They might not have ended up together in The Vampire Diaries, but Stelena is still one of the most important relationships in the story. Elena's love triangle with the Salvatores was full of ups and downs and there were times when the scale tipped in both directions.
Stefan and Elena left a permanent mark on one another's lives, and their romance made them realize that happiness was still possible. There are viewers who still believe Stefan and Elena were soulmates in The Vampire Diaries, and there are several lines in the series that help strengthen this argument.
"Thank You For Bumping Into Me That Day In The Hallway. I Never Thought I Could Be Happy Again And Then I Met You."
The moment Stefan ran into Elena at school, they were both changed for good. Not only did Elena lose her parents at such a young age, but she was in the car when it happened. The time she spent underwater clearly stayed with her, and she wouldn't be alive if Stefan hadn't witnessed the accident.
Elena went through an unspeakable tragedy that some people might never recover from. However, Stefan was able to guide Elena out of the darkness, and she did the same for him.
"One Night...An Eternity...You Would Never Look At Me The Way You Look At Elena, Would You?"
Katherine never stopped loving Stefan, and she proved it through her romantic gestures in The Vampire Diaries. While he once considered Katherine to be the most important person in his life, Stefan never felt true love until he met Elena.
Katherine's arrogant, but she's also incredibly smart. No matter how badly she wanted Stefan's affections, Katherine knew that no one would ever hold a candle to Elena. Stefan was in several relationships over the years, but Elena was the only person he acted head over heels in love with.
"I Love You, Stefan. Hold Onto That. Never Let That Go."
Stefan was never the same after The Vampire Diaries Season 3, and his time with Klaus was one of the darkest points of his life. He would do anything to save Damon, so it wasn't shocking that he gave up his relationship with Elena and let himself revert back to the ripper.
Klaus forced Stefan to torture and kill, and it didn't take long for him to see himself as a monster. While he couldn't say a word when he called her, Elena knew exactly what Stefan needed to hear. She immediately sensed it was him on the phone, and offered her unconditional love, in spite of everything he'd done.
"The Only Thing Stronger Than Your Craving For Blood Is Your Love For This One Girl."
Stefan doesn't crave blood like a normal vampire, and it only requires one drop for him to lose control. For seasons, viewers witnessed how little it takes for Stefan to become the ripper, yet he managed to resist drinking from Elena.
Originals have the ability to compel other vampires, but even The Vampire Diaries couldn't get Stefan to hurt the girl he loved. Despite being a thousand years old, Klaus had never seen anything like it.
"I Had To Choose And I Picked You. Because I Love You. And No Matter What Happens, It's The Best Choice I Ever Made."
Before Elena drowned under Wickery Bridge and turned into a vampire, she was on her way home to tell Stefan she loved him. Damon had been her rock while Stefan was gone, and when Stefan returned, he did everything in his power to drive her away.
Elena knew who Stefan really was and she never stopped fighting to get him back. On an emotional phone call, she its that it doesn't matter what she feels for Damon because she never stopped loving Stefan.
"When We Were Together, Every Single Atom In My Body Told Me That It Was The Right Thing—That We Were The Perfect Fit."
Even vampires have doubts, and it's rare for a person to be so certain about something that they never question it. There was an abundance of reasons why Stefan and Elena shouldn't be together, and while it turned out to be the opposite, it seemed like the universe was working against them.
However, Stefan knew that what he felt for Elena couldn't be wrong, and viewers never witnessed an ounce of uncertainty. Even after discovering that they were fated to be together, Stefan and Elena remained sure that they fell in love all on their own.
"That's What Love Should Be. You Should Love The Person That Makes You Glad That You're Alive."
When she was trying to choose between Stefan and Damon in The Vampire Diaries Season 3 finale, Elena its that Stefan made her glad to be alive. Rather than fighting to get through the day, the idea of seeing him made her look forward to it.
The moment Stefan and Elena met, her entire outlook on the world changed. Elena realized how valuable life is, and no matter how much she would always miss her parents, it's possible to heal and be happy again.
"It's You And Me, Stefan. Always."
There are several reasons why this is one of Elena's most romantic quotes in The Vampire Diaries. By offering Stefan her blood, she was letting him know that his struggles had become her own.
Elena saw first-hand how dangerous he can be, but she trusted him implicitly. Drinking from animals left Stefan weak and vulnerable, and Elena put her life on the line to ensure his safety. If he lost control, she was prepared to go down the rabbit hole with him.
"She's The Love Of My Life. I'd Go Back To Her In A Heartbeat."
Stefan does end up marrying Caroline before he sacrifices his life to save Mystic Falls, but if given the option, it's difficult to imagine he'd choose anyone over Elena. She may have broken his heart, but Stefan loved her so much that it didn't matter.
It took him a long time to move on with Caroline, and even after they had their first kiss, Stefan continued to have doubts about his feelings for her. Yet when it came to Elena, he was always certain that she was the love of his life.
"Crazy Or Not, That Kind Of Love Never Dies."
Klaus isn't an expert on successful relationships, but he did have a thousand years of life experience to go off of. The fact that he had never witnessed a love as powerful as Stefan and Elena's says a lot about what was between them.
After a quote like this, it's surprising that the two didn't get their happy ever after. However, in an interview with Deadline, the showrunner did it that Stefan and Elena may have found their way back to one another if Nina Dobrev hadn't left the series.