168 Fun Facts About Vampire Diaries

In season one of The Vampire Diaries, which school activity does Elena quit?

Cheerleading: at practice Elena can no longer keep up with the routine, and it is Damon, of all people, who tells her to quit and move on. The next day she does.

In The Vampire Diaries, what must a vampire be given before it can enter a human's home?

An invitation from someone who lives there: early in season one Elena unknowingly gives Damon the run of her house simply by asking him in to dinner.

In The Vampire Diaries, the Original vampires' father was what kind of warrior in his human life?

A Viking: the family's father was a Norse warrior and landowner who moved his family across the sea a thousand years ago, to the village that would one day become Mystic Falls.

What specific object is capable of permanently killing an Original vampire?

A white oak stake, cut from the tree whose magic made the Originals, is the one weapon that kills them for good; Esther later made the last one indestructible so that Alaric could use it on all her children.

Who is Elena's best friend and a powerful witch throughout the series?

Bonnie Bennett, a descendant of a long line of powerful witches, is Elena's loyal best friend and often plays a crucial role in supernatural conflicts.

In The Vampire Diaries, what happens to Katherine once the cure for vampirism is drained from her blood?

She ages rapidly: with the cure gone, the five centuries Katherine has cheated start catching up with her, turning her hair grey and loosening her teeth.

Which actor played Matt Donovan in all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries?

Zach Roerig played Matt in every season; he also got one villainous turn in season five, as a spirit named Gregor who hijacks Matt's body.

What does Stefan Salvatore drink in season one to avoid feeding on humans?

Stefan Salvatore lives on animal blood, which leaves him weaker than other vampires; decades of abstinence end in season one, when a taste of human blood sends him out of control.

In The Vampire Diaries, which secret group of townspeople, the sheriff among them, sets out to hunt vampires?

The Founders' Council, drawn from the Fell, Forbes, Lockwood, Gilbert and Salvatore families, secretly hunts vampires; in the season-one finale it uses Johnathan Gilbert's device to round them up.

What must a carrier of the Lockwood lycanthropy gene do to trigger a first transformation?

Kill a human, even by accident: Tyler triggers the curse at the masquerade ball when Sarah, a classmate under Katherine's mind control, attacks him and dies in the struggle.

What was the name of Stefan's doppelgänger, an Atlanta paramedic found in season five?

Tom Avery, an Atlanta paramedic, was the last other living double of Stefan; Caroline tried to hide him, but Enzo snapped his neck as the price of help in finding his own lost love.

What was Alaric Saltzman's profession when he first arrived in town?

Alaric Saltzman arrived as the high school's new history teacher; he had come to kill Damon, who had turned his wife Isobel at her own request, but the two ended up best friends.

In The Vampire Diaries' season-two finale, what must Stefan agree to before Klaus cures Damon's werewolf bite?

Leave town with him: Klaus's blood is the cure, and his price is Stefan himself. He feeds Stefan blood bags until the old Ripper resurfaces, then takes him away from Elena and Damon.

Alaric wears a ring, obtained from Isobel, that protects him from what?

Supernatural death is all the Gilbert ring guards against, and it has a price: after dying and reviving again and again, Alaric develops a murderous, vampire-hating alter ego he knows nothing about.

In The Vampire Diaries, which rare ability makes Kai an outcast in his coven?

Stealing magic is all a Siphoner can do: born with no power of their own, they must draw it from other witches or enchanted objects, which is why the Gemini Coven treated Kai as an abomination.

What is the limbo for dead supernatural beings that collapsed at the end of season five?

The Other Side fell apart after a mass sacrifice tore through Bonnie, its link to the living; her friends rushed the dead back through her while it crumbled, but Damon missed his chance and vanished with her.

Which vampire was Damon's cellmate in the 1950s when both were held by the Augustine society?

Enzo St. John became Damon's closest friend during five years in the Augustine cells; when a fire gave Damon his chance to escape, he left Enzo behind to burn, a betrayal that shadows their reunion.

In which US city does the Gemini Coven, Kai's family, reside?

Portland, Oregon is home to the Gemini Coven, which picks its leader by making twins merge at 22, the stronger absorbing the weaker; refused that ritual, Kai turned on his own family.

What plant is toxic to vampires and is often used to weaken or incapacitate them?

Vervain burns vampires on contact and keeps them out of a human's head, which is why Stefan gives Elena a necklace filled with it to protect her from Damon.

What ability do vampires use to influence human minds and memories?

Compulsion works only on humans for ordinary vampires, but Originals can also control other vampires; Alaric, turned by the same kind of spell, uses that power at Elena's request to erase her love for Damon.

Who leads the tomb vampires freed in season one, alongside her daughter Anna?

Pearl spent almost a century and a half in the tomb before her daughter got her out; it is Pearl who breaks the news to Damon that Katherine, the woman he opened it for, was never inside.

