April Kepner, a main character in Grey’s Anatomy, left after season 14, but she returned at the end of season 17 as a special guest star. Grey’s Anatomy is notorious for writing off characters. The show is unafraid to kill beloved fan-favorites; Grey’s Anatomy even killed Lexie Grey and Mark Sloan within episodes of one another. If Grey’s Anatomy decides to keep a character alive, the show often writes them off in divisive ways. For example, Alex Karev’s Grey’s Anatomy exit was highly controversial because it unraveled years of character development.