Grey’s Anatomy has a reputation for being one of the most traumatic shows on television with many heartbreaking deaths.
Fans of the series have been upset many times by the way beloved characters have passed away on the show, and the series definitely doesn’t pull any punches.
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Here are the 10+ worst deaths on Grey’s Anatomy ranked by their painfulness.
15. Susan Grey
Susan and Meredith might not have been close, but this doesn’t mean Susan deserved to die the way she did.
Her death happened because of complications from a procedure to cure hiccups of all things, and this just was a ridiculously twisted way to go.
14. Bonnie Crasnoff
Grey’s Anatomy has many sad patient deaths, but Bonnie’s is one of the most memorable.
After being impaled by a pole during a train accident, which is HORRIBLE, she ended up passing away. She made a big impact on fans in the short time she was on screen.
13. Dr. Craig Thomas
This series just loves to give trauma after trauma to its main characters.
This death was particularly awful for Dr. Cristina Yang because she relied on Dr. Thomas so much after the infamous plane crash. It was sad to watch her lose him.
12. Diane Pierce
The impacts of the deaths on Grey’s Anatomy are often far-reaching.
Maggie never stopped fighting to find new cancer treatments for her adoptive mother. So the fact that Maggie was painting Diane’s nails as she died was a punch to the gut.
11. Adele Webber
While this death might have happened off-screen, it was still extremely painful especially because it was drawn-out.
Watching Adele slowly forget her husband because of Alzheimer’s was upsetting to watch, and fans wished things could have gone better for the couple.
10. Dylan Young
This death might be one of the most disturbing on this list because Young died by being blown up.
Of course, right when fans thought the bomb situation was handled, this totally traumatic moment happened. This is why it’s impossible to relax while watching this show!
9. Charles Percy
Charles Percy might not have been most fans’ favorite character, but his death was still really painful.
Watching him slowly bleed out because the elevators weren’t working during the shooting was upsetting and sad. It’s a scene fans won’t forget easily.
8. Henry Burton
While Dr. Teddy Altman might have married him to help him get insurance, she still fell in love with him.
So, his tragic death during surgery was especially upsetting to watch. Plus, everyone lied to Teddy by saying he was doing well during the procedure!
7. Doc
There are few things worse than the death of a beloved pet. And it’s always super depressing to watch on screen.
The scene where Meredith had Doc put to sleep absolutely gutted anyone who has ever loved a pet.
6. Mercy West Shooting Victims
This episode of the show was definitely one of the more traumatic ones, that’s for sure.
Mary Portman’s eventual death due to complications from the shooting was especially heart-wrenching. It’s always worse when the show pulls the rug out from under fans.
5. Mark Sloan
Mark Sloan might have been a jerk at times, but he had finally found growth as a character only to die in such a depressing way.
Fans will never forget when Callie made the decision to stop his life support.
4. Lexie Grey
Lexie was the first character on the show to die from a plane crash, and fans generally agree that she deserved better.
Her young life ended too early, and the fact that Mark declared his love while she was dying was way too much for us to handle.
3. George O’Malley
Fans were devastated when those elevator doors opened to reveal that George really was dead.
It was a game-changing moment, and fans are still upset that he died in such a brutal way. He definitely deserved a lot better than being dragged by a bus!
2. Denny Duquette Jr.
Denny’s death might have happened early on in the show, but it was absolutely one of the most tragic.
The fact that he died alone while Izzie was getting ready for him was a big knife to the heart for many fans. The show gave fans hope Denny would survive only to rip him away from Izzie. Not cool!
1. Derek Shepherd
One of the series’ most painful deaths is also one of its most well-known.
Watching Derek get hit by a car because he stopped to help others was almost too much to handle, and seeing Meredith deal with the aftermath was even worse.
