The 10 Best Friendships in ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ Ranked

Now midway through Season 21, Grey’s Anatomy has quite the legacy. It has followed a number of surgeons over the years at what is now called Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, and there are now only three of the original characters still on the show: Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) as a frequent recurring character who still narrates every episode, as well as the continued main characters, Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson) and Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.).

Grey’s Anatomy‘s storylines tend to focus on either the many unique medical emergencies that the doctors tend to at the hospital, or the number of dangerous and life-threatening things that frequently happen to them. At its core are the characters, even as many have entered and exited the show over the years. These have led to a number of character development arcs, romantic relationships, and strong friendships. These are the 10 best friendships in Grey’s Anatomy, ranked.

10. Arizona and Teddy

Played by Jessica Capshaw and Kim Raver

When Teddy (Kim Raver) was first introduced in Season 6, her main storylines were with Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Cristina (Sandra Oh). She became an incredible mentor to Cristina while navigating a complicated friendship with Owen, but Teddy really only had significant interactions with these two characters. Grey’s Anatomy was able to flesh out Teddy’s character more through her friendship with Arizona (Jessica Capshaw).

For the rest of the time that they were both on the show, Arizona and Teddy remained close and supported each other through their biggest tragedies.

Teddy and Arizona first became friends after Arizona boldly confronted Teddy about her feelings for Owen. She told Teddy that she liked to fix things, and would fix Teddy’s situation with Owen and Cristina by becoming her friend. While another character would have been put off by this, Teddy accepted her offer, and a really lovely friendship developed. For the rest of the time that they were both on the show, Arizona and Teddy remained close and supported each other through their biggest tragedies.

9. Derek and Lexie

Played by Patrick Dempsey and Chyler Leigh

Apart from a brief weird flirtation in Season 3 that most Grey’s Anatomy fans prefer to forget, Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Lexie (Chyler Leigh) had one of the best sibling-like friendships on the show. Even before Meredith warmed up to Lexie, Derek was looking out for Lexie and had her best interests at heart. He brought her back to Meredith’s house when she needed a place to stay, and he played the protective older brother to Mark (Eric Dane).

Derek became Lexie’s mentor at work, but at home, he was her brother and close friend.

These two really became a great duo in Season 8. Derek became Lexie’s mentor at work, but at home, he was her brother and close friend. She was able to open up to him about her continued feelings for Mark, and he in turn supported her. These two had a very sweet and funny friendship, and it’s a shame that Grey’s Anatomy didn’t give much attention to Derek’s grief over Lexie’s death in the plane crash, due to the focus on his injured hand.

8. Bailey and George

Played by Chandra Wilson and T.R. Knight

Although Miranda Bailey was very tough on her original five interns, she really did grow to love them all. That being said, George (T. R. Knight) was always her clear favorite. They became particularly close after George helped Bailey deliver her Tuck under some of the most stressful circumstances in Grey’s Anatomy history. Bailey even gave Tuck the middle name of “George.”

George’s death absolutely gutted Bailey, though, and it permanently changed her as a character.

Grey’s Anatomy doesn’t always explore the lasting grief over its characters’ deaths, beyond the romantic partners and siblings of the character who has died. George’s death absolutely gutted Bailey, though, and it permanently changed her as a character. In Season 8, when George’s mom (Debra Monk) was a patient at the hospital, Bailey reflected with Meredith about how hard his death was on her, before adding that he was her favorite.

7. Mark and Jackson

Played by Eric Dane and Jesse Williams

Grey’s Anatomy has had many great duos over the years that consist of one surgeon mentoring another. One of the best of these was the working relationship and eventual friendship between Mark and Jackson (Jesse Williams). What started out as a sweet mentorship became one of the funniest and most enjoyable friendships of the show, as Mark and Jackson became “The Plastic Posse.”

Jackson and Mark’s slightly codependent friendship was a lot of fun to watch…

Jackson and Mark’s slightly codependent friendship was a lot of fun to watch, especially after Grey’s Anatomy dropped the love triangle with Lexie. Mark helped Jackson study for his boards, while Jackson had Mark’s back during playful disagreements with Callie (Sara Ramirez) and Arizona. Mark even referred to Jackson once as his “better half,” and ultimately made sure to share some life advice with Jackson while briefly awake from his coma in Season 9.

6. Izzie and George

Played by Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight

Before Grey’s Anatomy ruined their relationship by making them romantic, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and George easily had one of the best friendships of the whole show. They were the slightly less intense counterparts to Meredith and Cristina, both regularly confiding in each other and teasing each other. They helped each other through grief, relationship problems, and work struggles, and they frankly should have just stayed friends.

