From bomb threats, fires, ferry accidents, to murders, many fans will agree that Grey’s Anatomy hasn’t been the average medical drama. However, it’s something they wouldn’t change as these storylines have provided viewers with years of entertainment and some great character development.
But if fans had to pick, who would they say has had the best arc and storylines? While there have been an array of talented surgeons that have walked the halls of Grey-Sloan Memorial, there have only been a few that stand out in the fans’ minds because they have been well-written and researched. There were just a few that could have done with a few more creative twists.
Updated November 5th, 2021 by Kayleigh Banks: As one of the longest-running medical dramas in history, many fans might believe that it’s becoming repetitive and dull. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only have the writers created memorable storylines, including Meredith’s dreamscape, but they have also continued to improve their diversity and representation. Just recently, season 18 had cast Grey’s Anatomy’s first non-binary doctor and while not much is known about Dr. Kai Bartley, fans are already loving the connection they have formed with Amelia. Hopefully, as time goes on, fans will see more of this relationship and discover more about their background.
15 Lexie Grey
While the surgeons of Grey-Sloan Memorial know her as Meredith’s little sister, fans knew Lexie as one of Grey’s Anatomy’s best and most loved characters. She was kind, funny, and very intelligent. She also proved to be an excellent and loyal friend, always encouraging her loved ones to do the best they could. Sadly, there was just one limitation to her character: she didn’t have many individual storylines.
While fans did love her relationship with Mark, they were a little disappointed that most of her storylines revolved around him. In fact, the writers seemed like they didn’t know what to do with her character because they continuously made her a love interest for other characters. It was only in season 8 that fans saw a bit of individual growth, but this was cut short when Lexie was killed off. Although she’s happy in ‘heaven,’ Lexie deserved a lot better.
14 Stephanie Edwards
Viewers didn’t know what to expect from the ambitious Stephanie Edwards entering her Grey’s arc. She was loud, crafty, and had her eyes set on being the best. However, this all changed when she locked eyes with Jackson Avery. Although it was just a love triangle, it was one of the best ever on TV. It was just unfortunate that Edwards caught the bad end of the stick, which set the stage for her leaving.
The writers could have given her more of a story as it seemed like the writers didn’t know what to do with her character. While Jerrika Hinton did end up departing the show in season 13, it was a bit frustrating that they didn’t leave it open for a possible character return since Stephanie decided that she didn’t want a career in medicine after all. The writers could have done so much more with her.
13 George O’Malley
As one of the original interns that began the show, many fans believed that George O’Malley would have a great future ahead of him. He might not have had the best of starts to his career, quickly attaining the nickname “007” because he lost a number of patients in his first day, but George eventually improved on his skills to become one of the most promising surgeons.
Sadly, as a person, George’s character only regressed. From being one of the sweetest people in the world, George started to act like a jerk with his friends and treated some of them terribly. Eventually, the writers stopped giving him any individual storylines – to the point where George was just in the background, seeing to patients. He might have got a great send-off, but fans still can’t get over the fact that the writers wasted his character development.
12 Richard Webber
Richard Webber was the best chief on Grey’s Anatomy. He’s a brilliant surgeon and an outstanding teacher. With all that going for him, one would think he would be the prime candidate for the best story arc on the show. Sadly, this is not the case. Webber is great in many areas but his arc hasn’t been the most interesting at all.
For the past decade, all of Richard’s storylines have revolved around his bonds with Meredith and Bailey, his tenure as the Chief of Surgery, and being a great mentor. Even after discovering Maggie was his daughter, they haven’t really done much bonding since. Richard deserved to have better storylines.
11 Meredith Grey
Meredith is the legacy of Grey’s Anatomy. She came in with tough shoes to fill thanks to her mother’s greatness but Meredith wanted to set her own path and not gain fame from her last name. Times were indeed tough for the star of the show. Her mother passed, she found out about a secret life Ellis had and then was forced to deal with her baggage every day.
However, just because her arc has been the main focus of the show does not mean it’s been the best. There have been a few occasions where the writers have replicated some of her storylines – to the extent that they have become predictable and boring. Even when Meredith is risking her life, fans know that she will come out of it fine. She’s had an amazing development but her story does feel like it’s coming to a close.
10 Callie Torres
Although Callie Torres may have been considered an outsider by Team MAGIC, Callie eventually went on to become one of Meredith’s closest friends on Grey’s Anatomy. This is mainly because the writers did a great job in developing her arc. Not only did fans see Callie’s confidence grow with every passing season, but they also loved her journey of self-discovery too.
It was also great watching as many of the main characters seemed to naturally gravitate towards Callie as well, seeking her out for advice because her optimism and cheerful demeanor had a way of making people feel calm. Fans were quite happy with how Callie’s arc turned out.
9 April Kepner
April Kepner was always different. While most doctors never spoke of God or their religion, Kepner wore her beliefs on her sleeve. However, April did eventually go through a crisis of faith when she found herself in love with a man who didn’t have a strong belief and experienced several traumatic events.
