Throughout the many seasons of The Vampire Diaries, fans went through multiple emotional rollercoasters. Many of them regarding the deaths of certain characters and/or the end of their story arc. For example, some fans weren't all that excited to see Tyler Lockwood meet his death at the hands of Damon.
Other story arc endings only proved to be temporary but fans really didn't see it as the best way to eliminate the character in the first place. But many can agree that certain heinous foes met their end in the most deserving way possible. There were endings on either side that got different reactions from loyal fans.
Rejected: Tyler
Tyler's death felt random to some viewers. By season eight, Tyler had left Mystic Falls to have his own life. However, he actually joins the Armory in doing research. In "You Decided That I Was Worth Saving," Damon kills Tyler for good seeing she was under the control of Sybil.
Matt brings Tyler's body back to town, informing the others. Matt later receives a package from Tyler with all the information about the second Siren hoping he would continue his research. The group later has his memorial in from of the Ferris wheel. In the final episode, he and Vicki are watching over Matt as spirits.
In Character: Silas
Silas was a bad guy through and through. His need to be reunited with his true love didn't make up for all the bad things he did to the main characters. He effectively fooled the others seeing as he was Stefan's doppelgänger. But to do so, he trapped Stefan in a never-ending cycle of death in a safe at the bottom of the lake.
Not to mention he played mind games posing as Atticus's dead wife to escape his tomb. Fans can agree that his end was well deserved. He never got his fairytale ending and instead was killed by Stefan and sucked into Hell went the Other Side was destroyed.
Rejected: Elena
When it came for Nina Dobrev to leave the show, the writers did it in a way that had fans not so content. Many felt it was mediocre at best and once again put Bonnie in the role of martyr. When Kai ruins Jo and Alaric's wedding, he puts a sleeping spell on Elena. By that point, Elena had taken the cure and was human.
But her life becomes linked to Bonnie's so if one dies, so does the other. Their solution was to let Elena sleep for however long so that Bonnie can live her life. While many saw it as self-sacrifice on Elena's part, her 'supposed' leave from the series didn't sit well. Fans found some peace in that her end is her growing old and being reunited with her family.
In Character: Lexi
Lexi's demise in the show split hairs. She's first introduced as Stefan's oldest best friend. She's spunky, isn't intimidated by Damon, and can hold her own. But fans were outraged as she was killed by Damon in just her first appearance. Damon had to look good for the council and stakes her as part of his plan.
But Lexi returns as a ghost later on and her final departure from the show had fans tearing. In season five when Bonnie is bringing back people from the Other Side, Lexi doesn't pass through so that Damon gets a chance to return. She knew that she wouldn't be Stefan's best friend if she didn't try to get him his brother back.
Rejected: Jenna
Jenna was hard death to swallow. She became Jermey and Elena's legal guardian after their parent's death. While she may have still been too young to take on the responsibility, she helped them in her own way. Fans were heartbroken that she would soon leave the show.
Klaus, on the path to breaking the moon curse, needed certain sacrifices. Katherine lures Jenna away so that Klaus can turn her into a vampire. During the ritual, Jenna tries to attack Klaus but is staked and meets her death. Fans were upset to see the sweet character die as well as Elena losing another loved one.
In Character: Rose
Fans were upset to see Rose make her departure. But many can agree that the way she left was perfectly in tune with who she was and what she wanted. She joined forces with the Salvatores to help stop Klaus and even starts a fling with Damon.
But she's bitten by a werewolf, which is fatal to vampires. As her condition worsened, Damon creates an illusion to bring her back to her hometown in a sunny field. Rose is happy to finally feel the sun again and tells Damon she isn't afraid of death anymore. She also tells Elena to keep fighting, no matter how scared she is. Damon then stakes her in a mercy killing.
Rejected: Enzo
Many felt extreme heartache over Bonnie losing her happily ever after with Enzo. It seemed like Bonnie could never catch a break and Enzo's death was one that fans couldn't stomach. He went through a long journey from being bitter, cold, and vengeful to learning to love Bonnie.
Enzo meets his death at the hands of Stefan. He and Bonnie go to retrieve the cure from Elena's body but then Bonnie shockingly watches as Enzo falls to the ground dead with his heart in Stefan's hand. Enzo returns as a ghost in Bonnie's fabricated dimension but she lets go at his request to save others.
In Character: Elizabeth Forbes
It's not often that TVD characters meet a natural end. But the story was different for Elizabeth Forbes, Caroline's mother. While her death was upsetting, it was also a relief. She didn't die a heinous death at the hands of a supernatural being and instead dies in a hospital room after battling cancer.
In "Stay," the episode flashes back to her time as an officer learning about the deaths of the Gilberts. It goes to the present where Damon says he never went to his mother's funeral or wrote a eulogy. Liz makes him promise to do it for her. She later collapses and is rushed to the hospital, where she peacefully passes away.
Rejected: Stefan
By the end of the show, Stefan is now human. He and the others are trying to stop the hellfire from destroying Mystic Falls. While there, fans gasped as Stefan give his final farewell to Damon and gives him the cure to live out his days with Elena.
Stefan sacrifices himself to keep Katherine with him so that she can perish. In the aftermath, Stefan talks to Elena in limbo and gives her a message to tell Caroline. He then finds his peace and reunites with Lexi. Fans have watched Stefan struggle throughout the series with himself and his love for others, which makes it sad to meet a heartwrenching end.
In Character: Katherine
Katherine ultimately deserves everything that was coming to her. She became one of the show's biggest villains and a huge thorn in the sides of the main characters. Many describe her as being self-righteous, loathing, selfish and evil but well dressed. Her end finally came, but fans hated who was forced to die alongside her.
It's revealed that Katherine was behind Cade's plan in Mystic Falls and manipulated Kai after she became the queen of Hell. But her plans are ruined when Bonnie sends the hellfire back to where it belongs, ultimately killing Katherine in the process. It's no surprise that she also meets her doom at the hands of Stefan, her true love.