Grey's Anatomy 5 Most Overrated Characters, Ranked by How Useless They Are

With the rise of streaming, hundreds of new shows debut annually. However, few shows released by streaming platforms ever have as significant an impact on pop culture as television shows do. And even fewer can hold a candle to Grey's Anatomy.

Premiering in 2005, ABC's medical drama met viewers' demand for fresh soap operas and soon became a mainstay of American television. Since then, Grey's Anatomy has produced an impressive nineteen seasons, with season 20 approved in March. Throughout its long run, the show has introduced many characters we've fallen in love with. However, there have also been quite a few characters that have failed to click with audiences.

Here are the five most overrated characters in Grey's Anatomy.

5. Derek Shepherd

Although he was a central character and the show's ultimate heartthrob from its inception, Derek struggled to prove his value to the plot. Apart from his captivating romance with Ellen Pompeo's Meredith, the character didn't contribute much to the story. In fact, his absence went relatively unnoticed after his death in season 11.

4. Callie Torres

A regular character in Grey's Anatomy, Callie has been consistently present since her debut in season 2. Nevertheless, she has yet to demonstrate her value to the plot. If not for her LGBTQ+ representation arc, Torres would be an entirely superfluous character.

3. George O'Malley

Grey's Anatomy's quintessential good guy/underdog, Dr. O'Malley, seemingly experienced no character development during his five-year tenure on the show. He was a weakling nobody cared about, yet paradoxically, he received multiple awards and nominations for this role, including an Emmy nomination.

2. Izzie Stevens

Portrayed by Katherine Heigl, Dr. Isobel Stevens was the most irritating character on Grey's Anatomy from season 1 through season 6 when she left Seattle. Although her relationships with other characters were integral to the plot, she was undoubtedly overrated, unpleasant and harsh.

1. Andrew DeLuca

A later addition to Grey's Anatomy, compared to the other characters on the list, DeLuca is plain boring. He never contributed significantly to the story, yet he appeared on the spin-off show, Station 19. The character is dull and is arguably appreciated solely for his looks.