Even though Cristina Yang has not actually been seen in seasons, there is no denying that she is still the reigning queen of Grey's Anatomy. We love Meredith of course and we will continue to follow her journey until what we are sure will be a very bitter end, but Cristina is simply the best character to come out of the series.

After 15 seasons, we've seen a TON of surgeons come and go from Grey Sloan Memorial (or whatever you want to call it). However, none of them have managed to make the lasting impact that Cristina Yang did during her time. As great as Derek, Lexie, Mark and everyone else was, Cristina was the best. She taught us important lessons, she made us laugh and she was honestly just the realest character from start to finish. Here are 15 moments proving that Cristina wins Grey's Anatomy.

15 Without Cristina, Nobody Would Have Survived The Plane Crash

Cristina Yang Plane Crash Episode
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She may have only had 1 shoe during their time stranded in the forest, but Cristina Yang is the only reason any of the surgeons managed to survive that tragedy. When it comes to keeping cool in high-pressure situations, Cristina is the master. Her PTSD afterwards was brutal, but she saved everyone she possibly could.

14 Every Single Time She Mentions How Awesome She Is

Cristina Yang Quote - Im A Hot Person
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There are about 100 Cristina Yang quotes we could pull to prove this point. Sure, she could be borderline cocky at times, but Cristina's confidence was always more inspirational than anything else. She knows she looks amazing, she's aware that she's more talented than most and she truly loves herself. The same cannot be said about most of her co-workers.

13 Declaring Meredith As Her Person

Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey In Scrubs
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Cristina wouldn't have been the amazing character she was if it hadn't been for Meredith. Their relationship is how we first got to see the human side of Cristina. Even though she was amazing pretty much from episode 1, the moment she declared Meredith as her person, she cemented their soulmate status.

12 It's Impossible To Watch Her Fishing Trip Without Crying

Cristina Yang on fishing trip, holding fish
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Cristina and Derek's fishing trip will always live on as one of the best moments out of the entire series. Anytime Cristina's genuine emotions shined through her tough exterior was amazing, but watching her cry while holding that fish was just too real. Derek gets major points for arranging this moment for her.

11 When She Opened Up To Owen About Her Relationship With Burke

Cristina Yang and Owen Hunt arguing in apartment
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Relationships were never all that easy for Cristina, but she and Owen did share some magical moments together before things got bad. When she finally opened up to him about how Burke had chipped away pieces of her, it was such an incredible moment. Sorry MerDer, but Cristina has topped you once again.

10 That Time Callie Let Cristina Cut Her Hair

Cristina Yang cutting Callie Torres'' hair
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While many of Cristina's best moments were her emotional ones, sometimes it was her humor that won us over. When she was in the middle of one of her many meltdowns, she banned together with Callie Torres (of all people) for a day. The fact that she agreed to cut Callie's hair even though she had no idea what she was doing was priceless.

9 Everything Cristina Did During The Hospital Shooting Was Incredibly Brave

Cristina and Jackson during hospital shooting
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Basically anytime Meredith tried to be brave, she wound up being selfish and reckless instead. However, Cristina was always able to keep it together for the both of them. Throughout the entire hospital shooting fiasco, Cristina was a true hero. Nobody works better under pressure than she does (except maybe Bokhee).

8 Her Dance Off With Burke Will Never Get Old

Cristina Yang dance off with Burke
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Anytime Cristina showed off her dance moves was pretty spectacular, but her dance off with Burke was particularly magical. Of course, the happy times didn't even last until the end of the song, but still, those brief moments of joy will always be fun to rewatch. She really does know how to shake it.

7 Everytime She Held Her Ground When Asked About Having Kids

Cristina Yang giving attitude
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This one is a major reason why Cristina Yang is such a brilliant character. It's not often we get fictional female characters who legit don't want to have kids, but in Cristina's case it totally adds up. Surgery is her passion, plain and simple. It caused her a multitude of relationship issues, but she never wavered.

Related: 15 'Grey's Anatomy' Memes As Ruthless As Cristina Yang

6 A Girl & Her Icicle

Cristina Yang and Owen Hunt icicle moment
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Sandra Oh and Shonda Rhimes both get points for this one. How did these two manage to make Cristina getting impaled by an icicle the most romantic thing ever?! Just as Cristina was telling Meredith happy endings do not exist, she got impaled by a falling icicle, which then proceeded to bring her and Owen together. Only on Grey's!

5 Her Never-Ending Passion And Determination Leading Her To Wear A Diaper

Cristina Yang and Lexie Grey Wearing diapers
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The diaper gag is a Grey's classic. Lexie wanted to ensure she could make it through an incredibly long surgery without a break, so she wore a diaper. Cristina being the amazing character she is, was impressed and also very jealous. Nobody understands passion or determination like Cristina and while others mocked Lexie, Cristina understood her genius.

Related: We Totally Forgot These Actors Guest Starred On Grey's Anatomy!

4 Cristina Yang The Bartender Gave Us Life

Cristina Yang bartending at Joe's
greysanatomy.fandom.com

Cristina Yang was a terrible, terrible bartender. However, that will always be one of the greatest early Grey's episodes ever. As heartbreaking as it always was to see something so devastating pull Cristina away from surgery, at least this time it went down in style. Would you just look at that glass of foam!

3 Welcoming George Into The Dead Dads Club

Cristina and George sitting in dermatology
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In general, Cristina and George weren't given enough screen time together, but this one moment was huge. George losing his dad was as sad as any Grey's tragedy and Cristina was the only one in the gang who had been there. "There's a club. The Dead Dads Club. And you can't be in it until you're in it. George, I'm really sorry you had to join the club."

Related: 20 Surprising Facts About Grey's Anatomy Star, Patrick Dempsey

2 Her Marriage Was Doomed To Fail, But Her Dress Selection Was EVERYTHING

Cristina and Owen Wedding at Meredith's
greysanatomy.fandom.com

Cristina knows she looks amazing, her confidence is just on point like that. So leave it to her to pick out the least bridal, but most stunning wedding dress ever. Her marriage to Owen was a really bad idea, but hey, the pictures must have turned out amazing. Red dress for the win!

1 Telling Meredith She's The Sun

Cristina saying goodbye to Meredith in cab
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After 16 seasons, we can say with total certainty that this is still the very best quote to come out of the entire series. Cristina's goodbye to Meredith is almost impossible to get through. Literally, it might even be harder than Meredith losing Derek. The quote goes "Don't let what he wants eclipse what you need. He's very dreamy but he's not the sun, you are."

Next: 10 Grey's Anatomy Characters We Respect (And 10 We Never Will)