The Vampire Diaries: Biggest Character Transformations In The Show

Since most of The Vampire Diaries’ characters started out as Juniors in high school, it was inevitable for them to develop throughout the series. Given the different levels of trials and tribulations thrown at the characters, some definitely transformed more than others.

There was never a dull moment for Elena, Tyler, Caroline, Damon, and the other beloved characters in the series. With people constantly losing loved ones or discovering their own supernatural abilities, it was good to see that most of them beat the odds and changed for the better.

8 Tyler Lockwood

Tyler Lockwood is the typical high school bully at the beginning of the series. He is insecure with anger issues which set him up to be a very unlikeable character. However, by the end of the first season, viewers were surprised to learn that Tyler could possibly become a werewolf if he triggered the curse. When he does, similar to Caroline’s story, it really changes him and allows him to grow as a character.

From the second season onwards, Tyler’s character shifts from the classic high school bully. He makes some mistakes along the way, like prioritizing revenge over his love for Caroline, but overall he starts to act like an adult. He is there to help his friends, he breaks Klaus’s sire bond and eventually decides what is best for him without putting anyone else in danger. While seen as an unpopular opinion, some fans agreed that Tyler deserved better when he died on the series since his character came so far from the first season.

7 Bonnie Bennet

In the first season of The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie starts out very unsure of herself. Her grandmother tells her that she is descended from witches but Bonnie doesn’t believe her. However, she quickly begins to realize that she has strong supernatural powers when she illuminates an entire room full of candles in the fourth episode of the first season.

By the final season of the show, lighting candles is just a party trick for Bonnie. She is full of confidence and has learned from her mistakes throughout the series. Especially in the season finale, fans see how far she has come when she is able to re-direct hellfire back to hell in order to save Mystic Falls and all of her friends. It is one of Bonnie’s best moments throughout The Vampire Diaries and it is impactful to see her strength as a witch.

6 Jeremy Gilbert

Jeremy Gilbert begins the show as Elena’s angsty teen brother. Considering Jeremy lost his parents and Vicki all within the same year, it is understandable that he acts out. However, after Jeremy learns about vampires his character becomes more motivated and less passive as the series continues.

Jeremy becomes a hunter and despite his struggles with it at first, it is clear that he feels like he finally found his calling. He becomes confident and protective over those important to him and is able to fight for them when he needs to. Jeremy’s entire transformation from a teenager to a young man is definitely one that fans were happy to see.

5 Enzo St. John

Enzo was introduced in the fifth season of the show but that didn’t stop his character from growing and developing until his death in the eighth season. He starts off as an antagonist to Damon and Stefan after wanting revenge for Damon leaving him trapped by the Augustine Society in the 1950s.

Throughout the show, his loyalties do shift but ultimately he ends up siding with and supporting the Salvatores and the rest of the main characters. One thing consistent about Enzo’s character was his dedication when it came to love. It was unexpected though for him to fall for Bonnie when they initially didn’t get along well. Enzo’s change in attitude definitely redeemed himself amongst the characters and the audience by the end of the series.

4 Alaric Saltzman

Alaric starts off as the elusive and mysterious new history teacher in Mystic Falls. Viewers soon find out that he was a vampire hunter and came to Mystic Falls to figure out what happened to his wife. He witnesses Damon drinking her blood and develops a full vendetta against him and all vampires as a result. Cut to the end of the first season, and Alaric already learns that not all vampires are evil.

Alaric goes through a lot throughout the series. He loses Jenna, gets turned into a vampire, gets turned back into a human, falls in love with Jo, and then loses Jo as soon as they get married. Fans especially felt bad for Alaric when Jo dies and he is left alone again. It would be hard to believe that he did not change after all of that. Alaric becomes more protective, especially when his daughters are born, and turns into a man that everyone can rely on. He also becomes much more understanding of the supernatural world throughout the series and ends up becoming best friends with Damon despite their volatile history.

3 Damon Salvatore

Damon goes through some of the biggest transformations throughout the show. He is literally the villain of the first season, putting everyone in danger to open the tomb to save Katherine. By the end of the first season, viewers begin to see some humanity peeking through and become hopeful that Damon is a character they would be able to root for later on in the series.

Despite the numerous mistakes he made throughout the show, by the end of it, Damon truly puts everyone he loves before himself. His willingness to sacrifice himself to save Mystic Falls is a completely opposite attitude from the first season when he was willing to kill everyone in it to get what he wanted. It is amazing for viewers to see how far he has come and how much he ended up deserving Elena by the end of the show.

2 Klaus Mikaelson

When Klaus is introduced in the second season, he is one of the biggest villains the main characters have faced. He is responsible for countless deaths including Aunt Jenna and Carol Lockwood. It is hard to ever think he could grow into a character that fans would love and have sympathy for but he does just that.

Before Klaus’ character was written off The Vampire Diaries to start the spin-off The Originals, audiences see him have a few moments of humanity. His connection with Caroline is when the biggest changes happen, one of them being Klaus coming to Mystic Falls for Caroline’s graduation and saving Damon’s life while he is there. By the season finale, fans learn he sent a huge donation for the Salvatore Boarding School and it is evident that he has definitely grown from being just a villain.

1 Caroline Forbes

Caroline is probably the most transformed character on The Vampire Diaries. She starts out as an insecure and naive high schooler who needs to have control over everything around her or she will implode. After turning into a vampire at the beginning of the second season, Caroline’s character begins to change for the better. Some fans unpopularly believe that this isn’t the case, but Caroline’s actions and attitude after turning prove otherwise.

She is confident and powerful and doesn’t let herself get pushed around by anyone. As the show goes on, everyone can depend on Caroline to give them tough truths and to be there to help them when they need it. One of the cutest ways she grows is her relationship with Stefan. She goes from a girl doting after the new mystery guy to the woman marrying him. While she doesn’t completely change, like her tendency to judge too quickly, it is clear that Caroline becomes such a loveable and iconic character by the end of the series.

About The Author

Laura Torres
(25 Articles Published)

Laura Torres is a List Writer for TV/Movie content for Screen Rant. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts where she was able to study and pursue her passions of film and television with a focus on writing.
When not writing, she loves trying new foods/restaurants, reading and FaceTiming her family back home.

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