Mystic Falls in The Vampire Diaries is not like any other sleepy town; in fact, it never sleeps, what with all the vampires and werewolves who practically rule the night. But determining someone’s social standing in Mystic Falls is quite a challenge, particularly because normal human rules and stipulations don’t always apply to the people of the town.
Putting vervain in the water tank or trapping a dangerous vampire in the coffin is a commonplace event, and someone gets stabbed in the heart at least once every week. And yet, the town has quite a few good people, and even some supernatural beings who want to stick to their humane priorities. But when it comes to social status of the main characters in The Vampire Diaries, who are the winners and losers?
Klaus
It’s safe to say that no one really wanted Klaus to be in Mystic Falls, not even his own family . They certainly can’t be blamed, because Klaus’ reputation as a maniacal, powerful vampire killer preceded him, and he had trapped his own siblings in coffins as revenge against them.
Klaus underwent a significant transformation throughout his character arc, and yet he didn’t exactly enjoy an enviable social status at all, but that is mainly because he alienated almost everyone including his brother, whereas the other Originals understood the significance of allies.
Rebekah
Rebekah didn’t really plan on sticking around in Mystic Falls for so long; it became obvious from the very beginning that she detested the population in the town. But she eventually warmed up to a few people, especially Matt, and she also made alliances based on convenience.
Rebekah of course, had undergone a tremendous personal transformation, especially after she reconnected with her siblings and came to understand why her family mattered to her. But despite making some friends and allies in Mystic Falls, she still languished near the bottom of the social totem pole.
Damon
Damon Salvatore started out as a quintessential bad boy who made almost no effort to hide the fact that he was a vampire. But even as Damon became more protective of Elena and some people around him, he was never really able to get in the good books of the townspeople, broadly speaking.
To the human population, he was always perceived as the out-of-control Salvatore brother who did not possess Stefan's sensibilities, and was thus more dangerous. However, it would be unfair to claim he garnered no social credibility, as people around him learned to trust him. In fact, he had even garnered some level of respect for some of his actions.
Elijah
In unlikely ways, Elijah has always been an ally to the innocent. He's not perfect and certainly gets violent now and again, but for an Original vampire in Mystic Falls, he's pretty good. But it becomes obvious that Elijah’s reputation as the powerful, older Original precedes him. His public displays of strength, though quite intimidating, weren’t meant to harm innocent civilians.
He helped save Elena’s life multiple times, and it became quickly known that despite being an Original, he is the most merciful Mikaelson. But his social standing can’t really have been very great, irrespective of how many lives he saved, considering his origins.
Caroline
Caroline fit the popular cheerleader trope perfectly, until of course, she turned into a vampire. Everyone in Mystic Falls loved Caroline and there’s no evidence that things changed after she was turned into a vampire.
Noticeably, Caroline’s dynamic with humans, especially humans who had very little supernatural connections, was never explored. But it’s important to note that Tyler’s mom wanted to kill Caroline, and she was a member of the Town Council and the mayor of Mystic Falls, so that suggests there was some unrest among the council regarding Caroline.
Alaric
Alaric had shared a connection with the town long before he arrived in Mystic Falls. He was married to Elena’s birth mother Isobel, he was a vampire hunter, and he was broadly characterized on the show as a ‘hero’ and someone who is a protector. His anti-vampire stance obviously changed over time as he started caring about the people around him, even Damon, who had killed and turned Isobel.
Clearly, Alaric had an excellent standing in Mystic Falls, as he eventually goes on to establish the Salvatore Boarding School in Legacies and also worked with people around him to help gifted local children.
Bonnie
Bonnie was introduced as a bubbly, optimistic teenager who was also intelligent and aware of her psychic abilities, though she learned about her heritage much later on. Bonnie was also tougher and more intuitive than her BFF Elena, so she had a no-nonsense reputation in the town. Her friends trusted her immensely and looked to her for advice since Bonnie was a decision-maker.
Even after Bonnie suffers grief, loss and learns more about her own history, she stays true to her priorities, and she is never insecure about her reputation or her social standing.
Stefan
Determining Stefan’s social standing in Mystic Falls is tricky; he’s a vampire who simply refuses to give in to his base urges and in season 1, he is actually ired a lot by the people around him. Even after his Ripper episode, people seem to trust him.
One reason for their bias towards the younger Salvatore brother is, of course, connected to Damon. Compared to the unpredictable and moody Damon, Stefan comes across as very humane and benevolent. The people around him trust him enough to know that he won’t abuse his powers. However, he’s rarely seen hanging out with the human population, or with people who have no vampire connections, so it’s difficult to determine how he was broadly perceived.
Matt
Matt had an impeccable standing amid his fellow townsfolk, and besides a few erratic episodes, he was widely adored by the people around him. His character had always been designed to be the quintessential good guy, someone who even after a lot of heartbreaks and personal losses will choose to fight the good fight.
His unflinching integrity and loyalty to his friends is actually what earns him most of his credibility, and eventually helps Matt become sheriff.
Elena
For as long as TVD viewers can , Elena has always been in trouble, and everyone she knows has rallied around her to help. She suffered the loss of her parents and her brother, she was constantly preyed upon by Klaus and Katherine for being a doppelgänger, and it didn’t help that she was in love with a vampire.
But people in Mystic Falls mainly felt sorry for Elena because they had seen her change from a happy-go-lucky kid to a grief-stricken girl whose pain never seemed to end. People around her were largely concerned about her wellbeing, and her unpredictable phases were mostly forgiven.