The Vampire Diaries was a modern supernatural action-romance that followed Elena Gilbert and her friends as they encounter vampires, werewolves, and witches - oh my! This series is a wild ride full of supernatural shenanigans and dramatic moments that are great for a wine and popcorn binge session. There were a lot of couples to root for, with characters falling into eternal love at first sight, only to be torn apart by unfortunate events. Now that the series is over, we can officially assess The Vampire Diaries' line of eligible boyfriends and see who is the worst and who is the best.
Klaus
Of course, Klaus was going to rank dead last. While his affection for Caroline did make him a better person and the spin-off series The Originals does make him a more sympathetic character, sympathy does not equal redemption. Klaus does not hesitate to murder those who stand in his way and will sacrifice innocents to get what he wants.
The man sealed his entire family away for centuries over a disagreement. Klaus is a real vampire; a ruthless monster who despises humanity. Klaus' actions throughout the series mark him as a dangerous individual and a messed up person to be with.
Damon
Potentially a controversial entry, Damon was not a great partner. He and Elena have tangible chemistry, but Damon as a boyfriend and a person is not wholly redeemable. His dedication to his loves deserves credit, but he has tried to attack both incarnations of Elena on multiple occasions and has threatened Elena's loved ones over the course of the series. Damon and Elena have been through a lot together and overcome many obstacles of both supernatural and trivial nature; it is this dedication and effort on Damon's part, along with his eventual warmth towards humanity that stops him from stooping to Klaus' level.
Silas
Silas takes loyalty and eternal love to a whole new level. Silas was supposed to be with Qetsiyah but became immortal and then human with his true love Amara with varying success. This act created all the doppelgangers and had a direct effect on everyone in the show. Not only did he kill humans, vampires, and both created and destroyed the Other Side.
While Silas was an excellent boyfriend to Amara, he was a terrible boyfriend to his initial partner Qetsiyah, which is something that has been noted when placing him on this list. Talk about a mixed bag boyfriend.
Stefan
Another potentially controversial opinion, Stefan is a good boyfriend. He loved Elena totally and stood by her even after they broke up. Their steamy romance in the initial seasons of the show will be remembered fondly by many fans. However, he did try to be with Valerie despite his feelings towards Caroline, which is not fair on either woman. Stefan is a fundamentally good person who generally tries to do the right thing by those he cares about in spite of all the terrible circumstances that surround him. That being said, lying to your partner about your feelings and plans is wrong.
Enzo
Enzo is a bit if an enigma. While he does not exactly have the cleanest reputation, but equally he seemed to be a decent boyfriend. While he and Bonnie surprised viewers with their seemingly-out-of-nowhere kiss in season seven, they soon won fans over with their steaming hot romance.
Not only did he and Bonnie have great chemistry, but they were also a much better fit than Bonnie and Jeremy were. Enzo even stayed with Bonnie after his life ended and encouraged her to live her life. Now, Enzo's spirit follows Bonnie as she travels the world; that's pretty great, to be honest.
Tyler
Poor Tyler, so many terrible things happened to this guy. While he was initially portrayed to be an aggressive and unpleasant jock, it was soon explained that his behavior was down to his werewolf genes. As a partner, he cared deeply for Caroline and did his best to take care of her. However, after she slept with Klaus while they were having difficulties, Tyler completely cut their relationship. Once they had a big fight and released the tension, Tyler and Caroline cared enough about each other to remain friends before his eventual death at the hands of Damon.
Jeremy
Jeremy receives a lot of criticism for being mopey or boring in comparison to other candidates on this list. However, he was deeply in love with Vicki in season one, despite their unhealthy relationship. He also did his best by Bonnie in their odd but honest relationship. Most fans were not into the fact that he dated his older sister's best friend, but it worked for some people.
Unlike many of the tough aggressive candidates on this list, Jeremy is in touch with his feelings and many people appreciate having a sensitive partner by their side. It's a shame things did not work out for him.
Alaric
Alaric is an interesting candidate on this list as he is one of the only long-featured adults in The Vampire Diaries. Not only that, but he actually dated and had decent relationships. His initial relationship with Elena and Jeremy's aunt Jenna was a sweet and pleasant refresher against the dramatic relationships that the younger characters were having. Then Alaric dated Jo and had a wonderfully loving relationship with her, going so far as to marry and expect children with her. Alaric is a loyal and loving partner who is also skilled and handsome; if Jo had survived, they would have been together for the long haul.
Matt
Matt did really well in The Vampire Diaries; he was the only human who remained human during his time during the series. When we first meet him, he was a sweet guy who had just been dumped by Elena after the deaths of her parents. After that, he had a lovely relationship with Caroline that had that lovely high-school sweethearts vibe to it.
However, it was his steamy relationship with Rebekah that really showed his true colors. Matt is a sweet and wonderful boyfriend and remained that way throughout the course of the show. It is for this reason that he is number one on this list.