“Grey’s Anatomy” has aired over 400 episodes throughout 19 seasons of television. It’s technically a procedural medical drama, but it’s the romance that keeps viewers coming back for more generation after generation.
We’ve ranked 31 of the show’s most iconic couples by their chemistry. Our ranking was sometimes influenced by the couple’s storyline but mostly determined by the amount of heat we felt through the TV screen, even when the characters were simply looking at one other from across a room.
31. Dr. Jackson Avery and Dr. Maggie Pierce were technically family
When Jackson Avery (Jesse Williams) met Maggie Pierce (Kelly McCreary) in “Grey’s Anatomy” season 11, episode two, he was so skeptical of her that he refused to shake her hand. By the end of that season, their biological parents Catherine Avery (now known as Catherine Fox, portrayed by Debbie Allen) and Dr. Richard Webber (Jim Pickens Jr.) were married.
Still, “Grey’s Anatomy” dared to hook them up. Don’t get me wrong, Williams and McCreary are objectively attractive. But watching the stepsiblings share a first kiss on season 14, episode four was nauseating. Plus, “Grey’s” didn’t help by constantly reminding us that their relationship was incest-adjacent.
30. Dr. Izzie Stevens and Dr. George O’Malley are proof that sometimes the ‘friends to lovers’ trope goes wrong
The romantic pairing of Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl) and George O’Malley (T.R. Knight) is one of the most universally hated decisions in “Grey’s” history.
The one-night stand between these two best friends in season three was torturous enough, but their romance seeped into season four. In one uncomfortable plot, they faced the awkward fact that the first time they had sex as a committed couple was bad.
The platonic chemistry between Heigl and Knight’s characters was undeniable. But George and Izzie’s romance proved that sometimes adding sex in the mix doesn’t spice anything up. It just makes things weird. Thankfully, the writers ended the misery during season four. Still, their friendship was never the same.
29. Callie and George were outcasts who didn’t fit together
Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) was attracted to George in season two and appreciated him in a way that his long-time crush Dr. Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) couldn’t. After George’s father died in season three, the pair got married, even though their relationship was rocky. Getting married to cope with grief doesn’t bode well for any relationship, but as mentioned above, Izzie destroyed that marriage more than anything else.
28. Jackson Avery and Dr. Stephanie Edwards’ relationship was just a plot device
Dr. Stephanie Edwards (Jerrika Hinton) and Jackson Avery had some sweet moments together. But Stephanie was just the dispensable corner of a love triangle that also included Dr. April Kepner (Sarah Drew). Jackson sealed their fate when he stood up at April’s wedding, objecting to the union as Stephanie sat beside him. So they were never, ever, ever, ever getting back together.
27. April Kepner and Matthew Taylor had the sexual chemistry of oatmeal
April Kepner’s’ relationship with Matthew Taylor (Justin Bruening) served a similar purpose to her ex Jackson’s relationship with Stephanie on seasons nine and 10 of “Grey’s.” Matthew was essentially just a roadblock in April’s path to Jackson.
Drew and Bruening have chemistry when playing other characters — the two have worked together on other projects, like 2018’s “Indivisible” — but April and Matthew are far too wholesome to generate any fire. Their relationship should have ended completely when April left Matthew at the altar to marry Jackson in season 10, episode 10, “Get Up, Stand Up.”
Matthew came back into April’s life years later, but thankfully that mistake was officially corrected on the 400th episode in 2022 when viewers learned that Jackson and April had reconciled.
26. Dr. Nathan Riggs never stood a chance with Meredith Grey
Meredith and Dr. Nathan Riggs (Martin Henderson) were a confusing match from the start. Nathan was randomly put in the middle of a weird love triangle between Meredith and her half-sister Maggie that was very uncomfortable to watch.
But Meredith also couldn’t get over her initial hatred of Nathan due to his complicated history with Dr. Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd). It was an “enemies who stayed enemies but had sex” storyline that never quite gelled. Considering Henderson wasn’t even on the show for two full seasons, it’s fair to say something was off in the dynamic between him and Pompeo, too.
25. Rooting for Callie and Dr. Penny Blake was impossible
Dr. Penny Blake (Samantha Sloyan) had the most unfortunate fate in “Grey’s” history. As a resident, she shared the responsibility for Dr. Derek Shepherd’s (Patrick Dempsey) death in season 11. So, I can only imagine how fans felt seeing her on Callie’s arm at a dinner party in season 12.
Callie and Penny had some sweet and arguably sexy moments in their relationship. But most of the time, the spark between Ramirez and Sloyan either fizzled very quickly or felt forced. It’s not hard to imagine that the pair eventually went their separate ways in New York, even though it happened off-screen.
