The CW's The Vampire Diaries is a well-loved franchise and even though it ended in 2017, fans are still raving about the show and its complex stories and characters. Over the course of eight seasons, this series had numerous plot twists, many of which impacted audiences greatly.
While some have been discussed in length, such as when Elena chooses Damon over Stefan, other plot twists have often been swept under the rug. All this being said, there are specific plot twists that TVD lovers should acknowledge as impactful to the story and its many arcs.
When Damon and Bonnie Become Best Friends
In season 6, Damon and Bonnie become best friends as they spent a tremendous amount of time alone together in the Ascendant prison world. Bonnie, before this, despised TVD, including being the reason her mom became a vampire and he's done many other malicious things in the past.
The turning point here shows just how much Damon has changed since being with Elena and it also proves how strong his relationship is with her. If Damon didn't actually care about Elena or her feelings, he wouldn't have put so much effort into being a good friend. In a way, he's also trying to make up for how awful he was to Enzo when he escaped Whitmore.
When John Sacrifices Himself for Elena
John always said he wanted the best for Elena, but his anti-vampire sentiments made him one of her least favorite relatives. However, when he realized he had no other way of saving her from a life as a vampire that she didn't want, he gave his life so that she could, hopefully, live normally.
John was not the best father to Elena in any respect, but this touching scene is his final act of showing her that he does care. In the series finale, when Elena and John are reunited, they greet each other like family. She loved him and realized he loved her after his surprising sacrifice.
When Caroline Realizes Elena Is Sired To Damon
In season 4, Caroline is the first one to connect the dots and realize that the reason Elena acted weird after turning into a vampire is that she's sired to Damon. Because her relationship with Tyler became so difficult due to him being sired to Klaus, one of the most powerful vampires, she was the only one to really see the signs.
This moment was a vital shift in Elena and Damon's relationship and put a moral dilemma in front of Damon. He loves Elena and wants to be with her, but doesn't know if she only likes him because she's sired. While the show lets this thread fade over time, it's still important to how much of an impact this made on how Elena's friends view her and Damon.
When Stefan Finds Out He Is Also A Doppelgänger
When Silas shows up in Mystic Falls, he plays the part of Stefan just like Katherine pretends to be Elena. When it's revealed later that Silas's immortality creates duplicates of him over time, it completely changes what it means to be a doppelgänger in TVD.
Not only does this help explain why Elena and Katherine look alike, but it ties into the lore of the universe and how certain highly powerful beings were created. This moment also explains why Stefan was drawn to both Elena and Katherine despite their incredibly different personalities.
When Caroline's Blood Makes Her Mom's Cancer Worse
One of the saddest plot twists in this show happens when Caroline tries to feed her mom her vampire blood to help cure or reverse her cancer and it doesn't work. Sheriff Forbes is one of the most sympathetic and genuinely kind characters, but it took her a while to actually be able to see her daughter as something more than a vampire.
This twist shows how far Sheriff Forbes has come since her town council days because she doesn't blame Caroline or her vampirism for what happens to her. This was one of the worst things to happen to Caroline because her mother's illness came just as they finally started to get along after years of distrust.
When Elena Forces Katherine To Take The Cure
Elena wanted the cure to vampirism more than anything, but when the cure was finally in reach, she decided to use it to take her revenge on Katherine rather than save herself. Not only did this action go against Elena's character, but it proves how much being a vampire changed her.
Though this meant that Katherine would be able to live the life Elena wanted, it ultimately doomed Katherine to a fate worse than death. It's one of the few times in the show that Elena chose the violent path rather than the pacifist one.
When Elena Finds Out Mikael Is The Father Of The Originals
The Originals are the first vampires to be created in TVD and they are almost impossible to kill, almost 1000 years old, and have some serious daddy issues. Their father, Mikael, is the ancient vampire hunter they all fear and when Damon tells Elena this, it's shocking beyond belief.
This twist not only allowed the show to dive deeper into the origins of this powerful family, but it also showed that it's highly dysfunctional at its core. This twist also leads to the discovery that Klaus killed Ester even though Rebekah thought it was Mikael. The Originals have too much power, but this realization confirmed in Elena's mind that not all of them will do evil with what they have been given.
When Caroline's Dad Resists Compulsion
Caroline's dad who is a proud gay man is ironically one of the least accepting people of her vampirism. When he first found out, he tortured her for days. He is so anti-vampire that instead of drinking vervain, he trained himself to resist compulsion, something that no one else in TVD had ever been able to do.
This plot twist meant that Caroline would never be the person that he wants her to be and that she would never feel his parental love again. Additionally, this story thread also opened up the idea that people can learn to resist vampire compulsion, something that most think is impossible.
When Alaric Becomes The Ultimate Original Hunter
Alaric started off the series as a vampire hunter, but when Ester turns him into a vampire hunter akin to Michael due to his resurrection ring, he becomes one of the most dangerous and unhinged hunters ever created. All of his friends assumed he had died, which made this frightening reality even more unexpected.
Alaric's turn here made him one of the most frightening villains in the show because he was unpredictable and possessed the only indestructible white oak stake left that can kill Klaus. What makes matters worse is that this fate would have been avoided if Damon had stayed by Alaric's side until he ed away fully.
When Damon Met Elena Before Stefan
Everyone knows that Stefan first met Elena when he saved her from the car accident that killed her parents, but when it's later revealed in the show that Damon actually spoke with her before then, the entire story shifts. Elena realizes this in the episode where she becomes a vampire and her compulsion wears off.
This plot twist changes things significantly because it shows how even though Damon knew about Elena, he wasn't going to get involved so she could have a normal life. He made sure she didn't even the conversation they had so that she wouldn't try to find him or talk to him again. It's one of the most noble things he's done in The Vampire Diaries.