Vampire Diaries Universe: The 25 Best Characters, Ranked

Andy Swift
·2 min read

For the first time since 2009, we’re entering a fall season devoid of any new offerings from the Vampire Diaries universe. And like Stefan Salvatore without his daily diet of forest friends, we’re insatiable.

Like so many longtime TVD enthusiasts (those of us to whom the word “thesmatos” really means something!), we’ve spent much of quarantine revisiting the weird, wonderful universe — from Mystic Falls to New Orleans and back again. We’re suddenly spending a lot of time with characters we haven’t seen in years. And we’re having a lot of feelings about them.

In celebration of the franchise’s 11th anniversary, TVLine has assembled another totally non-controversial ranking, this time of the 25 best characters from the Vampire Diaries universe — a category that also includes familiar faces from The Originals and Legacies. (In Legacies‘ defense, the franchise’s latest offshoot hasn’t been around as long to endear itself to us, but that didn’t stop four Salvatore School students from making their way onto our list.)

SPOILER ALERT: It should go without saying, but this list is a spoiler minefield. If you haven’t seen The Vampire Diaries and The Originals in their entirety, or you aren’t fully caught up on Legacies, you might want to turn back now. You’ve been warned!

Browse our ranking of the Vampire Diaries universe’s 25 best characters — you can click here for direct access — then drop a comment with your thoughts below. What does your list look like? (And were any of our top picks way off?)

Launch Gallery: Best <i>Vampire Diaries</i> Universe Characters, Ranked

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