When Caroline Forbes first appeared on The Vampire Diaries, it's fair to say that fans didn't exactly warm to her straight away. She had potential to be a great character but her personality and attitude got in the way, big time. Caroline was a small fry compared to Elena Gilbert or Bonnie Bennett.
However, when Caroline became a vampire in the show's second season, she basically became a completely different character, and fans loved it. Here was a woman who was brave and refused to put up with any rubbish, but she also went through the wars during her time on the show.
Felt Bad - When She Became A Vampire
To be honest, Caroline was a rare case in that becoming a vampire actually made her a better person. This contrasts with other vampires like Stefan, Damon, and Elena, who were never truly at peace with their vampiric existence.
However, in the beginning, right after Caroline transitioned, she was absolutely terrified. Before this, Caroline had no idea about the supernatural so she had no clue about what was happening to her, and watching her go through that alone was heartbreaking.
Hated - Her Personality In Season 1
Although Caroline was one of the best characters in The Vampire Diaries, her first impression left viewers with a lot to be desired. Caroline was a human during the first season, and while she wasn't evil, she wasn't exactly the nicest person ever either.
Caroline was selfish, insecure, and immature. She was also prone to jealousy which damaged her friendship with Elena Gilbert, and her budding potential relationship with Matt Donovan. She was also extremely judgemental, and didn't always listen to what her friends had to say.
Felt Bad - When She Had To Break Up With Matt
Matt was Elena's ex-boyfriend who she dumped right before the series premiere, and he spent quite a few episodes getting over her. Eventually though, Matt became attracted to Caroline, which she reciprocated, much to their surprise.
The two of them actually made quite a sweet couple, as Matt was able to help Caroline get past her 'relationship' with Damon. However, when Caroline became a vampire, she realized it was too dangerous for Matt to be around him and so she forced him to break up with her.
Hated - Leaving Stefan For Alaric
Since Season 5, viewers had been clamoring for Caroline and Stefan to become an item. Stefan and Elena had been broken up for over a year by that point so it was high time for Stefan to find someone new. Caroline was the obvious choice.
They did finally get together in Season 7 until Stefan left Caroline in order to keep her safe. However, Caroline was hurt and she cut Stefan out of her life completely, entering into a relationship with Alaric Saltzman instead. This was completely out of character.
Felt Bad - When She Was Tortured By Her Dad
Right from the very beginning of the series, Caroline and her mom, Liz, were living separately from her father, Bill. It was revealed over time that Liz left her husband because she discovered he was gay. However, Bill was also a member of the Founder's Council.
This meant that he was aware of the existence of vampires in Mystic Falls, and held the same prejudicial beliefs. This led him to kidnap his own daughter and torture her in an effort to dissuade Caroline from ever feeding on humans. It was devastating to watch Caroline suffer at the hands of her father.
Hated - Every Time She Judged Elena
While Caroline got a lot better once she became a vampire, there were still certain aspects to her personality that were less than desirable. Some aspects were lessened by playing them for laughs, such as her need to control everything, which Stefan teased her about frequently.
However, one of the more unpleasant traits Caroline displayed was her tendency to judge her friends on their decisions, especially Elena. Granted, most of Elena's decisions were dumb, but Caroline wasn't perfect, and a little more understanding might have helped.
Felt Bad - When Stefan Died
Caroline and Stefan finally became a couple in the show's seventh season, after sharing a brief kiss in Season 6. Their relationship was just as adorable as fans had hoped for, as both participants were equally ive of, and in love with, the other.
After a couple of years of dating, Stefan finally asked Caroline to marry him and of course she said yes. They got married in the penultimate episode of the series, but Stefan tragically died not long after. Caroline was heartbroken.
Hated - Betraying Klaus
One of Caroline's most popular love interests was Klaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid. Initially, Caroline and Klaus really didn't hit it off, as the latter had done some truly awful things to Caroline's friends, earning him the cold shoulder.
However, as time went on and Klaus began to settle down in Mystic Falls, he and Caroline developed a flirtatious relationship, of which the chemistry was off the charts. Unfortunately, Caroline mostly used this connection to use Klaus, breaking his trust, and fans' hearts, all the time.
Felt Bad - When Her Mom Died
Liz Forbes's gradual illness and slow death led to one of the best and saddest moments in Season 6. By this point in The Vampire Diaries, Liz wasn't only Caroline's mother, she also acted as a surrogate mom to most of the main cast. She even made a friend out of Damon.
Naturally, then, her death hit everyone extremely hard. However, Caroline had it worse than everyone. She loved her mom more than anything, and couldn't handle the pain of losing her so soon. Her grief was clear for everyone to see, and her pain was almost tangible.
Hated - When She Turned Her Humanity Off
When Caroline turned her humanity off, it was completely understandable as she couldn't handle the pain and guilt of her mother's demise. However, it was possibly one of the biggest mistakes of her life. With her emotions off, she transformed back into her Season 1 self.
As if this wasn't bad enough, she forced Stefan to turn off his humanity, leaving the gang with two psychotic vampires to deal with. The worst thing Caroline did, though, was destroy her mother's last words to her, as she would never be able to get them back.