24. Amelia Shepherd and Owen Hunt were each other’s sloppy seconds
There was no good reason to put Dr. Amelia Shepherd (Caterina Scorsone) and Owen Hunt together. The “Grey’s” writers probably thought they both needed romantic partners in season 11.
It was often hard to tell whether McKidd and Scorsone had any chemistry or if they were forcing it. Either way, Owen and Amelia weren’t good for each other. Owen served in the war and needed someone who understood his trauma and Amelia was too self-centered to do that. Plus, she needed a partner who had a calming influence on her (unlike Owen) as she dealt with the frequent challenges addicts face.
23. Dr. Andrew Deluca and Meredith were magnetic, but never magical
Meredith began dating Dr. Andrew Deluca (Giacomo Gianniotti) in season 15. She was an attending surgeon and he was a resident, so their dynamic had shades of Meredith and Derek’s.
Pompeo has better chemistry with Gianniotti than most of the actors “Grey’s” tried to match her with after Dempsey left. So some of their most intimate moments together are undeniably hot. Like in season 15, when Andrew and Meredith got stuck in an elevator and she got so turned on by his seductive Italian that they nearly kiss.
But the partnership was forced and in the end, it showed. Complex storylines involving medical insurance fraud and mental illness muddled their spark instead of fueling it. The two never stood a chance.
22. Dr. Lexie Grey and Dr. Alex Karev just distracted each other
Dr. Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh) and Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) hooked up sometimes, most memorably in season six. Lexie told Alex that she loved him during the hospital shooting finale when she thought he was dying. But they were just distractions for each other until Lexie realized she was meant to be with Dr. Mark Sloan (Eric Dane) and Alex got over Izzie.
Still, Chambers and Leigh were good enough actors who sometimes made you wonder what might have happened if “Grey’s” had kept them together.
21. We’ll never know what Andrew and Maggie could’ve been
Andrew and Maggie were briefly together in season 12 when both characters were too new for viewers to care, but something about Gianniotti and McCreary’s chemistry works anyway.
Still, Andrew was an intern at the time and Maggie was too uptight to explore the relationship for too long. So, we’ll never know if the couple had a real chance. But perhaps a romance that started with a UTI was never meant to last.
20. Amelia Shepherd and Dr. Atticus Linclon are a well-balanced match
Amelia and Dr. Atticus Linclon’s (Chris Carmack) love story works better than most on “Grey’s Anatomy” because it’s clear that viewers had become invested in their happy ending.
His optimistic outlook on life balances her more realistic and negative one perfectly. And the push and pull of their arguments feel authentic and made them worth rooting for during difficult points in the relationship, like when the paternity of their son Scout was in question.
Scorsone and Carmack are well-matched chemistry-wise, too. However, their sexy moments were pretty unremarkable.
19. Cristina and Owen’s story is memorable, but that doesn’t mean the chemistry was electric
Owen’s character was introduced in season five, when “Grey’s Anatomy” decided that Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) needed a love interest (she didn’t) following Dr. Preston Bruke’s (Isaiah Washington) notoriously abrupt departure.
Over time, Oh and McKidd built a rapport that made their characters’ relationship believable. Cristina clearly stayed close to Owen because his arms were a safe place to land as she experienced PTSD following the hospital shooting and the plane crash.
Cristina didn’t need a man, let alone one who would cheat on her and shame her for not wanting kids (and choosing abortion). Sadly, she put up with him for so long, and though Oh and McKidd are good actors, the love between them was just that — acted (and sometimes overly so).
18. Jackson was always just a rebound relationship for Lexie
Williams became a series regular on season seven, and “Grey’s Anatomy” needed a love interest for Jackson. Leigh’s character Lexie also needed another human wedge between her and Mark. Jackson was always a storytelling device between soulmates, albeit an unnecessary one.
The relationship was forgettable, but Williams and Leigh were somewhat decent at making viewers believe they wanted to jump each others’ bones.
17. Catherine and Richard prove that passion has no age limit
Strangely enough, Catherine and Richard’s first sex scene was spliced between scenes of Catherine’s son Jackson having sex with someone in a different room at the same hotel. And we can’t overlook the fact that Richard was technically cheating on his sick wife Adele (Loretta Devine) at the time.
But the couple’s love story is a rare reminder that people over 50 still date, make love, and have incredibly fiery romantic connections. Some of the couple’s best chemistry occurs when they argue, but if Richard and Catherine break up for good at this point in “Grey’s,” love is officially a lie.
16. Cristina Yang always deserved better than Preston Burke
Any man who would leave Cristina Yang at the altar is an idiot. She deserved a man less arrogant and insecure than Preston Burke.
