Grey’s Anatomy revolves around the lives of the doctors and patients at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Within the 18 years of showtime, the show has introduced numerous characters. As each goes through their ups and downs, they are shaped by their decisions, experiences and how they behave with others.
As a result, their character arcs are constantly evolving, leaving room to grow. From Alex Karev, who went from a pompous, inconsiderate doctor to one with compassion, to Mark Sloan, a lothario who became an amazing dad, these characters had some of the best character developments on the show.
3. Alex Karev
Alex Karev was introduced in Season 1 as part of Grey’s Anatomy’s original interns. Despite being introduced as a pompous and rude character, Karev’s character brought its share of magic to the show. Initially, Alex projected a callous, insensitive attitude towards patients, demonstrating his poor bedside manners. Similarly, he treated others with disrespect before befriending the other interns.
Throughout the seasons, Alex overcomes his arrogance and egoism. A patient once analyzed him, describing his behavior as a defense mechanism. Eventually, Karev becomes a good man and the kind of doctor who fights for his patient’s recovery, even when they are unwilling to themselves. And while his exit nearly undid 15 years of character development, fans will always have what came before.
2. Cristina Yang
The hyper-competitive intern of the show’s original five interns, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), is also one of Grey’s Anatomy’s best characters. Ambitious and driven, Cristina owned her talent. While her confidence was initially interpreted as arrogance, it was soon demonstrated to be a rabid passion for surgery.
Although her competitive drive never dwindled, Cristina’s priorities evolved. Similarly, her compassionate nature extends to her patients, coworkers, and students. Initially dismissive of her fellow interns and unwilling to delegate, Cristina formed an unbreakable bond with Meredith and learned to take the time to teach her students.
1. Mark Sloan
Fans initially saw Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) as a narcissistic, insensitive and deplorable friend to Derek. In his first on-screen appearance, he describes himself as “self-destructive and self-loathing to an almost pathological degree.” His storyline reveals his charming, rugged exterior masks his inner anguish about his estranged relationship with his parents and Derek.
While Mark tends to be callous about relationships, he eventually falls for Lexie Grey, becoming a committed guy. When Callie is pregnant with his baby, he steps up to become a father, something his past self would’ve never considered. Similarly, Mark was introduced as unwilling to teach or delegate, but he soon began taking an active teaching role, even mentoring Jackson.