Who turns Caroline into a vampire in season two, wanting a spy against Stefan and Elena?

Katherine Pierce smothers Caroline with a pillow in her hospital bed, knowing Damon's healing blood is still in her system, and leaves her with a two-word message for the brothers: 'Game on.'

Which Vampire Diaries main character stays fully human throughout and becomes sheriff of Mystic Falls in season eight?

Matt Donovan is one of the only completely human characters in the whole franchise. He wants no part in the supernatural, becomes a police officer, then sheriff, and plans to run for mayor.

Which actor, later Mon-El in Supergirl, played the villainous Kai Parker in The Vampire Diaries?

Chris Wood joined in season six as Kai, who seems finished when Damon takes his head off in that season's finale; two years later the villain escapes from Hell and is back for the final season.

In The Vampire Diaries, which mystical artifact that traps vampire souls drives much of season seven?

The Phoenix Stone imprisons vampire souls; when it is destroyed the freed souls land in other bodies, and Stefan finds himself inside a drunk named Marty Hammond while a remorseless vampire takes over his own.

Which creatures from Greek myth harvest souls for the Devil in the final season of The Vampire Diaries?

Sirens Sybil and Seline bargained with the Devil for eternal youth and beauty, and in return must keep feeding him the souls of the wicked, which is what brings them after Damon and Enzo.

In The Vampire Diaries, who is 'the Devil', the final season's villain served by Sybil and Seline?

Arcadius, the first psychic, known as Cade, made his own Hell after villagers burned him at the stake; Stefan kills him in season eight with a dagger forged from Cade's own bones.

Which ancient witch, also calling herself Tessa, resurrects herself while the Veil is down to stop Silas?

Qetsiyah made Silas immortal expecting to marry him, and when he shared the spell with another woman she entombed him for 2,000 years; she comes back as Tessa to finish what she started.

Who serves as the town's sheriff for most of The Vampire Diaries?

Sheriff Liz Forbes, Caroline's mother, is sworn to hunt vampires yet becomes one of Damon's closest friends; dying of cancer in season six, she asks him to write her eulogy.

In The Vampire Diaries, what leaves the newly turned Elena unable to refuse anything Damon asks of her?

A sire bond arises when a human in love with a vampire is turned by that vampire's blood; in season four the gang learns it shapes only how Elena acts, not how she feels about Damon.

Elena becomes a vampire after the events of which season finale of The Vampire Diaries?

Third: Rebekah forces Matt's truck off Wickery Bridge and Elena drowns, but Dr. Meredith Fell had secretly treated her with vampire blood earlier that day, so she wakes in transition.

In The Vampire Diaries, who became Klaus's first successful hybrid?

Tyler Lockwood survived the change only because Klaus fed him Elena's blood, the missing ingredient: earlier werewolves turned without it went rabid and did not last.

In The Vampire Diaries, the 1994 prison world replays a day marked by which sky event?

A solar eclipse really did cross the United States on May 10, 1994; the Gemini Coven used it to seal Kai inside that one repeating day, and Bonnie and Damon need the same eclipse to get home.

Which doctor and non-practicing Gemini witch was Kai's twin sister?

Jo Laughlin, a doctor who gave up her Gemini magic, was Kai's twin; he stabbed her at her wedding to Alaric, and the coven magically saved her unborn twins, later named Josie and Lizzie.

In The Vampire Diaries, which witches can take over living bodies, as Julian does with Tyler?

The Travelers, a cursed and scattered witch people, can ride inside living bodies as Passengers; it backfires on Julian, who dies in Tyler's body the moment he is dragged into the town's magic-free zone.

Which spin-off is set at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted?

Legacies follows Klaus's orphaned daughter Hope at the school, where Alaric, once a vampire hunter, is now the headmaster sheltering young vampires, witches and werewolves.

In The Vampire Diaries, what happens to Elena after she kills the hunter Connor?

She starts hallucinating: killing one of the Five brings a curse of maddening visions, and it lifts only when Jeremy makes his first kill and takes the dead hunter's place.

Which Georgia town stood in for the fictional Virginia setting of The Vampire Diaries?

Covington became the show's home after the pilot, doubling as its small Virginia town for eight seasons; the city now draws fans with guided tours of the filming locations.

Which vampire, Stefan's oldest friend, taught him to control his bloodlust?

Lexi Branson met Stefan in 1864, newly turned and out of control, and pulled him back from the edge; in season one Damon stakes her on Stefan's birthday to win the sheriff's trust.

What causes Elena to fall into a magical sleep for several seasons?

A spell linking her to Bonnie: Kai casts it at Alaric's wedding so that Elena sleeps for as long as Bonnie lives, and it is only broken in the series finale.

In The Vampire Diaries, Damon once promised Stefan an eternity of what?

