Entertainment
10 Greatest Vampires in ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ Ranked
The Vampire Diaries is often brushed off as a teen “girly” show, but let’s be honest, it got plenty of guys hooked too. The supernatural vampire drama got us deep into the vampire lore, far beyond what The Twilight Saga ever touched. And then there were the Salvatore brothers, Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder), two dangerously attractive vampires who quickly had the ladies swooning over them, and teenage boys who wanted to be as charming and powerful as them.
Watching Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley’s bromance and rivalry onscreen became a guilty pleasure for so many who lived for friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and every messy trope in between. Over its run, the show gave us every supernatural being that exists: witches, vampires, werewolves, doppelgängers, hybrids, and Originals (the first vampires created almost a thousand years ago). Now, 17 years after its debut, it’s the perfect time to revisit and celebrate some of the best bloodsuckers to ever rule Mystic Falls.
10
Lexi Branson
Played by Arielle Kebbel
Lexi Branson (Arielle Kebbel) doesn’t have the longest screen time in The Vampire Diaries, but she leaves an outsized mark on the show’s emotional quotient. She was introduced in Season 1 as Stefan’s best friend, who brought him warmth and moral clarity in a world dominated by morally gray vampires. She was the only person who stood with Stefan as a rock-solid presence, and her very existence in his life hinted at the special bond the two shared in their early years.
Lexi was witty, easygoing, and humorous, and her unwavering loyalty towards her friends made her a breath of fresh air in the otherwise supernatural world of backstabbers. Her death, at the hands of Damon, was one of the show’s earliest gut punches, but the writers found a way to bring her back through memories and flashbacks. She reappeared in Seasons 4, 5, and 6 to pull Stefan back from the edge whenever he needed her.
9
Rebekah Mikaelson
Played by Claire Holt
The scream “REBEKAHHHH” still echoes in the ears of TVD fans, years after the show ended. Rebekah Mikaelson (Claire Holt) carried her sass and villainous energy in The Vampire Diaries, but we couldn’t help but feel pity for her occasionally. She was one of the two daughters of the Mikaelson clan, an extremely emotion-driven and impulsive Original vampire who made the wrong choices for love.
She came to Mystic Falls in Season 3, all blonde hair and lethal stilettos, with a confidence that comes from living through a thousand years of family drama, betrayal, and loss. She’s the only Original sibling who openly craves a normal human life — not power, not bloodlust, just a chance to go to school dances, fall in love, and maybe raise a family without dagger-related interruptions. She’s also the only one whose dreams have been interrupted time and again, often by her own brother’s dagger, which left her to spend centuries trapped in an enchanted sleep.
8
Silas
Played by Paul Wesley
Silas (Wesley) was Stefan’s doppelgänger, who was introduced in Season 4 as the shadowy figure pulling strings long before the audience ever saw his face. He was the world’s first Immortal, with only one desire — to be reunited with his one true love, Amara (Nina Dobrev). But his deep love for Amara didn’t make him a noble hero or a romanticized vampire; instead, he became one of the most manipulative and cunning figures in the series.
Wesley took on a completely different persona with Silas, marking a 180-degree shift from Stefan’s personality. Silas’ charm came with a quirky edge, but it was his psychic abilities, shapeshifting, and immunity to most supernatural weaknesses that made him one of the most elusive and dangerous villains to confront, both literally and morally.
7
Caroline Forbes
Played by Candice King
Caroline Forbes (Candice King) might have started The Vampire Diaries as the picture of high school insecurity. Competitive, needy, and constantly trying to prove herself. But her transformation into a vampire in Season 2 (due to Katherine’s scheme) made us fall in love with the confident, sharp-witted woman she grew into. Honestly, vampire Caroline had more guts, character, and edge than human Caroline, and her arc became one of the most satisfying in the series.
She mastered control over her bloodlust faster than almost anyone else, excelled at strategic thinking during crises, and often stood there as the emotional anchor for the group when everyone else’s lives were spinning out of control. Even after being a vampire, Caroline remained the most human character in the show, who felt everything deeply — from her friendships to her most complicated relationships.
6
Katherine Pierce
Played by Nina Dobrev
Katherine Pierce is as captivating as she is fierce, and The Vampire Diaries wouldn’t have half its intrigue without her constant games of manipulation. Played with razor-sharp charisma by Nina Dobrev, Katherine was Elena Gilbert’s 500-year-old doppelgänger, her darkest self, and a far more adept vampire than Elena ever was; someone who would go to any length to survive.
Katherine lived through half a century not because she was strong, but because of her intelligence, uncanny ability to read a room, and the talent to exploit people’s weaknesses before they even realized they had been played. Every major plotline she touched was turned into an unpredictable tragedy for the good ones around her. Her on-again, off-again alliances with the Salvatore brothers added more mystery and oomph to the storyline, and unlike many villains who fade with time, Katherine stayed relevant by adapting, switching allegiances, and always keeping a backup plan (or three) ready.