Eventually, Kepner sought to rebuild her life and tried to figure what was next for her. What made Kepner appealing to fans was that she seemed more real to the viewers than some of the other doctors. She might not have changed much in terms of her personality but the writers did give her an interesting and complex character arc that had fans on the edge of their seats.
8 Maggie Pierce
Maggie entered Grey Sloan Memorial pretty much as a child. Over the last few years, she has done some major growing but still has a ways to go until she’s completely out of her shell. Maggie wanted to know her sister and in the process gained a bigger family. She’s intelligent and doesn’t have any issue letting others know. But she still is a bit aloof.
Maggie has dealt with trauma. She lost both her mother’s and even with the news that Richard Webber is her biological father, neither have found a way to build a relationship. There is still a lot of things fans want to know about her and they are looking forward to seeing what the writers come up with.
7 Cristina Yang
Over 18 seasons, many characters have come and gone, with only a few leaving a lasting impression on the viewers. One of these was being Cristina Yang. In the ten years that Cristina was on Grey’s Anatomy, she underwent a huge transformation, changing from a cold and arrogant resident to a kind and talented cardiothoracic surgeon.
Although Cristina’s career arc wasn’t exactly the most interesting since it was quite straightforward, it was her personal development that piqued the fans’ interest the most. Initially, she tried to keep everyone at a distance and refused to even form attachments with her colleagues and patients. However, after getting to know everyone, hearing the stories of the patients, and falling in love several times, this soon changed. The viewers got to see the true Cristina who cared and just wanted to do the best for her patients.
6 Derek Shepherd
McDreamy is what he was called in the beginning. From the start, Derek was special. He came in with a reputation any surgeon would love to have and over the seasons, the legend just continued to grow. Then the plane crash happened and it was believed that he would never operate again. But Shepheard beat the odds and came back stronger.
He and Meredith found a way to make their relationship work and even had kids. But then the unthinkable happened and Derek was gone. Fans clamored for his return and in Season 17 they were granted that wish to tie it up loose ends.
5 Jo Wilson
Jo is the second coming of Izzie Stevens and the pairing of Jo and Alex made more sense than any other woman Alex was involved with after Izzie. She worked hard to get where she is, overcoming several traumatizing events and heartbreaking relationships to finally find her happy ending (and fans couldn’t be any more delighted for her).
As a part-owner of Grey Sloan Memorial, an OB/GYN resident, and a newfound parent, it may seem like she has already reached the peak of her arc. Nevertheless, fans wouldn’t care if Jo was less involved in the dramatic storylines since she’s been put through a lot. It would make a nice change of pace to see her relaxed and carefree.
4 Miranda Bailey
Although Bailey wasn’t part of the core set of interns, it didn’t take long before she wormed her way into the fans’ hearts. From the moment the viewers met her, they knew that Bailey wasn’t someone the interns should trifle with. She was tough, very witty, and would not tolerate the drama that was going on between her interns. Bailey was also one of the first people that Cristina had a whole lot of respect for.
Since then, Bailey has gone on to have an amazing character arc. From being a resident to a General attending to the Chief of Surgery, the viewers have enjoyed watching Bailey rise through the ranks. With Bailey also having a strong and healthy relationship with Ben, as well as her friends, fans only hope her success will continue in the future.
3 Mark Sloan
After hearing how he betrayed Derek by sleeping with his wife, Grey’s Anatomy fans believed they would hate Mark Sloan, and they did – but only for a short amount of time. He may have started as an arrogant bachelor who disrespected most people that crossed his path, but Mark eventually became a doting father, a great mentor and a lovable friend.
His bond with Callie and romance with Lexie brought out the best in Mark as their influence helped him to be more open and vulnerable. There may have been moments where his flaws came out, but he did end up maturing a lot by the time he departed in season 9. Fans were devastated when he died but at least they know he’s now happy in ‘heaven’ with his loved ones.
2 Alex Karev
Alex’s arc is by far the best on the show. When he walked through the doors of Seattle Grace as an intern, many fans believed he wouldn’t make it. Alex was a headache for anyone with who he came in contact. He wanted and did things his way and it didn’t work out in his favor.
But fast forward, Karev got his life in order, became a top surgeon, a chief of two hospitals, and ended his story by making his way back to his true love, Izzie Stevens.
1 Arizona Robbins
Arizona Robbins’ story arc was one for the ages on Grey’s Anatomy. Arizona came in timid but over time grew into a leadership role. However, it was not easy. She fell in love with Callie, took over parenting roles after the death of Mark Sloan, then lost her leg in the infamous plane crash. For a period, that beautiful smile and charisma that she possesses were gone and replaced with darkness and anger.
But Arizona fought through it and in the end, she did receive everything she wanted. She left Grey Sloan Memorial and made her way back to New York to be with Callie and Sophia. Much like Alex Karev, Arizona got her happy ending.