‘The Vampire Diaries’ Elena Gilbert Is TV’s Most Underrated Romantic Heroine

The Vampire Diaries brought oh-so-much to the world world of television: a gritty version of The CW, two equally lovable vampire brothers, and more deaths and resurrections than even the most dedicated fan can remember. But there’s one element that, even 10 years later, set The Vampire Diaries apart: no romantic heroine on television has ever been better than Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert.

Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, The Vampire Diaries never shied away from being the romance epic it wanted to be. Similar horror dramas for teens such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have dwelled on romantic subplots while primarily focusing on the action, but not The Vampire Diaries. From its first episode this was a series entirely about a young woman who was destined to hook up with one of the hunky and misunderstood Salvatore brothers.

It’s impossible to under-appreciate Nina Dobrev’s performance during the six seasons she was a regular on the show. Over the course of the drama she embodied four different characters: Elena Gilbert; her evil doppelgänger Katherine Pierce; and her other doppelgängers Amara and Tatia. Dobrev’s various characters rarely had the luxury of new wigs or memorable costumes, often entirely relying on a cold glare or a calculated hair flip to reveal which of the four Dobrevs was actually playing. But none of them were quite as remarkable as Elena Gilbert.

In the world of young adult romances crowded with blandly average heroines or try-hard manic pixie dream girls, Elena was just a good person. She had her own well-defined moral code that she rarely abandoned, and she was intensely loyal to the people who earned her trust. If she felt her troubled younger brother Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) or her witchy best friend Bonnie (Kat Graham) needed her, they would come first, her relationships with the Salvatores be damned. Elena wasn’t just a member of a love triangle, she was a fully formed person with her own beliefs, limits, and carefully crafted sense of right and wrong.

Because of this, every moment Elena spent torn between Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) felt that much more powerful. When Elena first told Stefan that she didn’t believe he was entirely evil, it felt like he actually had a chance, not only to date her but to learn to like himself. If someone he had hurt as much as Elena could see past his faults, surely he could have a believable path for redemption. Conversely, when Stefan’s past as a bloodthirsty vampire called a Ripper came back to haunt him, Elena started to give up on her first love. That carried weight too. By that point we had seen Elena give so many lovers, friends, family members, and even enemies one more chance. When she finally stopped forgiving Stefan, it truly felt for a minute that he was beyond helping. Even more chilling, it felt like Elena had reached her limit for forgiveness.

By portraying Elena as a believable person first and a love interest second, her romances became even stronger. Fans knew who Elena was and what she stood for. That way, the series was able to stand more securely without romance. Seeing Elena profess her love to Damon was always a swoon-worthy good time, but watching her get ready for Founder’s Day with her on-again, off-again bestie Caroline (Candice King) was just as much fun. Over the past 10 years Plec has created a world that has extended for three shows, 15 seasons, and every combination of vampire-werewolf-witch hybrids. And she did that by first co-creating Elena Gilbert, a heroine as fully developed and human as any guy Elena wanted to date.

Where to stream The Vampire Diaries