Few other characters are as tenacious, powerful, and special as Bonnie Bennett. Throughout The Vampire Diaries, she used her powers to get her friends and their supernatural significant others out of some pretty tight corners, often at the cost of her own family members and happiness.
Bonnie was a young woman who was wise beyond her years, and not just because of the loss she had seen through her run in the show. Since the beginning, she was a lot more mature and level-headed than her peers, and her psychic and witch abilities compounded the effect to no end. Her quotes were always some of the most sagacious and held many truths about life.
Bonnie On The Importance Of Balance
“When You Abuse Magic, There’s Always A Price”
Everything in The Vampire Diaries was fueled by magic, talismans, and powerful objects, but it did have its limits. The ultimate aim was to maintain balance in nature, and Bonnie knew that if magic was abused or used disproportionately, it would strike back in the worst way.
She had seen this for herself and wanted to warn others. This lesson applies almost universally: too much of a good thing can go bad, and moderation is the key, especially in magic.
On Knowing Her Own Worth
“I’m Done Getting Pushed Around By All Of You. I Did It Because I Wanted To.”
The worst things happened to Bonnie Bennett because she was often used by her own friends to achieve their ends. She was attacked, lost her Grams and her father, had her mother turned, lost Enzo, and took on various pains to help her pals, but they seldom repaid their debts.
She eventually learned to put her foot down, and refused to be used like a toy by them. Her own worth was finally clear to her, and she would've rather spent her days in solitude than helping friends who were ungrateful.
Preserving Love In The Best Way She Could
“I Have Always Wanted To Be Loved By Someone In The Way That You Loved Me. And I Would Rather Have These Memories Than A Future Where I Destroy Them.”
After years of bad relationships, Bonnie found her true partner in Enzo. For three years, they had a beautiful relationship filled with happy memories, and she was prepared to lose it all just to keep the happiness in her relationship alive.
Becoming a huntress put Enzo at risk and their bond too, and she was wise enough to understand that sometimes it's better to put an end to something to remember it fondly, instead of dragging on till it became something terrible. This was probably Bonnie's best quote, too.
On The Importance Of Platonic Friendship
“I'm So Sorry This Happened, But I Lost Elena Too, Damon. And You're One Of The Few Reminders I Have Of Her To Hold On To So You Can Either Resent Me Or Love Me, But You're Stuck With Me.”
The Vampire Diaries focused on romance a lot, which meant that friendly, platonic love often took a backseat. Bonnie didn't allow that to happen and made sure that Damon knew that Elena's deep sleep wasn't just his loss, but also all of her friends and family's as well.
She also told him that they had to carry on through the mess that Kai had made, whether it was with affection or anger. He was stuck with her, and both of them loved and missed their friend.
Ordinary Can Sometimes Be Better
“Sometimes I'd Settle For Just Ordinary.”
Bonnie and her friends led extraordinary lives in Mystic Falls. She battled the big bads of the supernatural world and kept her friends alive with her powers, but the stress and pressure that came with that were immense for her, especially when she lost family.
She acknowledged that for her, being ordinary would be a blessing. Away from the madness, she could live a happier life, teaching people that excitement and novelty are nothing compared to comfort and joy.
A Word For Enzo
“It's Called Dignity. Have Some. It's Free.”
Along with being one of Bonnie's funniest quotes, this was also her most insightful one. She usually didn't offer unsolicited advice to people, but something about Enzo's helpless pining made her want to relieve him of his pain and offer him a way out.
Lily treated him poorly despite his love for her, and Bonnie gave him what he needed to hear: the confidence to leave. It was a really smart decision on Bonnie's part too since she found true love with Enzo.
On Resisting The Urge To Compete With Friends
“It's Not A Competition, Caroline.”
At the very start of The Vampire Diaries, Caroline was an insecure person and not a great friend. She compared and competed with Elena for no real reason until Bonnie made her realize that doing that to her friends wasn't ever going to be a good decision.
The urge to be better should come from within, and Elena didn't deserve to be scrutinized that way. To an extent, this helped Caroline recognize that her besties were there to love her, and not make her feel inadequate.
A Normal Life Was The Goal
"You Don't Want To Be A Part Of All This, Matt. You Are The Only One Of Us Who Actually Gets To Live Your Life Like A Normal Person, No Matter How Lost You Feel. Don't Forget That."
Before anyone else could see it, Bonnie knew that the supernatural world was only alluring from the outside. The perils of being a part of it were too great, and the uncertainty and death that came with it took away the appeal instantly.
This was why she urged Matt to keep himself away from it, and not get involved unless he really needed to. While Elena and the others reveled in this new world, Bonnie was intelligent enough to see the downsides pretty much immediately.
The Power Of Acceptance
"I'm Not In Denial. The Other Side Is Disintegrating. As The Anchor To The Other Side, I'm Only Alive As Long As There Is An Other Side. I'm Perfectly Aware Of The Threat Of My Impending Death. There Is Nothing I Can Do About It. It's Called Acceptance, Fifth Stage Of Grief."
Being fearless was one of Bonnie's best traits, and even death did not scare her too much. Her friends would fight hard against it, but when the time came for Bonnie and there was no hope, she calmly accepted her likely fate which made her think better.
There is peace in acceptance, and Bonnie knew that sometimes, it was okay to lay down your arms and accept what was going to come next.
One Keeping People Happy, No Matter What
"If I Told You The Truth, It Would Have Changed Our Last Days Together And I Didn't Want It To Change. We Were Happy."
Honesty is a great policy, but not always. The young witch knew that it was okay to omit some details and do a kindness to her friend, who would be better off without knowing that particular truth. Bonnie always wanted to have happy days with her friends and partners, so she kept things to herself.
It was incredibly selfless of her to think this way, especially for someone who was barely in her twenties. Bonnie really was very wise for her years, and a really good witch too.