5 Most Gut-Wrenching Grey's Anatomy Episodes That Shattered Our Hearts

Grey's Anatomy occupies such an iconic place in television history and has such a large and devoted fan base for a reason. Even for a medical drama, the Shondaland series is exceptionally good at giving its viewers emotional roller coasters to ride.

From rage to dread, joy to utter devastation, the show seems to cover it all, keeping fans addicted and glued to their screens. Of course, the most memorable moments are the ones that hit us right in the heart with their incredible sadness. And Grey's Anatomy has no shortage of those.

Here are the top five most tear-jerking episodes, according to various fan discussions. Let's see if they're the same storylines that stuck with you.

S11E11 All I Could Do Was Cry

April and Jackson's Tragic Loss

April Kepner and Jackson Avery were one of Grey's Anatomy's most popular couples. And they faced one of the show's most devastating storylines. Their first child, Samuel, died from a fatal birth defect. The baby was born prematurely, giving April and Jackson only a brief moment to say goodbye and baptize him.

S6E1 Good Mourning

George's Heartbreaking End

The first death of main character and original MAGIC gang member George O'Malley hit fans hard. He was hit by a bus while saving a woman. The most agonizing moment came when Meredith Grey finally realized that a dying, unidentified patient was her best friend.

S8E24 Flight

The Tragic Plane Crash

In the Season 8 finale, an unexpected plane crash left our beloved doctors stranded in the woods and some gravely injured. Watching Lexie Grey die beside the love of her life, Mark Sloan, was tormenting to say the least. Mark's death in the next episode only added to the sorrow.

S2E27 Losing My Religion

Denny's Harrowing Demise

Few moments compare to Denny Duquette's death, not only on Grey's Anatomy, but on television in general. His love story with Izzie Stevens and her desperate attempts to save him, which led to breaking every hospital rule in the book, had us all on edge. And finally, just when things seemed to be coming to a happy conclusion, Denny died from simple complications of surgery, leaving our hearts shattered.

S11E21 How to Save a Life

Derek's Devastating Death

Probably the most mentioned distressful moment in the history of Grey's Anatomy is the death of its main character Derek Shepherd in Season 11. He was in a car accident and knew exactly what the surgeons needed to do to save him, but couldn't communicate with them. The most gut-wrenching aspect of the episode is that Derek is narrating it, and at one point realizes that there is nothing left that can help him. Shonda is not shielding us emotionally.