Misery: Damon made the vow in 1864, after Stefan pushed him into becoming a vampire rather than dying, bitter that the woman they both loved had turned his brother as well.

In The Vampire Diaries, which Heretic was Stefan's first love, back in 1863?

Valerie Tulle met Stefan in 1863 and fell pregnant by him, but Julian beat her so badly that she lost the child; she keeps it secret for 150 years, then helps Stefan take his revenge.

Which character is Silas's true love and the progenitor of the Petrova line?

Amara drank the immortality elixir with Silas and paid for it: a jealous rival faked her death and kept her entombed for 2,000 years, feeling the pain of every dying vampire and witch; once revived, she wanted only to die.

Away from the bloodshed, which art is Klaus's private passion in The Vampire Diaries?

Painting is how Klaus says he channels his need for control; he even donates a canvas of a snowflake to a town charity event, where it catches Caroline's eye.

Which actor played Kol, the wildest of the Original siblings?

Nathaniel Buzolic, an Australian actor, played Kol from season three; when the character came back in The Originals inside a young witch's body, Daniel Sharman took over the role.

In which city did Stefan run with Klaus and Rebekah during his 1920s Ripper days?

Chicago is where Stefan spent his Ripper years in the 1920s, drinking with Klaus and Rebekah; Klaus then wiped the pair from his memory, and Stefan recalls none of it until season three.

Who becomes Elena and Jeremy's legal guardian and is later sacrificed in Klaus's ritual?

Jenna Sommers, Elena's aunt, takes in the Gilbert siblings after their parents' crash; needing a vampire for his ritual, Klaus turns her into one just so that he can sacrifice her.

Which witch, Bonnie's ancestor, served as Katherine's handmaiden in 1864?

Emily Bennett, Bonnie's ancestor, was Katherine's handmaiden in 1864 and made the Salvatore brothers' daylight rings; in season one her spirit possesses Bonnie to destroy Damon's crystal.

The Vampire Diaries ran eight seasons from September 2009 to March 2017 on which US network?

The CW aired all 171 episodes, then kept the world going with the spin-offs The Originals and Legacies.

Who stays with Tyler Lockwood through his first full-moon transformation and becomes his girlfriend?

Caroline Forbes, a new vampire who was never Tyler's friend, helps him chain himself up and stays through the change, though one bite from him could kill her; the shared secret makes them a couple.

After Bonnie brings him back from the dead, what ability does Jeremy Gilbert gain?

Seeing ghosts is the price of Jeremy's resurrection: the first to appear are his dead ex-girlfriends, Vicki and Anna, and he can only reach them by thinking of them.

What is the name of Bonnie's mother, whom Damon turns into a vampire in season three?

Abby Bennett, Bonnie's mother, walked out when Bonnie was a child after casting the spell that entombed the Originals' father; Damon turns her in season three so Esther can no longer channel the Bennett line.

Who composed the musical score for The Vampire Diaries?

Michael Suby already had history with producer Julie Plec: he had scored the series she wrote and produced just before this one, and he stayed with her through all eight seasons and both spin-offs.

The pilot episode of The Vampire Diaries was shot in which city, before production moved to Georgia?

Vancouver hosted only the pilot; once the series was picked up, the producers moved to Georgia, drawn by the state's incentives for film crews.

Brother's Bond, the drinks brand launched by Vampire Diaries stars Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, makes which spirit?

Bourbon: the two actors stayed close friends after the show and launched Brother's Bond together, a whiskey inspired by the Salvatore brothers they had played for eight seasons.

After Damon turns Matt's sister into a vampire in season one, who kills her when her bloodlust runs wild?

Stefan stakes Matt's sister in 'Haunted' as she feeds on Elena at the Halloween party; Jeremy sees it happen, so Elena asks for his memory of the night to be erased, and Damon volunteers.

Which actress played Vicki Donovan for the first seven episodes before the character was killed off?

Kayla Ewell played Vicki Donovan, who was killed off in the seventh episode; she returned as a guest in later seasons, and Matt Davis was cast as Alaric Saltzman to fill the gap, later becoming a regular.

In The Vampire Diaries, which Salvatore relative is living in the boarding house when the story begins?

Zach Salvatore, a distant nephew of the brothers, helps Stefan lock a weakened Damon in the cellar early in season one; when Damon gets free, he snaps Zach's neck.

In season one of The Vampire Diaries, which town figure heads the secret group hunting vampires?

The mayor, Richard Lockwood, heads the group in season one; its hunts are run by the sheriff, who has no idea that her new friend Damon is one of the creatures she is after.

Season one reveals which pair to be Elena's biological parents?

John Gilbert and Isobel Flemming had Elena raised by John's brother Grayson and his wife Miranda as their own; Isobel later became a vampire, and both worked with Katherine in season one.

