[show]Characters
*Only current [alive] main characters are added in this list.

Elena Gilbert
Played by Nina Dobrev
17-year-old Elena Gilbert and her parents were in a car crash, roughly four months before the series begins. Elena was the only survivor. Because of this, she is portrayed as melancholic and slightly withdrawn from the social scene, of which she was previously active in. In the beginning of the series, she also has to deal with her brother Jeremy's drug addictions. After their parents' death, their aunt Jenna moves in to take care of them.
Elena has a habit of writing in her diary. It is revealed that before the series begins, she and Matt Donovan were a couple and broke up, but the two remain good friends. On her first day in a new school year, she meets Stefan Salvatore, with whom she falls in love, despite him being a vampire. They go through a rough patch when Elena discovers that she is the splitting image of Katherine, whom Stefan and his brother Damon were previously in love with, but Stefan and Elena manage to work things out.
It is revealed in the show that Elena is not, in fact, the Gilberts' biological daughter. She was in fact adopted, and her biological parents are shockingly revealed in the final two episodes. She is also unsure if she loves either Stefan or Damon and who she really wants to be with.
In an episode in season 3, Elena dies in the car after it drives off of the Wickery Bridge. As requested by Elena, Stefan saves Matt first but it is too late for Elena so she ends up as a vampire due to blood taken from Damon that night.

Stefan Salvatore
Played by Paul Wesley
Stefan Salvatore, Damon's younger brother, was turned into a vampire by Katherine in 1864. Unlike other vampires (including his brother), he drinks animal blood instead of human blood. Stefan is often mysterious and sad, except for when he is around Lexi or when he consumes human blood.
It is revealed that before he was turned, he and Damon got along very well, but both were in love with Katherine. When Stefan tried to reason with his father to spare the vampires because not all were evil, his actions indirectly led their father to discover that Katherine was a vampire, and she was consequently entombed in Fell's Church, or so everyone was led to believe. Since then, Stefan has been haunted by Damon, who refuses to forgive him for what he did. Stefan tries his hardest to protect the people he loves from Damon, going as far as to poison Damon with vervain and imprison him to prevent him from killing.

Damon Salvatore
Played by Ian Somerhalder
Damon Salvatore is Stefan's older brother. While Stefan was Compelled by Katherine to drink her blood, Damon was not, and did it willingly. Damon blames Stefan for Katherine's supposed entombment, and has never forgiven him for it. He is obsessed with Katherine, even after Anna tells him that she didn't care about him. He is ruthless and a little psychotic, hunting mercilessly. After he escapes from being imprisoned by Stefan, he turns Vicki into a vampire. He also infiltrates the Founders Council, gaining their trust to protect himself and Stefan.
While Damon is completely uncaring and unfeeling, as the series progresses, his actions reflect an increasing concern for others (and for Elena in particular), even if Damon will not admit it. For instance, he alters Jeremy's memory of Vicki upon Elena's request. Damon and Elena's friendship gets stronger throughout the series, and Isobel reveals to Elena that Damon loves her and would do anything for her. His humanity is shown in the finale when he tells Jeremy about Anna's death, because he wants to "do the right thing". He is in love with Elena and wants her to choose either Stefan or him.

Katherine Pierce
Played by Nina Dobrev
A vampire that both Damon and Stefan were in love with, whom Elena closely resembles. Both brothers thought she was entombed in Fell's Church with the rest of the vampires, but a church guard let her go, so she was never in the tomb. Despite being free, never once did she try to contact Damon, who has always been in love with her. It is revealed that she gave birth to a baby girl through wedlock which resulted in her baby being taken away from her. She also stole the moonstone from Klaus which is why she's been running away from him. Her family was killed by Klaus as revenge. Elijah and Klaus both liked Katherine at one point.
She is now a human because Elena forced the cure down her throat during a fight.
Bonnie Bennett
Played by Katerina Graham
Bonnie Bennett, Elena and Caroline's best friend. She is descended from the Salem witches, and her ancestress Emily Bennett was Katherine's handmaiden.
Jeremy Gilbert
Played by Steven R. McQueen
Jeremy Gilbert is Elena's younger brother. He has the ability to connect to ghosts ever since he came back alive after dying. It has been revealed in the recent episodes that the Gilbert blood is of vampire hunters hence, Jeremy has the ability to become a vampire hunter. In order for a cure to make Elena human again, Jeremy needs to become a vampire hunter.
Caroline Forbes
Played by Candice Accola
Caroline Forbes is Elena and Bonnie's best friend. A vampire. Currently was Tyler's girlfriend.
Matt Donovan
Played by Zach Roerig
Matt Donovan is Tyler Lockwood's best friend, Elena's ex-boyfriend and Vicki's older brother. He also dated Caroline.
Tyler Lockwood
Played by Michael Trevino
Being the Mayor's son is hard, though Tyler Lockwood doesn't admit it. Instead, he presents a tough, indifferent exterior. Tyler dated Vicki Donovan, who broke up with him after realizing that he was embarrassed to introduce her to his parents. Tyler was then changed into a hybrid by Klaus but he managed to break the sire bond between them. He and Caroline are currently dating.

Klaus
Played by Joseph Morgan
Klaus is the vengeful vampire who wants Elena since her blood is what enables him to make hybrids. Now he has entered Tyler's body after his body was staked.

Rebekah
Played by Claire Holt
Rebekah is Klaus's sister. An Orginal vampire whom once loved Stefan. A broken lonely soul who tries to come off as tough. She hates Klaus because he killed their mother. For a while, she was interested in Tyler.

Silas
Played by Paul Wesley
He is an immortal creature who is out to open the 'other side' to let the dead on the living side. He wants to reunite with his love, who is a very old doppleganger of Elena. Stefan is the doppleganger of Silas. In order to drop the veil, Silas must have a baby with Katherine.