Although the writers of The Vampire Diaries presented new entertainment for fans of the show with Vampire Academy, TVD has not lost any of its sheen. The Salvatore brothers were the main attraction in the show, and Stefan Salvatore has a special place in fans' hearts.
Stefan was the good brother out of the two: the one who sacrificed and sought to do the right thing at every step of the way. However, Stefan was far from being a one note character, and his dark side surfaced when he had his humanity off. He was a brother, a lover, and a friend, and his quotes sum up his personality well.
“I Don't Hurt People. I Don't Do That. I'm The Good Brother.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 1, Episode 19
There were similarities between Stefan and Damon, but the former always wanted to do the right thing. To make up for his Ripper urges, he strove to be better, selfless, friendly, and merciful whenever he could, which was evident in this quote.
Stefan wanted to minimize hurting or being cruel to people despite his vampiric nature, which made him a unique person, since vampires usually did not care for human life.
“You Aren't Gonna Kill Katherine... I Am.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 2, Episode 7
In a moment that eerily foreshadowed his final end, Stefan stated that he would be the one to kill Katherine, the vampire who started it all. He had loved her once, but her treachery and betrayals had hurt him so much that he wanted to kill her early on.
He had a complex relationship with her, and killing her with him was the best decision Stefan made in the finale. It was an action that spoke of his selflessness in spades.
“What I Did Was Selfish. I Didn't Wanna Be Alone. Guess I Just Needed My Brother.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 2, Episode 8
The biggest regret Stefan had in his life was making Damon drink blood to complete his transformation (even though he had not been the one who fed him vampire blood or shot him). He wanted his brother with him, so he made him feed to stay alive.
Stefan shared a special bond with his brother, and he did what he had to in that moment. Still, the guilt stayed with Stefan forever and he kept apologizing for it.
“You’re Right. Thank You For Being In Love With My Girlfriend.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 2, Episode 19
The biggest point of conflict between the two brothers was that they kept falling for the same woman, with the same face, over and over. After the Katherine debacle, Damon proceeded to fall for Elena (who was already with Stefan), which made the younger Salvatore quite annoyed.
He was bitter for a long time that Damon flirted and wooed Elena while he was still dating her. However, Stefan's big heart made space for both of them as a couple later when they started seeing each other.
“Friends Don't Strip Friends Of Their Free Will.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Episode 11
Klaus "friendship" with Stefan played an integral part in the young Salvatore brother's life - especially in season 3 as it introduced fans to his darker side. Stefan tried to stay away from his Ripper self, which wasn't that far away - especially if he turned off his humanity switch. However, fans got to see a lot more of Stefan's darker side when Klaus eventually took away his free will and made him become a Ripper for his own benefit and entertainment (ultimately making him lose Elena too).
Klaus tried to be a friend to Stefan, but the younger vampire told him that controlling people did not make them buddies. Klaus dealt Stefan a huge blow with his actions.
“I Just Wanna Rip Into Someone's Artery And Feed Until I Can't Feed Anymore.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 4, Episode 7
The darkest parts of Stefan were his Ripper tendencies, which made him an uncontrollable monster. He would lose who he was at the core (a good person) and become a bloodthirsty vampire who couldn't stop himself.
The transformation from normal Stefan to the Ripper was stark, and all he could think about was feeding. He fed so hard that head would roll, even if he didn't mean to.
“You're My Brother. I'm Not Gonna Give Up On You. I Never Will.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 5, Episode 14
The Salvatore brothers fought and quarreled for decades, but Stefan always wanted the best for Damon. Damon may have vowed to make his life hell, but Stefan truly believed that the two would eventually find a way to make it back to one another and repair the bond they thought they had once broken.
Whenever Damon fell off the wagon, got caught by Sirens, or even died and went to a prison world, Stefan never stopped looking out for his brother.
“I'll Always Love You, Elena.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 5, Episode 18
Stelena was an epic romance, and the relationship between Elena and Stefan was a storied one. He and Elena had some beautiful moments together, and even though they didn't end up together, he made it clear that he would always love her.
They shared a bond that was special and inimitable, and both of them knew that they would be there for each other no matter what.
“Maybe All Love Isn't True Love In The Messed Up Way That You And I Have Experienced It.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 6, Episode 15
Love had been tricky for Stefan — he had never had a love which wasn't toxic or ridden with insecurity. However, he found a different, more peaceful love later in life. Caroline and Stefan were perfect for each other, because they were dedicated to one another and didn't care for other complexities.
Stefan had only known extremely intense and dysfunctional relationships with Valerie, Katherine, Rebekah, Ivy and Elena, but this bond with Caroline was different and better.
“You Can Take My Town, Destroy My House, But You Will Not Touch My Car.”
The Vampire Diaries Season 7, Episode 3
Fans got to see Stefan with his mother for a bit, which gave them new perspective about their favorite character. He also explained to her explicitly that he could tolerate Mystic Falls and the house being taken away, but she could not touch his car.
Stefan was extremely attached to the classic red 1963 Porsche 356 Karmann Coupe that he drove, and kept it out of harm's way more than he could with even Elena.