In its eight seasons, The Vampire Diaries introduces plenty of substantial characters and fascinating lore that could be the groundwork for a successful spinoff. The CW’s show was created by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson and is based on L.J. Smith’s series of novels of the same name. The Vampire Diaries is also the longest-running vampire show ever, beating out Buffy the Vampire Slayer and True Blood, which each ran for seven seasons. The Vampire Diaries’ success resulted in two spinoffs, The Originals and Legacies.
Plec teasing a new Vampire Diaries show inevitably prompts speculation about what stories there are left to tell now that the chronicle of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) and Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) is over. Plec and the writers’ room can always return to fan-favorite characters who are riveting in every scene they are in. However, there are still elements of The Vampire Diaries’ mythology that have not been properly explored and great supporting characters that were underused.
10 Tyler’s Post-Mystic Falls Life
A show about Tyler Lockwood could make up for his unceremonious death.
After being a regular character for six seasons, Tyler (Michael Trevino) leaves Mystic Falls to find his way in the world. He then returns in The Vampire Diaries season 8, episode 4, to be murdered by Damon without any narrative fanfare. A spinoff show about Tyler could redeem his storyline, since killing off a long-term character and treating it like a haphazard side event is somewhat insulting.
Tyler’s story could also be used to show more werewolf communities, besides the one featured in The Originals. There are not many werewolves in Mystic Falls besides Tyler. However, in season 3, episode 2, Klaus (Joseph Morgan) and Stefan come across a group of werewolves outside the town who have gathered for a kind of party on the night of their transformation. A spinoff would be an effective way to expand the world by showing how other werewolves live and support each other like this.
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9 The Lexi Branson Diaries
Stefan’s best friend Lexi is a compelling character whose story is never told.
Alexia “Lexi” Branson (Arielle Kebbel), Stefan’s best friend of more than a century, saves the main characters more than once. However, little is known about her life. She met Stefan in the 1860s when she helped him learn to control his bloodlust, as shown in season 2, episode 15. In season 4, episode 17, Damon shares the story of Lexi trying to get him to lead a better life, causing Elena to incredulously say, “You got Lexi-ed?”
This creates a vision of Lexi going around setting wayward vampires straight, which could be the premise of her show. Lexi represents the best of vampirism, arguing that if a vampire can learn to manage their need for blood, they can enjoy all the epic and romantic parts of immortal life to their full extent. Lexi’s personal love story is also never explored, besides her boyfriend Lee (Brandon Quinn) turning up in season 1, episode 11, to avenge her death.
8 Rebekah & Marcel’s Married Life
Rebekah Mikaelson’s story is not over yet.
The Originals
Spinning off from the popular CW series The Vampire Diaries, The Originals is a supernatural drama series that follows three vampiric siblings of the first vampire family known to exist. With the eldest sibling, Klaus being a hybrid of werewolf, witch, and now vampire, the three find themselves attempting to help with the delicate balance of powers in the New Orleans French Quarter as they deal with their own family troubles.
- Release Date
- October 3, 2013
- Cast
- Joseph Morgan , Charles Michael Davis , Phoebe Tonkin , Danielle Campbell , Daniel Gillies , Leah Pipes
- Seasons
- 5
- Writers
- Julie Plec
In The Originals’ ending, Klaus arranges with Caroline (Candice King) for his sister Rebekah (Claire Holt) to receive the cure for vampirism. Rebekah then gets engaged to her long-time, on-and-off partner Marcel Gerard (Charles Michael Davis). Rebekah always wanted to be human and have children — but she still has a few decades left before receiving the cure and plenty of time for more adventures.
A show about Rebekah and Marcel could also find time to further develop the relationship between the Mikaelson sisters, without Klaus and Elijah (Daniel Gillies) dominating the narrative. Freya (Riley Voelkel) has a son of her own with her wife Keelin (Christina Moses) and their friend Vincent (Yusuf Gatewood). The various Mikaelson siblings occasionally appear in Legacies.
7 The Complete History Of Mystic Falls
Mystic Falls has always had a complex rapport with the supernatural.
The Founding Families of Mystic Falls have a long history of coming into conflict with the supernatural and collecting and studying magical artifacts, not always doing the most ethical things regarding either. Elements of the town’s history are important to the show, including the Founding Families rounding up the vampires in the mid-1800s, Samantha Gilbert (Lindsey R. Garrett) being driven to murder several people by her grandfather’s ring, and the activities of the Augustine Society. There is still a lot left to explore, which could comprise a very nuanced and possibly disturbing show.
6 Valerie’s Post-Vampire Diaries Adventures
The mysterious and clever Valerie Tulle could lead her own show.
Valerie (Elizabeth Blackmore) is the sole survivor of Lily Salvatore’s (Annie Wersching) family of Heretic vampires. Valerie comes to the aid of the main Vampire Diaries characters on more than one occasion, becoming a kind of magical consultant. In season 7, episode 18, Valerie ends things with Stefan and leaves to “find a new life that’s completely [her] own.” Valerie is an intelligent woman with magical skill and her new life could be an excellent story. Since Valerie was born into the Gemini Coven, her spinoff could also be used to further explore the coven’s mythology.
