The Vampire Diaries kicked off in 2009 and wrapped up in 2017 after eight seasons of teenage angst and bloodsucking fun. Mystic Falls serves as backdrop for teens discovering vampires, witches and other creatures lurking around. Based on L.J. Smith’s novels, it turned into a cult classic. Fans still binge-watch this gem. With romance, drama and action all mixed in, it’s like a supernatural buffet. If you enjoy a little chaos with your love triangles, this show is calling your name.

Meet the female characters from The Vampire Diaries

Caroline

Caroline is this electric mix of perfectionist cheerleader energy and low-key chaos, like someone who alphabetizes their spices and still loses one sock every week. She’s bright, organized, and terrifyingly efficient — but also allergic to being bored and will absolutely stage-manage a birthday if you blink. Under the gloss there’s a fierce loyalty and a weird soft spot for cheesy romances, which makes her both annoying and impossible not to root for. Also, she owns about twelve hairbrushes and will judge you gently for your life choices.

Elena

Elena feels like the anchor of everything — compassionate, stubborn, the one who forgives because she can’t help it. She’s endlessly empathetic and moral to a fault, which makes her both a peacemaker and occasionally maddeningly indecisive when the world is on fire. There’s a core toughness underneath the “nice girl” vibe, and she has this habit of clutching an old coffee mug during heavy conversations (it’s chipped, don’t ask). Sometimes she’s very wilful and sometimes she’s surprisingly passive, like she’s still figuring out which Elena to be.

Bonnie

Bonnie is the witch who will quietly burn the map and then save everyone anyway — fierce, brilliant, and heartbreakingly self-sacrificing. She carries the weight of generations but also texts memes at 3 a.m. to cope, which is somehow perfectly witchy. Loyal to the bone, sarcastic when cornered, and absolutely not to be underestimated — she will curse you with polite precision. Also she claims she’s terrible at baking but will show up with cookies that fix your soul, so who knows.

Lexi

Lexi is like the cool, older-sister vampire who drinks tea at dawn and gives the best life advice you didn’t know you needed. She’s calm, funny in a dry way, and so unflinchingly human that she makes other people feel less lost — and she’s got stories. She’s the person who’ll call you out lovingly and then bake you a pie, which is so Lexi. Slightly chaotic memory sometimes — she swears she remembers a song from 1922 and also a pop hit from the ’90s, which is oddly endearing.

Rebekah

Rebekah is all grand gestures and blunt truths, the really dramatic sister who wants a normal life and then throws a chandelier. She’s fiercely loyal to family (until she isn’t) and will fight you for the things she believes in while simultaneously planning her next eyeliner look. Very emotional, easily wounded, stubborn as hell, and somehow impossibly glamorous even when plotting revenge in sweats. She collects tiny mementos of every relationship she’s ever had — yes, even the weird ones — and will cry about them later while ordering takeout.

Hayley

Hayley is practical, tough, and quietly maternal — a leader who doesn’t need a crown to know she’s royalty. She’s grounded, a little rough around the edges, and fierce about protecting her people, but she also hums old tunes when she’s stressed (and I’m pretty sure she has a ridiculous tattoo somewhere). There’s a surprising softness behind the battle-ready exterior, like someone who can fix an engine and then knit you a scarf. Sometimes she’s all business, other times she’s inexplicably sentimental about roadside diners.

Jenna

Jenna is the steady, protective presence — warm, caring, the kind of person who keeps everyone fed and believes in rules for a reason. She’s brave in a quiet way and tries to be the adult in a house that refuses to behave, which she mostly succeeds at until everything implodes. She has this little habit of humming old show tunes when she’s nervous and no one ever expects it, and she fiercely loves her family even when they drive her insane. Also, she is more stubborn than she looks and will totally call you out on nonsense.

Katherine

Katherine is a deliciously dangerous cocktail of charm, cunning, and a wardrobe that should be illegal — manipulative, survival-first, and wildly entertaining. She’s selfish in the best way for drama: always three steps ahead and always wearing lipstick like she’s about to start a war. Deep down? Maybe a sliver of vulnerability, but she’ll sell that too if it helps, so trust cautiously. She hoards scarves and bad decisions, and somehow both, and will smile through it all like she knows a secret you don’t.

Sheriff Forbes

Sheriff Forbes is no-nonsense, principled, and the person everyone thinks of when they need someone to keep order. Tough as nails on the outside but surprisingly soft where it counts — especially around her daughter — and she’ll do anything to keep people safe, even if she mutters about “kids these days.” She’s the moral compass with a complicated relationship to the supernatural, which is endlessly frustrating and oddly admirable. Also she wears sensible shoes and has a whole cupboard of “serious face” photos she refuses to explain.

Jo

Jo is prickly and practical with a vulnerable core she mostly hides behind sarcasm and work scrubs, which is honestly a very Jo move. Ambitious, guarded, and scarred in ways she doesn’t always admit, she’s also quietly loyal to the people she lets in. She’s the kind of person who fixes problems at 2 a.m. and then reads conspiracy forums at noon — contradictory, yes, but fascinating. Little things: she probably has a locket and a playlist full of 90s alt rock and will claim she hates small talk while starting every conversation that way.

Emily

Emily (think gentle, quietly brave, and way more stubborn than she looks) gives off librarian vibes but would absolutely stand up in a crowd and yell if it mattered. She’s kind, picturesque in a soft way, and loyal to friends like it’s a mission; also slightly awkward in social things which makes her relatable and sweet. There’s a melancholy touch to her — like someone with a secret notebook of poems — but also a surprising backbone when push comes to shove. Oh and yes, she probably collects buttons or postcards and will defend a weird hobby with surprising ferocity.