Who dies in Grey's Anatomy​?

Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Grey's Anatomy poster. Source: Disney+Hotstar


Several people die in ABC’s medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy. Over the course of its run, many patients have coded or died on the operating table or succumbed to prolonged illness. A few medical professionals have also died, including a few main characters.


Grey's Anatomy focuses on the lives of the staff at the Seattle Grace Hospital (now Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital). The show was created by Shonda Rhimes, who has been the executive producer and a showrunner until her resignation in 2015.


All major deaths in Grey’s Anatomy


Ellis Grey


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Ellis Grey. Source: ABC


Ellis Grey was the mother of Meredith Grey and Maggie Pierce. She was a well-known surgeon in her day and received the Harper Avery Award twice. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's that caused complications resulting in her death.


Denny Duquette Jr.


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy​?
Denny Duquette Jr. Source: Screengrab from the show


Denny Duquette was Izzie Stevens's romantic interest and a heart patient. He was diagnosed with viral cardiomyopathy, a condition that led to heart failure. After a heart transplant, he suffered a stroke and passed away.


George O’Malley


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
George O'Malley. Source: Screengrab from the show.


George O'Malley worked as a surgical resident at the Seattle Grace Hospital. George had a difficult beginning as an intern but soon grew into a very talented and accomplished surgeon. He jumped in front of a bus and perished to save a woman's life.


Lexie Grey


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Lexie Grey. Source: ABC


Meredith Grey's half-sister, Lexie Grey, was the daughter of Susan and Thatcher Grey. Before she died in the plane crash, she was a surgical resident at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. Following her death, the hospital was renamed in her and Mark Sloan's honour, who were both killed in the plane disaster.


Mark Sloan


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Mark Sloan. Source: Screengrab from the show.


Mark Sloan was Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital's head of plastic surgery. He and Lexie Grey were the two dead victims of the plane crash, and the hospital was renamed in their honor. Mark was father to Sophia Sloan Robbins Torres and Sloan Riley.


Derek Shepherd


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy​?
Derek Shepherd. Source: Screengrab from the show.


Derek Shepherd was a well-known neurosurgeon who served as Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital's board director and head of neurosurgery. He got hit by a truck and died from the injuries he sustained.


Andrew DeLuca


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Andrew DeLuca. Source: Screengrab from the show.


Andrew DeLuca began as an intern in the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and rose to the level of a General Attending Surgeon. He was stabbed to death by Opal's partner, a human trafficker who Andrew had identified before. Despite having surgery and recovering, he codes during a follow-up procedure and dies eventually.


Heather Brooks


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Heather Brooks. Source: Screengrab from the show.


Heather Brooks was a surgical intern at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. She got electrocuted and later died during brain surgery after suffering a subdural bleed.


Henry Burton


Who dies in Grey's Anatomy?
Henry Burton. Source: Screengrab from the show.


Henry Burton was Teddy Altman’s husband. Teddy married him to help him cover his insurance fees for his medical expenses. Henry had a condition named Von-Hippel-Lindau syndrome. He later succumbed to the extent of his illness.


Other deaths in Grey’s Anatomy


Given below is a list of all the other deaths in the show. The majority of these deaths are of patients admitted to the Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital at some point.


