The Vampire Diaries is an American supernatural teen drama television series created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series began on the CW on September 10, 2009, and ended on March 10, 2017, with 171 episodes over eight seasons.
The first season had an average of 3.60 million viewers. It was the most-watched series on the network until Arrow surpassed it. The show was nominated for many awards, winning four People's Choice Awards and thirty Teen Choice Awards.
In April 2015, lead actress Nina Dobrev, who played Elena Gilbert, said she would leave the show after its sixth season. Dobrev returned to record a voice-over for the seventh-season finale and appeared as a guest star in the final episode. In March 2016, the CW continued the series for an eighth season, but in July of that year, it was announced that the eighth season, which included 16 episodes, would be the show’s last.
Critics generally praised The Vampire Diaries throughout its run, highlighting strong performances, well-developed characters, and emotional themes. The ideas and characters from the series helped create a media franchise that includes other television shows, web series, novels, and comic books. The Originals (2013–2018), which also aired on the CW, was the first major show in this collection of related works. A spin-off of The Originals called Legacies (2018–2022) also aired on the CW. The Vampire Diaries had a major influence on the supernatural teen drama genre, helping to increase the popularity of vampire-themed media during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Series overview
The series takes place in the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, a place with a long history of supernatural events. It follows Elena Gilbert, a teenage girl who recently lost both of her parents in a car accident, as she begins a relationship with Stefan Salvatore, a 172-year-old vampire who she believes is a regular human. Their connection becomes more complicated when Stefan’s older brother, Damon Salvatore, returns to Mystic Falls with a plan to bring back Katherine Pierce, a woman who is Elena’s doppelgänger.
Although Damon is initially angry with his brother for turning him into a vampire, he eventually makes peace with Stefan. However, their relationship is tested when both brothers fall in love with Elena, creating a love triangle between them. The brothers work to protect Elena while facing dangers to their town, including Katherine, and they also try to hide their identities as vampires. Over time, the pasts of the Salvatore brothers and the town’s history are revealed through flashbacks.
Other storylines include characters such as Elena’s younger brother, Jeremy Gilbert, and her aunt, Jenna Sommers, as well as her friends Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes, their mutual friends Matt Donovan and Tyler Lockwood, Matt’s older sister, Vicki Donovan, and their teacher, Alaric Saltzman, who is also a vampire hunter. The town’s politics are managed by the Founders’ Council, made up of people from the original families that founded Mystic Falls: the Fells, the Forbes, the Lockwoods, the Gilberts, and the Salvatores. This group works to protect the town from vampires, werewolves, witches, hybrids (creatures born from two or more supernatural beings), and ghosts.
Cast and characters
Nina Dobrev plays Elena Gilbert, a young orphan who falls in love with vampire Stefan Salvatore and later his brother, Damon, creating a love triangle. After Stefan turns off his humanity due to being blackmailed by Klaus, Damon gets closer to Elena. This draws her deeper into the supernatural world and puts her in danger from supernatural events in the town. Elena becomes a vampire after the third-season finale but takes a cure to become human again in the sixth season. In the sixth-season finale, Elena's life is tied to Bonnie's, meaning Elena will stay asleep as long as Bonnie is alive. Dobrev also portrays Elena's doppelgänger, Katerina Petrova, also known as Katherine Pierce. Dobrev appears as Katherine in later seasons, with Katherine playing a major role in the second and fifth seasons. Dobrev also plays Amara, the progenitor of the Petrova doppelgängers and Silas's true love, during the fifth season.
Paul Wesley portrays Stefan Salvatore, a kind and caring vampire who is the opposite of his brother, Damon. Later in the series, Stefan reverts to his old ways as a Ripper to save Damon from a werewolf bite. After being forced to turn off his humanity, Stefan becomes more antagonistic but eventually returns to his caring self and reconciles with Elena. Their relationship does not last long, and Stefan becomes human in the final season. He marries Caroline in the eighth season but is killed in the series finale when he sacrifices himself with Katherine to save Mystic Falls. Wesley also plays Silas, the world's first immortal being, in the fourth and fifth seasons, and another doppelgänger, Tom Avery, in the fifth season.
Ian Somerhalder plays Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older brother and a vampire who is often selfish and manipulative but later shows a caring side. Damon repairs his relationship with Stefan and becomes friends with Alaric and Bonnie. Although his love for Elena starts as one-sided, she develops feelings for him as they work together to save Stefan. They begin dating in the fourth season after Elena becomes a vampire and have an on-and-off relationship until Elena is put into a deep sleep at the end of the sixth season.
Steven R. McQueen portrays Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's younger brother, who is later revealed to be her biological cousin. He joins The Five, a vampire-hunting group, gaining supernatural abilities. Jeremy is killed in the fourth season after Katherine throws him onto Silas, who drains his blood. Bonnie resurrects him in the fourth-season finale. In the sixth season, Jeremy leaves Mystic Falls to hunt vampires. He returns in the final episode after Elena's curse is broken and works as a teacher at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, which Alaric and Caroline open.
