Pick The Best Vampire Diaries Characters And We'll Guess Your Favorite One
- by Laura Martisiute
- – on
- in Movies and TV
The Vampire Diaries is a popular supernatural TV series that was on air between 2009 and 2017. In total, as many as eight seasons and 171 episodes (IMDb) have been released. This TV series starred quite a few talented actors, including Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice King and Joseph Morgan among others.
As fans are without doubt well aware, the plot of The Vampire Diaries focuses on a human - and then later, vampire - girl named Elena and her interactions with the supernatural world. The show begins with Elena running into a centuries old vampire named Stefan. She quickly falls in love with him but their romantic relationship is made complicated by the arrival of Stefan's brother, Damon.
Of course, the series does not just focus on the three main characters (namely Elena, Stefan and Damon). It would be much too boring if it did. As such, many other characters were also introduced throughout the show. Some of these characters we grew to love, others we actively despised. Some characters were only minor, meaning that they only appeared in an episode or two. Others were major, meaning that they were either active all throughout the show or alternatively were major characters in a specific season or two.
Elena Gilbert?
Elena Gilbert was the female protagonist of the show. When we first met her she was an average teenage human girl. In season one episode one of the series we learned that her parents (or rather, her adoptive parents) had recently passed away and that she was blaming herself for the accident. As the show progressed Elena could not help but fall in love with a centuries old vampire named Stefan, and then later, with his brother Damon. At one point of the show Elena was turned into a vampire but she later ended up taking the cure to vampirism.
Stefan Salvatore?
One of the male protagonists of the show, Stefan Salvatore was Damon Salvatore's brother. For much of the show he was Elena Gilbert’s boyfriend. It seemed like the two were soulmates but then Elena ended up choosing Damon. When we first met Stefan it seemed that he was one of the good vampires, meaning that he fed on animals and not humans. However with time we learned that he was once upon a time a ruthless vampire and was even known as a Ripper. Still, unlike his brother Damon, Stefan was selfless, compassionate and honorable.
Damon Salvatore?
One of the male protagonists of the show, Damon Salvatore was Stefan Salvatore’s brother. The two had a difficult relationship at best. They were both once in love with a woman named Katherine who turned them both into vampires. Later, they were both in love with a human girl Elena. While initially Elena was obviously in love with Stefan she could not help but fall for Damon as the show progressed. In the end, she chose the selfish Damon as the love of her life and they both took the cure to vampirism.
John Gilbert?
We first met John Gilbert in season one of The Vampire Diaries. However, like so many other characters he was not around for all that long. Indeed, John passed away in season two of the show. When we first met John, we assumed that he was Elena’s and Jeremy’s uncle. However, it later came to light that he was actually Elena’s biological father. No one really liked John – the fans included – but no one can accuse him of being a bad father. At the end of the day, he wanted his daughter to be happy and even sacrificed his own life to save her.
Ric Saltzman?
Alaric Saltzman, better known as Ric, was one of those characters that we met at the very beginning of the show. Initially he worked as a history teacher at Mystic Falls High School. He seemed pretty normal until it became apparent that he was actually a vampire hunter. He decided to go down this unusual professional route after the disappearance of his wife. He was certain that it was Damon who took the life of his wife and was in for a surprise when Damon confided that his wife actually wanted to become a vampire and voluntarily chose to leave her old life – and Ric – behind.
Lillian Salvatore?
As fans will without doubt have no difficulty in recalling, Lily Salvatore was Stefan’s and Damon’s mother. She was one of the main characters in season six and season seven of the series. The fact that Lily was alive was a huge plot twist, seeing how both Stefan and Damon (as well as their father and Lily’s husband) had assumed that she had passed away from TB. Just like Stefan, Lily had a hard time managing her human cravings and ended up becoming a Ripper. She was later trapped in jail world for more than a century.
Bonnie Bennett?
One of the major characters on the series, Bonnie Bennett was a powerful witch. She was best friends with Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes. When we first met her she had no idea that she had supernatural abilities. Indeed, it was her grandmother, Sheila Bennett, who taught Bonnie how to control her magical powers. With time, Bonnie became an incredibly powerful witch. She was at one point in love with Elena’s little brother Jeremy. At another point during the show she was an Anchor to the Other Side and still during another point she was stuck in jail world with Damon Salvatore (which is where the two got to know each other very well and became very close).
Rebekah Mikaelson?