Jenna's ex Logan is turned into a vampire in season one by whom?

Anna, Pearl's daughter, turned Logan Fell after Damon left him for dead, to use him in her plan to free her mother; Alaric later stakes the vampire Logan and tells Jenna he simply left town.

How does Tyler's father, the mayor, die on Founder's Day at the end of season one?

A tomb vampire snaps his neck in the basement where deputies had dumped him with the captured vampires: the Gilbert device felled him too, because he carried the Lockwood gene.

What task leads to the death of Bonnie's grandmother in season one?

Opening the tomb beneath the old church took more power than she could spare, and she died at home that night; the tomb turned out not to hold Katherine at all.

Which two writers developed The Vampire Diaries TV series?

Kevin Williamson, creator of Dawson's Creek and writer of Scream, developed the series with Julie Plec from L. J. Smith's novels; The CW ordered the pilot in February 2009.

Which season of The Vampire Diaries was Nina Dobrev's last as a series regular?

Sixth: Dobrev announced in April 2015 that she would leave when season six ended, and came back for the series finale two years later.

Where was The Vampire Diaries' final season announced?

San Diego Comic-Con hosted the news on July 23, 2016: showrunner Julie Plec choked up as she told the panel 'this is it', and the farewell season ran just 16 episodes.

In which city is The Originals set?

The Originals is set in New Orleans, where the Mikaelsons first settled in the early 1700s and return in the 2013 backdoor pilot to reclaim the French Quarter.

The Originals' backdoor pilot revealed which character to be pregnant with Klaus's child?

Hayley, who had a one-night stand with Klaus, is revealed pregnant in the backdoor pilot; the witch Sophie uses the unborn child as leverage to drag Klaus into her coven's fight for the city.

What is the pit in Legacies that swallows supernatural creatures and erases memory of them?

Malivore was created to devour supernatural creatures and wipe them from memory, and survives as a pit of black sludge; Landon Kirby turns out to be its son.

Which actress plays Hope, Klaus's daughter, in the spin-off Legacies?

Danielle Rose Russell took over Hope as a teenager for the final season of The Originals, after child actors had played the part, and went on to lead the spin-off for four seasons.

Legacies aired on The CW from October 2018 until which year?

Its fourth season was announced as the last in May 2022.

In L. J. Smith's Vampire Diaries novels, what colour is Elena's hair?

Blonde: the novels' Elena is a blue-eyed, popular 'mean girl'; the show's producers wanted a relatable girl next door instead, and their Elena is a brunette.

In L. J. Smith's Vampire Diaries novels, what is the name of the Virginia town where the story is set?

Fell's Church is the novels' setting; the TV series renamed the town but kept the name for a ruined church that belonged to the founding Fell family.

Which Vampire Diaries trilogy was the first written by a ghostwriter, not L. J. Smith?

The Hunters trilogy (Phantom, Moonsong, Destiny Rising) was written by a ghostwriter after Alloy Entertainment dismissed Smith; she had signed a work-for-hire deal, so Alloy owns the copyrights.

Before The Vampire Diaries, Nina Dobrev played teen mother Mia Jones on which Canadian teen drama?

Degrassi: The Next Generation, the school drama that also launched the rapper Drake, cast Dobrev as Mia Jones from 2006 to 2009.

Damon was a soldier in which war before he was turned?

Civil War: Damon was a Confederate soldier, and in season seven a magical trap makes him relive a wartime trauma on an endless loop, his own personal hell.

Which future Marvel actor was among those who auditioned to play Damon?

Sebastian Stan read for both Salvatore brothers and was a casting favourite for a while, but he had just made the NBC drama Kings and never joined the show.

In The Vampire Diaries pilot, Damon shows control over fog and which animals?

Crows and fog announce Damon in the pilot; eight seasons later the finale nods back, as a crow flies over Elena while she writes in her diary.

Which vampire, dying from a werewolf bite, does Damon gift a final sunlit dream?

Rose, bitten by Jules in season two, dies in Damon's arms as he gives her a dream of her old home in the sun, then stakes her to end her suffering.

Which grandmother helps Bonnie learn to use her powers?

Sheila Bennett, 'Grams' to Bonnie, taught occult studies at Whitmore College and coached her granddaughter through her first spells; her spirit keeps returning to guide Bonnie after her death.

Which classic car does Damon drive in The Vampire Diaries?

Chevrolet Camaro: Damon's blue convertible goes out in a blaze in the season-five finale, when he and Elena drive it into the Mystic Grill to set off a gas explosion.

Whom does Caroline marry in the final season of The Vampire Diaries?

Stefan Salvatore marries Caroline in a wedding thrown together to lure Katherine into the open; she never shows, so the two say their vows for real, with Damon officiating.

Katerina Petrova, later known as Katherine, was born in which year?