Owen Hunt might have been that man, but Oh and Washington have an undeniable chemistry. With just one glance between the two, it was easy to understand how Cristina, who was so focused on her career, could get as lost in a man’s eyes as Meredith typically did. Love Dr. Burke or hate him, his relationship with Cristina is part of what made the early seasons of “Grey’s” flawless.
15. Dr. Teddy Altman and Dr. Owen Hunt’s marriage was inevitable from the start
In season 19 of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Owen and his wife Dr. Teddy Altman’s (Kim Raver) arguments are repetitive and annoying. But Raver is McKidd’s best chemistry match on the show, and during Raver’s first run as a series regular from seasons six to eight, Teddy made Owen’s love triangle between her and Cristina exciting to watch.
They didn’t kiss in those first three seasons because viewers were meant to root for Owen with Cristina, but they should have. The history between them, which began off-screen in the army, is so rich that the strength of their bond is believable from the start. Plus, Teddy makes the best faces, especially when she’s longing for or angry with someone.
Raver left at the end of season eight, and when she returned on season 14, the fire between Teddy and Owen had fizzled. It’s ironic since the characters are now married to each other and raising a blended family.
14. Long-distance love turned into one of a lifetime for Maggie and Dr. Winston Ndugu
Maggie reconnected with former student Dr. Winston Ndugu (Anthony Hill) at a medical conference on season 16. They gave in to their attraction and had sex. Their hookup turned into a long first date which led to a long-distance relationship during COVID-19. After bonding through tragedies that made him realize life is short, Winston proposed to Maggie.
Sure they have their marital spats, but chemistry-wise, Hill is the partner McCreary always deserved. Sparks don’t fly every single time they look at each other, but they don’t need to. Sometimes the best intimacy is comfortable and protective, and it’s nice to see that on “Grey’s.”
13. Alex found a second soulmate in Dr. Jo Wilson
When Dr. Jo Wilson (Camilla Luddington) was introduced as an intern on season nine, it was obvious that she was to be a replacement love interest for Alex. The “intern dating an attending” trope was a “Grey’s” tale as old as time by that point.
As the romance between Alex and Jo bloomed, Chambers and Luddington proved that their acting partnership was endgame-worthy. Their characters bonded over their shared struggles with family and mental health, all of which heightened their chemistry. They could switch between seduction and affection in a snap and would have had fictional children together if not for Chambers’ hasty departure from the series on season 16.
12. Dr. Nick Marsh makes sense in Meredith’s future
After Derek’s death, no partner made sense for Meredith until Dr. Nick Marsh (Scott Speedman). She originally cared for the transplant surgeon after he had a transplant of his own, and they reconnected in season 18 and began a romance. Pompeo and Speedman have been friends for a long time, so their chemistry is easy and palpable on-screen. During one season 18 scene, all they had to do was walk past each other and exchange glances in a hallway to send sparks flying.
11. Dr. Kai Bartley brought some much-needed spice into Amelia’s life
Amelia Shepherd met Dr. Kai Bartlley (E.R. Fightmaster) in season 18 when she was in Minnesota working with Meredith to try and cure Parkinson’s Disease. Amelia was stressed out from caring for babies during the pandemic and resisting marriage to Link.
Kai reminded Amelia that she was a gorgeous woman who didn’t need to conform to traditional views of marriage if she didn’t want to. They also showed Amelia she deserved to be courted with songs written about her and intimate conversations about what she wanted in life. When Fightmaster and Scorsone look at each other, the screen burns up. Plus, their sex scenes are some of the hottest in the show’s history.
10. Beth and Jeremy make this list for an unforgettable reason
Beth Monroe (Jurnee Smollett) and Jeremy West (Marshall Allman) are so much more than the best couple on “Grey’s Anatomy” season four. The patients truly deserve a spot in the medical drama’s hall of fame.
They met in a brain tumor support group and participated in Meredith and Derek’s clinical trial for a chance to extend their lives and love story. Beth’s parents did everything they could to keep the youngsters apart, so I don’t blame Meredith and Derek for hatching a plan to help them have sex before Jeremy went into surgery. Their affection and desire for each other were so pure, it was the puppy love we all dreamt of when we were young. If you didn’t cry over Jeremy’s death, please check that you do, in fact, have a pulse.
9. Izzie and Alex deserved their off-screen happily ever after
Before Heigl’s disjointed departure from “Grey’s” on season six, Alex and Izzie were the only people for each other. The story began with your typical “bad boy falls for the beauty queen” trope, but by the time they got married in season five — when Izzie was diagnosed with cancer — their love had deepened.
Their undeniable chemistry stemmed in part from the actors’ talents, but there was also an invisible magnet between the two characters that endured despite the behind-the-scenes tension among the cast. When Chambers’ exited the show, it was explained that Alex had gone to raise kids with Izzie. If Alex had to leave Grey Sloan, at least he went to her.
