As one of the main characters in The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie Bennett plays an integral role. She's an extremely powerful witch who is fiercely loyal and protective over her loved ones. Despite having some of the best character development, she's struggled the most out of all the characters but has always done her best to protect her town and those she loves the most.
Whether they're grand feats of magic or just cool moments, Bonnie has done many great things during the series, but some of them are better than others.
Burning A Creep Who Harassed Her
After Bonnie is brought back to life in the sixth season, she returns with a brand-new outlook and little patience for mistreatment. She and Caroline go to a rave, where a drunk partygoer tries forcing her to dance with him. Bonnie burns him in retaliation, and when he gets upset, she says, "Sorry, I'm hot," before walking away.
It's a small yet awesome moment, as many women can relate to the irritation Bonnie felt at having her boundaries violated, and wish they could respond in a badass manner as she did. It also showed more of an unwillingness to deal with anyone's nonsense, after seasons of having to put up with many different issues.
Keeping Mystic Falls Safe
One of the biggest roles Bonnie plays is the protector of her hometown Mystic Falls. Her magic is the most powerful of anyone on the show, and she's used it to keep the town safe time and again, dealing with any threats. While she did lose some people due to circumstances outside of her control, most of her friends were kept alive because of her actions.
Her dedication and loyalty to her loved ones make her a great protector, and one of the most inspirational characters on the Vampire Diaries, due to her dedication to the safety of the town and its residents.
Refusing To Give Damon The Bennett Talisman
In the first season, Damon is in search of the Bennett Talisman, which was created by Emily to imprison 26 vampires in a tomb to prevent the deaths of innocent people. Bonnie gets the Talisman from Caroline and finds herself pursued by a demanding Damon. Even with his threats and harassment, Bonnie refuses to let him have the Talisman. She is eventually possessed by Emily, who destroys the Talisman to prevent him from using it.
Although many disliked Bonnie for her distrust of vampires, in this case, she was right not to give the Talisman to Damon. He wanted to free Katherine, who would undoubtedly cause more trouble for everyone, and Bonnie was quick to shut the plan down.
Helping Jeremy With His Hunter Abilities
When Jeremy begins to display the mark of The Five, an elite group of vampire hunters, he finds himself overcome with the desire to kill Elena. Bonnie decides to help him, as she doesn't want to lose her best friend, nor does she want Jeremy to kill his sister. She's able to help him transfer his urges into more positive feelings by teaching him to tether himself to something else he cares about. He chooses to think of Bonnie to keep him grounded, which helps him overcome his urges.
Not only did she save her best friend from being killed by her own brother, but she also showcased her ability to help Jeremy without the use of her magic, proving that it's not the only way she can be useful.
Not Reversing The Spell On The Gilbert Device
When Elena's biological mother, Isobel, shows up in Mystic Falls looking for The Gilbert device, a powerful weapon capable of killing vampires, the group doesn't trust her and turns to Bonnie for help. Due to Sheila's death after freeing the imprisoned vampires, Bonnie only pretends to reverse the spell. After the vampires are trapped in the basement of Grayson's Clinic, the device goes off, and they die in the flames. The Salvatores are inside, but Bonnie is able to help them escape.
Bonnie received a lot of hate from Vampire Diaries fans for her refusal to reverse the spell, but if she didn't, the vampires would've wreaked havoc on Mystic Falls, causing more problems. It's sad that her grief caused distrust towards vampires, but she showed remorse for lying and saved the Salvatores.
Desiccating Klaus
Bonnie teams up with the Salvatores to take Klaus down in the second season when he comes to town looking for Elena. Knowing that they need to catch him off guard, they have Bonnie fake her death to gain the element of surprise so she can perform a spell to desiccate him. In the third season, they work together once again to stop Klaus's heart and keep him from continuing to create hybrids who terrorize Mystic Falls.
Not only does Bonnie stop Klaus from hurting more innocent people and making more hybrids, but she also asks for a moment to appreciate the sight of him desiccated. It's a moment that shows how powerful and badass she can be, proving that Bonnie should've been the lead once Elena's storyline was over since she was the only one with enough power to deal with any threats.
Holding Damon able For His Actions
Damon was known for his chaotic approach to problem-solving, but Bonnie was the only one who called him out for his actions. When he turns Caroline into a vampire, Bonnie holds him able for her losing control of her bloodlust and killing an innocent man. She nearly kills Damon as a result, just as she promised she would in the first season finale.
Most of the characters merely yelled at Damon while they tried to undo his problems, but there were no real consequences to angering them. This is a great example of Bonnie being an underrated character in the Vampire Diaries, as she was the only one who held him responsible and encouraged him to make better choices.
Not Giving Up On Herself
After a tumultuous time in the 1994 Prison World, Bonnie finds herself alone on her birthday and laments not being able to spend time around other people. She tries following through with the suicide pact she made with Damon and records a tape apologizing for what she plans to do. Eventually, she re how her Grams wished for her to find peace, and that fuels her to change her mind. Eventually, her friends are able to save her from the Prison World, and she has a new lease on life.
It's an incredibly difficult scene for fans to watch, but it's a powerful look at Bonnie realizing her self-worth. She's stronger than she thinks, and her situation isn't hopeless, no matter how it may have seemed. Many consider this one of Bonnie's best decisions on the Vampire Diaries, as she didn't give in to her hopelessness.
Leaving Mystic Falls
Following the events of the series finale, Bonnie decides to work some final acts of magic, and awaken Elena from her comatose state. After that's done, and there's nothing else left to do, she finally decides it's time to leave Mystic Falls and follow through on her promise to Enzo to see the world. There are no more threats to anyone's safety or to the town, and she's finally able to live her life on her own , something she could never do before.
It's a moment many fans love, as she's no longer in any danger and she doesn't have to keep pushing herself to help anyone else stay safe. She can finally put herself first and live her life the way she wants to.
Holding Back The Fires Of Hell
The final season culminates with the spirits who followed Cade through dimensional planes to Mystic Falls attempting to destroy the town. Vicki plans to use the Maxwell Bell to summon the fires of Hell itself, which appear after the eleventh ring. Bonnie casts a spell to form a protective barrier, aided by the spirits of Sheila and the other previous generations of Bennett witches. With Bonnie in the lead, they contain the fires and use them to destroy Hell itself, saving the town.
Many Bonnie fans consider this to be the greatest thing she's ever done, as she performs an epic feat of heroism to save her hometown. Although there are many unpopular opinions about Bonnie, the fact that she's the most powerful witch in the series isn't one of them.