Sara Canning plays Jenna Sommers, Elena and Jeremy's aunt and legal guardian after their parents' death. She tries to be a role model for them and dates Alaric after he moves to town. Jenna is killed in the second season during Klaus's hybrid ritual after being turned into a vampire.
Kat Graham portrays Bonnie Bennett, Elena and Caroline's best friend and a powerful witch. She dies multiple times but always returns. With help from her grandmother, Sheila, Bonnie learns to control her powers and uses them to help the group. Though she initially dislikes vampires, especially Damon, they become best friends after spending four months trapped with him in a prison world during the sixth season. Bonnie has an on-and-off relationship with Jeremy and later with Enzo. In the seventh season, she faces a curse that puts her vampire friends at risk. In the series finale, Bonnie breaks Elena's sleeping spell and leaves Mystic Falls to travel the world.
Candice King plays Caroline Forbes, Elena and Bonnie's best friend. She becomes more caring after turning into a vampire in the second season. Caroline has relationships with many male characters, including Damon, Matt, Tyler, Alaric, and Stefan. She is involved with Klaus in the fifth season and later gives birth to Alaric and Jo's twin daughters through a spell. Caroline marries Stefan before his death in the eighth season and reconciles with Damon. She raises the twins with Alaric and opens the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted with him.
Zach Roerig plays Matt Donovan, Vicki's younger brother, Elena's childhood friend, and ex-boyfriend. He dates Caroline in the first and second seasons but remains friends with her after they break up. Matt avoids supernatural events and becomes a police officer, later becoming sheriff in the eighth season.
Kayla Ewell portrays Vicki Donovan, Matt's older sister and drug addict. She dates Tyler but is interested in Jeremy. Vicki is turned into a vampire by Damon and killed by Stefan after attacking Elena. After the destruction of the Other Side, she is sent to Hell.
Michael Trevino plays Tyler Lockwood, a werewolf and later a hybrid created by Klaus. His family has a lycanthropic trait, and his father, the mayor, had the gene but did not trigger the curse. Tyler is turned into the first successful hybrid by Klaus but is returned to human form in the fifth-season finale. He reactivates his werewolf gene and leaves town at the end of the sixth season. He appears in the seventh season, protecting Elena's coffin.
Matt Davis portrays Alaric Saltzman, a history teacher, vampire hunter, and Jenna's love interest. Alaric is killed at the end of the third season but returns as a regular character in the sixth season.
Production
At first, Kevin Williamson was not interested in making the series because he thought the idea was too similar to the Twilight books. However, Julie Plec encouraged him to read the books. He became interested in the story, saying, "I began to realize that it was a story about a small town, about that town's hidden parts and about what lurks under the surface." Williamson said the town's story will be the main focus of the series, not the high school.
On February 6, 2009, Variety reported that the CW approved the pilot for The Vampire Diaries, with Williamson and Julie Plec as the head writers, executive producers, and showrunners. On May 19, 2009, the series was officially ordered for the 2009–2010 season.
The pilot episode was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. However, the rest of the seasons were filmed in Covington, Georgia (which is used as the fictional town of Mystic Falls, Virginia) and other areas in Greater Atlanta to take advantage of local tax incentives. On May 10, 2012, a fire broke out in the building on Clark Street in Covington that was used as the setting for Mystic Grill on the show.
The series received a full 22-episode order on October 21, 2009, after strong ratings for the first half of the season. On February 16, 2010, the CW announced it had renewed the show for a second season, which premiered on September 9, 2010. On April 26, 2011, the CW renewed the show for a third season, which premiered on September 15, 2011. The fourth season premiered on October 11, 2012. The CW renewed the show for a fifth season on February 11, 2013. On February 13, 2014, the CW renewed the series for a sixth season. On January 11, 2015, the CW renewed the series for a seventh season.
On April 6, 2015, lead actress Nina Dobrev confirmed she and co-star Michael Trevino (who plays Tyler Lockwood) would leave the show after its sixth season. Dobrev returned to record a voiceover for the seventh-season finale and appeared as a guest star in the series finale. Trevino appeared as a guest star in the seventh and eighth seasons.
In 2025, Dobrev stated that, even though she was the main character, her salary was less than Wesley's and Somerhalder's.
On March 11, 2016, the CW renewed the series for an eighth season, but on July 23, 2016, it was announced that the eighth season, with 16 episodes, would be the show's final season. The final season began airing on October 21, 2016, and ended on March 10, 2017. CW president Mark Pedowitz said in an interview that The Vampire Diaries did not receive an extra episode order for the second season at the request of Williamson. Williamson said he preferred to make a great 22 episodes rather than a good 24. The writers first met for the fifth season on April 15, 2013. Filming began on July 10, 2013, and finished on April 10, 2014. On July 23, 2016, it was announced that the show would end after its 16-episode eighth season.
