The Vampire Diaries Universe Timeline Explained - Looper (2023)

VonLea Flavel/April 20, 2021 6:23 am EST

In September 2009, whendusktook the world by storm and vampires were more swoon than scary, another paranormal romance series to debut on the CW.the Vampire Diariesintroduced the audience to Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who after the death of his parents gets into a love triangle with two dashing vampires: Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) and his older brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder). The series, based on the popular YA novels by L.J Smith, became a hit with fans for introducing new supernatural creatures andcharactersevery season.

In 2013, the show's universe expanded whenTVDcharactersKlaus Michaelson(Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies) and Rebekah (Claire Holt).Nova Orleans, where they competed for supremacy in the French Quarter in their spin-off show,The original. A third part of the universe was added in 2018 with the debut oflegacies, set at the Salvatore Boarding House and starring Klaus' daughter Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell).

As the franchise grew, so did its lore and mythology.the Vampire Diaries,The original, zlegaciescontain long lists of centuries-old immortals. The series has a complicated history that dates back to 750 BC. dates back to by the year 2028. Use this guide as a guideThe Vampire Diaries'Chronology.

Season 8 ofthe Vampire Diariesfilled with a number of backstories. Around 2200 BC A powerful medium named Arcadius (also known as Cade) became a popular member of his village. His ability to read minds made him empathetic, and for a time he used his powers to heal people, though his good deeds were rebuffed. Cade sought out one of the village leaders after hearing his rapacious thoughts towards the girls; he and the rest of the villagers turned on Cade and burned him at the stake. In his agony, Cade dispatched a psychic blast that createdInferno. After that, he gathered the souls of sinners and dragged them to hell to face punishment.

750 BC BC another seer came to Arcadius to save her sister's life. Seline and Sybil were banished to an island when their abilities were discovered. The girls lured sailors to the island to feed themselves; Seline lied to Sybil to get her to eat human flesh, her only option. When Sybil found out the truth, she attempted suicide. To save her sister, Seline Cade called and asked for help, whatever the cost. Cade nodded. The two girls weresirens, immortal creatures doomed to feast on the flesh of the guilty in Hell.

In Season 5 we learn that sometime in the 1st century B.C. another supernatural being created an afterlife dimension. Qetsiyah (Janina Gavankar) and Silas (also played by Paul Wesley), two powerful witches and ancestors of the Bennett and Salvatore families, have created an elixir of immortality to drink at their wedding. However, Silas betrayed Qetsiyah and stole the elixir for himself and his true love Amara (also played by Nina Dobrev). Heartbroken, Qetsiyah condemned Amara to do soimmortallife carved in stone as an anchor to the Other Side, a purgatory she created for supernatural beings. Silas was imprisoned along with the cure for immortality. Qetsiyah intended Silas to take the cure and join her on the other side. Silas declined and instead dried off.

His actions had consequences. Nature rebelled against Amara and Silas' newfound immortality, creating doppelgangers Salvatore and Petrova, versions of their original ancestors who can die. Meanwhile, Qetsiyah was killed by other witches for making the Elixir of Immortality. Cursed to lead a nomadic life, forbidden to settle, his bloodline and that of Silas became the first travelers.

In Season 4 ofThe original, the public learned of a powerful supernatural born in the 5th century AD. The marriage of two mighty menNative AmericanWitches gathered in covens after years of war. Her unborn child was blessed with power by the elders for nine months. This turned out to be a fatal mistake; When Inadu (Blu Hunt), also known as Hollow, was born, his lust for power knew no bounds. The hollow's power ravaged its people, and soon the elders and the rest of the tribe were forced to take action.

The coven attacked Inadu with wolves before killing her with a magical ax and ending her reign of terror. However, The Hollow had one last trick up its sleeve. At the time of his death, Inadu cursed all witches to turn into wolves at every turn.full moon. The cursed tribe became the firstwerewolves— including Inadu's mother, whose growing birthmark defined her as the first member of the Labonair line and father to Hayley Marshall (Phoebe Tonkin) and Hope Mikaelson. The spirit of the hollow was later imprisoned by the ancestral witches of New Orleans before being destroyed forever by Klaus.

Not long after, another witch created a supernatural species that set the events ofthe Vampire Diariesuniverse in motion. Esther Mikaelson (Alice Evans) initially resented hervikingHusband/kidnapper Mikael, but he warmed to it quickly, leading her to turn her back on her sister Dahlia (Claudia Black) and her magical lineage. As a reward and prize for helping Esther perform a fertility spell, Dahlia took Freya, Esther and Mikael's eldest daughter, with her. The sisters were separated for the next thousand years.