One of the Original vampires, Rebekah Mikaelson was the half-sister of Klaus and the sister of Elijah and Kol. Unlike most vampires, Rebekah was not particularly happy with her immortal life. Indeed, she spent most of her life wishing that she was a human living an ordinary, happy life. She was a hopeless romantic and fell in love countless of times, mostly with men that were either totally unsuitable for her or had other agendas. She was once in love with Stefan but before their relationship could go anywhere she was daggered by Klaus.
Emily Bennett?
Bonnie Bennett’s ancestor, Emily Bennett was a very powerful witch who lived during the 19th century. She was a handmaiden to Katherine Pierce and even made her a vampire daylight ring. Unfortunately, Katherine betrayed Emily to the Founder’s Council in an effort to save herself. As such, Emily was burned at the stake for possessing supernatural abilities. Despite this betrayal, Emily made a promise to Damon Salvatore that she would protect Katherine if he ensured that her family lineage survived.
Liv Parker?
Olivia Parker, better known as Liv, was a witch of the Gemini coven. We first met her in season five of the series. In season five, Liv could be seen attending Whitmore College. It was at Whitmore College that she befriended Bonnie Bennett. Liv initially pretended that she was an inexperienced witch so as to get closer to Bonnie. Eventually however her extraordinary magical abilities and her true motive - she was sent over along with her brother to put a stop to Markos and the Travelers - were revealed.
Carol Lockwood?
Another character that was introduced at the very start of the show, Carol Lockwood was Tyler Lockwood’s mother. She did not make it past season four however. Carol was a member of the Town Council. After her husband – Richard Lockwood – passed away she became the Mayor of Mystic Falls. Curiously enough, Carol was not aware of the existence of werewolves until her son turned into one. Her life was taken by the original vampire and hybrid Klaus Mikaelson, as a way to get back at Tyler for betraying him.
Caroline Forbes?
Best friends with Elena and Bonnie, Caroline Forbes was insufferable when we first met her in season one of the show. However, with time Caroline really grew as a person and as most people will probably agree, became one of the best characters on the series. Caroline Forbes was the daughter of Elizabeth Forbes. She was turned into a vampire pretty early on in the series. She was the love interest of Klaus Mikaelson but ended up marrying Stefan Salvatore.
Katherine Pierce?
Katherine Pierce was a doppelganger and a vampire. She was the main antagonist not only in the first few seasons of The Vampire Diaries but also in the last few seasons of the series. She was disowned by her family in the late 15th century after she fell pregnant and was almost used by Klaus and Elijah in a sacrifice ritual. She managed to get away however and tricked a vampire into turning her. However, she spent the rest of her life running from Klaus. Perhaps most importantly, Katherine was the one who turned Stefan and Damon into vampires.
Lexi Branson?
Lexi first made an appearance in season one of the show and most fans were quick to fall in love with her. Lexi was Stefan’s best friend and she made a special trip to Mystic Falls to surprise him for his birthday. As most fans will probably have no difficulty in recalling, it was Lexi who helped Stefan overcome his human cravings and taught him how to survive on an animal based diet. Unfortunately, Lexi’s life was taken by Stefan’s brother Damon.
Elijah Mikaelson?
One of the Original vampires, Elijah Mikaelson was Klaus’s half-brother. He was also Kol’s and Rebekah’s brother. He made an appearance early on in the show. Indeed, he was the main antagonist in season two of The Vampire Diaries. As fans will without doubt recall, he was after Elena. Elijah had a complicated relationship with Klaus. Unlike Klaus, Elijah did have a strong moral compass and was at times a true gentleman. Curiously enough, he was at one point in a relationship with Katherine Pierce.
Jo Laughlin?
Josette Laughlin, better known simply as Jo, did not make an appearance on The Vampire Diaries until season six of the show. She was a witch of the Gemini Coven. She ended up falling pregnant with Ric Saltzman’s children and the two immediately made up their minds to get married. Unfortunately, Jo never got to enjoy wedded bliss for her life was taken away by her twin brother Kai. The tragic wedding was not the last time we saw her however – Jo later made an appearance as a spirit and could be seen watching over Ric and her children at the Salvatore Boarding House which was turned into Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted by Ric and Caroline.
Klaus Mikaelson?
Klaus Mikaelson was the main antagonist of The Vampire Diaries. He was one of the Original vampires as well as a hybrid (meaning that he was not only a vampire but also a werewolf). He was the half-brother of Rebekah, Elijah, and Kol. Klaus spent most of his time attempting to create an army of hybrids. He was one of the most powerful vampires throughout most of the show and yet he too was quite helpless when it came to love – he ended up falling for Caroline Forbes.
