5 Ways Teen Wolf And The Vampire Diaries Are Similar (& 5 Ways They’re Different)

Teen Wolf and The Vampire Diaries aired on MTV and The CW Network. The supernatural shows took place in two distinct small towns, Beacon Hills and Mystic Falls, in the midst of the paranormal phenomenon. Each series began with its central character, Elena Gilbert and Scott McCall, discovering that supernatural creatures are real. Afterward, it was only a matter of time before their friends got involved, and the entire town was swimming in supernatural characters. Between close friendships formed due to life-threatening events and other aspects of the shows, plenty of details about them were similar.

Yet, there were still many differences between the two supernatural teen dramas. Teen Wolf had a larger variety of supernatural elements, but The Vampire Diaries created a more deeply rooted history and lore of its backstory and characters.

10 Similar: High School

The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf spend plenty of time in High School. High School is a useful location, as it is a way to guarantee that all the main characters are in one place simultaneously. However, it is also just as common for the students of both shows to constantly skip classes or the day entirely.

It was not surprising to watch Elena and Caroline or Scott and Stiles, along with their friends, skip school to track down a villain with all the supernatural occurrences.

9 Different: Werewolves

Werewolves are one supernatural creature that both shows share. However, they are actually very different. On The Vampire Diaries, werewolves must come from a family line that holds the gene and must kill someone to trigger their curse.

On Teen Wolf, there is no curse to become a werewolf. A person is born a werewolf, such as Derek Hale, or they are bitten, or deeply scratched, and turn into one, like Scott McCall. There are also plenty of other differences between the two portrayals of werewolves, such as pack dynamics, backstories, and abilities.

8 Similar: Relationship Drama

As teen dramas, it was no surprise that Teen Wolf and The Vampire Diaries both include plenty of relationship drama. On Teen Wolf, some of it came from one of the show’s most central couples Scott McCall and Allison Argent, who struggled to find the right time for their relationship.

In Mystic Falls, there was constant relationship drama. Regardless if it came from a love triangle, trying to move on from an ex, or their significant other being a ghost, no one could ever catch a break.

7 Different: Backstories

Teen Wolf features the occasional flashback to help explain the essential backstory to an antagonist. They tend to take plenty of time in an episode, as it acts as partial narration leading into the deep history. But, the few flashbacks are nothing compared to the constant flashbacks and backstories in The Vampire Diaries.

Stories constantly brought the characters to the past, allowing viewers to watch the history of Stefan, Damon, Katherine, and many more. These backstories could explain a possible villain and work to fill in blanks about how the vampires became who they are in the show’s present time.

6 Similar: Friendships

On The Vampire Diaries, Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline are the trio the series begins with. As Stefan and Damon integrate into the group and more supernatural occurrences bond them together, their relationships grow stronger, allowing several friendships to flourish as complicated as they may be.

In Beacon Hills, Scott and Stiles are best friends. In the beginning, the two only have each other, but Scott and Allison’s mutual feelings and Scott becoming a werewolf change everything. Suddenly, it isn’t just Scott and Stiles anymore. Allison, Lydia, Derek, and eventual others join their pack to see them form deep relationships.

5 Different: Central Love Triangle

Teen Wolf may have its share of romantic quandaries, but it never devotes time to a real love triangle. Although there are hints of Stiles’ feelings for Lydia that appear while she has other boyfriends, the series only puts Stiles and Lydia together when they are single, with no love triangle bubbling underneath the surface.

The Vampire Diaries took a drastically different approach. At one point or another, nearly every major relationship comes with a love triangle. Although the most known love triangle may be between Stefan, Elena, and Damon, it is not the only love triangle in Mystic Falls. Others are Tyler, Caroline, and Klaus, or Stefan, Katherine, and Damon. However, it doesn’t end there either. Between The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies, the Vampire Diaries Universe is filled with love triangles.

4 Similar: Parental Involvement

Parents are rarely so integral to the plot of teen dramas. Usually, parents have been pushed aside, often considered oblivious or useless to the teenage characters’ storylines. However, this is not entirely the case in The Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf. In Mystic Falls, plenty of the main characters’ parents are already dead or die throughout the series. But, when alive, some of them, such as Caroline’s mother, Liz, are aware of the supernatural. Liz, the Sheriff, helps cover up the supernatural crimes, labeling them as animal attacks.

In Beacon Hills, the parents are involved even more. Although Melissa, a nurse, and Noah, the town Sheriff, are initially oblivious to the supernatural, they eventually learn about werewolves and other creatures. Chris Argent is always aware of the supernatural, beginning the series as a werewolf hunter. All three parents become vital to helping the town survive dangerous supernatural encounters.

3 Different: Witches And Other Supernatural Elements

Witches are a vital part of the occurrences in Mystic Falls. Without Bonnie Bennett, who knows if the Mystic Falls gang would have won so many battles. Having a witch in your corner was helpful in several ways. Additional to witches, there were also vampires and doppelgängers, which explained the real reason why Katherine and Elena were identical.

What Beacon Hills didn’t have of witches, they made up for in a variety of supernatural creatures. The Vampire Diaries didn’t explore outside vampires, witches, and werewolves, which is where Teen Wolf got a leg up. The McCall Pack included banshees, kitsunes, nogitsunes, werecoyotes, and much more.

2 Similar: Small Town

Something these shows have in common is how they take place in small towns. It is also notable to mention that nothing dangerous began occurring to the town’s residents until each show’s premiere. Beacon Hills begins having trouble when Scott is bitten and turned into a werewolf.

Meanwhile, life in Mystic Falls becomes far more troubling when Stefan and Damon Salvatore arrive. Their return to Mystic Falls places several innocent lives in danger, even if they aren’t the only vampires in town.

1 Different: Ending

In the series finale of Teen Wolf, the McCall Pack has become the town’s enemy after Gerard Argent weaponized fear. Turning the main characters into the town’s enemy changed things up and let the series finale become mutually open-ended and a satisfying close. The finale shows Scott save a young werewolf and bring him to meet Stiles, Lydia, Malia, and several other Pack members. The McCall Pack had been on a mission to save and train werewolves while protecting them from hunters. It reveals what happened to beloved characters while also showing they had a new purpose.

The finale of The Vampire Diaries, in addition to ending the series, also served as a connection to the two spinoff shows. The final minutes are also used to prepare viewers for the final season of The Originals with the opening of the Salvatore Boarding School, which also works as the central location in Legacies.

About The Author

Lindsay Press
(274 Articles Published)

Lindsay Press is a freelance writer. As a graduate of SUNY Purchase College with a degree in Screenwriting and Playwriting, Lindsay has loved television shows and movies since childhood. In addition, she loves to create stories and enjoys dystopian futures, teen drama, and fantasy worlds.

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