5
Elijah Mikaelson
Played by Daniel Gillies
Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies) is one of the most honorable vampires in the TVD universe. What we know about Elijah is that he keeps his word, never turns his back on anyone, and can be ruthless when it comes to his family. As an Original, he’s powerful enough to snap most enemies out of existence without breaking a sweat, yet he carries himself with the restraint and elegance of an old-world gentleman. Always impeccably dressed, with a neatly folded handkerchief in his pocket, Elijah was the most sophisticated brother of the Original family.
He had an ironclad moral code, even when it put him at odds with his own family. His loyalty to his brother, Klaus (Joseph Morgan), despite centuries of betrayal, gave the audience a constant push-and-pull between wanting him to break free and respecting the fact that he never abandons his own. He’s a peacemaker in a world that thrives on war, and when diplomacy fails, he’s as lethal as any other Mikaelson, perhaps, even more so.
4
Enzo St. John
Played by Michael Malarkey
Enzo St. John (Michael Malarkey) was never meant to be a central figure in The Vampire Diaries, but soon became a loved character as viewers saw his bromance with Damon. Born 170 years ago, he unexpectedly came across the Augustine organization, which tortured and experimented on him for decades. Those early years left him deeply cynical and bitter in conflict, yet beneath the hardened exterior was someone with a soft heart and a strong sense of self-awareness.
Soon after, he fell in love with Bonnie (Kat Graham), and everything shifted. He became more vulnerable and emotional. Another strong bond he shared was his friendship with Damon, which was built on shared drama and gallows humor, though far from perfect. Enzo was unpredictable at all times, capable of brutal decisions one moment and selfless acts the other. This tension made him one of the most human characters in the show, a reminder that even the most damaged people can find something or someone worth living for.
3
Stefan Salvatore
Played by Paul Wesley
The good Salvatore brother, Stefan, was over a century-old decent vampire when he was first introduced. A brooding, self-controlled figure who refused to feed on humans and cherished rabbits (as a food). He was the moral compass of the show, but soon met with a transition that gave him a perfect good boy-turned-bad trope. As the series unraveled, it became clear that Stefan’s self-controlled nature wasn’t innate, but it was a fragile dam holding back the “Ripper”, his bloodthirsty alter-ego, who reveled in carnage. This duality gave Stefan a rich arc as a hero constantly at war with the darkest parts of himself.
Stefan lived for the people he loved. His relationship with Elena was a slow, all-consuming kind of love, steady but tangled in secrets. With Damon, he was caught in a constant cycle of rivalry and redemption, each brother pulling the other back from the brink at different times. And with Caroline, he found a quieter, more honest kind of love, more like a partnership built on friendship and mutual respect.
2
Klaus Mikaelson
Played by Joseph Morgan
The man, the myth, the legend — Klaus Mikaelson — was the most feared and powerful creature in The Vampire Diaries. An Original and a hybrid, half-vampire and half-werewolf, he carried the most dangerous abilities of both. Klaus rewrote the rules, bent them to his will, manipulated those around him, and ruthlessly killed anyone who crossed him. Every time he appeared on-screen, there was a sense of unpredictability that anything could happen at any moment. Maybe a peace treaty could be struck over a glass of bourbon, or a massacre could unfold before the ice melted in it.
With time, as Klaus’ vulnerable side revealed, everyone quickly jumped to sympathize with the ultimate bad boy of TVD. He could be cruel enough to dagger his siblings one moment and then fiercely protective of them the next. Just a complicated brother who loved and hated his family at the same time, but would never turn his back on them. His bond with Caroline Forbes was one of the most twisted yet beautiful threads in the series, which revealed a softer and more loving layer, one that everyone longed to see.
1
Damon Salvatore
Played by Ian Somerhalder
Damon Salvatore was the reason the audience tuned in, week after week, long before the plot had even settled in. The ever-charming and charismatic Damon, played by Lost‘s Somerhalder, was the bad Salvatore brother, who could kill with his deadly smirk and a wicked smile. He became our favorite villain of the show, but somewhere along the way, his love for Elena completely changed him and turned him into the ultimate romantic hero of the series.
Damon’s moral compass only pointed north when it suited him, and he had no hesitation about snapping necks if it got him what he wanted. Yet, just as easily, he could switch gears and lay his heart bare in a way that caught you off guard. You could never predict his next move, but you could always know that Damon would go to any length to protect Elena. His redemption arc was as complete as it was unexpected, and by the end, Damon had become the most dangerously compelling presence in the entire series.
The Vampire Diaries
- Release Date
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2009 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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The CW
- Directors
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Chris Grismer, Joshua Butler, Marcos Siega, Kellie Cyrus, J. Miller Tobin, John Behring, Jeffrey G. Hunt, Rob Hardy, Leslie Libman, Paul Wesley, Lance Anderson, Darren Genet, John Dahl, Wendey Stanzler, Jesse Warn, Garreth Stover, Geoff Shotz, Ian Somerhalder, Liz Friedlander, David Von Ancken, Kevin Bray, Mike Karasick, Brad Turner, Carol Banker
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