Katherine was born on June 5, 1473, in Bulgaria; in 1492, aged 19, she became a vampire by hanging herself with Rose's blood in her system while fleeing Klaus.

What is the name of Katherine's long-lost daughter, who finds her after 500 years?

Nadia Petrova was taken from Katerina at birth in 1490 and had herself turned into a vampire to keep searching; mother and daughter finally make their peace as Nadia lies dying.

Which actor plays the Devil in the final season of The Vampire Diaries?

Wolé Parks plays the villain whose dying burst of psychic power created Hell itself; Stefan finally kills him with a dagger made from the villain's own bones.

Which actress, later Cristal in the Dynasty reboot, plays Sybil in The Vampire Diaries?

Nathalie Kelley plays Sybil, who in her backstory threw herself off a cliff on learning that her sister Seline had tricked her into cannibalism.

Silas's true form is played by which series regular?

Paul Wesley plays Silas, the 2,000-year-old immortal whose face Stefan inherited as a doppelgänger; Silas reveals it in the season-four finale and spends the summer passing himself off as Stefan.

Who kills Anna, Jeremy's vampire girlfriend, at the end of season one?

John Gilbert stakes Anna in the basement where his device had left her helpless; grieving, Jeremy swallows a vial of her blood and a handful of pills, hoping to turn.

Which Original does Matt kill in season three, revealing that an Original's death wipes out a whole bloodline?

Finn is staked outside a bar by Matt, with Elena's help; within the hour Sage, the vampire he sired, drops dead, and the gang realise that every Original's bloodline dies with them.

Killing which Original completes Jeremy's Hunter's Mark in season four?

Kol dies at Jeremy's hand in season four; every vampire he ever sired dies with him, and that mass kill is what completes the tattoo.

Which Whitmore College professor secretly ran the Augustine society's vampire experiments?

Wes Maxfield, a microbiology professor, runs Augustine's vampire experiments and cages Damon and Elena in its lab; the same society had experimented on Damon for five years in the 1950s.

Which actress plays Jenna Sommers in The Vampire Diaries?

Sara Canning played Jenna Sommers until the character was killed off late in season two, and came back one last time for the series finale.

In The Vampire Diaries finale, which character rings the bell 12 times to destroy the town with hellfire?

Vicki Donovan rings it to escape Hell; Bonnie turns the hellfire back on Hell itself, and Stefan dies making sure Katherine burns with it.

Which Salvatore parents are Damon and Stefan the sons of?

Giuseppe Salvatore shot both his sons in 1864 while they had Katherine's blood in their systems; their mother Lily, supposedly dead of consumption, had secretly been turned and was found in a 1903 prison world.

Daniel Gillies plays which character in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals?

Elijah, the suit-wearing Original who prizes his word of honour, began as a recurring guest; Daniel Gillies then co-led The Originals for all five seasons.

Which actress plays the Original vampire Rebekah?

Claire Holt, an Australian actress from H2O: Just Add Water, played Rebekah from season three; she was a regular in The Originals' first season and a guest afterwards.

Klaus is the adoptive father of which vampire ruling the French Quarter?

Marcel Gerard was born a slave; Klaus saved him from a whipping as a boy, raised him as a son and later turned him, only to find him ruling the city when the Originals come back.

Which aunt took Freya, the eldest Original sibling, as her price for a fertility spell?

Dahlia, Esther's elder sister, demanded the firstborn of every generation in return for the spell and took Freya at five; Esther told her husband the girl had died of plague.

Which dark entity with designs on Hope must Klaus confront in The Originals?

The Hollow, the spirit of an ancient witch, takes possession of Hope; Klaus draws its dark magic into himself and then gives his own life to destroy it for good.

Klaus is the main villain of which 1992 novel, the last of L. J. Smith's original four?

Dark Reunion, the fourth book, unmasks Klaus as one of the 'Old Ones', a vampire who was never human and seemingly can't be killed; the first novel names him only in the brothers' backstory.

Which actor plays Klaus in The Vampire Diaries?

Joseph Morgan, born in London and raised in Swansea, plays Klaus from season two and led The Originals; in 2014 he married co-star Persia White, who played Bonnie's mother.

In which Canadian city was Nina Dobrev raised?

Toronto: Dobrev's family settled in the Scarborough district when she was two; she later left a sociology degree at the city's Ryerson University unfinished to act.

Stefan's actor once guest-starred as Lex Luthor's half-brother Lucas in which Superman series?

Smallville: in the 2003 episode 'Prodigal', the future Stefan played Lucas Luthor, whom Lionel uses to steal Lex's inheritance and leave him penniless.

Which Lost character had Ian Somerhalder played before Damon?

Boone Carlyle dies of his injuries after a fall inside a wrecked plane late in Lost's first season, the show's first major character to go; Somerhalder called the news 'pretty devastating'.

