It’s easy to be a murderous vampire without much care for anyone or anything else and Elijah Mikaelson from The Originals is not an enemy one wishes to have. He may come across as calm and reasonable, however, he’s not so understanding when his family comes under threat.
Over the many seasons of The Originals and his short stint on The Vampire Diaries, Elijah has had some funny and poetic quotes that speak not only to his calm and cool demeanor but also to his dark side.
You Don’t Give Up On Family No Matter How Far They Push You
“You Don’t Make It Easy To Love You, Brother.”
The Mikaelson clan has always made it their mission to stick beside one another no matter how far and how off-path they may go. They are each other’s anchors and this is especially the case for Elijah and Klaus.
In an early episode of The Originals, after accusing Niklaus of having ulterior motives for unborn Hope, Elijah comes to apologize for this assumption and states that Klaus makes it hard for people to love him and believe that he has any good inside of him.
Age Determines Your Input
“Shhh! Marcel, Grown-ups Are Talking.”
Recognized as the first and oldest vampires in history, the Mikaelsons have lived many lifetimes and seen many successes and tragedies throughout the centuries. So with this being the case, they will always be the oldest in a room full of grownups.
Here, Elijah and Marcel along with Aya Al-Rashid are all vying for control of the vampires and the Strix in New Orleans. While attempting to agree on how they will determine a leader, Marcel tells Elijah he has no right to come making demands, with Elijah hilariously stating that he and Aya, the grown-ups, are talking and shushes him.
Honor Doesn’t Hold Up When You Must Defend Your Family
“I Followed My Brother Here To New Orleans To Engage In A War. So, I Ask You, Does That Sound Honorable To You?”
Although Elijah Mikaelson is known by many as the calm and honorable brother between him and Klaus, this isn’t always the case. Even though he’s a voice of reason on many occasions, this doesn’t negate the fact that he will kill for his family if necessary and Elijah wasn’t always a good guy.
In this episode, the witches are attempting to overthrow the dictatorship of Marcel by luring the Originals back to New Orleans. When Elijah comes face to face with the witch calling the shots, she references that he’s the honorable brother between himself and Klaus. The quote above is Elijah’s response proving that sometimes when it comes to his family, there is no being honorable.
Family Can Either Break You Or Save You
“And While We May Not Choose Our Family, That Bond Can Be Our Greatest Strength Or Deepest Regret.”
If fans have learned one thing from The Originals and the Mikaelson family, it’s that family can either make you stronger or be a direct threat to you. From familial betrayal to sacrificing for the family, the Mikaelson’s are a family that sticks together no matter what.
In the opening of 1×01 for The Originals, Elijah is giving a voice-over about family. The scene starts 300 years in the past with the Mikaelson trio’s arrival in New Orleans. This quote foreshadows the dysfunctional family unit that always seems to bring them together in a time of crisis or turn them against each other in their time of need.
Never Mess With The Mikaelson Family
“No One Hurts My Family And Lives. No One.”
Family is always and forever for the Mikaelsons. Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus are the Three Musketeers that will always see the good in one another and hurt those that attempt to hurt them. Because of this connotation, Elijah probably has one of the highest kill counts alongside his brother Klaus.
In this installment of The Originals, a witch named Agnes attempts to push Hayley to miscarry and she’s found by Klaus and Elijah. Before Klaus can kill her, he’s stopped by Elijah who subsequently kills her with his own hands and states the quote above while walking away.
Sarcastic Even After Awakening From A Long Nap
“I Need Some Air. I’m Still Feeling A Tad…Dead.”
As stated before, the Mikaelson siblings have daggered each other in the hearts more times than are worth counting, with Klaus doing most of the daggering. Even so, they still awaken with the main focus of protecting each other when a threat arises that affects one or all of them.
In episode 2×19 of The Vampire Diaries, Elijah shows up in Mystic Falls looking for Klaus when he’s daggered by Elena and Stefan. After being awoken by Elena, he tells the sordid backstory of himself, Klaus, and Katerina and the betrayal that occurred between them. When Elena asks why Elijah wants his brother dead, Elijah funnily deflects through the above quote.
You Can’t Choose Your Parents
“So Not Even Death Can Stop My Mother From Seeking The Annihilation Of Her Own Flesh And Blood.”
A child does not choose their parents or the circumstances under which they are born. Before the Mikaelsons became the first vampires in history, they were the quintessential happy family with love and happiness that turned into hatred and bitterness.
In this episode, Elijah and his siblings become aware that their mother Esther is after them, hoping to punish them once and for all. Even though she’s dead, Esther seems hell-bent on making sure she’s the one to doom her children in the end and this quote is Elijah acknowledging just how much their mother wants to see them dead. This definitely lands her on the list of one of the worst TV show parents of all time.
Nothings Too Fragmented It Can’t Be Mended
“To Me, The Very Definition Of The Word ‘Broken’ Suggests That Something Can Be Fixed.”
There is not a problem under the sun that Elijah Mikaelson sees himself as unable to fix. When it comes to his family and their peace and happiness, he would burn the world to see them have the chance at a semblance of something good.
In an early episode, Hayley is questioning Elijah about his neverending quest to fix a seemingly broken Klaus who doesn’t appear to want any help. This quote is Elijah contending that the very definition of the word broken means that something can be fixed and is not fully a lost cause.
A Man Capable Of Cherishing Love Even In Darkness
“Do You Have Any Idea How Rare Love Is? In A Thousand Years, I Have Found It But Twice, And When I Have, I Have Honored It.”
It’s hard to find love when you’re one of the oldest vampires in the world and you come from a dangerously dysfunctional family like the Mikaelsons. Viewers have seen Elijah with many love interests throughout the series, with Hayley being one of those women. A major couple in The Originals that went through some rough patches, Elijah and Hayley’s love story is still epic to watch aside from its tragic ending.
When Hayley unknowingly betrays Elijah by giving up the location for the remains of his first love Celeste, Elijah isn’t too forgiving. He explains to Hayley why he can’t see past this betrayal through the quote above acknowledging that his promises are forever, even in death.
A Promise Only A Mikaelson Can Uphold
“Always, Forever. Family Above All.”
A sibling bond like no other, Klaus and Elijah are brothers that will never truly give up on each other. Elijah Mikaelson is his brother’s keeper and he refuses to give up on him even when everyone says that Klaus is a lost cause. Always and forever is their sacred pact and they stick to it no matter what.
This quote has been stated many times throughout The Originals series and presents as a testament to the Mikaelson siblings’ promise to always be there for each other no matter what.
