Grey’s Anatomy Fans Brace for Heartbreak: Two Beloved Characters Exit After Season 22

Well, it looks like Grey's Anatomy is about to lose two more of its long-time fixtures. ABC has confirmed that both Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver—better known as Dr. Owen Hunt and Dr. Teddy Altman to anyone who’s spent the last decade-plus in Shondaland—will be saying goodbye at the end of the upcoming season. Their final episode as series regulars will be the Season 22 closer, set to air on May 7, 2026. (Yeah, 2026. This show will probably outlast the actual hospital system at this point.)

A Long Dramatic Road (Mostly in Seattle)

If you’re thinking, ‘Haven’t we done heartfelt goodbyes on this show before?’—well, yes. But even so, McKidd and Raver have been core parts of Grey Sloan’s chaos for years. In fact, Kevin McKidd’s Owen first scrubbed in back in Season 5, showing up as the army trauma surgeon with Entirely Too Many Issues™ and then getting tangled up with Cristina Yang, Meredith, and anyone else with a stethoscope. Kim Raver’s Teddy arrived not long after, in Season 6, as a cardiothoracic surgeon and another army veteran, instantly raising the show’s surgical love triangle quota.

For those not keeping track of their storylines (honestly, who can blame you?), Owen and Teddy have had just about every dramatic arc Grey’s has to offer: war flashbacks, steamy hallway arguments, ill-advised relationships with other hospital staffers, children, and several rounds of make-up and break-up. They got officially married in Season 18 and by Season 22 are co-parenting two kids, marking the rare couple that actually gets to exit with some shred of happiness.

'Over the years, we have had the privilege of watching Owen and Teddy’s love story evolve and deepen—two characters who always seem to find their way back to each other. It is both bittersweet and joyful to give this couple the happy ending their story deserves.' —Shonda Rhimes

Why They’re Leaving (and Who’s Left Standing)

In the official statements, McKidd called Grey’s 'a huge chapter of my life, creatively and personally.' Raver said playing Teddy will always be close to her heart. Both pretty gracious as far as actor departures go. For seasoned Grey's-watchers: yes, creator Shonda Rhimes praised their 'nuance, and heart,' and added, somewhat cryptically, that she's curious to see where the actors go from here—which, if Hollywood patterns hold, probably means a quick stop on a streaming miniseries or two.

The exits leave just two original cast members still standing: Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey) and James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webber), both of whom have been with the show since it premiered in 2005. Ellen Pompeo technically sticks around, but only as the show’s narrator ever since she stepped back from full-time duty in Season 19. The rest of the major players these days include:

• Caterina Scorsone as Amelia Shepherd
• Camilla Luddington as Jo Wilson
• Chris Carmack as Link Lincoln
• Anthony Hill as Winston
• Jason George as Ben Warren
• Alexis Floyd as Simone
• Harry Shum Jr. as Blue
• Adelaide Kane as Jules
• Niko Terho as Lucas

Big Picture Takeaway

At this point, Grey’s Anatomy has outlasted pretty much every other show of its genre—and, weirdly, more of its original cast than The Simpsons. McKidd and Raver leaving is about as big a shake-up as this show gets in 2026, and it sounds like they're being handed a rare thing in Shondaverse: an actual happy ending.

Will we see them back for a cameo someday if there’s a hospital crisis or a wedding? Let’s be honest, probably. For now, though, time to get prepped for another round of emotional exits and whatever fresh interns the writers can throw into the ER.