Stefan might be over a century and a half years old, but Elena is his first real love in The Vampire Diaries. For seasons, the series revolves around their romance and showcases the extreme lengths they go to for one another. Stefan and Elena are the heart of the story, even if it switches gears during the latter half.
There's nothing they can't get through as long as they're together, and the unconditional love between them is hard to find. Although she marries Damon, plenty of fans still believe that Elena belongs with Stefan in The Vampire Diaries. Stefan and Elena have an epic relationship and there are many reasons why they're couple goals.
Stefan And Elena Have Fun Together
Stefan and Elena always have a good time, regardless of the circumstance. They're the least lively of the group on their own, but they bring out an entirely different side to one another.
Stefan and Elena share some of the funniest scenes in The Vampire Diaries and develop a more light-hearted relationship as time goes on. Even after their break-up, they still know how to make one another laugh. They entertain each other endlessly while stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Elena Never Gives Up On Stefan
There are an endless amount of times Elena should give up on Stefan for her own sake. Tracking him down during The Vampire Diaries Season 3 puts Elena's life in jeopardy, as Klaus will kill Elena if he discovers that she's still alive.
Elena doesn't care about the risk and loves Stefan more than she values her safety. Stefan goes missing again during the fifth season, and despite her current relationship with Damon, Elena proves that she'll still move heaven and Earth to find him.
Stefan Brings Elena Back
Damon tells Elena to turn off her humanity when she's unable to get past Jeremy's death but doesn't expect it to be such a huge problem. Elena is lethal without emotions and makes decisions that will haunt her later down the line.
Getting her to flip her switch back is no easy task and it ends up becoming an ongoing plotline. Damon killing Matt is ultimately what snaps Elena out of it, but it's Stefan who immediately jumps on the opportunity. He gets through to Elena during her moment of vulnerability and encourages her to let it all back in.
Stefan's Love For Elena Is Stronger Than Klaus's Compulsion
There are several memorable Stelena quotes in The Vampire Diaries, but one stands out in particular. After Stefan refuses to give into Klaus's compulsion and hurt Elena, Klaus is amazed. He's been around for over one thousand years, yet never witnesses a love as strong as Stefan and Elena's.
He later says the line "that kind of love never dies," which holds a lot of weight coming from someone who's seen everything. In order to turn Stefan against Elena, Klaus has to make him shut off his emotions completely.
Stefan Respects Elena's Choices
The best thing about Stefan and Elena's relationship is that they're equals. As a vampire, Stefan is much more powerful than Elena, but he doesn't use it to force her hand. Stefan understands that he doesn't have the right to control anyone, especially not the woman he loves.
Respecting Elena's decisions often come at a personal cost, and Stefan is even prepared to lose her for good if it means honoring her independence. Elena never feels like she's beneath him or that their relationship comes at the cost of her free will.
Stefan And Elena's Dream Life Is With Each Other
Their visions of each other are fate's way of bringing the doppelgangers together, but Stefan and Elena fell in love all on their own. Viewers see them living the life they've always wanted, and the couple is happier than ever.
While the circumstances are fake, everything they feel is real. If the two weren't thrown so many curveballs then their relationship would have a different outcome. In another life where circumstances don't force them apart, Stefan and Elena are each other's happy endings.
Elena Offers Stefan Unconditional Love And Forgiveness
Despite all the horrible things Stefan's done in The Vampire Diaries, it has no effect on the way Elena feels about him. Elena is well-aware of his past and she even witnesses his mistakes first-hand.
The night Stefan feeds Elena his blood and threatens to drive her off of Wickery Bridge, it seems as though he's lost for good. But Elena knows Stefan's heart, and she loves him through everything. His blood addiction makes being a vampire especially difficult, and Elena helps him shoulder the burden.
Stefan Ensures That Elena Lives Her Life To Its Fullest
Stefan knows that there's more to life than just surviving, and there's a period of time when that's all Elena does. Each day brings another problem to solve and every month brings another death to grieve.
The Salvatores spend almost two centuries having new experiences and seeing what the world has to offer, while Elena hasn't even graduated high school. Damon only cares about keeping her alive, while Stefan goes out of his way to make sure she has a life that's worth living.
Stefan And Elena Always Make Romantic Gestures
Being supernatural doesn't stop Stefan and Elena from acting like a normal couple. They may have to deal with an original hybrid and fight for their lives every now and then, but the couple manages to keep romance in the air.
Stefan brings Elena flowers, takes her to dances, and even kisses her on top of the Ferris Wheel. His thoughtfulness is just one of many reasons Stefan's a great boyfriend in The Vampire Diaries. Elena does the same in return and even takes Stefan to her family's cabin for a weekend getaway.