10 Scariest Vampire Diaries Episodes, Ranked

The Vampire Diaries perfected an element of fear tactics that’s not driven by gore or graphic depictions of bloodlust, but instead depended upon nervous tension around what could go wrong. In fact, it is one of the shows which was hugely propelled by Murphy’s Law, because in TVD, all that could go wrong, always did go wrong.

The show did produce a lot of major scary moments, although jump scares weren’t exactly the show’s forte. The dynamic between The Vampire Diaries characters were used to build up the tension, and it totally worked. Nevertheless, throughout the eight seasons, the show did produce some seriously scary episodes.

10 The Sun Also Rises, Season 2, Episode 21

Some of the most hair-raising episodes in TVD are the ones where a lot of things are happening at once. Season 2 was easily one of the most crucial seasons in the entire show, especially vis-a-vis Klaus, who becomes a hybrid in this season and goes on a rampage to achieve this status.

He needed to sacrifice a vampire, a werewolf, and Elena because she was a doppelganger and her blood could create hybrids. Stefan tries to sacrifice himself, Jenna attacks Klaus and gets killed. There was a lot of momentum in this episode because fans were nervous about Elena’s fate if Klaus found her. Klaus does end up finishing the ritual with Elena’s blood. At the end of the episode, Damon reveals he has been bitten by Tyler.

9 The Five, Season 4, Episode 4

This episode alone can give some major anxiety issues to any TVD loyalist, simply because it threatens changes that are way too big. Klaus and Rebekah realize that the vampire hunter Connor is one of “The Five,” a legendary clan of vampire hunters that existed 900 years ago, and it is also revealed that the “Ultimate Weapon” of The Five is possibly a cure for vampirism.

Perceptive fans of the show were smart enough to realize that the reason a cure was mentioned is because it is obviously going to be of immense significance, especially since it can practically change the entire narrative of the show, which threatens a lot of upheaval. 

8 The Reckoning Season 3, Episode 5

“The Reckoning” was easily one of the most explosive episodes on the show and had every first-time viewer at the edge of their seats. The reason for this is of course, a very frustrated Klaus who was unable to create an army of hybrids as planned, because Elena was still alive.

He also turned Stefan’s humanity off in this episode by compelling him, and it was quite scary to witness exactly how easily Klaus could control everyone around him. But the biggest scare arrived at the end of the episode when the big bag Mikaelson dad Mikael was discovered chained in a tomb.

7 Haunted, Season 1, Episode 7

In TVD‘s first season, episode 7 was a reality check for many viewers because it explained how dangerous Mystic Falls was and how easy it was for someone to get killed. The show focused on Vicki’s transition into a vampire and took a deep dive into exactly what happens after one is bitten.

In the course of an hour Vicki bites Jeremy twice and attacks Elena as well, and basically does everything one shouldn’t as a vampire. Though it made for a thrilling watch, the episode has some moments which could give fans some major goosebumps, especially with an unpredictable, bloodthirsty newborn vampire.

6 Resident Evil, Season 5, episode 18

This episode was scary mainly because it took the show to a whole other dimension, one that would change the tone of the show entirely, and of course, it had to do with death. After the introduction of the Other Side the series took a turn into something a lot more Stranger Things-adjacent.

In this episode, Bonnie’s grandmother appears to warn Bonnie about an upheaval on the other side, plus there are some vicious travelers to deal with, and most importantly Elena has some visions about her and Stefan, happily existing in an alternate dimension. This episode is crucial because it was designed to let fans wake up to how important the other side is going to be in the series, going forward.

5 The Last Dance, Season 2, Episode 18

This episode basically makes way for the entire original vampires storyline, as Elijah comes back to life at the end of it. But the real horror monster is of course Elijah’s younger brother Klaus, who is terrorizing Mystic Falls to get his hands on Elena.

The episode proved that Klaus is a predator who could go to any lengths to accomplish his mission, and also explored the breadth of his powers. The biggest scare tactic was of course, Klaus’ manipulations which let him take the form or anyone.

4 The Birthday, Season 3, Episode 1

From season 3 onward the show goes full-throttle on gore and blood. So, details about Stefan’s history as the ‘ripper’ murderer didn’t seem too out of place, but was tremendously harrowing to watch, especially since the character had been introduced as a classic good guy vampire.

This is also one of the most demanding episodes of the season because it requires the fans to process the idea that Stefan is now a full-blown bad guy who’s worse than Klaus very quickly. Plus, Caroline is attacked with vervain by Tyler’s mom, so the entire episode is one big house of horrors. 

3 Pictures Of You, Season 4, Episode 1

Everything is in shambles during the senior prom in Mystic Falls, and and Silas and Elena are the biggest threats. Elena’s humanity has been switched off because she couldn’t deal with the pain of Jeremy’s death, and she’s potentially dangerous to everyone around her, including Bonnie who she actually attacks.

But Silas remains the biggest diversion, as it is revealed that he can impersonate anyone physically and he uses this power to do some significant damage. The entire episode has a looming presence of doom, but Elena’s new self was the scariest element because it was so unsettling. 

2 Masquerade, Season 2, Episode 7

An awful lot of things happen in this episode, so much so that fans have often ranted that this episode could easily be expanded into 2 parts. But the most crucial establishment of the episode is letting fans realize exactly how dangerous and powerful Elena’s doppelganger Katherine is.

There’s a lot of tension between Katherine and the Salvatore Brothers, and the episode is designed to keep the audiences at the edge of their seats, because one never knows what exchange could trigger Katherine’s bloodthirsty side. Elena is in the most at danger here, like in many other episodes, and gets kidnapped at the end of the episode.

1 Dangerous Liaisons, Season 3, Episode 14

Easily one of the most disturbing and frightening episodes of the entire show, Dangerous Liaisons was essentially designed to keep the fans guessing exactly what the Original matriarch is planning against her children, and how far she could go.

As it turned out, their worst fears were true and Esther really did want to do away with her bloodline by linking all of them together so if one of them dies, all of them perish. The fact that Mikaelson children were so blissfully unaware of what their mother wants made the episode all the more unsettling. 

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