The Vampire Diaries ran for eight whole seasons and gave way to two successful spin-offs, and one of the biggest reasons for that would definitely be the assemblage of characters; the show had everything a vampire romance fan could ask for, from murderous hybrids to undead witches. Each and every character on the show, supernatural or not, had been crafted realistically, especially Damon, Bonnie, Matt who went on to become fan favorites from the very first season.
Though there are some character fans have liked less and some roles were even deemed to be redundant additions to the script, but the dynamic between each character made the show what it is. Let’s rank some of the most likeable main characters on the show.
Enzo
![The Vampire Diaries: Every Main Character, Ranked By Likability](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/enzo-st-john-the-vampire-diaries-michael-malarkey.jpg)
As far as antagonists go, Enzo could have really used some complexity because most of his evil deeds seem to be motivated by spite and petty jealousy and those are not credible reasons, especially when establishing a new character. Enzo used to be Damon’s cell-mate in the fifties and when he comes back he is shown to be at loggerheads with Stefan and makes his life quite miserable. He later joins Bonnie in the Other Side and eventually becomes a better man, but his character arc was simply too cluttered for fans to actually empathize with him or even like him.
Jeremy
![Jeremy and Bonnie in The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The-Vampire-Diaries-Jeremy-and-Bonnie.jpg)
Jeremy could have easily had a better character progression, or at least some significant growth in terms of maturity. But instead his character is wasted on the vampire hunter arc. Fans have often noted how his character had a good potential to be the moral yardstick on the show but his hatred of vampires was quite inconsistent.
Plus, this plot device had already been used in True Blood when Suki’s brother Jason begins hunting vampires and joins an anti-vampire cult much like Jeremy who joins The Five. For vampire show lovers, this was hardly a new concept and failed to add anything substantial to the script.
Caroline
![Klaus and Caroline on The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Caroline-Klaus-Feature-Vampire-Diaries.jpg)
Caroline no doubt goes through some pretty major growth over the years as she settles into the realities of living life as a vampire, but her character lacks depth and intricacy. She has never really been a fan favorite even though the fans have wanted to see a vampire heroine on the show. Although she is a good friend and has proved to be really gifted, Caroline somehow never transcends over her own petty hang-ups, and not to mention in many ways she was still wanted to be the popular girl from high school and handled her situation with Klaus quite childishly.
Stefan
![Stefan in flashback episodes of The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Stefan-vampire-the-vampire-diaries-book-differences.jpg)
Stefan, unlike Damon, seemed to have no consistent trait, except of course, being the nice guy. It has often seemed like Stefan just modifies his character for the need of the situation, and not the other way round.
There are very few things he can be defined by, he’s a good brother, a loyal friend, a good partner, but when compared to some of the other characters on the show who have shown such gravitas and nuance, Stefan’s character build-up comes across as someone too basic and uninspired.
Tyler
![Tyler and Caroline in The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Caroline-Forbes-Tyler-Lockwood-Vampire-Diaries-e1583513016808.jpeg)
Fans have shipped Tyler and Caroline’s relationship until it became obvious that it can never work out between them, but nevertheless he was a good boyfriend. He had done some really despicable things, especially when he was being controlled by Klaus. But Tyler was also the anti-Stefan in many ways because his struggles were real, deep and he was never impossibly selfless like Stefan was sometimes projected as, which helped the fans connect with him. Tyler had also lost quite a lot on the show and had to come to grips with his reality as a werewolf and throughout the show he remained one of the most complicated but interesting people to watch.
Elena
![Elena at the prom in The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Elenas-Prom-Dress-The-Vampire-Diaries-Elenas-5-Best-and-Worst-Outfits.jpg)
In the show Elena had no choice but to stay strong in order to survive but fans have appreciated how she never let her trauma get the better of her and managed to not let it define her. Elena’s struggles on the show were major because not only was she human till the first few seasons, she was dating a vampire with many enemies and was also a doppelganger which is something very rare and coveted. But a few weak moments aside Elena, even after she became a vampire, was one of the most self-aware people on the show who had learnt how to stay resolute in the face of big crises.
Klaus
![Klaus and Rebekah Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Klaus-Rebekah-The-Originals.jpeg)
Quite unfairly, Klaus never moves beyond the smooth vampire villain trope in The Vampire Diaries, and fans only get to see the entire breath of his character in The Originals. It’s logical because that was why the spin-off was conceived, to give the Original family more room because Klaus and his family just proved to be too interesting to be confined as secondary characters on TVD.
And the makers did deliver on their promise because Klaus really did prove to be the most successful and functional supernatural villain, and in fact, was the only baddie on the show who was legitimately scary and yet craved by the fans.
Damon
![Damon at a coffe place in TVD](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/The-Vampire-Diaries-Damon.v12-Cropped.jpg)
Damon was clearly the more colorful Salvatore brother and also the realest, because it was usually him who would admit the truth out loud even when people did not want to hear it. Though he was introduced as someone who’s quite cavalier about keeping his vampire identity a secret, Damon went on to become the most relatable character on the show (vampire powers and age notwithstanding) because he was not the one who would choose the unattainable high road like his brother Stefan and he never really believed in going full evil either. In fact, he has even served as the moral compass for his friends in the unlikeliest of times and has proven himself to be dependable many times.
Bonnie
![Bonnie Bennett Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Bonnie-Bennett-main-1.jpg)
Bonnie was put through quite a lot on the show, and despite her struggles she remained grounded to her beliefs and this made her trajectory as a survivor very significant in the series.
Bonnie went on to become such a huge fan favorite and fans had even demanded a spin-off on Bonnie that would explore the origins of her superpowers. The Other Side storyline especially was only interesting because Bonnie’s presence and her personal history made it a credible subplot and also gave way to a rewarding conclusion to her narrative.
Matt
![Matt Donovan in a suit in The Vampire Diaries](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/matt-donovan-zach-roerig-the-vampire-diaries.jpg)
It’s a miracle how Matt survived the onslaught of every monster and witch in Mystic Falls but somehow he did. Matt had one of the most consistent character progressions and he was a true ally and an impeccable friend. Matt is also one of the few people on the show who’s human and makes it till the end, which may sound quite impossible given Mystic Falls’ monster population but Matt was one of the bravest people on the show. His decision to become a Sheriff and then the mayor was lauded by the fans because he had been a major fan favorite pretty much from Day 1 and also made for a very befitting ending for him.