The Vampire Diaries might’ve had its storytelling mishaps throughout the seasons (especially when it came to the villains introduced in the series’ latter half), but one thing is for certain, the writers knew how to deliver the most satisfying character arcs for its leads. Whether it was making a villain layered or a vampire transformation more thrilling to watch, TVD never seized to amaze fans with how characters like Elena (Nina Dobrev) or Damon (Ian Somerhalder) could evolve with every season.
Everyone changed significantly from Season 1 to Season 8, but character arcs like Stefan’s (Paul Wesley) Ripper shift or Caroline (Candice King) becoming a better vampire than a human, are simply what give the series’ its magical appeal. There were many characters and memorable storylines that were introduced throughout the series’ run, but the following list boasts the character developments that stand out.
10
Jeremy Gilbert Embracing His Destiny as a Hunter
Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) is first introduced as Elena’s emo brother, who usually relied on drugs and his toxic relationship with Vicki (Kayla Ewell) to cope with the loss of his parents. Although he initially tried to become a vampire after meeting and falling for Anna (Malese Jow) in Season 1, he was destined for more. In Season 4, he joins the Brotherhood of the Five, a group of gifted vampire hunters whose bodies become marked by tattoos every time they successfully complete their missions.
Although Jeremy was killed later on in Season 4 after managing to resurrect Silas (Wesley), like most characters in The Vampire Diaries, he returned to life soon after, thanks to Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham). Fast-forward to Season 6: Jeremy fools his sister and the Salvatore Brothers of his plan to go to art school, when in reality he is back to being the vampire hunter he once was. Encouraged by his former professor Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis), Jeremy carries on with his goal, later joining the Salvatore Boarding School to pass his knowledge along as a teacher.
9
Tyler Lockwood Becoming a Werewolf
Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino) wasn’t very likable in Season 1, especially given the way he treated Vicki Donovan or how bad of a friend he was to Matt (Zach Roerig). Yet, once he uncovers his family’s curse and turns into a werewolf, the character changes for the better. With Caroline Forbes as his attentive girlfriend, helping him navigate his full moon transformations, Tyler grows into his own skin. His rage against Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) might have stalled a bit of his arc and ruined his relationship with Caroline, but his thirst for revenge was also valid considering all that he went through as one of Klaus’ hybrids.
In Season 6, after getting resurrected from the Other Side, Tyler is no longer a hybrid but rather a human with a werewolf gene. Despite his best efforts not to trigger the curse again, he eventually goes back to being a werewolf after Liv (Penelope Mitchell) begs him to kill her and save himself. Tyler’s second transformation was emotional in every sense, given his feelings for Liv, and it felt like a full circle moment before the character was killed by Damon in Season 8.
8
Lorenzo St. John Finding Belonging With Bonnie
Enzo (Michael Malarkey) has one of the most devastating backstories in The Vampire Diaries, having been abandoned by Lily Salvatore (Annie Wersching) after being turned into a vampire and captured by the Augustines in the 1950s. It was in the latter chapter of his life that he met Damon and the two became cellmates, helping to cope with the horrors they were experiencing at the hands of the Augustines, getting tested on and weakened several times. Still, when a fire erupted and Damon managed to escape his prison cell, he turned his humanity switch off and left Enzo behind.
In the latter seasons of TVD, Enzo is trying his best to fit in, first looking for belonging through being part of the Heretics and then as part of the Armory. Yet, it was only when he was in charge of monitoring Bonnie that he grew to like her and the two were their happiest. Although Enzo dies at the hands of Stefan in Season 8, before his demise he did find comfort in a relationship with Bonnie, getting the chance to experience true joy, even if momentarily.
7
Klaus Mikaelson Turning Into a Hybrid
Season 2 introduces one of TVD‘s best villains: Klaus. The character is an Original, but different from his siblings, he was born from an affair between his mother Esther (Alice Evans) and her lover, who happened to be a werewolf. Although Esther casts a spell to prevent Klaus from triggering his werewolf gene, he does become a hybrid by the end of Season 2. The whole reason why Klaus is hellbent on becoming a hybrid is so that he can create his own family, given how displaced he felt as part of the Originals. This would also enable him to have even more power and control over other supernatural creatures presented in The CW drama.
His mission to create an army of hybrids might’ve been a cruel one, especially given that one of his hybrid minions was Tyler. Still, if he didn’t intervene in Caroline and Tyler’s relationship by turning the latter into a hybrid, the series wouldn’t have had one of its most beloved platonic ships. Caroline is the reason why Klaus sets Tyler free, because she is able to get through to him like no one else can. Caroline’s connection to Klaus is what helps audiences see through the character’s evil tendencies, and notice that there is more to him than his villainous side.
6
Stefan Salvatore’s Duality as a Ripper
Stefan is presented as a good vampire in Season 1, given that he restrains himself from his blood-sucking urges and holds onto the little humanity he has left while he is dating Elena. Nevertheless, it is later revealed that the reason why Stefan refrains from satiating his thirst with human blood is that he doesn’t know when to stop after a bite. Stefan’s Ripper identity furthers his character arc significantly, proving that despite him always wanting to be good, his vampire nature makes him act otherwise.