Reception
Reviews for The Vampire Diaries started with mixed opinions but became more positive as the series continued. Metacritic gave the show a score of 57 out of 100 based on 31 critics, which means some critics liked it and others did not. Entertainment Weekly gave the first episode a B+ grade, saying it showed writer-producer Kevin Williamson returning to his best work. Ken Tucker of The New York Times wrote that the show promised to be entertaining and full of sharp dialogue. Linda Stasi of The New York Post gave the premiere a perfect score, saying she was "hooked after one episode." She praised the fast-paced action and intense vampire scenes. However, Tim Goodman of The San Francisco Chronicle criticized the episode, calling it "awful" and saying the dialogue was weak.
Many critics later said the show improved as it continued. Sarah Hughes of The Independent noted that The Vampire Diaries became a well-made series despite its weak start. The New York Post also praised the character Elena, describing her as strong-willed and independent. Karla Peterson of The San Diego Union-Tribune called the show a high-quality production with talented actors and engaging stories. Mike Hale of The New York Times included the series in his list of top TV shows of 2009.
The second season of The Vampire Diaries received mostly positive reviews, with a Metacritic score of 78 out of 100 based on five critics. As the show reached its third season, critics praised the development of main characters, especially Elena Gilbert (played by Nina Dobrev), Bonnie Bennett (played by Kat Graham), and Caroline Forbes (played by Candice King).
The third-season finale, "The Departed," was highly praised. Diana Steenbergen of IGN said the episode resolved several storylines and highlighted Nina Dobrev's strong acting. Mandi Bierly of Entertainment Weekly praised the writers for creating a surprising ending.
The first episode of The Vampire Diaries, which aired on September 11, 2009, was the most-watched premiere for The CW network at the time, with 4.91 million viewers. Including viewers who watched the episode later using a DVR, the total reached 5.7 million. A 2016 study by The New York Times found that The Vampire Diaries was slightly more popular in areas outside major cities compared to other supernatural shows. However, its fan base was more evenly spread than other shows on the list.
The following table shows the seasonal rankings for The Vampire Diaries based on average total estimated viewers per episode. "Rank" indicates how the show compared to other prime-time television series.
Home media releases
Season one was released on DVD in Regions 1, 2, and 4. It was also released on Blu-ray in Regions A and B. The United States versions include special comments from the cast and crew on some episodes, scenes that were cut from the show, short videos about making the show, online videos, and a downloadable audiobook of L.J. Smith's The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening. The DVD version in Region 2 was released on August 23, 2010. Region 1 started selling DVDs on August 31, 2010, and Region 3 began selling DVDs on September 1, 2010. The Blu-ray version in Region A was released on August 31, 2010. Region B had different release dates: the United Kingdom on August 23, 2010, Brazil on August 26, 2010, and Australia on September 1, 2010.
The Vampire Diaries Season 2 was available on DVD and Blu-ray on August 30, 2011. Region B had different release dates: the United Kingdom on August 22, 2011, and Brazil on August 25, 2011. The Vampire Diaries Season 3 was available on DVD and Blu-ray on September 11, 2012, for Region A, and on September 5, 2012, for Region B. The Vampire Diaries Season 4 was available on DVD and Blu-ray as of September 15, 2013.
In Japan, the fourth season was released in a special collection that includes extra items not found in other regions. The collection includes an ankle bracelet, promotional image cards, and a booklet with information about the cast.
Spin-off
In 2010, Dawn Ostroff, who was the former president of entertainment at the CW, shared an idea for a spin-off show that she believed could be made in a few years. A spin-off was being developed to air during the 2011–12 US TV season. However, because the show’s creator, Williamson, was working on The Secret Circle, the project was paused indefinitely.
On January 11, 2013, the CW announced a special episode called The Originals, which focused on the Originals, a group of characters. The episode, which starred Joseph Morgan as Klaus, was planned to air on April 25, 2013, to test if the show could be made for the 2013–14 season. This second attempt to create a spin-off was led by Julie Plec, and Williamson was not involved.
On April 26, 2013, the CW confirmed that The Originals would be made into a full series for the 2013–14 season. The show first aired on October 3, 2013.
The Originals follows the Mikaelson siblings, who are the first vampires, and their efforts to take control of the French Quarter in New Orleans. The story also includes Hayley and Klaus’s daughter, Hope.
Producers said that characters from both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals would appear in each other’s shows. Claire Holt made a special appearance in The Vampire Diaries during the episodes “I Know What You Did Last Summer” and “500 Years of Solitude.” Michael Trevino appeared in The Originals during the episodes “Bloodletting” and “The River in Reverse.” Joseph Morgan, Daniel Gillies, and Claire Holt returned to The Vampire Diaries for the 100th episode, “500 Years of Solitude.” Nina Dobrev appeared in The Originals during the fifth episode of its second season, “Red Door,” as Tatia, another doppelgänger. Joseph Morgan also returned for a crossover episode titled “Moonlight on the Bayou,” where Paul Wesley appeared in the same episode titled “A Streetcar Named Desire” in The Originals.
At the Television Critics Association winter 2016 press tour, Mark Pedowitz, president of the CW, announced a planned crossover between The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. In this event, Stefan would go on the run and find shelter in New Orleans, where he would meet Klaus.