10 Most Annoying Grey’s Anatomy Characters of All Time

Since 2005, Grey’s Anatomy has produced a hoard of amazing characters. From incredible surgeons like Richard Webber to swoon-worthy doctors like Derek Shepherd, all of these characters work to make this show a success. So, even with a variety of intense medical cases, many long-term fans would agree that the show is a hit because of its diverse range of characters.

But with so many faces to choose from, it’s evident that not everyone is going to be a fan favorite. Some characters are just too obnoxious for their own good, and occasionally, a certain character will just take things too far. As such, for every good Grey’s Anatomy character, there seems to be plenty that are just plain annoying.

An Intern That Took Advantage of Others

Izzie Stevens

Although Izzie started her internship at the same time as Meredith Grey, they didn’t share the same levels of success. Izzie tended to ignore any form of seniority and would think nothing of throwing jibes at her co-workers, especially George and Callie. To make matters worse, her romantic involvement with Denny Duquette led to her making some very rash decisions.

In Season 2, Episode 27, “Losing My Religion,” Izzie cuts Denny’s LVAD wire in order to move him further up the transplant list. This is a prime example of how Izzie would constantly put her own interests before others. Plus, it also showcases her lack of morals, especially as a growing doctor.

A Lackluster Doctor Shows Off Her Obsessive Side

Leah Murphy

Leah Murphy never really made an impact on Grey Sloan and often faded into the background, even during tense episodes. Yet, she still managed to irk a vast majority of audiences. Although she didn’t make moves in the medical industry, many see her as the reason that Arizona and Callie broke up.

In “Map of You,” Leah and Arizona sleep together for the first time, and the former quickly becomes obsessed with her new lover. While Arizona was keen to keep things covert and casual, Murphy was quite happy to announce their dalliance to the entire hospital. Overall, fans dislike Leah because she’s a tad intense and doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.

Meredith’s Best Friend Cheats Her Way to the Top

Sadie Harris

Sadie Harris joined the hospital in Season 5 as a way to join closer her best friend, Meredith Grey. But Harris didn’t take her role seriously and even convinced a group of interns to perform an appendectomy on her. Yet, the thing that really annoyed audiences was that she was a bold-faced liar.

George O’Malley had suspicions that Sadie had cheated her way into the program in Season 5, Episode 15, “Before and After.” Harris later admitted that she blagged her way into the hospital and hoped that she could use Meredith’s status to just coast along the rest of her residency. Unsurprisingly, this wasn’t the case and Sadie left the hospital to go traveling and suffered little to no consequences for her actions.

An Intelligent Surgeon With an Attitude Problem

Maggie Pierce

There’s no denying that Maggie Pierce is an extremely experienced surgeon and a lot of fans appreciate her headstrong attitude. However, when she first arrived at Grey Sloan, a lot of fans found her passive-aggressive nature quite irritating. Not to mention, her initial conflict with Meredith was sometimes quite hard to watch.

In Season 11, Episode 2, “Puzzle with a Piece Missing,” Maggie and Meredith go to extreme lengths to avoid speaking together, even when working in a hospital. Although things would obviously be a tad awkward between them, fans thought that they were just being dramatic and should have tried harder to act professionally. Yet, audiences are a lot happier now that they’ve managed to patch things up.

An Unsavory Resident Was Eager to Flirt Her Way to the Top

Reed Adamson

Even though she suffered an absolutely heartbreaking death, fans still can’t stand Reed Adamson. Complete with an abrasive personality and very little sense of humor, Adamson would frequently make mistakes and refuse to collaborate with others. Yet, she still knew how to play mind games with her colleagues.

During Season 6, Episode 11, “Blink,” Alex Karev is hard at work looking after a young football player. Suddenly, Reed turns on her charm and starts flirting with Karev in order to gain a chance to scrub in for surgery. While many fans would assume that Karev would be interested in this, he finds her actions off-putting and doesn’t hesitate to call her out for her lewd behavior.

A Long-Running Star Is Known for His Manipulative Traits

Owen Hunt

While modern fans associate Owen Hunt with Teddy Altman, long-time fans of the show will remember his rocky relationship with Cristina Yang. Even though Yang is probably one of the strongest and most passionate women in Grey’s Anatomy’s history, Owen Hunt had a talent for wrapping her around his little finger. As such, a lot of fans think he’s manipulative and pretty controlling.

A prime example of this is in Season 8, Episode 1, “Free Falling,” when Cristina announces that she’s pregnant. Because Yang was against having children, especially at this stage in her life, she scheduled an abortion without telling her partner. Instead of acting like a rational human and trying to sort things out, Owen completely ignores her. Although Cristina’s behavior in this situation is also unforgivable, Hunt’s silent treatment just makes things worse.

A Prestigious Surgeon Who Couldn’t Commit to Anything

Preston Burke

Preston Burke was a big part of Grey’s Anatomy for three seasons, but there’s only one thing he’s remembered for: leaving Cristina at the altar. Admittedly, they weren’t the best couple in the world and many fans didn’t really think that they were suited for each other. But the fact that he left Yang on the most important day of her life is incredibly frustrating.

In Season 3, Episode 25, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” Burke calls things off at the very last moment and confesses that he’s been trying to make Cristina into his dream woman and hasn’t been accepting her true self. Of course, many audiences appreciate his honesty, but it’s a little cutthroat even by Burke’s standards. While he was a terrific professional, a lot of viewers were glad to see the back of him.

This Doctor’s Tears Weren’t Enough

Penny Blake

Penny Blake may not ring a bell for a lot of fans, but for those who have been watching the show since the beginning, alarm bells start ringing. Blake was the doctor who looked after Derek when he had his crash, and she tried multiple times to get him a head CT. But the lead surgeon, Paul Castello, just dismissed her claims. Although she tried to save Derek, her claims weren’t enough.

“How to Save a Life” is definitely one of the saddest episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, but fans find Blake’s response to Derek’s death quite inappropriate. After Derek’s passing, she tells Meredith that she tried to get him a CT, but her superior wouldn’t listen. A lot of fans find Blake’s hysteria at this moment quite odd and believe that she should’ve spoken to another doctor if she was so worried. Generally, fans see Penny Blake as a bit of a whiner and believe that her emotions got in the way of Derek’s diagnosis.

A Warm Soul With a Fondness for Toxic Positivity

Sydney Heron

In reality, there’s nothing wrong with Sydney Heron. Yet, her intense positivity and beaming grin are sometimes too much to handle. Cristina Yang often found her charming personality very irritating and wouldn’t hesitate to tell her. In “Break on Through,” the pair butt heads because Cristina doesn’t completely agree with Sydney’s “heal with love” mantra.

Deep down, Heron is a very kind woman, and the world needs more people like her. But in the midst of a traumatic accident, her peers didn’t appreciate her positive affirmations. Plus, she doesn’t seem to fit into a cynical hospital like Seattle Grace.

A Mean Spirited Woman With Far Too Much Power

Catherine Fox

There’s no denying that Catherine Fox is an incredibly driven and powerful woman. As a world-class urologist as well as the mother of Jackson Avery, Fox knows how to control her staff and pull a few strings where she needs to. Yet, she sits at the top spot on this list because fans are sick to their back teeth of her cruelness.

A perfect example of her cold-hearted nature is seen in Season 21, Episode 1, “If Walls Could Talk.” After spewing hatred towards Dr. Bailey, she tells the doctor that she’s nothing special and could easily be replaced. Not only is this an awful thing to say to such a committed member of staff, but it’s also completely unprofessional. Fortunately, Bailey wasn’t going to stand for such behavior and gave Fox a swift slap around the face.