Stefan is in constant conflict with himself, because he never wanted to be a vampire, and he often thinks about the possibility of taking the cure to become a human again. Elena’s humanity is one of the biggest reasons why he falls for her at the start of the series, because in many ways it reminds him of who he was before his transformation. Whenever Stefan shuts down his humanity switch and embraces his Ripper side, it’s interesting to see who the character can become when he doesn’t give into his human emotions.
5
Katherine Pierce’s Villainous Journey to Survival
Every great villain has a motif, and Katherine Pierce (Dobrev) had plenty. From having her baby snatched from her after giving birth to being chased by Klaus for centuries, Katherine becomes ruthless because, at the end of the day, she just wants to survive. She’ll do anything to remain standing, even if that means using people as pawns for her calculated schemes. She did make Elena miserable every time she put her life and that of Elena’s loved ones at risk, and added to Mystic Falls’ body count in her many ventures into the small town, but Katherine also had layers.
Although she had feelings for both the Salvatore brothers, Stefan had always been her true love. Every time she let her feelings for him get in the way of her evil side, she was the most vulnerable. Katherine also gets to connect with her daughter Nadia (Olga Fonda) in Season 5, and despite her being far from a nurturing mother to her, Katherine does soften the more she gets to know Nadia. When a villain, even someone as cruel as Katherine, has a deeper motif or shows that she cares about the (few) people she loves, you can’t help but enjoy watching their journey onscreen.
4
Elena Gilbert Transforming Into a Vampire
It was always the plan for Elena to become a vampire, but she didn’t turn into one until Season 4. The build-up of Elena going from a kind-hearted human to a blood-sucking vampire is particularly satisfying to witness, because audiences can’t help but wonder who she will become after the transformation. In the first few seasons of TVD, audiences learn that Elena is just a girl trying to move on from losing her parents in a car crash. She is optimistic even though she’s broken and that attracts Stefan from the moment they cross paths.
Elena ends up losing even more of her loved ones ever since the vampires’ arrival in Mystic Falls, so having her become the creature responsible for a lot of her own suffering is an interesting way to go about her journey. Elena’s relationship with Damon only blossoms after she becomes a vampire, and their whirlwind romance was heavily supported by the fans. Although Elena’s arc is impacted by Nina Dobrev’s decision to leave the series after Season 6, it’s interesting to see her become a vampire and then go back to having a normal human life in the series finale.
3
Caroline Forbes Becoming the “Perfect” Vampire
It’s no surprise Caroline (like Tyler) wasn’t really loved by the fans at first. After all, her character felt like the popular mean girl stereotype, always envious of her best friend Elena for being adored by the guys in her school without even trying. But what no one expected was that Caroline turning into a vampire would make her a better person than she was as a human. If there ever were such a thing as the “perfect” vampire, it would be Caroline, because all of her human emotions are amplified after she’s immortal.
As a vampire, she is more empathetic, charismatic, and over-achieving. She’s always taking it upon herself to plan community events (such as proms and Miss Mystic Falls pageants) and become a friend everyone can rely on. Except for that one time that she shut down her humanity after her mother’s passing, Caroline remained one of the most consistently good characters on TVD until the very end.
2
Damon Salvatore’s Redemption Arc
If Stefan was a good vampire, Damon would be the polar opposite. From the moment he shows up at the Salvatore mansion and mischievously greets his younger sibling, Damon is determined to wreak havoc everywhere he steps foot in Mystic Falls. From using Caroline as his own personal slave and sealing Vicki’s fate by transforming her into a vampire, he couldn’t care less about doing evil things to those around him despite not even having his humanity switch turned off.
Damon’s redeeming qualities begin to show when he falls for Elena, because she sees through all of his bad actions. When they become a couple later on, they undergo several challenges, including Damon getting stuck in the prison world and her falling victim of Kai Parker’s (Chris Wood) “sleeping beauty” spell. The latter is where Damon’s true colors are best displayed, with him agreeing to let Elena sleep in a coffin so that his best friend could get the chance to stay by his side and find a way of breaking the spell. Season 1 Damon would’ve never agreed to let Bonnie live instead of Elena, which only goes to show how much the character evolved throughout the seasons.
1
Bonnie Bennett Growing Into Her Power
Speaking of Bonnie, if there is one person that deserves more recognition for being the most selfless and heroic character on TVD, it has to be her. She was the series’ true MVP, always swooping in to cast a spell to bring someone back from the dead or sparing her friends from their demise. Bonnie is from a long lineage of powerful witches, meaning she is the only person most times that can help save someone from the supernatural creatures taking over Mystic Falls. As a witch, it is in her nature to despise vampires and werewolves, but despite the way she feels or how much suffering she’s been through because of the above creatures, she never seizes to extend her helping hand.
Bonnie’s journey to becoming the powerful witch that takes down hell in the series’ finale is one of the best character arcs in the series, because she went through so much to get to where she ends up. Bonnie’s urge to do what she can to save others led her to play with black magic and suffer the consequences of it. She loses all of her magic in Season 5, only to get access to it again much later in the series. When she takes down hell and breaks Kai’s spell, which was preventing Elena from living at the same time that she did, Bonnie fulfills her witch potential to the fullest.
