AtaraxiaIf, like me, you love supernatural series with a bite, you’re probably familiar with The Vampire Diaries. This show follows the well-known characters Stefan, Damon, and Elena, along with close friends like Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy. Let’s take a look back at the characters in this series and its two spin-offs: The Originals and Legacies.
It can be hard to keep track of all the relationships when everyone’s somehow connected—so where to start?
First off, the most obvious relationship is the brotherly bond between Damon and Stefan. It can be a little awkward when you consider that Elena dated both brothers, as did Caroline and Katherine. Katherine, as we all know, manipulated both brothers to achieve her goals, and while Elena starts the series in love with Stefan, she slowly finds herself drawn to his older brother, Damon. But for those who haven’t seen the end of the series, Caroline, who once dated Damon under duress, actually ends up with Stefan by the finale.
Caroline is also the mother of the twins in Legacies, though not with Stefan but with Alaric, as she became pregnant through a magical spell. Alaric, in fact, was once Elena’s stepfather, since Elena’s biological mother was Alaric’s first wife. Another twist connects the characters, as it was actually Damon who turned Isobel, Elena’s mother, into a vampire at her request. Initially believing Damon had killed her, Alaric is very hostile towards him, though he later becomes Damon’s best friend. Isobel is also a descendant of Katherine, which makes Elena a descendant of the Pierce family as well, explaining their connection as “Petrova doppelgängers.” Since Isobel is Elena’s biological mother, she is not related to Jeremy, who is actually Elena’s cousin—Elena’s uncle John is her biological father.
While the relationships in The Vampire Diaries can be complex, things are simpler in the two spin-offs. The Originals centers on sibling bonds, as most of the characters are related by blood. In Legacies, aside from the twin daughters of Alaric and Caroline, none of the characters have direct blood ties, making the storylines easier to follow.
For those who haven’t seen the spin-offs, here’s a brief summary of each:
The Originals takes place during The Vampire Diaries and follows the story of the original vampire family, focusing especially on Klaus, who becomes the father of Hope, the first “tribrid,” and her mother, Hayley. But soon, enemies appear, and the Original family must reconcile and stay united to avoid disaster.
Legacies is set long after these events. Alaric’s twins and Hope are now teenagers. Alaric has opened a boarding school for supernatural youth in the former Salvatore mansion, where he raises his daughters and Hope (while Caroline travels the world, searching for a cure to save her daughters from a looming spell). Here, we follow Hope as she battles numerous villains who all seem to want her dead. The whole school rallies to help Hope defeat Malivore, and they all work together to protect Mystic Falls and, by extension, the entire world.
These spin-offs give us a continuation of beloved characters like Klaus and Alaric, but unfortunately, the main trio from The Vampire Diaries will not return. We’ll have to say goodbye to Damon, Stefan, and Elena, though their peaceful ending leaves us comforted, knowing they’re all in a good place. We might not be able to say the same for Katherine, though!
What’s certain is that these series have made a huge impact on fans, even creating lasting friendships among the actors. We know Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated for a time, and the actors who played Stefan and Damon remain close friends in real life—they even launched a bourbon brand together, inspired by their bond in the show. Many of the actresses have also stayed in touch, including Claire Holt (Rebekah) and Phoebe Tonkin (Hayley), who still seem very close, as seen in their Instagram posts.