After that, the Mikaelsons fled to theNew world, where they settled in a werewolf village that later became Mystic Falls. The Original family lived peacefully until 1001 AD when their youngest son, Henrik, was killed by a werewolf. Fearing for the safety of their children, Esther and Mikael turned to magic. With the blood of Tatia Petrova, anotherdoubleAs a descendant of Amara, Esther cast an alternate immortality spell that turned her children into the first vampires. Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Finn (Casper Zafer) and Kol (Nathaniel Buzolic inTVD; Daniel Sharman aThe original) were endowed with incredible abilities—but vampirism has drawbacks, and nature soon rejected them. The truth about Klaus' paternity was revealed when he was turned into a werewolf after his first murder. Esther tied up Klaus' werewolf side and tricked Klaus into killing his mother. Afterwards, the brothers vowed to stay together "forever and ever" while on the run from Mikael, who became a vampire to hunt them down. Klaus blamed his stepfather for Esther's death.

After traveling across Europe for a century, the Originals traveled to Italy, where they encountered another powerful supernatural faction. The Brotherhood of Five was founded in AD 1100 when a descendant of Qetsiyah performed a spell that gave five men the ability to hunt vampires. Along with superhuman strength and speed, the hunters gained mystical power.tattooon arms and chest that would only be visible to other hunters in the future. The tattoo contained the map to Silas' tomb and the cure for immortality.

The Originals and the Five crossed paths in 1114 when Rebekah fell in love with a hunter named Alexander (Paul Telfer). OVampireThey believed that with rings that allowed them to move in daylight they were safe from detection by the Five, but they were wrong. Alexander neutralized Rebekah with a silver dagger while his brothers ambushed the other Originals. Klaus was unaffected due to his werewolf parentage. The original hybrid killed Alexander and the other hunters, though he was later plagued by the hunter's curse for 52 years.

The originals became more ruthless over the next few centuries. In 1492, Klaus and Elijah met Katerina Petrova, another doppelganger descended from Amara and Tatia, and the future ancestor of Damon and Stefan Salvatore. Katerina was forced to flee her home and family in Bulgaria after giving birth to an illegitimate daughter (her daughter Nadia was reunited with her as a vampire in season 5 ofthe Vampire Diaries). In England, Katerina met Klaus and Elijah, who recognized her immediately. Elijah fell in love with Katerina, although his brother made it clear that he planned to sacrifice her to break his hybrid curse. In the end, Katerina "betrayed" both of them by running away.

With the help of Trevor (Trent Ford), another vampire, Katerina escaped with the moonstone and met Rose (living DeadLauren Cohan). Rose wanted to bring Katerina back to Klaus for fear of his wrath, but the doppelganger had other ideas. She tricked Rose into giving her vampire blood before killing herself, triggering her transformation into an undead. As a vampire, Katerina changed her name to Katherine Pierce and fled again, spending the next 500 years on the run from Klaus. Klaus murdered his family for his actions.

EmThe original,The public learned that the Original brothers fled from their father again in 1702. Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah, along with the stabbed bodies of Kol and Finn, boarded a ship to the New World, where they landed in New Orleans. The Originals built a home there, helped build the city, and became powerful and respected rulers. In 1820 Klaus, Elijah and Rebekah met Marcel (Charles Michael Davis). The governor's illegitimate son, Marcel, impressed Klaus, who took him under his wing and raised him as his son.

Marcel became close to the originals and later asked Klaus to turn him into a vampire. Rebekah and Marcel fell in love, which led to Klaus stabbing Rebekah to death in 1835. Klaus then forced Marcel to choose between a human life with Rebekah or a vampire. Marcel chose the latter. The Originals' time in New Orleans ended abruptly in 1919. Tired of living under Klaus' control, Marcel and Rebekah called Mikael to New Orleans. Mikael's burning rage consumed the city. The Originals fled again, leaving New Orleans in Marcel's hands.

After centuries on the run, Katherine Pierce has settled in Mystic Falls, where vampires Pearl (Kelly Hu) and Anna (Malese Jow) already live. Disguised as an orphan, Katherine was sheltered by the Salvatores, where she began bonding with Stefan and Damon. Both brothers fell in love with her, although only Damon accepted her vampirism.

Katherine's stay in Mystic Falls ended on September 25, 1864, when the founding families rounded up the town's vampires to burn at Fell's Church. Thanks to Emily Bennett, the vampires were protected from the fire despite being sealed in a grave to dry out. Meanwhile, Damon and Stefan try to save Katherine. The brothers were shot by their father Giuseppe (William James Remar) and died with Katherine's blood in their system. Unnoticed by either of them, Katherine has escaped the inferno she orchestrated to trick Klaus into thinking she was dead. Stefan convinced Damon to complete his transformation after feeding on a human for the first time. The brothers separated a year later.

A humanity-weary Stefan traveled to Chicago in 1922, where he first met Klaus and Rebekah. Klaus and Stefan hit it off right away and became as close as brothers. The hybrid admired Ripper Stefan's vicious tenacity and ability to torment his victims, while Rebekah and Stefan quickly fell in love. Rebekah gave Stefan her mother's necklace, which he later tiedVerbenaand there was Elena Gilbert in 2009. The trio went on a rampage blood rush until Mikael caught up with his kids again. The Chicago Police Department attacked Gloria's bar with wooden bullets, causing the Originals to flee again. Klaus forced Stefan to forget about him and Rebekah and stabbed his sister when she declared her intention to run away with Stefan. Unknown to the trio, a disguised Katherine Pierce was watching them nearby.