Kat Graham, who plays Bonnie, was born in which country?

Switzerland: Kat Graham was born in Geneva, and two years before she played Bonnie she sang on will.i.am's hit 'I Got It from My Mama'.

Under what surname was Caroline actress Candice King born?

Candice King was born Candice Accola in Houston and acted under that surname until marrying Joe King of The Fray in 2014; she had released an album, It's Always the Innocent Ones, in 2006.

Which Legally Blonde character did Matthew Davis (Alaric) play in 2001?

Matthew Davis played Warner Huntington III, the boyfriend who dumps Elle Woods and drives her to Harvard Law; Luke Wilson played Emmett, the man she ends up with.

Before The Vampire Diaries, Julie Plec produced and wrote for which sci-fi series?

Kyle XY, ABC Family's drama about a boy who wakes with no memory and no navel, had Plec as writer and producer from 2006 to 2009; she had started out as Wes Craven's assistant on Scream.

Michael Trevino, who plays Tyler, later played Kyle Valenti in which series?

Roswell, New Mexico cast Michael Trevino as Kyle Valenti, the sheriff's son; the reboot reunited him with Julie Plec, an executive producer who directed its pilot.

The actress who plays the teenage Hope had a supporting role in which 2017 family drama?

Wonder cast her as Miranda, who fakes illness on opening night so that her estranged best friend Via can take the lead in the school play.

Which two characters open the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted?

Alaric and Caroline open the school in the Salvatore boarding house, which Damon hands over after Stefan's death; Klaus later sends a $3 million donation, and Jeremy comes back to teach.

How many viewers did the first season of The Vampire Diaries average per episode?

Season one averaged 3.6 million viewers per episode in 2009–10, making The Vampire Diaries The CW's most-watched series at the time.

Which show overtook The Vampire Diaries as its network's most-watched in the 2012–13 season?

Arrow drew about 3.7 million viewers a week in its debut season, ahead of The Vampire Diaries' 3 million, and went on to spawn the whole Arrowverse.

Why was Kevin Williamson initially uninterested in developing The Vampire Diaries?

He thought it too similar to Twilight, 'a sort of rip-off' whichever came first; Julie Plec kept pressing him to read on, and he found a story about a small town's underbelly instead.

On what date did The Originals backdoor pilot air as an episode of The Vampire Diaries in 2013?

The backdoor pilot, 'The Originals', aired on April 25, 2013 as episode 20 of season four; Julie Plec created the spin-off alone, without Kevin Williamson's involvement.

Which actor plays Jeremy Gilbert?

Steven R. McQueen, grandson of the film star Steve McQueen, played Jeremy Gilbert as a regular for six seasons; Silas kills Jeremy in season four and Bonnie brings him back in that season's finale.

On what date did The CW announce the renewal of The Vampire Diaries for a second season?

The CW renewed The Vampire Diaries for a second season on February 16, 2010, in an early batch with Gossip Girl, 90210 and Supernatural; the full first-season order had come the previous October.

In season four of The Vampire Diaries, which building does Elena burn down?

The Gilbert house goes up in flames with Jeremy's body inside: the fire gives the town a cover story for his death, and Elena says there is nothing left for her there.

Which two-word greeting, Damon's first line to Stefan in the pilot, also ends The Vampire Diaries finale?

"Hello, brother" is how Damon greets Stefan when they reunite at the boarding house door in the afterlife. The two then hug, closing the series the way it began.

Where does the car crash that kills Elena's parents take place in The Vampire Diaries?

Wickery Bridge claims Elena too: Rebekah later runs her off the same crossing, unaware that vampire blood is in her system.

Which Lockwood family heirloom does Klaus need for his sacrifice ritual in season two of The Vampire Diaries?

The moonstone channels the power of the full moon during the ritual. Tyler's uncle comes to town hunting for it on behalf of Katherine, his secret lover.

What does Elena burn down as a cover story for Jeremy's death in season four of The Vampire Diaries?

Her family home, the Gilbert house, goes up in flames so the town will blame the fire for her brother's death. Damon and Stefan later lock her in their basement to bring her feelings back.

Which illness, immune to vampire blood, kills Caroline's mother in season six of The Vampire Diaries?

Cancer, a brain tumour, is beyond the reach of vampire blood. When Caroline tests hers on another patient, he ends up a vampire who is still not cured.

In what does Silas lock Stefan before leaving him underwater for a whole summer in The Vampire Diaries?

A safe holds Stefan underwater for three months. To help him beat the fear afterwards, Katherine climbs into it with him.

Which career does Elena take up after The Vampire Diaries finale, following in Grayson Gilbert's footsteps?

Doctor is what her office window says, 'Elena Salvatore, MD', glimpsed in the penultimate episode of The Originals. Grayson, who raised her, practised medicine too.