Although their romance was a mess, George’s quote about Izzie is still one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s best: “You know, whenever someone says something really funny, and I laugh, I always look around to see if you think it’s funny, too.” Even after they grew apart, their friendship was so important to both of them, that Izzie crossed paths with George in a version of the afterlife when she briefly died.

5. M.A.G.I.C.

Played by Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Et al.

Over the course of its twenty-one seasons, Grey’s Anatomy has introduced many different classes of interns, but none of them can compete with the original class. There was something truly special about the bond between the original five interns, also known by fans as M.A.G.I.C: Meredith, Alex (Justin Chambers) George, Izzie, and Cristina. This group had the perfect blend of fighting and caring for each other, and it made every one of their interactions a joy to watch.

No class of interns has come close to them since, and they are still a highlight of Grey’s Anatomy‘s earlier seasons.

Among this group were a number of fantastic friendship combinations, but they stand out as a group of five as well. They all stood by Izzie when she cut Denny’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) LVAD wire, regardless of the cost to their careers. Even among the pairings that did not like each other as much, most notably George and Alex, there was an understanding that they would have each other’s backs. No class of interns has come close to them since, and they are still a highlight of Grey’s Anatomy‘s earlier seasons.

4. Meredith and Alex

Played by Ellen Pompeo and Justin Chambers

Meredith is one-half of Grey’s Anatomy‘s most popular friendships, so her other friendships don’t always get as much appreciation. That being said, Meredith and Alex’s friendship is one of the show’s best and longest-running bonds. Meredith always understood Alex early on in the show, even when she didn’t like him, and she was the primary reason that he got to know more of their fellow interns (and later residents) beyond just Izzie.

Meredith always understood Alex early on in the show, even when she didn’t like him…

While Meredith and Alex always had a strong friendship, the later seasons of Grey’s Anatomy gave them an incredible arc. They hit a low point after he told on her for tampering with Derek’s trial at the end of Season 7, but they ultimately were able to get past it. After Cristina left, Meredith and Alex became closer than ever, and she declared him to be her person from then on. His eventual exit was devastating for a number of reasons, and the end of this friendship is a significant one.

3. Mark and Callie

Played by Eric Dane and Sara Ramirez

What started as a casual hookup became one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s best friendships, in the pairing of Mark and Callie. They initially were attracted to each other but did not care about each other, but after they called it quits on their fling, Callie still wanted to be Mark’s friend. This meant a lot to him, and he stood by her side through everything. He even walked her down the aisle at her wedding to Arizona.

Mark and Callie’s friendship was unconventional, as they also became co-parents when she got pregnant with Sofia. They were frequently a major part of Grey’s Anatomy‘s comic relief in the heavier moments of its middle seasons, teasing each other, clashing over parenting opinions, and sometimes being a little too attached to each other. She was never the same character after Mark died, and it was heartbreaking to watch this play out.

2. Derek and Mark

Played by Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane

Before Mark ever appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, he was mentioned a number of times, as Derek’s best friend since childhood who had an affair with his wife, Addison (Kate Walsh). In their first ever scene together on the show, Derek went up to Mark and punched him in the face. While things were quite tense between them for a while, they slowly found their way back to becoming friends again. Mark made it clear that Derek was a major factor for him in staying in Seattle.

Mark made it clear that Derek was a major factor for him in staying in Seattle.

Mark and Derek were one of Grey’s Anatomy‘s most interesting friendship dynamics. They went through something that should have been impossible to repair, and yet, they came out of it on the other side because they couldn’t let go of each other. Derek and Mark constantly teased each other and gave each other grief, but they also supported each other and gave each other advice when the situation called for it.

1. Meredith and Cristina

Played by Ellen Pompeo and Sandra Oh

Hands down, there is no better Grey’s Anatomy friendship out there than Meredith and Cristina. They coined the phrase “You’re my person,” and they had one of the most compelling and emotional friendship arcs to ever air on television. In spite of a rough start, Meredith and Cristina became very close quickly, and they stayed close for the duration of Cristina’s time working at the hospital.

Meredith and Cristina’s friendship was not stagnant, but had incredible growth, through each of their fights, rifts, and tough moments. They were so close and codependent that Cristina would regularly climb into bed with Meredith and Derek. Meredith and Cristina’s friendship is one of the most memorable and important parts of Grey’s Anatomy, from their first scene to their last (where Cristina told Meredith that she was the sun).