Serial no.Character Cause of Death
1AbrahamMI or stroke
2Brad AcklesGunshot wound
3Reed AdamsonShot in the head
4Winnie AdkinsCrushed by building Internal bleeding
5Kim AllenStage IV large-cell lung cancer Physician-assisted suicide
6Chad AndersonCOVID-19 Deep vein thrombosis Pulmonary embolism
7Grandma AndersonCar accident injuries
8Holly AndersonBrain death
9Jessica AndersonCrash injuries
10Robert AndersonCrushed pelvis Internal bleeding
11Wallace AndersonShort gut syndrome Bowel obstruction Sepsis
12Nate ArdillaVascular injury to the arm Crush injuries
13Natalia AsakiStage II adenosarcoma of the esophagus Temporal lobe metastasis Seizure
14Val AshtonAbdominal pregnancy Pseudoaneurysm Sepsis Jaundice
15Harper AveryHeart attack (possibly)
16Samuel Norbert AveryBirth defects
17Elena BaileyCOVID-19
18Joyce BascheMRSA Abscess
19Cathy BeckerBurns Second-degree burn Tension pneumothorax Pulmonary edema Acute respiratory distress syndrome Fulminant rhabdomyolysis Multi-system organ failure Disseminated intravascular coagulation
20Ed BeckertAlzheimer's disease Heart condition Myocardial infarction
21Grace BickhamEnd-stage COPD
22Andrew BillingsCardiac myxoma Brain death
23Charlie BilsonCrush injuries Internal bleeding Broken nose
24Teresa BrothertonTension pneumothorax Fracture ribs Hemothorax Punctured lung
25Allison Robin BrownWorld Trade Center
26Rosemary BullardCancer Brain Tumor
27Jake BurtonAdvanced craniodiaphyseal dysplasia
28Rich CampionMediastinal hematoma Aortic transection
29Emma CarrollOld age
30CaseyBurns Severe lung damage Smoke inhalation Partially-collapsed lung Heart failure Rhabdomyolysis
31Paul CastelloBrain Hemorrhage
32Jason CastorHole in his pericardium C3/C4 break Severed Spinal Cord/Paralysis
33Nisha ChopriOpen comminuted femur fracture Necrotizing fasciitis
34Father ChristopherBlunt trauma to the chest and abdomen Scalp laceration Cardiac tamponade Liver laceration Splenic laceration
35Alison ClarkStage 4 cancer
36Alison ClarkAnemia Internal bleeding Abdominal tumor Acute hemorrhagic stroke Temporal hemorrhage Brain death
37Gary ClarkGunshot wound
38Simon ClarkMetastatic synovial sarcoma
39Elsie ClatchSyncope Loculated acute on chronic subdural hematoma
40Barry ClemensImpaled object
41Cece ColvinSecondary renal failure Arrhythmias Congestive heart failure Peritonitis Pleural effusion
42Annie ConnorsTumor Difficulty breathing
43Liz CooperHigh output cardiac failure Blood clot Brain death
44Louise CortezChronic pancreatitis Pancreatic fistula Ruptured splenic artery
45Darren CovingtonMalignant glioma Encephalitis
46Bonnie CrasnoffImpalement injuries
47Elyse CruseAbdominal bruising Second-degree burns Prolapsed cord
48DannyBiliary atresia Chronic liver rejection Cholangitis
49DaphneInfection Septicemia Pseudomonas
50Kevin DavidsonCerebral edema Traumatic aortic injury Brain Death
51Roy DavisPulmonary fibrosis Lung cancer
52Rachel DawsonFrontal lobe hemorrhage Temporal lobe hemorrhage Capgras syndrome Seizure Brain hemorrhage
53Lucia DeLucaStroke
54Natasha DeonBroken pelvis Windswept pelvis Internal bleeding Sacral fracture Pneumonia
55Kyle DiazMultiple sclerosis Hand tremor Brain bleed Meningitis Sepsis Periventricular abscess
56DocCancer
57William DunnStab wounds Beating injuries Scalp laceration Foreign body in spine Brain contusions Seizure
58James EvansHeart failure
59Elizabeth FallonPancreatic Cancer
60Jesse FannonObsessive-compulsive disorder Blunt head trauma Brain bleed
61Emile FloresBroken ankle Epidural bleed
62Eugene FooteCoded during surgery
63Jordan FranklinAscites Liver disease Hemochromatosis
64Peter GekofskyExplosion
65Stan GiamattiSevere bleeding Paralysis
66Brett GibsonGunshot wounds Stroke Brain death
67Peter GibsonGunshot wounds Traumatic arrest Brain death
68Devon GomezUlcerative colitis Ileostomy
69Susan GreyHiccups
70Thatcher GreyAcute Myeloid Leukemia
71Nick HanscomCarotid tumor Blown artery Carotid bleed Stroke
72Jen HarmonPregnancy Pregnancy-induced hypertension Seizure Aneurysm Mirror Syndrome Congestive heart failure Hemolysis Fetal anemia Aphasia Mini-strokes Pre-eclampsia
