The One Time a TV Love Triangle Actually Worked

The Big Picture

• The love triangle in The Vampire Diaries works because of the history and connection between the Salvatore brothers and Elena/Katherine, adding depth to the narrative.
• Elena’s transition from loving Stefan to falling for Damon is not immediate, showcasing effective storytelling and character development.
• Despite their rivalry, the Salvatore brothers prioritize each other and their bond is unbreakable, as shown in their willingness to sacrifice for one another.

Twilight might’ve made the love triangle concept a blockbuster hit, but it is no secret that the most iconic vampire trio belonged to The Vampire Diaries. The supernatural series follows Elena (Nina Dobrev), a teenager who is still mourning her parents’ death and finds a new reason to carry-on when she crosses paths with a vampire named Stefan (Paul Wesley). It seems like love at first sight between them, until Stefan’s brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) arrives in Mystic Falls and also becomes attracted to Elena. Although this trope has been utilized multiple times on screen, especially when it comes to other CW shows like Reign and Jane the Virgin, The Vampire Diaries gave this narrative device a whole new meaning by giving it a backstory and a fully developed arc.

The Main Love Triangle in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ Works Because of Katherine

Stefan’s interest in Elena was not accidental, despite the pilot hinting at that. It is later on in Season 1 that the real reason why the vampire got close to the protagonist is revealed. After Stefan rescued Elena from the fatal car accident that killed her parents, he was immediately taken aback by her incredible resemblance to an old flame that the brothers pined over. Katherine Pierce (also played by Dobrev) is the Salvatore brothers’ first love and the first person to get in the middle of their brotherly bond. She was the vampire that transformed them and became the reason behind Damon’s continuous misery for years. Although Stefan had feelings for Katherine, he was compelled to be in love with her, while Damon actually did fall for her without any need of compulsion. When Katherine is kidnapped by the founding families of Mystic Falls in 1864, the two siblings believe that she is stuck in a tomb with the other vampires.

Although we eventually find out that Katherine was alive and simply uninterested in reconnecting with the Salvatore brothers until Elena came into the picture, her history with them changed the siblings’ dynamic forever and allowed for them to once again fall for the same woman. Elena might have Katherine’s looks, but her personality is completely distinct from her ancestor. Stefan might’ve been drawn to her because of her physical appearance, but he falls for her because she is nothing like Katherine. Later on, when Damon finally realizes that Katherine never loved him back, he also falls for Elena’s pure heart. Like Stefan, he finds out that Katherine’s Doppelganger is sensitive, kind, and cares for the people around her and is instantly captivated by her qualities.

Despite Damon, Stefan, and Katherine’s relationship giving context to the inevitable love triangle with Elena, it isn’t the only reason why the main trio makes sense onscreen. Different from The Summer I Turned Pretty, for instance, The Vampire Diaries nails the love triangle concept because Elena doesn’t flip-flop from being in love with Stefan to being in love with Damon from one episode to the next. The main character initially dates Stefan and only later on develops romantic feelings for Damon. In Episode 2 of Season 6, the protagonist even recalls the moment when she began to love the Salvatore brother she once hated. That moment is when Damon gives back to Elena the necklace that Stefan gave her in Season 1, showing that he wished her the best even if it wasn’t alongside him. This makes for effective storytelling because she falls for the kindhearted vampire first, but as time goes by, she notices that her disdain for the other Salvatore sibling starts to shift into a whirlwind passion.

Stefan might’ve swept Elena off her feet with his remarkable first impression, but after Season 3, it is clear that Damon was her endgame and that never changed from that point onwards. Although some would argue that her vampire transformation might’ve played a role in her ultimate choice, the truth is that Elena changed throughout the seasons and those changes contributed to her not feeling as connected to Stefan as she once was. Even after the protagonist was compelled by Alaric later on to erase all the memories that she had with Damon, she falls in love with him all over again. This proves that her feelings for him were genuine all along, and that her love for Stefan shifted to friendship.

The Salvatore Brothers Still Cared for Each Other

The love triangle is the heart of The Vampire Diaries, but another reason why the relationship between the three main characters is so compelling for fans is the dynamic between the Salvatore brothers in itself. Despite their rivalry since the beginning of the show, much due to their romantic interests, they still prioritize one another, always seeing past their differences. In Season 5, Damon even gives up his own life to save his brother. Their brotherly bond has its ups and downs, but they never let love get in the way of caring for each other.

There is a reason why Elena is torn about which sibling she should be with. Stefan is humble, attentive, and kind, while Damon is sarcastic, charming, and reckless when he wants to be. They might be very different, but underneath their vampire tendencies to compel people and feed on human blood, their humanity shows that they are both worthy of love. Their humanity also lead them to protect each other more than letting their rivalry get in the way. Although the final episode of the series marks the fate of the love triangle, it is sweet to see that despite one brother staying with Elena in the end, they still had a heartfelt appreciation for one another. When Damon meets Stefan in the afterlife and says the iconic line, “Hey brother,” it is a full-circle moment to see that the siblings find peace together rather than apart. Damon had the chance to spend the rest of his human life with Elena, but after death, he decides to reconnect with the only other person he also loves: his brother.

The Vampire Diaries is available to stream on Max and Peacock TV in the U.S.

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