Top 10 Best Vampire Diaries Characters

The Top Ten
1 Damon Salvatore Damon Salvatore is a fictional character in The Vampire Diaries novel series. He is portrayed by Ian Somerhalder in the television series.

I'm also going to say Damon. He's so interesting, not just because he's extremely attractive, but I like how he's got that whole anti-hero personality to him. He's gone through such an immense amount of pain in his lifetime, and I completely understand why he'd want to shut his emotions off.

He seems at first to be this cruel character, and I'm not saying his reasons justify his actions in killing people, but everything he does is mostly out of love. He doesn't do something to get a car or a house but out of love. I personally sympathized with him the most out of everyone. He seemed so alone and so unstable that at times I wanted to grab him through the screen and give him a giant hug.

I probably wouldn't watch The Vampire Diaries without him. He's so relatable, interesting, and again, very attractive. I wish I had myself a Damon.

Damon has held my interest the most since day one. He is deeply flawed, but Ian plays the character so vulnerably that it is hard to hate him, no matter what he does. It becomes clear that his swagger and humor are to cover his pain. Then, as we get pieces of his backstory, we can relate to him even more. Like Damon, I have made bad judgment calls and been embarrassed. I have lashed out in anger and then regretted it. I have felt rejection and can relate to Damon's pain when Stefan won't trust him or anyone believe in him. Sure, I haven't killed like Damon, but he is, after all, a vampire. Damon is fiercely loyal and protective, even when clearly misunderstood and unsupported. Plus, Ian plays him in such a way that we feel the actual push and pull of wanting to just enjoy the bloodlust like a vampire would and being human like people want him to be.

2 Stefan Salvatore

I hated Stefan at the beginning. He was such a sanctimonious, hypocritical faker. Super annoying. But then, he became the most interesting character in the show. I knew he was horrid beforehand, but boy, this guy is the worst. Even Klaus is impressed.

As a character, he is a complete mess: Am I really supposed to believe that a sadistic mass murderer is pure-hearted? But, leaving aside the authors' screwed-up writing, he is a piece of work. Lying, manipulative, self-deluded, cruel, sadistic, cold-hearted. I love sassy, sadistic Stefan the most.

Although we all love Damon, Stefan always respects everyone's decisions, especially Elena's, even though he loves her to bits. He's a complex, interesting character who's been dragged through hell and back. Ridiculously selfless, he always hangs on no matter how much pain he is in. I am a HUGE Stelena shipper and I've always felt that he was the original Salvatore guy. It was an epic love and they were soul mates when Elena was human, beyond doubt. I'll always wait for my Stefan Salvatore!

3 Katherine Pierce

Katherine is, by far, one of the best characters in the TVD universe. I vote for her because she is just a boss in so many ways. Not even Damon could beat her, in my opinion. He always came second or third for me, but Katherine has more than that. She got her baby taken from her by her father, had to survive for 500 years as a vampire, and even ran to survive. And in the end, she doesn't even deserve the fate she gets. Sending her to oblivion? After she can't even be with Stefan? Wow, life is cruel, you were right, Katherine.

I'm so damn happy that Katherine lived, and... well... I'm not really sad about what she did to Elena. I liked Elena more as a human. But Katherine... I just love her in all the ways! I like her when she's selfless, and even when she's selfish. I'm happy that Katherine's back at being Katherine again. I was really looking forward to 500 Year of Solitude, and I was on the verge of tears when Katherine was going to die.

4 Klaus Mikaelson

Niklaus is like the ultimate redeemable villain. If a bad guy is always evil, it becomes a bit boring. However, if said bad guy shows signs of humanity and possible redemption, that's irresistible. His character is the most developed in the whole Vampire Diaries/Originals, in my opinion, and it's a fascinating character at that. Epic love and betrayal, countless grabs for power, delusions of grandeur, family trauma and drama, and an insatiable thirst for a reason to go on. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's sexy as hell.

Firstly, Joseph Morgan's acting is just on point. He plays every layer of Klaus with such intensity that you actually feel every bit of those emotions yourself. Joseph is so intelligent and creative that, having so little material from the books to go on, he made Klaus into a complex character to begin with. And he is the most attractive man I know of. I don't think, after watching Joseph, anyone would be able to take that place.