73HarryCirrhosis
74Abigail HayesCancer
75Randy HelsbyAbdominal sarcoma
76Pruitt HerreraScrotal Lymphoma
77Tessa HobbesChronic pancreatitis Pseudoaneurysm
78Cora JamesPancreatic head tumor
79Emily JensenPregnancy Placenta Percreta
80JJSevere Burns
81JordanCoded in ER
82Kathleen KaneColles' fracture Puncture wounds Coagulation disorder Stroke
83Veronica KaysContact dermatitis Pregnancy Advanced pancreatic cancer Spinal met Pulmonary embolus
84KeithBruising Head laceration Skull fracture Grade III liver laceration
85Jordan KenleyHeart attack
86Vincent KennerScalp laceration Depressed skull fracture Abdominal bleed Crush injuries Aortic tear
87Marjorie KerseyRhabdomyolysis Acute kidney injury Fistula Chest abscess
88Daniel KeiferHepatoblastoma Jaundice Heart failure Pulmonary failure
89Jeffrey KingStage 4A colon cancer Liver metastasis
90Seth LepikMRSA
91Billy LinnemanGunshot wounds
92LinusDrug Overdose
93Robert MartinSubdural hemorrhage Delirium Rathke's cleft cyst Hyponatremia Seizure
94MattySurgical complications
95Griffin McCollElectrocution Intracranial bleed Re-bleed Memory loss
96Gretchen McKayPregnancy Delayed abruption
97Holden McKeeMinimal consciousness Temporal parietal scalp laceration Epidural hematoma
98Francesca McNeilCardiomyopathy Heart failure RAF 1 Mutation
99Donald MercerSkull fracture MVC Injuries
100MichaelCar accident injuries
101Susan MilesEctopic pregnancy
102Dean MillerExplosion
103Timothy MillerCrush injuries Open fractures Open femur fracture Posterior hip dislocation
104Dan MooneyArm injury Neck laceration
105Reilly NashTraumatic crush injuries
106Philip NicholasHernia Cryptococcus AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma Intussusception Pneumocystis pneumonia
107NickOsteosarcoma Intradural mets Cardiac tumor
108Benjamin O’LearyBrain tumor
109Harold O’MalleyCancer
110Garrett OatesAbdominal aortic aneurysm
111Digby OwensGunshot wound Cracked rib Hemopneumothorax Infection Sepsis Multi-system organ failure
112Bradley ParkerAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis Hematochezia
113Charles PercyGunshot wound
114Mr. PetersonHead injury
115Thomas PetersonIntestinal perforation Patent ductus ateriosis Necrotizing enterocolitis Congestive heart failure Brain bleed Pericardial tumor Hip displasia Sepsis Ileocolic fistula Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus Retinopathy of prematurity
116Diane PierceCancer
117Mary PortmanComa
118Gladys PulcherLung cancer Post-op infection Bed sores
119Nikki RatlinBroken leg Splenic laceration
120Marjorie ReedStage IV small-cell lung cancer
121Robbie ReevesScalp laceration Congenital AVM Brain bleed
122Melanie ReynoldsCatastrophic internal injuries
123Oliver RichterAortic dissection
124Eli RiglerDiverticulitis Toxic epidermal necrolysis
125Timothy RobbinsUnknown
126Philip RobinsonHand injury Malignant glioma
127Scott RobinsonBowel evisceration Mauling injuries
128Cathy RogersonFibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva Internal bleeding
129Emily RussellHypoplastic left heart syndrome Prematurity Restricted atrial septum
130Ruthie SalesCrushed ankle Osteoporosis Bleeding duodenal ulcer
131Ray SanchezAbdominal aortic aneurysm
132SaulHeart failure
133Tony SavitchSurgical complications
134Erin ShandleyBrain death
135Frankie ShavelsonTwisted spleen Bleeding
136Mr. ShepherdGunshot wound
137Lenny ShulteMud aspiration Decreased breath sounds Tachypnea Diaphragmatic rupture


FAQs about Grey’s Anatomy deaths

Dr. Derek Shepherd’s death is considered by most fans to be the saddest death in Grey’s Anatomy.

Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) and Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) were killed off the show because they wanted to pursue other career opportunities.

Many patients have coded or died on the operating table in Grey’s Anatomy. A few medical professionals have also died in the plot including a main characters like Mark Sloan, Derek Sheperd and Lexie Gray among others.

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