Summary

• Elena's memories of Damon were erased, making her view him as a monster and not wanting anything to do with him.
• The Vampirism Cure restored Elena's memories of Damon as a side effect, allowing their relationship to flourish once again.
• Elena's ultimate fate is hinted at in The Originals and Legacies, where she becomes a doctor and marries Damon Salvatore.

The Vampire Diaries once saw Elena choose to have her memories of Damon erased, but when does Elena Damon again? Despite initially choosing Stefan, Elena ultimately fell in love with Damon when she became a vampire. Their path to a happily-ever-after was not smooth, which was especially true when it appeared that Damon and Bonnie died in an apocalyptic event at the end of season 5. Unable to cope, Elena turned to Alaric and asked that she be purged of knowing she ever loved Damon.

Elena confessed she had fallen in love with Damon while still with Stefan. Erasing this had a domino effect of removing every good memory she had of Damon. As a result, Elena viewed him as a monster. Damon returned to Elena, who wanted nothing to do with him. The option to regain her memories was taken out of her hands when Alaric was rendered human. In a last-ditch attempt, Elena crossed the barrier. This returned bits and pieces of her memories, but it wasn't enough to restore her true feelings.

How Elena Got Her Memories of Damon Back

The Vampirism Cure Restored Elena's Memories

With Bonnie Bennett's escape from the prison world came the reemergence of the cure for vampirism, and Elena was finally able to take the cure. Alongside Damon, Elena got everything she had wished for since becoming a vampire. As well as rendering her human, the cure has a side effect. The transition serves to break any past compulsions. As such, Alaric's efforts are undone and Elena's memories of Damon are restored — starting with the charmingly awkward official first date the two shared.

Throughout The Vampire Diaries season 6, Elena falls in love with Damon all over again. She states such right before taking the cure, with Damon vowing to take it with her. Still, the return of Elena's memories serves as the icing on the cake of their relationship. It also serves as a fitting parallel to the moment Elena became a vampire — when she learned of moments with Damon that he'd previously compelled her to forget and which fueled her falling in love with him the first time.

This was a pivotal moment for the iconic couple, but things never got easy for them. Their later issues included Elena being put to sleep for several years, Damon not becoming human until the final episode and the loss of so many friends over the years. Despite that, the restoration of Elena's memories remains one of the many peak emotional moments in The Vampire Diaries' central romance.

What Happened To Elena After The Vampire Diaries?

Elena Managed To Lead A Normal And Fulfilling Life

This is a great continuing narrative for the character, as it shows she achieved her dreams and followed in her father's footsteps as the town physician.

With two Vampire Diaries spinoff series, The Originals and Legacies, there was always a question of whether Dobrev's Elena would make a reappearance in the universe. Alas, she never did, but her ultimate fate is hinted at in both series. In The Originals season 5, the window of a doctor's office is seen with the name "Elena Salvatore, M.D." written on it. This gives the audience two pieces of information about what happened to Elena: she became a doctor who married Damon Salvatore.

This is a great continuing narrative for the character, as it shows she achieved her dreams and followed in her father's footsteps as the town physician. Nina Dobrev's Elena is referenced again in Legacies as a season 1 episode mentions Damon and Elena having kids. A better look at what happened to Elena came in season 3. Josie Saltzman leaves the Salvatore School and lives at Damon and Elena's home. The house is located at Elena's childhood home and Elena's career as a doctor is brought up.

Elena Isn't The Only Vampire Diaries Character To Lose Their Memory

Amnesia Is A Trope In The Vampire Diaries Universe

Amnesia storylines are not uncommon on television, but they're often poorly received. The drama of wondering when Elena re Damon again, and the nature of how she gave them up, made that plot work for fans of The Vampire Diaries. That wasn't the case when another beloved character forgot who they were. In season 5, after spending months locked in a safe at the bottom of a quarry, Stefan is found and Qetsiyah performs a spell on him in an attempt to rid Silas of his psychic powers.

The spell is successful, but it also causes Stefan to lose his memories. Elena, Damon, and their friends spend the next few episodes trying to jog his memory by bringing him to important places and telling him about his past. Things go poorly, including Stefan turning off his humanity, and that isn't often considered the strongest era for The Vampire Diaries. It only lasted a few episodes before Qetsiyah brought his memories back with a different spell. It was a far cry from the success of the Elena/Damon storyline.