Which actress, famous as the vampire Rosalie Hale, did Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder marry?

Nikki Reed married Somerhalder in Malibu in 2015, a year after the two began dating. Besides acting, she is a screenwriter and entrepreneur.

A co-developer of The Vampire Diaries created Dawson's Creek and wrote the screenplay for which hit slasher film?

Scream launched a franchise, and its writer came back for Scream 2 and Scream 4 before directing Scream 7 himself.

What do vampires in The Vampire Diaries 'switch off' when grief or guilt becomes too much to bear?

Their humanity can be shut off like a switch, taking every emotion with it. Damon pushes Elena to do it when the pain of losing her brother overwhelms her.

Whose blood does Stefan drink to complete his transition into a vampire in The Vampire Diaries flashbacks?

His father's blood finishes the change: Stefan goes home planning to let himself die, but his father is accidentally staked and Stefan cannot resist. He then pushes Damon to turn too.

To which city is Jeremy sent to live with family friends in season three of The Vampire Diaries?

Denver is Elena's idea of a normal life for her brother, far from the supernatural, though Bonnie objects to the choice being made for him. Elena and Damon later travel there to check on him.

The actor who plays Stefan in The Vampire Diaries later took on which famous Star Trek captain?

James T. Kirk was a guest role for him in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and it won him a Saturn Award in 2024.

The actress behind Rebekah in The Vampire Diaries made her acting debut in which Australian fantasy series?

H2O: Just Add Water cast her as a girl named Emma Gilbert, handing her Elena's surname years before the two shared a screen.

Which actress, who played Bonnie's mother in The Vampire Diaries, married the actor behind Klaus?

Persia White met him on the show's set, and the two married in Jamaica in 2014. Before that she was best known as Lynn Searcy on the sitcom Girlfriends.

Which future Chicago Fire lead played Tyler's werewolf uncle in season two of The Vampire Diaries?

Taylor Kinney joined the cast for the second season, then landed his starring role as firefighter Kelly Severide in 2012.

Which star of the sitcom A Different World played Bonnie's grandmother in The Vampire Diaries?

Jasmine Guy played 'Grams' years after her star turn as Whitley Gilbert-Wayne. In between she was Roxy Harvey in Dead Like Me.

What is the title of the first novel in L. J. Smith's Vampire Diaries book series?

The Awakening introduces Elena, Stefan, Matt, Bonnie and Caroline. It and the next two books are narrated by Stefan and Elena.

Which episode title, quoting Stefan's words on reaching the afterlife, names The Vampire Diaries series finale?

"I Was Feeling Epic" is what Stefan says as he joins his best friend in the afterlife and hugs her. One critic noted how many twists the hour packed across decades of story.

A newly turned vampire, Matt's sister, is staked at a school party for which holiday in The Vampire Diaries?

Halloween gave the first season a high point too: the episode drew what was then a series-best rating among adults aged 18 to 34.

Jeremy grows up as Elena's younger brother in The Vampire Diaries, but which blood relation is he really?

Her cousin: the man who raised Elena was really her uncle, who faked a birth certificate so that she would appear to be his own daughter.

Which condition does a witch's spell leave Stefan with during season five of The Vampire Diaries?

Amnesia hits Stefan the moment he wakes from the spell. The same witch restores his memories only after he frees Elena from a trap.

What does Bonnie leave town to do in The Vampire Diaries finale, keeping her promise to Enzo to live her life?

Travel the world is how she chooses to spend the life she was spared, with Enzo's ghost watching over her as she goes.

Which school team does Stefan join in season one of The Vampire Diaries, encouraged by Elena?

Football nearly exposes him before he even joins: when Tyler hurls a ball at him to embarrass him, Stefan catches and returns it with supernatural speed.

Which plant do Damon and Alaric slip into the drink of Mason's friend Jules in The Vampire Diaries?

Wolfsbane is meant to unmask Jules, a newcomer searching for a missing friend. She hits back by attacking Damon in wolf form.

Which future star of The Walking Dead played a centuries-old vampire hunted by Klaus in The Vampire Diaries?

Lauren Cohan played the 560-year-old vampire from 2010, having already appeared as Bela Talbot in Supernatural.

How does Pastor Young kill himself and his gathered allies at his farm in season four of The Vampire Diaries?

A gas explosion: he starts a leak in his kitchen, tells the room "we are the beginning", and strikes his lighter.

Professor Shane leads a season four expedition to a desolate island off which Canadian province in The Vampire Diaries?

Nova Scotia's island is where Silas lies entombed. A hunter attacks the group there, set on curing and then killing Silas himself, only to get stuck in a well and starve.

What does Stefan steal from Klaus to use as blackmail in season three of The Vampire Diaries?

