Why did Grace leave Manifest? All the answers

Grace Stone in Manifest wasn’t a fan favorite at the start of the show, but by the end of season 3, Grace, played by Athena Karnakis, was a beloved character. The show’s creator told Variety that the showrunners didn’t intend for Grace to be an unlikeable character:
“She [Grace] had become such a fan favorite, which was so gratifying to me. Because a lot of people forget that she was less than a fan favorite in Season 1, which really bummed me out. I never intended for her to be a character who was rejected by the fans, and I was really delighted when we were able to turn that around.”
It was always the plan for Grace to die at the end of season 3
Following Angelina Meyer’s rescue from her religious fundamentalist parents, Ben and Grace Stone welcome her into their home, where she bonds with Cal and his sister Eden.
After chatting with Adrian Shannon, Meyer believes she needs a guardian angel to guarantee her survival. In her mind, Eden, Ben and Grace’s baby, is her guardian angel, so she hatches a plan to abduct the child.
Grace thwarts Angelina, who responds by fatally stabbing her. She dies after reconnecting with Cal for the last time. Rake said he didn’t take the decision to kill Grace lightly, but she needed to pass for the purposes of the narrative. “This was part of our story,” Rake told TV Insider.
He added that Ben’s processing of the tragic death would be a crucial aspect of his storyline:
“A Season 4 of Manifest for Ben is absolutely centered around processing, digesting, coming to emotional terms with such an unspeakable loss, and then trying to find a way to seek vengeance, to kind of justify the act in terms of finding some meaning out of it.”
Grace returned briefly in season 4, Part 1, as a ghost. However, it wasn’t Grace’s real ghost returning to check on her family; Angelina used Grace’s appearance to convince Ben to deliver Eden to her, but he didn’t fall for it.
“We brought her back in a very perverse way that I feel I have to apologize for because there’s great trickery involved, and I hope it wasn’t ultimately a bad trip for the fans,” Rake told Variety.
Some fans weren’t impressed by the showrunner’s decision to kill Grace. Jay Snow wrote on Collider: “Killing Grace after everything the Stone family has faced undermines how important it was that they find a way to make it through everything together. It makes Grace and Ben reconnecting and the many episodes spent on that story pointless. “
Athena Karnakis left the Manifest team on good terms. On 11th June 2021, Rake dedicated an Instagram post to her, writing:
“Endless love, affection and gratitude to the exquisite Athena Karkanis. You gifted us weekly with humanity, authenticity, and complexity. I’m humbled by your selflessness and your partnership. Thank you always.”