Even though The Vampire Diaries is now over, the show continues to captivate the attention and imagination of its audience. Throughout its eight seasons, it told the complicated stories of multiple characters, who grew up as people, fought their enemies, and, yes, also fell in love, often more than once.
As far as iconic couples are concerned, the distinction of the most relevant couples still goes to Elena and Stefan, and Elena and Damon, respectively. However, the show has also given plenty of space to other characters who found love as well. But only some of them would make for good girlfriends in real life as well.
Best: Caroline
Caroline was one of the few characters who became better after their transformation to vampires. Caroline's positive traits stood out more when she was a vampire. Caroline was one of the most determined heroes on the show. She figured out what she wanted and went after it.
That type of determination is something people might find frightening. But Caroline was also funny, kind, and a bit goofy all at the same time which made her relatable to the audience.
Worst: Bonnie
Bonnie Bennett is not a bad person. She's a loyal friend and a badass witch. But she also hasn't had that much luck when it comes to personal relationships. With the exception of Enzo, who died in the end, Bonnie can't seem to maintain a long-term relationship - possibly because her life is so full of various dangers.
Combine that with the strain of Bonnie dying multiple times only to come back to life later - and all of this would be enough to bury any romance.
Best: Anna
Anna may have started her relationship with Jeremy on false pretenses but she quickly came clean and confessed the truth. Anna was inherently likable, a bit awkward around other people but smiling and optimistic. She was the sort of girl next door who would always be there for her partner and would be supportive of him.
Unfortunately, Anna met her premature end when John Gilbert killed her.
Worst: Katherine
Katherine would be an ideal partner for a short romance - since she's funny and charming. But she also has a dangerous streak to her and the five hundred years she spent on a run from Klaus learned her how to be manipulative.
Katherine doesn't have much respect for the lives of others, especially humans. She also likes to toy with people, and it wasn't unusual for her to date multiple people at once - which would do more harm than good in a long-term relationship.
Best: Jenna
Jenna faced a lot of difficulties when she decided to try and raise Jeremy and Elena on her own - something that a lot of people wouldn't be able or willing to do.
At the same time, Jenna tried balancing raising the two teenagers and finishing her degree. She used to have a bad taste in men since she fell for Logan Fell, but she later became wiser and was a supportive and dedicated partner who also had a sense of humor - not to mention her intelligence.
Worst: Rebekah
Rebekah hasn't had it easy. Not only because she spent over a millennium running from her father, but she also had to deal with her brother's violent outbursts. Not to mention the fact that Klaus had the tendency to drive the men she loved away from her - or erase their memory as he did with Stefan, or even kill them.
On the other hand, it's difficult not to notice Rebekah is similarly temperamental like Klaus which would make a relationship with her tiring in the end. She wants things to always go her way and when they don't, she's prone to throwing a tantrum.
Best: Jo
It looked like Alaric finally struck gold when he got together with Jo. Jo was a kind, talented witch, and a smart person. She felt like a breath of fresh air in comparison to some of Alaric's more dramatic previous relationships.
Because Jo was so sympathetic, fans took it hard when Kai unexpectedly killed her during her wedding with Alaric. At least her twin children survived. Had Jo stayed alive, she'd no doubt have been a great mom.
Worst: Vicki
The main problem with Vicki was that she didn't have much control over her impulses - especially bad ones. Vicki did what she wanted, and what she wanted to do were usually things that weren't good for her.
Unlike her brother, she didn't have that much ambition and even though she didn't like her life, she didn't do much to change it. In the end, she was often a danger to those around her, especially Jeremy.
Best: Lexi
Lexi appeared in the show only briefly but she became one of fan-favorites right thanks to her first appearance. Lexi was one of Stefan's only friends, and she decided to cheer him up and surprise Stefan on his birthday which was a very nice gesture from her.
Lexi looked like she was smart, kind, and funny, all of which makes her the perfect girlfriend. She's the type of person who would never forget one's birthday and would be there for them when they would be sad.
Worst: Elena
It's impossible to determine for certain what was Elena like in relationships before her parents died - but it's safe to assume she was more optimistic and carefree. The post-accident Elena had trouble deciding what she wanted for herself, and that included romances.
Just like Damon was overly fixated on her, she was fixated on him and when he died, Elena started willingly hallucinating him, which is far from healthy. She could also be overly jealous and judgmental - even when she was supposed to have her emotions switched off, she still almost killed Caroline's mom just because Caroline and Stefan were dancing and having fun together.