Kai Parker?
Malachai Parker, better known as Kai, made an appearance in season six of the show. As most fans will probably have no difficulty in recalling, he was one of the main antagonists in the later seasons of The Vampire Diaries. He was the older brother of Lucas, Olivia and Joey and the twin brother of Josette (better known as Jo). After it became apparent that he was a Siphoner his family began to treat him extremely poorly. It is perhaps because of this that he became so bitter and vengeful later on in life.
Elizabeth Forbes?
Elizabeth Forbes, better known simply as Liz, was Caroline’s mother and the sheriff of Mystic Falls. She was also a member of the Founder’s Council. At the start of the show Liz befriended Damon without realizing that he was a vampire. Naturally, after Liz came to understand who he really was their relationship cooled significantly. The relationship between Liz and her daughter Caroline also deteriorated after Caroline was turned into a vampire. Nonetheless, with time Liz learned to love her daughter even in vampire form.
Matt Donovan?
Matthew Donovan, best known as Matt, was best friends with Elena, Caroline and Bonnie. He once dated not only Elena (the two went out before her parents passed away in a car accident) but also Caroline and even the Original vampire Rebekah. Matt was portrayed as a very loyal and protective friend who would do anything for his friends. Upon finding out about supernatural creatures he distanced himself from his childhood friends but nonetheless helped them when they were in trouble. At one point during the show he left Mystic Falls but later returned and became a sheriff.
Vicki Donovan?
Vicki Donovan was one of the main characters in the first season of the show. She wasn’t particularly likable but still, she did not deserve to be staked by Stefan Salvatore (even if she was completely out of control). She was one of the first few humans to have been turned into a vampire (at least in terms of humans that we as viewers were properly introduced to). Vicki was turned by Damon Salvatore and try as she might, she simply could not adhere to Stefan’s bunny diet which made her a threat to everyone around her.
Enzo St. John?
Lorenzo St. John, better known simply as Enzo, made an appearance in the later seasons of the show. It turned out that back in the 1950's he was Damon Salvatore’s cellmate. Back then, the two were apparently held in captivity by the Augustines. Damon and Enzo came up with a plan to escape the clutches of the Augustines but the plan went wrong and Damon had to abandon his friend. Enzo managed to escape later on and was initially very bitter and upset about the fact that Damon abandoned him. Nonetheless, they later made up.
Tyler Lockwood?
When we first met Tyler Lockwood he was arrogant and selfish. Unlike most other characters, he didn’t change all that much throughout the show. After Tyler triggered his family’s werewolf gene he ended up turning into one. Later, he became one of Klaus’s hybrids. Tyler was sired to Klaus but with time learned to break his sire bond and ended up teaching other hybrids how to do the same. At one point during the show he was in love with Caroline Forbes. They were in a long-term relationship which was made complicated by Klaus’s feelings for Caroline.
Hayley Marshall?
We did not see all that much of Hayley Marshall-Kenner in The Vampire Diaries. Nonetheless, true fans of the show should have no difficulty in remembering her. Just like Tyler Lockwood, Hayley was also a werewolf. The two had befriended one another when Tyler was out of town and Hayley ended up stopping by Mystic Falls to visit Tyler in season four of the show. Naturally, this made Tyler's then-girlfriend Caroline Forbes very suspicious (although as it turned out, Tyler and Hayley were just friends).
Jeremy Gilbert?
Jeremy Gilbert was Elena’s adoptive brother (although initially we thought that they were biological siblings) and biological cousin. At the start of the series Jeremy was a typical troubled teen although of course his moodiness and apathetic behavior were totally justified – his parents had just recently passed away after all. Jeremy quickly learned about the supernatural beings inhabiting Mystic Falls and even became a vampire hunter. Indeed, Jeremy was also a member of the Brotherhood of the Five. Until the collapse of the Other Side he was also a medium.
Jenna Sommers?
Jenna Sommers was a major character at the start of The Vampire Diaries but she did not make it past season two. She was the maternal aunt of Elena and Jeremy Gilbert. Jenna had no idea about the existence of vampires and werewolves for much of her time on screen. At one point during the show she fell in love with Ric Saltzman but their relationship became complicated after she learned that his wife, whom he thought had passed away, was still around. Of course, Jenna finding out that Ric was a vampire hunter did not help either.
