In 13 years of The Vampire Diaries and its various spin-offs, Damon Salvatore proved to be one of the most popular and loved characters of the franchise. Fans loved to see his wit, snark, and romantic flair in TVD, and always hoped that he would make an appearance in The Originals or Legacies.

The dashing Salvatore brother had a unique personality and a distinct sense of humor which fans loved. Usually free-spirited and fun, Damon also had a dark side which made an appearance when he got angry or upset, but his love for Elena made him a better person. Memes are a great way to summarize the elder Salvatore's character.

Hello, Brother

TVD meme with Damon and stefan talking.

Source: Pinterest

Damon's best catchphrase in The Vampire Diaries was his greeting to Stefan, which he said to him out of affection as well as in anger. When he first started saying it, it was because he hated his brother and had vowed to ruin his life. The phrase "Hello, brother" at that time was something ominous.

However, as time went by and their relationship became better and more affectionate, Damon's usage of the greeting became a lot nicer. This was Damon's signature saying, and he wouldn't tolerate it if Stefan used it on him.

What Is Stefan's, Is Damon's

Before Damon and Elena were soulmates, she was Stefan's one true love. However, the elder Salvatore seemed to think that falling for his brother's girlfriend was normal, as they had done earlier with Katherine. Damon fell in love with Elena in the same way, and it didn't help that she looked just like Katherine.

Over time, Elena and Damon almost got together several times, mainly because he made her feel all kinds of ways. His penchant for falling for Stefan's dates is a running joke on the show.

Damon's Many Moods

The reason why Damon Salvatore was such a favorite on TVD was that he was very different from the usual heroes on the show. He was moody and unpredictable, especially when he got angry or sad about something. In a childish way, he would act out when things didn't go his way.

While others screamed and cried, Damon had a routine for times when life disappointed him. He would lie down on the road, wait for unsuspecting drivers to find him, then have his way with his prey, mostly by draining them of blood.

Early Powers

Many fans lament that the early powers of weather control and shape-shifting that were granted to Damon were never elaborated on in later episodes. However, they still consider them part of his repertoire of abilities, even if they were never touched upon later.

In this amusing meme, Elena is seen interacting with the crow who was the older Salvatore in the first episode, who is letting her know that Damon was actually her soulmate and they would be together very soon.

Damon Vs. Twilight

During Damon's infamous tryst with Caroline, he famously made fun of Edward Cullen and Twilight. The vampire openly said that the Twilight vampires got it all wrong, and the sparkling and glittering was way off because vampires burnt to a crisp in the sun, at least in the TVD universe.

Damon loved making commentary on pop culture throughout the show, and it was quite meta to hear him talk about other fictional vampires. It's amusing to think about his conversation if he discussed this with Stefan.

The Long Kill List

Damon may not have written down his victim's names the way Stefan did as a Ripper, but he did have a lengthy list of kills which he did knowingly and willingly. This was the dark side of the Salvatores, and Damon was more than happy to give in to his worst impulses.

Even worse, Damon liked to harm people who were close to him and Elena, which included her brother, his best friend, her best friends, and Stefan's best friend, amongst others.

Damon With Elena Vs. Damon With Others

There was a marked change in Damon pre-Elena and post-Elena, and it was quite amusing to see how he behaved with her and with others. He was completely different around her; soft, tender, and caring. With Stefan, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, and anyone else, he was unfeeling and harsh.

This was another example of the dichotomy of Damon Salvatore, who had a different face and nature for different people. Elena was the only one who got to see his thoughtful side.

No Apologies Damon

Anyone who knew Damon well, like his best friend Alaric, knew that he wasn't one for apologies. The vampire lived by the motto of "no regrets," which meant he seldom thought twice about what he did, especially if it was wrong.

Mason hadn't known Damon for too long, which was probably why he came looking for remorse and contrition from the vampire. Alaric made him realize that it just wasn't in him to say sorry to anybody at all.

Damon Loved His Baby Brother

Stefan was a calm and collected vampire, but he had a vicious side to him. When he turned his humanity off or became a Ripper, he was prone to attacking people to the point of dismembering them. When this happened, people kept their distance from Stefan, but not Damon.

To the older Salvatore, Stefan was just his baby brother. Nothing he did could ever scare him or put him off, and even when Stefan threatened him directly, it didn't bother his brother at all. The relationship he shared with him was objectively a sweet one.

Nickname King

A distinctive trait of Damon's was his habit of giving clever nicknames to people, whether they were his allies or his enemies. Everyone from Bonnie to Rebekah to Katherine got a special Damon moniker, and he used these names on these people regularly.

If anyone tried to imitate or steal his habit of keeping witty names for people, Damon got seriously offended and made sure that they knew it.

NEXT: 10 The Vampire Diaries Episodes That Fans Never Watch More Than Once