8. Dr. Miranda Bailey and Dr. Ben Warren are #MarriageGoals
Early on in his relationship with Miranda Bailey, Ben Warren was the epitome of persistence. We couldn’t even blame him. She’s definitely a catch.
Watching Wilson and George on-screen, it’s clear that their characters are meant for each other. Years after their wedding, they’re still together raising kids and committed to respecting one another. Even with George having joined the “Grey’s” spin-off “Station 19,” they still partake in the occasional sexy time.
7. Teddy’s soulmate was a patient named Henry
Teddy might have been Owen’s soulmate, but hers was a patient named Henry Burton (Scott Foley), whom she married in season seven so he’d have medical insurance. Souls aside, I could feel the sexual tension in the air between Foley and Raver.
It was gratifying to see their marriage realized in season eight after an unnecessary love triangle. The depth of their connection and love only became clearer upon Henry’s death, when Teddy’s anger felt so real it could’ve shattered screens.
6. Dr. Levi Schmitt and Dr. Nico Kim can’t stay away from each other
The reason why Dr. Levi Schmitt (Jake Borelli) and Dr. Nico Kim (Alex Landi) areone of the most beloved couples on the show has less to do with them depicting the series’ first relationship between two males and more to do with their invigorating chemistry.
They had one of the sexiest scenes in recent seasons while making out in an ambulance during a windstorm. But chemistry, especially while acting, is about more than sex. It’s about passion and vulnerability.
The two have been in a hot and cold relationship since Nico joined Grey-Sloan Memorial in season 15. Their characters are broken up as of season 19, but if “Grey’s” reads their chemistry right, a reconciliation for Levi and Nico is right around the corner. They’re fated.
5. In an alternate universe, Denny Duquette is Izzie’s one true love
The “doctor falling in love with a patient” trope has become tired in 2023. But that’s because Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Izzie Stevens set the bar sky-high.
The couple actually didn’t have many scenes together before Denny died in the season two finale, but time doesn’t matter when it comes to love and chemistry. Denny and Izzie were the talk of TV in the early 2000s because we easily understood why Izzie (and Heigl) melted after just one look from Morgan…oops, I mean from Denny. It’s just sad that Denny’s death was inevitable.
4. Not even death could keep Mark and Lexie apart
Mark Sloan and Lexie Grey’s relationship was yet another example of a teacher and student falling in love. From seasons five to eight, no partner, family member, or even death could keep them apart.
When they shared the screen, the tension was palpable. No matter who they were with, I knew exactly what they were thinking when they looked at each other. Despite such an obvious and indestructible connection, plot devices kept popping up to make a life together impossible.
When Lexie died in the plane crash in season eight, Mark followed soon after. If that weren’t enough proof that they belonged together, we learned on season 17 that they reunited in the afterlife.
3. Dr. Callie Torres and Dr. Arizona Robbins couldn’t stay apart for long
For many, the relationship between Callie and pediatric surgeon Dr. Arizona Robbins (Jessica Capshaw) in the earlier seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy” marked the first same-sex and queer relationships they’d ever seen on network television.
Okay, the characters’ incomparable chemistry turned toxic, but who cares? In season 11 during their trial separation, the looks they shared were so smoldering that they couldn’t keep their hands off one another, ultimately breaking their own rules and having passionate sex.
Their on-screen chemistry is also made believable by their realistic arguments and fights. Capshaw’s 2018 departure from “Grey’s” was rushed, so we don’t blame Arizona for going to New York to reconcile with Callie off-screen.
2. Meredith and Derek set the chemistry bar high
When Meredith Grey woke up next to Derek Shepherd on her first day of work, they were inevitable. “McDreamy” was the only possible nickname for him and it was easy to see why Meredith was distracted at work. Red flags started popping up at the end of that season when it was revealed that he was married. But there are no racier sex scenes in “Grey’s” history than Meredith and Derek’s having sex at the prom.
As time went on, their passion and connection remained strong. But when Dempsey’s interest in the role started to wane, so did his chemistry with Pompeo. Every once in a while, Derek would still look at Meredith with those dreamy eyes and millions of viewers at home would swoon for Meredith.
1. Jackson and April’s chemistry is untouchable
Jackson and April are proof that some chemistry can’t be created or destroyed. It simply endures. “Grey’s” paired Drew and Williams on a whim, inadvertently creating a masterclass on how a true connection between actors survives even when the plot tries to deny it.
Japril’s historic bathroom hookup on season eight would get anyone hot and bothered. But there aren’t enough words to describe the sparks flying between them in season 12 when they discuss divorce and end up accidentally conceiving their daughter.
The actors committed to each other beyond the page, and the result was magical. It’s hard to explain other than to say they have the best chemistry in “Grey’s Anatomy” history, the end.
