If there was ever a character that went through a 180-degree transformation, it was Damon Salvatore. The elder vampire brother began his arc on The Vampire Diaries as the primary antagonist of the show, bent on killing, maiming, and transforming unsuspecting civilians into vampires. That was until he met Elena.
The young teen had an unprecedented effect on Damon, who went from being a ruthless, humanity-free killing machine to somebody who could be called a friend, lover, and brother in the best ways possible. His character development was a complete surprise, yet very believable. Damon Salvatore was a different man from season 1 to season 8.
Fell Out Of Love With Katherine
Of all of Damon's love interests, Katherine was the most bewildering. He loved her with complete devotion, but she didn't care for him at all. Sadly, Damon didn't catch on to this until it was pretty late. In season 1, he worked hard to free her from the tomb he thought she was in, and was smitten with her until she showed her true colors.
After Katherine messed with him one too many times, he came to hate her. She had treated him badly and continued doing so, which made him come to his senses and lose all feelings for her.
Became Best Friends With Bonnie
Having lasting friends was something out of question for the Damon of early TVD, but as the show progressed, he started developing bonds with people. Initially, him and Bonnie were at odds as he had attacked her and her friends repeatedly. This changed when they got trapped together in Kai's prison world.
They soon became fast friends, to the extent that Damon didn't even think of killing her when her life became connected to Elena's. In fact, he saved her life and tried his best to be good for her, which was a big change.
Stopped Trying To Torment His Brother
For a man who claimed to hate Stefan, Damon had way too many tender brotherly moments with him. When he was first introduced to fans, Damon detested Stefan for turning him into a vampire, and promised to ruin his life in any way he could.
He didn't live up to that promise for very long. After a few attempts, the bond between Stefan and Damon grew deeper, and their latent love from their childhood surfaced. Damon was even ready to sacrifice his own life to save Stefan's at the end, which was a big change from his earlier stance.
Found Lasting Love With Elena
For Damon, nobody existed beyond Katherine. After he lost her, he embarked on a long and arduous series of flings with humans and vampires, but none of them ever meant much to him. When Elena came along, he fell in love with her — the lasting kind.
Some fans of The Vampire Diaries may say that their relationship was toxic, but it sure brought out the best side in Damon. He learned to care for someone unselfishly, practiced patience, and realized he could not control everyone around him.
Started Treating Humans (Mostly Matt) With Respect
Season 1 really reflected the lack of respect and decency Damon had for people, especially humans. He thought that they were disposable, and treated them with that mindset. Meeting Elena and her friends didn't change that for a while, but by season 8 he was a different person.
He actually let Matt know that there was a possibility of them getting along, started following his rules as sheriff, and resisted treating humans like living blood bags. Instead, he used donated blood bags, which was massive character development for him.
Became Human Again
Of every vampire in the show, Damon was the least likely to take the cure and become human. Yet again, he surprised audiences and became the only one who took it willingly and enjoyed a long human life with the love of his life after that.
He may not have expressed it, but Damon secretly longed to be human again, especially if it meant living a full life with the girl he loved. Even though fans didn't see much of his human life, it looked like it suited him and he was satisfied.
Grew More Compassionate And Caring
Menacing and intimidating were words that people would use to describe Damon from the earlier seasons, but he softened and turned into a much more caring vampire later on. Elena and her friends could count on him to be on their side, sometimes even more than Stefan, which was huge.
He wanted to save Stefan, Elena, Bonnie, and Alaric, and even protected Matt and Jeremy when he really had to. Spending time with Elena really did good for Damon.
Became The 'Go-To' Brother
Damon used to be the unhinged, out of control vampire brother between the two Salvatores, but even that changed as the show ran. His demeanor became much more approachable, and while Stefan was out on his no-humanity sprees, Damon became the go-to brother for help with the supernatural.
This role reversal between Stefan and Damon was quite something, as the show had spent quite some time establishing Stefan as the hero, and Damon as the villain. Soon enough, Damon became the anti-hero everyone needed.
Built A Better Relationship With Caroline
It's no secret that Damon was very abusive and callous when it came to women in season 1, especially Caroline and Vicki. He used Caroline as a blood bag, compelled her, and lied to her, but this dynamic changed slowly since she became a vampire.
He started treating her like an equal, and they even built something resembling friendship. The thing that really drove them together was Stefan, as Caroline was now family, and both her and Damon could reminisce about their loved one together. Their last few scenes together were really endearing.
Died And Came Back To Life Multiple Times
In the show, it was established that once staked in the heart, a vampire dies permanently, unless they were an Original. However, Damon defied this rule more than once, as he died and came back to life several times on the show.
He crashed his car into the Grill and survived the end of the Other Side by escaping to the prison world with Bonnie, and he got staked in the heart by Alaric and came back thanks to Cade's hold on him. His final death was as a human.