Grey's Anatomy: The saddest episodes, according to fans

Death, illness and loss are important parts of the medical drama Gray's Anatomy. Many fan-favorite characters passed away, leaving behind episodes that are considered the saddest episodes of the series.

Grey's Anatomy doctors always see death, and their goal is to rescue the patients that enter the hospital. During their 17 seasons, while loss is the toughest part of their job, they also have to say goodbye to friends, colleagues and families.

Meredith has lost most of the people close to her, including several relatives and the love of her life, while the other characters lost some important people as well. Many episodes of Grey's Anatomy contain the loss of prominent characters, which succeeded in creating the saddest episodes of the series.

Helpless Hoping; Episode 11, Season 17

One of the most surprising deaths occurred in season 17, when Andrew DeLuca was killed while attempting to stop a human trafficker from fleeing. This was a tragic death of the character that surprised everyone, as fans were confident that he would recover.

Since DeLuca also having a remarkable love affair with Meredith, fans wondered if they would eventually meet at some point. Season 17 had many great scenes, yet in a season filled with so much sadness and pain, it's difficult for fans to think about that. DeLuca was a kind soul, and this was a terrible way for him to leave.

Flight; Episode 24, Season 08

Lexie Grey died before Mark Sloan in a plane crash, and it was not only shocking to see such a dreadful tragedy on the show, but it was also heartbreaking to watch such a sweet and popular character die.

This was one of the most tragic deaths because, just before Lexie died, Mark was there, telling her that they would have a wonderful life together. Fans were just as shocked as Mark when she left; although their romance wasn't ideal, they both looked willing to compromise and didn't want to be with anyone else.

How to save a life; Episode 24, Season 11

On his way to Washington to finish his work for the President, Derek saw a car accident and wanted to help. But after he managed to get everyone to leave the scene of the accident, his car was hit by a truck. Although Derek could have been rescued, he sadly passed away when doctors failed to realize that he had a severe cerebral hemorrhage.

This episode included the death of a major character on Grey's Anatomy. It was tragic to imagine the impact of that moment: Meredith raising her children without her soulmate and the love of her life, Derek's family living without him, and his coworkers who had become family also having to mourn the loss.