Stefan and Elena's love story was truly epic, and few other romances could touch it. The first couple of The Vampire Diaries, they shared some truly special moments on screen, which is why fans of the show ship them to date. Both of them continue to be most fans' primary ship, despite them not being endgame on the show.
The vampire and human made for an unlikely pair, but they were a perfect fit because of how kind and comionate they were to each other, and to others. Their personalities matched, they were highly compatible, and their scenes together were gorgeous, both romantically and cinematically. For viewers who want to relive the Stelena magic again, these are the episodes to add to the rewatch list.
"The Night of the Comet" (1x02)
After lingering glances and tentative smiles, the chemistry came to a head in an amazing moment when Stefan and Elena kissed under shooting stars. Elena was quite torn up over the loss of her parents still, so it was nice to see her find some love in a kind person like Stefan.
Their diary entries about each other synced perfectly, they were crushing on each other very hard, and it was wonderful to watch the beginnings of one of the most iconic TV couples of all time.
"The Turning Point" (1x10)
After an internal tussle about whether she and Stefan belonged together, Elena realized that she was in love with him, which led to an emotional reunion between the two. Elena fully accepted Stefan in his true form, as a vampire, and their kiss led to them getting intimate for the first time.
This really marked the beginning of Elena and Stefan's relationship, and also brought in a big complication in the form of Katherine. Elena finally found a photo of her at the end of the episode, but in retrospect, all that really did was made their relationship stronger.
"Unpleasantville" (1x12)
In a lot of ways, Stefan and Elena were true soulmates, and this episode proved just that. Audiences got some funny and lighthearted moments between the two, as they dressed up for the 50s-themed Decade Dance and busted a few moves.
They also got to see just how much Stefan loved her, as he shielded her continuously from the tomb vampires. The couple was really getting into the groove of being together, and getting better at warding off supernatural threats that way.
"Brave New World" (2x02)
Three words sum up why this episode was one of the greatest Stelena episodes of all time — Ferris wheel kiss. This moment between the two is legendary and reflects the sweetness and honesty in their relationship. The carnival may have been destroyed by Caroline, but not for long.
Stefan made sure that Elena got what she wanted at the end, which was a memorable carnival experience, and her kiss at the top of the Ferris wheel after hours erased all the tensions of the stressful evening they had.
"Kill Or Be Killed" (2x05)
One of the most heartwarming ways Stefan and Elena kept their relationship alive in the face of supernatural menace was by pretending to break up. Katherine promised havoc if Stefan stayed with Elena, so they put up a façade, but had cute code words that conveyed their love to each other even as they fake-fought.
One of Elena's wisest and most romantic quotes made an appearance in this episode, where she promised forever to Stefan. She also let him drink a bit of her blood, which was pretty intimate and a treat for Stelena shippers.
"Crying Wolf" (2x14)
This season 2 episode contained the coziest and sweetest Stelena moments, and fans got to see them cohabitate in a way that they hadn't before. Their weekend getaway to the Gilbert cabin was full of wholesome moments, peppered with discovering more about Elena's family.
Their cuddle and talk by the lake was a truly special moment in their history and showed the depth of their feelings for each other. Even the werewolf attack couldn't take away the great day that they had.
"The Last Day" (2x20)
In the face of impending doom and death at the hands of a vengeful Klaus, Elena and Stefan still found a way to express their love to each other. Stefan, being kind and considerate as always, took Stelena for a scenic hike after Damon force-fed her his blood, and let her pour her heart out at losing her humanity.
They spoke of how she wanted to start a family and enjoyed a beautiful sunset with a man who would never do anything to her against her will.
"Birthday" (3x01)
The first episode of season 3 of The Vampire Diaries didn't have a massive amount of Stefan and Elena romance, mainly because he was off with Klaus, but Elena continued to track him. Her birthday party stayed incomplete and not too much fun, but the phone call at the end of the episode changed everything.
Many fans would think that this episode was for Delena shippers, but the silent phone call to Elena by Stefan trumped everything else — their love didn't even need words to be spoken. It was present, and Elena knew it was Stefan who called.
"Resident Evil" (5x18)
This was the ultimate Stefan and Elena montage episode, littered with dream sequences of the perfect life that the two could have had in a different world, one where they were perhaps human. Stelena shippers loved to see it after a barren period, and the romance was endless.
There was a meet-cute, their first kiss outside Elena's front door (with her parents around), them moving in together, proposing to each other, and even some romantic sex. For a moment, it truly did seem that the universe wanted the doppelgangers together. Even in real-time, fans got some Stelena affection as they helped each other escape Markos.
"I'm Thinking of You All the While" (6x22)
As Nina Dobrev made her exit from the show, Elena bade some emotional goodbyes to everyone in her life, especially the Salvatore brothers. She told Stefan she loved him, and that he had saved her life during a time that she thought she couldn't recover from.
She promised to see him again when she woke up, and wanted to see what he would have become by then. The goodbye was sweet, but their chemistry was still palpable in the air.