Secondly, thanks to Joseph's portrayal (Julie herself admitted that the first bit of complexity to Klaus was brought on by Joseph himself) and the TVD writers, Klaus is an extremely complex and layered character. He is not a bad boy just for the sake of being bad. His actions are driven by one force or another. He is both highly intelligent and deeply emotionally flawed (for entirely understandable reasons: when you meet his parents, so much is explained - including why his brother Elijah is so keen to emotionally redeem Klaus). Being so smart, so cunning, yet so emotionally unbalanced, is central to Klaus's character dynamic. He is smart and cunning enough to cope with his emotional flaws but too shaped by them to overcome them. This generates plenty of dramatic tension, of course. But it also makes him a deeply engaging, if at times horrifying, character.

5 Caroline Forbes

She's definitely my favorite character, besides Stefan and Katherine. Caroline had the best development throughout the whole show. Damon had an amazing development as well. She went from an insecure little girl to the strongest character in the show. She always helped her friends and gave them a second chance, despite everything. She is an amazing friend and literally one of the most selfless characters.

She was treated so badly by everyone and had so many terrible things happen to her, yet she never stopped being a good person. She's definitely one of the funniest and cutest characters ever, and I love how soft and yet badass she can be. She is an amazing mother and deserved so much better. I was so mad that she didn't get her happy ending, but she never gave up, and she never will because she's Caroline Forbes. That's what she does. She'll always fight for herself and her loved ones.

6 Elena Gilbert

Everyone needs to shut up! Elena is not a crybaby. I bet if you lost all your family one by one, you'd be crying your butt off too. After season 4, she got over it, found love, became more likable, and she is just so sweet and adorable. She is gorgeous! People think her voice is annoying, but I think it's adorable. She cares about all her friends and Jeremy and would die for them.

She is so strong and really improved as a character throughout the seasons. In season 4, she shut off her humanity and made it through. Even when she was human, she trained with Alaric to stake a vampire. Her emotions are so powerful, and her love for Damon is stronger than any kind of compulsion ever. The same goes for Stefan. You saw how he fought through it. He may not have succeeded, but he still tried, and he's a ripper. I mean, come on! He didn't rip her head off, at least.

Elena is really amazing, beautiful, strong, caring, and, most of all, human. At the finale, she woke up and lived the rest of her life happy.

7 Bonnie Bennett

Bonnie is the only character in the whole series who, until the end, never did anything that I found annoying, immoral, or wrong. Not only that, but throughout the series, even though she is in it less than Elena and Caroline, she has the most realistic and relatable personality of everyone on the show. Lastly, throughout all of the weird plot lines of the show, she is the only character who I have loved throughout all of it. Bonnie Bennett is my favorite character!

Bonnie is among the top three on my list. There are so many scenes just showing how great she is. I mean, remember the old decades dances where Bonnie died trying to kill Klaus while Elena watched at the door, screaming for her witchy powers to unlock the door. However, we later found that she was alive. And in the new season, we see how truly perfect her character is as she is trapped alone in the 1970s.

Throughout the show, Bonnie has constantly sacrificed herself for her friends, without getting anything in return and she literally doesn't get anything in return. She has always been able to do the right thing and has never changed her morals. She has been betrayed multiple times and they made her seem expendable because her life was linked to Elena's. Bonnie Bennett deserves to be #1 for me, because she deserves it.

8 Alaric Saltzman

Alaric is by far my favorite 'Vampire Diaries' character. He was really interesting and had great depth to him that not many other characters had. His character was realistic and relatable and above all, he was actually a very interesting and moral person. I also love Elijah, Damon, and Caroline is also okay, especially as a vampire.

Loyal and capable. Probably one of the most reliable hunters to have around you.

Hands down, the best character after Damon. Klaus and Elijah come close behind.

9 Rebekah Mikaelson

You want to hate her, but you can't help but love her.

Rebekah seems to possess a list of contradictory personality traits that apply to her. She can act catty, ruthless, selfish, erratic, and vindictive. However, deep down, she's a sweet girl who loves her family and desires nothing more than to find love and be loved, or at least accepted and sympathized with for once.

