The Mystic Falls gang had to deal with a variety of villains invading their small town. While not every villain lived up to expectations, such as the Heretics or the Travelers, most of the antagonists featured in The diary of vampires raised the stakes, forced the main characters to evaluate new ways to be innovative, or was exciting enough to get their own spin-off. While the villains didn’t completely take over the show, Katherine, the Mikealson family, and Kai Parker certainly brought new life to the series and kept it from getting boring for a long time. It wasn’t just one-note villains who were terrible at creating an enemy, though. Instead, their motivations and backstories are fleshed out into people with their own desires and wishes.
The diary of vampires begins with Damon as one of the most prominent antagonists. However, he does have a plan for his return to Mystic Falls, besides wanting to cause mayhem. When Damon lingers at Mystic Falls after learning that Katherine was never in the tomb, The diary of vampires works to expand Damon into more than an antagonist, as he needed layers as one of the main characters of the show, in addition to causing damage and making people miserable. Making the situation personal also allows the bonds between the central characters and the villains to flourish. It doesn’t seem like these people were randomly added to the storyline, but they have a specific purpose for their arrival.
10 Their motives were investigated
Klaus wasn’t just a bad guy who wanted to kill Elena because he was bored. This ritual had been over a thousand years in the making, as Klaus spent centuries searching for a way to break the werewolf bond imposed on him by his mother. Understanding why Klaus was so determined to break this curse helped justify his actions by humanizing his desire to access his full identity, which had been stripped from him. But, The diary of vampires didn’t stop there, as becoming a hybrid allowed Klaus to create other hybrids, which he wanted as a way to create an army to protect himself and his siblings from Mikael.
9 Detailed flashbacks and backstories
Almost every major villain is given a series of flashbacks to explain who they were before they became an adversary, which makes them more human to some degree. The flashbacks offer explanations, such as the origin of vampirism or explaining the truth about what happened between Silas, Amara and Qetsiyah. The history between Klaus, Rebekah and Ripper Stefan is told in flashbacks from 1920s Chicago rather than a verbal explanation. The horror Katherine faces when she loses her daughter and meets Elijah and Klaus is also portrayed through flashbacks and elaborate backstories.
8 They were not one note
The best villains in The diary of vampires weren’t one-note evil bad guys. While they were undoubtedly wrong, they also had layers beneath the surface, reasons for their actions and an ability to care for someone other than themselves. For example, Katherine may have been the bad guy, but many of her manipulative behaviors and actions stemmed from a desire to survive in her desire to run and escape from Klaus.
Although Kai Parker was a sociopath, he also had a sense of humor. Rebekah may have been considered evil, but in her most vulnerable moments she expressed her desire to become human, have a child, and leave vampirism behind. To show that Damon had more going for him than a criminal persona, he had to show mercy and emotion towards Rose when she died to prove there was more to him.
7 It can be personal
Throughout the first season, Damon’s malicious behavior was personal to Stefan, especially considering the eternity of misery Damon promised him. However, it goes back further than that with Katherine, who had brought chaos to the Salvatore’s house and then left them alone to deal with the fallout. Every time Katherine returns, it’s personal, even with Elena, given everyone’s willingness to risk themselves for Elena. Still, Katherine was forced to fight for herself and make deals to get help.
6 Charisma
Kai Parker embodied charisma during his time in Mystic Falls and loved to bring black humor to the forefront of the show. He was unlike any other villain before and after him. But he wasn’t the only bad guy who noticed. Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol also displayed plenty of charismatic behavior, whether it was causing high school tension, having a burst of the dramatic, or bringing an unexpected sense of humor to a scene.
5 Are just as interesting as the main characters
If the villain isn’t as exciting or interesting as the main character, they can feel like a vague antagonist that the audience is just waiting to see die. The diary of vampires avoided this with his best opponents. Rather than wanting Klaus and his family to leave or die, they are excitedly welcomed to Mystic Falls whenever they appear due to their exciting antagonistic behavior or intriguing personalities.
4 Develop relationships with the central characters
Even if they don’t want to, sometimes they can’t help but develop a casual dynamic with the enemy. Although Caroline knows that Klaus is the opponent when they meet, Klaus and Caroline’s relationship is one of the most exciting aspects of The diary of vampires. While they’re never quite together, they form one of the show’s most unique bonds. Stefan and Rebekah develop a sense of understanding as they search for the cure. Damon is slowly making his way into Elena’s life, even if he’s the villain. Elijah forms an unexpected friendship with Elena because Elena believes Elijah is trustworthy. Finally, Kai and Bonnie’s dangerous dynamic makes for some of the most important interests.
3 Explore the world further
The addition of Silas, Amara, and Qetsiyah to the world stems from the Doppelgänger lore that began with Katherine and Elena. The last season of The diary of vampires goes beyond witches, vampires and werewolves with the introduction of Sirens. While travelers and passengers are witches, they identify as a different form of witches. Kai’s introduction as a siphoner reveals himself to be a loophole that prevents witches from retaining their magic as vampires.
2 Challenge the main characters
How do you defeat a bad guy smarter, faster and more experienced? Well, that’s not always the case for the Mystic Falls gang. They don’t stop Klaus from breaking his curse or becoming a hybrid. Killing Silas doesn’t do much if his goal is to die anyway. Nevertheless, the Travelers manage to strip Mystic Falls of magic, at least temporarily. While the main characters are forced to be innovative, they can’t always outsmart, outsmart, or beat the opponent. When the Mikaelsons leave town, it’s because of the storyline leading up to The originalsnot because the Salvatores forced them out of town.
1 They are exciting to watch
Having exciting opponents is always a plus, especially since if you’re not careful, a bad guy can get overused and get boring after a while. Instead of, The diary of vampires kept the Mikaelsons around for a perfect time. Given the positive response, probably not many people would have complained if they had stayed longer The originals. Likewise, keeping Kai as a one-season villain let him use ideally and then come back in season eight without feeling like it was overused. Finally, even though Katherine is brought into the fold a lot, she is always up to something and is one of the series’ most iconic villains.