His family's coffins, holding the other Originals, are hidden by Bonnie with a spell that makes them invisible. Klaus gets them back by threatening to end her bloodline.

What does Bonnie make for newly turned Caroline so that the sun will not burn her in The Vampire Diaries?

A daylight ring carries a witch's protection. Generations earlier, one of Bonnie's ancestors gave the Salvatore brothers the jewellery that lets them walk in the sun.

After being fired from her own Vampire Diaries book series, how did author L. J. Smith carry on the story?

As fan fiction, published on Amazon Kindle and kept outside the official series, while ghostwriters took over the official novels.

How does Katherine deliberately die to become a vampire and escape Klaus's ritual in The Vampire Diaries?

She hangs herself moments after tricking another vampire into healing her with blood, which was all she needed to come back. That vampire is then hunted by Klaus for centuries.

The actress who plays Caroline in The Vampire Diaries married a musician from which rock band and kept his surname?

The Fray's Joe King met her at a Super Bowl event in 2012. One of the band's songs, 'Never Say Never', had already played in the show's pilot.

The actress who plays Bonnie in The Vampire Diaries portrayed which real star in the Tupac biopic All Eyez on Me?

Jada Pinkett Smith is one of several film credits for her: she was in The Parent Trap back in 1998, and later in 17 Again and Honey 2.

Which Katherine-centred episode was the 100th of The Vampire Diaries, with cameos from three stars of The Originals?

"500 Years of Solitude" also brings back Alaric's ghost, who briefly checks in on his friends, while Klaus and Caroline share a passionate encounter.

A planned Vampire Diaries spin-off was shelved while its co-creator worked on which other L. J. Smith adaptation?

The Secret Circle took priority, so the idea was put on hold indefinitely. The spin-off that finally aired, The Originals, was made without him.

Which publisher launched a comic book series based on The Vampire Diaries in 2013?

DC Comics, a corporate sibling of the show's studio Warner Bros. Television, launched the comic in October 2013, the month the spin-off The Originals premiered.

To which country does Katherine flee after her family disowns her, meeting Klaus there in The Vampire Diaries?

England is where she met Klaus and his brother, only to learn that he wanted her for a ritual. She fled again to stay out of his clutches.

Which office does Bonnie's dad hold when Silas murders him in The Vampire Diaries?

Mayor Rudy Hopkins dies during the months that Silas spends posing as Stefan. Bonnie later gets her revenge on Silas for the killing.

Which huntress is found old and feeble in a psychiatric ward in season seven of The Vampire Diaries?

Rayna Cruz is then burned to ashes by Enzo, who had tracked her with marked cards, and she rises again as her young self.

Which vampire hunter's death leaves Elena tormented by hallucinations in season four of The Vampire Diaries?

Connor Jordan's death triggers a curse built into his brotherhood of hunters: the visions try to drive any vampire who kills one of them to suicide.

In L. J. Smith's original Vampire Diaries novels, Katherine comes from which country rather than Bulgaria?

Germany is the homeland of the books' Katherine von Swartzschild. The show made her Bulgarian after its writers overheard her actress speaking the language on the phone.

In L. J. Smith's original novels, Elena's best friend Bonnie has which surname instead of Bennett?

McCullough is Bonnie's name on the page, and the last book of the original series is told from her point of view.

Which company, also behind Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars, co-produced The Vampire Diaries?

Alloy Entertainment, a book packager, turns out dozens of new books a year and became a unit of Warner Bros. in 2012. It was also the company that fired L. J. Smith from her own series.

Damon's 1977 killing spree, seen in Vampire Diaries flashbacks, borrows which real murderer's nickname?

Son of Sam is the name his New York murders go by until Stefan sends a friend to help. She spends about six months trying to remind Damon what love feels like.

Which form of magic, called more evil than dark magic, does Bonnie learn in season four of The Vampire Diaries?

Expression is so feared that other witches refuse to call it magic at all. It draws on the spirits of a massacre, which is why Silas arranges several of them.

Which lost love is Enzo searching for in The Vampire Diaries when he learns that Damon killed her?

Maggie had shown him rare kindness decades earlier. She was killed in 1960, and the truth drives Enzo to shut off his feelings.

At which Lockwood event do Stefan, Damon and their friends plot to kill Katherine in The Vampire Diaries season two?

A masquerade ball it is, though the plan stalls when a spell makes Elena feel every wound dealt to Katherine. Lucy, a witch related to Bonnie, finally lifts it.

To which Texas city do Caroline and Alaric move to raise their twin daughters in The Vampire Diaries?

Dallas is where the two begin a relationship, one that ends when Caroline decides to be with Stefan after his return.

How does Stefan kill Enzo in both season five and season eight of The Vampire Diaries?

Heart ripped out, both times: once at Enzo's own urging and once when Stefan has shut off his feelings. Enzo then watches over Bonnie from the afterlife.