had a sad story from beginning to end. He is introduced to us as an intern who nearly kills a patient during a routine appendectomy. This results in him getting the nickname “007” because of his so-called “license to kill.”

The nickname haunted the character right up to his utterly shocking death. He had decided to become a combat medic in Iraq, and the rest of the show’s doctors planned an intervention to convince him to stay. They got distracted treating a disfigured John Doe who had saved a woman from being hit by a bus. It was only when this patient wrote “007” in Meredith Grey’s palm that they realized this was O’Malley, whose death ended up traumatizing everyone watching.

The shocking death of Derek Shepherd

For many early fans, Derek Shepherd was the real face of Grey’s Anatomy. He was Meredith Gray’s hunky boss, and their passionate relationship eventually blossomed into marriage. It looked like these two hotties were destined to live happily ever after, but Derek didn’t live past the show’s 11th season.

After helping out those hurt in a car accident, Derek ironically got hit by a truck that came out of nowhere. In short order, he developed a brain bleed and went completely brain-dead. Poor Meredith had to bring her kids to the hospital and take her vegetative husband off life support, forcing them–and us–to say goodbye to this beloved character.

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