The Vampire Diaries is one of the CW's greatest and longest-running shows, and it's not hard to see why. The main premise was perfect in its simplicity: orphan Elena Gilbert becomes involved in a love triangle between vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore, and from there the supernatural drama spins out of control.
Since The Vampire Diaries was co-developed by Kevin Williamson (the creator of Dawson's Creek who's known for creating compelling characters), it's worth taking a look into the residents of Mystic Falls and what their complex personalities are truly like. These are the Myers-Briggs® personality types of The Vampire Diaries characters.
Updated September 28, 2021 by Hilary Elizabeth: The Vampire Diaries evolved drastically over time, as did the characters that inhabited this fictional world. As each main player in Mystic Falls changed and became more dimensional, this list has been altered to reflect every facet of these characters and how they fit into the MBTI® personality types.
Tyler Lockwood: ENFP
ENFPs are one of the most intriguing Myers-Briggs® types. On the surface, they are popular, appealing, and sociable people who love to have a good time. However, the face that they show to the world isn't all they have to offer.
Beneath that surface is often a creative, sensitive, and deep soul that searches for greater meaning in life. And this personality type seems to perfectly describe Tyler Lockwood and his character evolution over the course of The Vampire Diaries.
Jeremy Gilbert - INFP
Although they sometimes have trouble revealing their true feelings to others, INFPs are extremely emotional individuals. They intensely desire strong connections with others, but they generally feel isolated from the rest of the world without always understanding why, which perfectly describes Jeremy Gilbert.
However, when people of this personality type tap into their empathetic side and use it to their advantage, they can flourish and really help everyone around them, just like Jeremy did when he finally embraced his destiny as a Hunter.
Matt Donovan: ISTJ
While Matt Donovan is a very caring and loving person, the nature of his upbringing essentially forced him to be as pragmatic and logical as possible. He had to hold his home together while his mom was gone and his sister was running wild, and as a result, his inner ISTJ side really came out.
Matt is devoted to whatever he thinks must be done, and even if his feelings tell him otherwise, he'll do what he thinks is best for everyone.
Kai Parker: ESTJ
Clearly, getting overwhelmed by emotions isn't a problem for Kai. His lack of connection with the people around him is astounding, but in a terrifying way, his ability to manipulate and outwit people is actually pretty impressive.
Obviously, Kai represents everything wrong with the ESTJ personality type. But those that fall into this category are exceptionally good planners who know how to manage communities and families, and Kai quite masterfully used these natural skills to nearly decimate the entire Parker clan before they knew what hit them.
Enzo St. John: ESFP
ESFP people are often referred to as the entertainers of the MBTI®, and it comes as no surprise that Enzo would fit in perfectly among them.
He certainly had more than enough time where he had to learn how to keep himself entertained, and he was even motivational and interesting enough to give Damon the will to live when their lives in captivity seemed entirely hopeless. And despite being tormented for decades, at least Enzo still knows how to have fun.
Katherine Pierce: INTJ
Elena Gilbert may be the main character of the show (at least until Nina Dobrev chose to leave after season 6), but there is another character who has a massive effect on everyone: her doppelganger, Katherine Pierce. She has been both a witch and a vampire and has a history with the Salvatore brothers just like Elena does. Katherine has a deeply romantic nature, but she doesn't ever let it get in the way of her goals.
When it comes to Katherine's MBTI®, it has to be a personality type that reflects her crafty and cunning personality. When she arrives in Mystic Falls, she's got her eye on the supernatural prize: she wants to give Klaus Elena so she can stop running away from him. Katherine is totally an INTJ because of her will to implement ideas and actually achieve the results she's looking for. She wants what she wants, and she stops at nothing to get it.
Klaus Mikaelson: ENTP
If teen dramas typically feature cafeteria scenes and first dates, then supernatural teen dramas feature at least a few bad guys. Klaus Mikaelson is the "big bad" of The Vampire Diaries. Or at least he was at the start, though as the seasons went on (and as Klaus got his own spinoff), it was clear that there were many more layers to his characterization.
Klaus has had an incomprehensibly long life, which definitely affects his Myers-Briggs® personality type. He absolutely has to be an ENTP because he is extremely outspoken and great at thinking outside the box. He likes adventure and stimulating his mind, and he's always looking for something unique and new to pique his interest.
Alaric Saltzman: ESTJ
Alaric Saltzman is a history teacher, which is largely reflected in his Myers-Briggs® personality type. Since he's got that academic background, he best fits into the ESTJ categorization. His emotions definitely run deep, but ultimately he is realistic and practical. Yes, he initially came to Mystic Falls to avenge his wife, but he never let those desires override his carefully crafted plans.
Alaric is also good with details and managing a lot of information or people at once, and that's another major dimension of those who fall under the ESTJ umbrella.
Bonnie Bennett: ESFJ
Elena's best friend on The Vampire Diaries is a witch, one of the most powerful witches in history, in fact. In the first season, Bonnie Bennett finds this out about herself, and in season 2, she really comes into her own. As time goes on she only grows more and more powerful. However, what really distinguishes Bonnie from many other supernatural beings in Mystic Falls is what she does with her power.
Out of every character, Bonnie is the most heroic in The Vampire Diaries. She wants nothing more than to help the people she loves, which makes her personality closely aligned to an ESFJ. She's warmhearted and wants everything to work and everyone to be happy.
Caroline Forbes: ESFP
This show's iteration of the classic bubbly best friend is Caroline Forbes. Before she becomes a vampire (and even falls in love with and marries Stefan), she's the queen bee of Mystic Falls High School. The girl has a seriously packed schedule as cheerleading captain and top student. She also wins the affections of quite a few characters, including Matt, Klaus, and Tyler.
Her Myers-Briggs® personality type is an ESFP, as she's someone who is totally outgoing and accepting. She loves others and enjoys helping them make their goals happen. And considering that these are the "entertainers" of the world, it makes total sense that she's a literal drama major.
Stefan Salvatore: ISFP
Every character in The Vampire Diaries is complex, but Stefan's many facets take the cake in terms of dimension. Not only is he a doppelganger, but he's what's known as a Ripper, a vampire uncontrollably addicted to blood. Stefan does everything he can to repress that part of himself, but it's always under the surface waiting to explode.
But since Stefan truly is a good guy, fans still feel really warm and fuzzy about him. His MBTI® is an ISFP because of his sensitive nature and his friendly spirit. He dislikes conflict and tries to appreciate what's going on around him. Stefan is also very loyal, which is one of the main personality traits of this type.
Damon Salvatore: ENTP
At the beginning of The Vampire Diaries, Damon is the bad guy and Stefan is the good guy. But Damon ends up having a pretty big heart hidden beneath all that snark.
Like Klaus, Damon is definitely an ENTP. He's alert and outspoken and is bored of the same old. He needs to be stimulated and entertained. And if the people around him aren't exciting enough to captivate his interest, then he'll find ways to make his own fun — which usually involves murder of some kind.
Elena Gilbert: ISTJ
Elena Gilbert is definitely the girl next door, but as the seasons progressed, some fans took note of how she seemed to be a bit meaner and acted differently.
For the most part, though, Elena is just a nice girl who fell in love with the Salvatore brothers. It's for sure the most exciting thing that has ever happened to her, and because of this, her MBTI® is an ISTJ. She's someone who is quiet yet serious. Friends and family can always depend on her and she likes structure, which is unfortunate given how chaotic her life becomes.