Kol Mikaelson?
One of the Original vampires, Kol Mikaelson was the half-brother of Klaus and the brother of Elijah and Rebekah. We first met him in season three of the show and he later also made an appearance in season four and season five of the show. Kol was one of the main antagonists of The Vampire Diaries and seemed to have a particular dislike for Damon Salvatore (who can forget the famous baseball bat scene?) He appeared to be the closest to his sister Rebekah.
Arcadius?
It was in season eight that we first met this character. Unlike most characters on the show, Arcadius – better known simply as Cade – was neither a vampire nor a werewolf. He was not a human either. Rather, he was the world’s first psychic. He later became known as the Devil and the creator of Hell. Back when Arcadius was a human he helped countless of people with his psychic gifts. However, after his village betrayed him his anger caused him to create another dimension which with time became known as Hell.
Abby Bennett?
Abby Bennett was Bonnie Bennett’s mother. She was once a witch and led a semi-normal life in Mystic Falls. However, her life was turned upside down when she was forced to capture a powerful diabolical vampire named Mikael. Abby accomplished the task but in the process of capturing Mikael inside an ancient tomb she lost all her magical powers. She was later turned into a vampire and although we did not see much of her as the show progressed, Bonnie made it clear that her mother was enjoying her new life as an immortal.
Meredith Fell?
Meredith Fell was not a major character but she was nonetheless quite memorable. As most true fans of The Vampire Diaries can probably recall, she made an appearance in season three of the show. She worked as a physician at Mystic Falls Hospital where she met Ric Saltzman. The two fell for each other but their relationship became complicated after Ric became the Darkness. While we did not see her after that, Ric did imply that Meredith was alive and well and that she had moved to Alaska with her new husband.
Anna Zhu?
Another vampire, Annabelle – better known as Anna – was the daughter of a vampire named Pearl. She came to Mystic Falls at the start of the series with the intention of freeing her mother from an ancient tomb where countless of vampires had been confined. In the process of attempting to rescue her mother Anna ended up falling for Elena Gilbert's half-brother, Jeremy Gilbert. However, Anna’s life (as well as the life of her mother) was taken by Elena’s biological father, John Gilbert. However, Anna did return in ghost form later on in the show.
Sheila Bennett?
The maternal grandmother of Bonnie Bennett, Sheila Bennett did not make it past season one of The Vampire Diaries. Sheila raised Bonnie as if she was her own daughter (her actual daughter Abby, the mother of Bonnie, had to flee Mystic Falls after she lost all her magical powers due to successfully capturing and trapping an ancient vampire named Mikael). It was Sheila who told Bonnie that she was a powerful witch and helped her take control of her magical abilities. She passed away after she helped Bonnie perform an immensely powerful spell.
Sybil?
The main antagonist of season eight of The Vampire Diaries, Sybil, also known as The Armory’s Monster, was a siren. Back in 750 B.C. she was taken away from her parents after the village folk discovered that she was a psychic. She was banished to an isolated island where she met another girl with psychic powers, named Seline. There they both began to lead a cannibalistic lifestyle although Sybil believed that she was actually consuming animal meat. When she found out the truth she attempted to take her own life. Her "sister" Seline then made a deal with Cade, the creator of Hell and both Sybil and Seline were turned into sirens.
Isobel Flemming?
One of the biggest plot twists of The Vampire Diaries had to be the fact that Isobel Flemming was Elena Gilbert’s biological mother. Apparently, back in High School Isobel went out with John Gilbert and quickly fell pregnant. She ended up giving her baby to John’s brother Grayson and his wife Miranda. Later on in life Isobel married Alaric Saltzman (better known as Ric). She then became obsessed with vampires and ended up persuading Damon to turn her into one. Shortly after she left her husband (who believed that her life was taken by a vampire and who set out to avenge her). She was good friends with Katherine. Her life was eventually taken by Klaus.
Valerie Tulle?
Valerie Tulle was another character that appeared in the later seasons of the show. She was a member of the Heretics and was, for a long time, stuck in jail world along with Lily Salvatore and a few other vampires. Valerie was actually turned into a vampire by none other than Lily. The two met in a TB ward when Lily was seriously sick. Interestingly enough, in the mid 19th century Valerie and Stefan crossed paths and fell in love with one another. However, she was not allowed to stay with Stefan in case he found out that his mother Lily was alive and well.