Damon Salvatore returned to Mystic Falls in 1953 only to fall into the clutches of the Augustine Society. Damon's relative, Joseph Salvatore, gave him to Dr. Whitmore (Shaun Sipos, also from Syfy'sKrypton) after giving him verbena. The doctor. Whitmore subjected Damon to brutal torture with his "experiments". During his captivity, Damon met another captive vampire named Enzo St. John (Michael Malarkey). They made a deal: one vampire would sacrifice their blood ration so the other could grow strong enough to escape.

In 1958, Damon escaped when Dr. Whitmore released him from his cage during a New Year's Eve party for the Augustines. Damon slaughtered the Augustine Society, accidentally starting a fire in the process. Though he tried to free Enzo, the vervain on the cage doors along with the growing fire proved too much to overcome. Damon left his friend and shut down his humanity to avoid feeling guilt over his betrayal.

Damon's bloody path leads him to New York1977, where he met his brother's best friend, Lexi (Arielle Kebbel). Lexi tried to convince Damon to activate his humanity like he had done with Stefan all those years ago. However, Damon had other ideas. The two partied together for months while Damon pretended to be in love with Lexi and emotionally manipulated the older vampire into giving in to his wild side. However, after a passionate night on a rooftop, Damon betrayed her by stealing her daylight ring, leaving her to hide from the sunlight while he taunted her goodbye.

In 1994, the Gemini coven was torn apart by tragedy when Malachai (Kai) Parker (Chris Wood, also fromsuper girl) has taken it upon himself to murder his brothers and absorb the power of his sister Jo (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Kai discovered that her parents were unwilling to let their twins perform the fusion ceremony since Kai was a siphon along with his mental instability. In retaliation, Kai killed four of his brothers while attempting to kill their parents' younger twins. To stop him, his father Joshua (Danny Gerard) and the rest of the Gemini coven agreed to let Kai perform the fusion with Jo - only to have it turn against him. The Gemini coven used a spell created by the Bennett family to imprison Kai in an alternate prison world cursed to repeat the same day over and over again using the Ascendant and the power of a solar eclipse.

On May 23, 2009, a fateful night changed Elena Gilbert's life forever. Elena gets into a fight with her boyfriend Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig), resulting in her leaving a party and meeting Damon Salvatore for the first time while waiting for her parents to drive home. Damon initially believed that Elena was Katherine, although he soon realized the truth. The two shared a tender moment before he forced her to forget their fateful encounter. Later that night, tragedy struck the Gilbert family when Elena's parents crashed their car into the depths of Wickery Bridge. An unconscious Elena was rescued by Stefan. Unfortunately, Stefan could not save his parents, who died in the accident.

Five months later, Elena officially met Stefan on the first day of school at Mystic Falls High. Younger brother Salvatore, fascinated by Elena and her resemblance to Katherine, enrolled in the same school to get to know her better. Elena and Stefan fell in love despite the numerous obstacles thrown their way (mainly Stefan's older brother Damon and the vampires buried under Fell's church).

The relationship between Stefan and Elena remained strong throughout.the Vampire Diariesplayed against them, such as Stefan's vampirism and the numerous supernatural threats attracted to Mystic Falls over the course of the series. Elena and Stefan broke up in late 2010 after she became a vampire and was accidentally fathered by Damon. Elena then fell in love with Damon and Stefan pursued a relationship with her friend Caroline Forbes (Rei Candice).

Elena's character left the story in 2015 due to the departure of actress Nina Dobrevexitvonthe Vampire Diaries. Her character was cursed by Kai to remain unconscious in a coma until Bonnie died, leaving the rest of the Mystic Falls gang to fight without her. Damon decided to become dehydrated not long after, but was woken up by his brother in 2017. Together, Damon and Stefan were escaping Rayna Cruz, a vampire slayer wielding the Phoenix Stone, before encountering the Sirens as Sybil was freed from the vault of the Arsenal. . Damon was finally reunited with Elena when she awoke from her enchanted comaTVDs season finale, "I felt epic."

In 2026, Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson's long life will come to an end. The Originals sacrifice almost everything they have to defeat the hollow, including an essence of his mind and the seven-year separation to weaken him. In the end, however, Klaus must make the ultimate sacrifice to save his daughter Hope. He absorbs the essence of the hollow before dying to defeat her. Elijah chooses to die at his brother's side and the two risk each other's deaths, eventually destroying the hollow. Rebekah and Marcel are reunited and Hope returns to the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted.

Hope Michaelsonis always the focuslegacies, where she co-starsThe Vampire Diaries'Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis) and other supernatural characters, including Alaric and Caroline's adult twins, Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) and Josie (Kaylee Bryant). Danielle Rose Russell returns as the character she played in Season 5 ofThe original. For alllegacies, Hope faces myriad magical threats as she navigates adolescence and the legacy of being Klaus Mikaelson's daughter as a "tribrid" (hybrid of witch, werewolf, and vampire).legacieswas renewed by The CW for itsfourth seasonin February 2021 and is scheduled to go live in late fall/winter, so expect the timeline to keep expanding.