There are just so many things to admire about this character, and I was intrigued by her from the moment the show started. She is forgiving towards her brother Klaus, despite having been betrayed by him and showing vindictiveness. The fact remains that she was willing to endure his cruelty for over a thousand years, remaining by his side and still loving him. The only reason she acted this way at times was that he stood in the way of her happiness, treated her as his possession, was cruel to her, used her, and took her for granted.

She is admirably fierce, strong, and courageous. In her own way, though she can be emotionally fragile secretly, she is stronger than Klaus. She bravely chose to continue falling in love despite having her heart broken multiple times. Instead of blaming everyone for not loving her, she actively searched for love and tried to earn it. Although she puts up an emotional wall, she does give people chances. She gave Elena a chance and actually began to trust her, perhaps even considering her as something close to a friend, only to be betrayed once again and then daggered. She gave her mother a chance, only to discover her mother wanted to kill her. She gave Damon a chance, only to be used. She gave Stefan another chance, even after all he had done to her, only for him to team up with Klaus and help him dagger her.

Also, I simply love her sass, and there is just something intriguing about her erratic nature, as crazy as that may sound!

10 Elijah Mikaelson

Definitely the best character in both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. He's smart, loyal, and moral. He's just as brutal and aggressive as Klaus, but he uses his power with a fine share of thinking. He's an amazing character. All of his actions come from an everlasting love.

He sacrificed so much for his siblings and for everyone that he loved, although Klaus made his life dark and sad (Klaus killed Gia and Celeste. He constantly ignored all of Elijah's efforts and thoughts). Elijah loves his family with such passion and dedicates himself to his loved ones, always protecting them, no matter how much he gets hurt by their actions. His love for Hayley is so deep and full of emotion, just like his love for all of his family. He deserved so much more...

Elijah is very charming in whatever he does. His entrance into The Vampire Diaries initially led me to hate him. However, he was not the character I thought him to be. He really shined when he showed his moral side. He respected Elena and tried to keep peace. The warmth that he radiates is truly comforting to watch.

The Contenders
11 Tyler Lockwood

I love Tyler. At first, he was the character I hated most, but then he really proved himself. Just like Damon, they were both selfish, narcissistic, and I honestly hated them the most. However, they both proved themselves, and I think they have come a long way from the beginning.

When Tyler died (well, Damon killed him), my heart sunk, and I really hated Damon for it, but it was mostly Sybil's fault. Everyone in this fandom can agree that she is the main reason Tyler died. Unfortunately, Tyler didn't make it all the way to the end, but for me, he was a real contributor to the show, and he will always be my favourite character in the show.

Tyler was the best character. The saddest moment of the show was when Damon killed Tyler. I am sure that I am not the only person who wished it was Matt instead. Tyler was also one of the few werewolves left on the show, and he had a great personality. Tyler and Caroline made a better couple than Caroline and Stefan.

12 Lorenzo 'Enzo' St. John

Enzo! I loved Enzo so much! He went through so much pain in his life, and I think that's why I loved him so much. He was a very brave character, mysterious and deep. He would do anything for the one he loves. When Bonnie and Enzo got together, I really didn't ship them, but in the end, I couldn't believe they weren't together sooner! (#Bonenzo should've been endgame)

I loved everything Enzo said. He had the best accent ever, and everything he said made me cry (happy tears - most of the time). I couldn't imagine the show without him. RIP Lorenzo, love you.

Such an interesting and deep character. You can relate to and understand his pain and rage. He's smart, cunning, and angry enough to get what he wants, but he's also loyal and strong. You can't decide whether you should hate or love him. He is the best minor character since Klaus appeared.

I think Enzo's character is so different compared to anyone else's. He usually did the wrong things for the right reasons, and that made his character so interesting. You can't help but love him. His charming looks and sexy accent are definitely a bonus.

13 Jeremy Gilbert

So hot. So, so, so hot. He happens to be sweet too. And he tried to kill Elena. I love him.

Best. Arms. Ever. No one can argue with that.