5 The Legacies Era From Caroline’s Perspective
While her daughters are in school, Caroline travels the world looking for answers.
Legacies
Legacies is a Supernatural Fantasy Drama created by Julie Plec and starring Danielle Rose Russell, Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, and Aria Shahghasemi. The series if a spin-off of the show The Originals. The premise revolves around Hope Mikaelson, a character deeply rooted in the world of vampires, witches, and werewolves, as she attempts to integrate into life and the many struggles that come with it.
- Release Date
- October 25, 2018
- Cast
- Peyton Alex Smith , Jenny Boyd , Ben Levin , Aria Shahghasemi , Danielle Rose Russell , Leo Howard , Quincy Fouse , Chris Lee , Matthew Davis , Kaylee Bryant
- Seasons
- 4
- Writers
- Julie Plec , Brett Matthews
Vampire Diaries veteran Caroline Forbes appears in a couple of episodes of Legacies. However, most of the time, she leaves her adopted surrogate daughters Josie (Kaylee Kaneshiro) and Lizzie Saltzman (Jenny Boyd) with their father Alaric (Matthew Davis) at the Salvatore boarding school. Caroline spends most of Legacies traveling the world looking for a way around the Gemini Coven’s Merge, which would result in one of her daughters killing the other. Because Caroline is actively looking into supernatural phenomena, the potential for enthralling adventures is endless. Caroline’s spinoff show could also be used to learn more about the Gemini Coven.
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4 Liz Forbes Supernatural Procedural
Despite presenting some plot problems, a show about Caroline’s mother Liz could be a hit.
A spinoff about Caroline’s mother Elizabeth “Liz” Forbes (Marguerite MacIntyre) would admittedly require a lot of plot gymnastics. Liz passes away from cancer in The Vampire Diaries season 6, and there is nothing to suggest that she was constantly dealing with supernatural cases before the Salvatores returned to Mystic Falls. However, if everyone is willing to accept a convoluted alternate timeline or soft retcon scenario, a show about a young Liz Forbes becoming sheriff and dealing with supernatural threats of the week would be amazing.
Maybe Liz buried a lot of these cases to keep everyone safe until Caroline finds her journals in the present day. Liz is a steadfast figure in The Vampire Diaries whose bravery stands out, because, unlike most of the main cast, she has no supernatural abilities. It would also be empowering to see Liz rising through the ranks of the police force while she has a young daughter at home.
3 More Adventures From Damon Salvatore
There is still time from Damon’s life as a vampire that hasn’t been shown.
Damon Salvatore will always be able to carry more plot through sheer charisma and a knack for finding trouble. Episodes from his 150 years as a vampire weave their way into the show, but there is still downtime that could be the basis of more stories. However, there are some potential pitfalls to a Damon prequel show. Damon’s character development is stagnant in this time span because he is primarily being destructive while he waits for the chance to free Katherine. Additionally, his most compelling arc is his relationship with his brother, which could only be used minimally.
2 The Life & Times Of Katherine Pierce
Fans will always want to see more of the infamous Katherine Pierce.
Like Damon, Katherine (also played by Dobrev) is an alluring force of nature who dominates The Vampire Diaries. Katherine spends 500 years on the run from the Originals, and there were likely some close calls in that time. Her exploits of evading capture and later, keeping tabs on Stefan, could be turned into a villainous protagonist show. Katherine’s show can also be used as a vehicle to show many different historical periods and locations around the world, as well as introduce plenty of new supporting characters.
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1 Bonnie & The Bennett Witches
Bonnie’s story is open-ended and the Bennett witch line promises many amazing characters.
The Vampire Diaries’ ending also shows Bonnie taking off on an open-ended adventure, with the ghost of her boyfriend Enzo (Michael Malarkey) speaking to her and the history of centuries of powerful witches lifting her up. Bonnie’s continued story would likely show her facing (and defeating) more villains and learning more about her ancestors. Bonnie’s meeting with Lucy Bennet (Natashia Williams) in season 2, episode 7 seems to tease this idea, as Bonnie is pleased to find out about the reach of the Bennett witch line.
Several Bennett witches appear in the show, each with a compelling tale to tell: Katherine’s companion Emily (Bianca Lawson), 18th-century witch Beatrice (Jaz Sinclair), Bonnie’s own grandmother Shelia (Jasmine Guy), and more. Despite Emily being burned at the stake by the Founding Families, the Bennett family remained in Mystic Falls for hundreds of years and likely knew more about the town’s supernatural ephemera than the Founders. Bonnie and the history of the Bennett witches is probably the most promising idea for a spinoff of The Vampire Diaries.
The Vampire Diaries
Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another’s affection.
- Cast
- Nina Dobrev , Ian Somerhalder , Steven R. McQueen , Paul Wesley , Kat Graham , Michael Trevino , Michael Malarkey , Zach Roerig , Candice King , Matthew Davis
- Seasons
- 8
- Writers
- Julie Plec , Kevin Williamson , L.J. Smith