Jeremy Gilbert... Where do I start? I always loved Jer! He was strong, loyal, and would do anything for the ones he loved. Jeremy was definitely in my top 10 because I know that TVD wouldn't have been complete without Elena's confused, kinda mysterious, little brother Jeremy! :)

14 Malachai Parker

I love his apathetic nature paired with a wonderful sense of humor. I love how calm he is before going in for the kill, making it truly terrifying and unpredictable. This is something we haven't seen from a villain on the show at all. Sure, Klaus was scary, but his erratic behavior always made it clear who he was going to kill next. Elijah, on the other hand, has a calm demeanor when he kills, and it's always clean and calculated, taking away the element of surprise and the scariness. Kai had a way of being unpredictable yet calculated. Who really saw him stabbing Bonnie coming? And who thought he was going to kill that cab driver? He made every kill so cavalier that you couldn't quite grasp whether he was being friendly or murderous, which is true to the sociopath MO. Anyway, I absolutely loved his character, and season 7 would have been a lot better if he were a part of it.

15 Lexi Branson

I loved Lexi. She showed us a side of Stefan that we otherwise wouldn't have seen. She was the ultimate best friend and other half of Stefan. I liked how there was never any romance between them. They were just two souls that looked out for one another.

She must be in the top 10. Though she plays only a cameo in the series, she really completes Stefan's character, and she's pretty cool herself.

She is so amazing! Although she is not my favorite character on TVD, she just has such an amazing spirit, and I love her friendliness towards everyone. Lexi's a good sport and very cool!

16 Marcel Gerard
17 Hayley Marshall

Hayley Marshall, she's the most loyal and loving character in the entire Vampire Diaries universe.

I just love her and the way she plays in The Originals. I'm a big fan of hers. She really rocks, man. Love you, Hayley.

Best character I have ever seen. So much detail and development. Episode 5x06 left me in tears.

18 Matt Donovan

Matt is one of the more lovable characters to have ever come out of Vampire Diaries, although he is a minor one. He is nice, very friendly, and the type of person you could always depend on. He cares a lot about his friends and would do anything for them.

It is very depressing that he is not even acknowledged by his friends even though he has stood by them through all their hardships. Rather, characters have hated him for something he wasn't responsible for. Stefan and Damon unnecessarily hated Matt when Elena asked Stefan to save Matt instead of herself. He is also always toyed around with by other characters like Katherine, making him seem really pitiful. It really makes me sad to think that he did not have any proper character development in the first few seasons. I bet Matt as a character could have been developed into something much better than what he already is.

19 Jenna Sommers

Funny and pretty. It was nice to have Jenna there as a true reality check when she was unaware of what was happening.

I loved Jenna. She was and still is my favourite character. I was so upset when she died.

20 Kol Mikaelson

I have to say that as Kol's humanity grew stronger, especially in the Originals, I began to completely despise his character. What I loved about him was his careless impulsivity, his charming and playful attitude that could be used both in joking situations as well as right before he's about to rip someone's head off. I love how unpredictable he is, and I won't lie, he's also the most attractive character (to me, anyways) on the show hands down. His personality increases that. But when they start to make him kind and compassionate... blegh. We have other characters for that. They don't all have to be good!

I loved the sociopathic younger brother vibe he had going on. Anyways, he'll always remain my favorite character. Truly in love with Kol Mikaelson.

He is the best of the Originals characters and the best Mikaelson. He is so underrated and deserves more screen time. His death was the saddest in The Vampire Diaries, but in the end, he got the endgame with Davina. I wish we could have seen their wedding.

21 Anna Zhu

She was so strong and beautiful, and cared about the people around her so much that she was willing to do anything for them. She was always the epitome of class and sacrifice and perfectly represented the people around her. Oh, R.I.P Anna.

I like Anna a lot. The actor is great, very believable. She just comes across as generally a good egg.

She and Jeremy were really cute together. It was really sad she died.

22 Silas
23 Elizabeth Forbes

She's certainly a terrific character. The way she looks out for her daughter and her friends, while at the same time taking care of the people of the city, she must be much higher up in the list.

Damon would ha e news ed, and deserved, a mother like Liz it is not casual ne loves Liz that mich.

She deserved better. I love Liz

24 Rose

It would've been much easier for the show to let her live so Damon would forget Elena, and it wouldn't be so irritating to watch annoying Elena not being able to pick between two brothers. She managed to make Damon care for her and show his human side in a very short time, and he even cried when he had to kill her. I knew she was pretty with short hair, but she was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL when she had that long wavy hair.

I love her character because she ended up with a werewolf bite when she protected Damon, even though they only met in a short time.

I love her and her story. She's the best character next to Katherine and Bonnie.

25 Nora Hildegard
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