The Vampire Diaries may have departed from Netflix earlier this month, but it has found a home at Peacock and HBO Max, which is a relief for diehard fans of the iconic supernatural teen show. Watching the Salvatores is still very much in demand, especially to revisit Damon Salvatore's redemption arc that carried on each season.

The uncaring and cruel vampire definitely grew and evolved as the series progressed, making the effort to become a better individual with each hurdle he passed. Whether it was Elena, or his friends Liz, Alaric and Bonnie who propelled him towards this change, Damon transformed into a much less immoral vampire.

Started Caring For People, Apart From Elena

Caroline leans against Damon in The Vampire Diaries

Damon and Elena had some truly butterfly-inducing moments, which made it clear that Damon cared for her. The problem was that he was only concerned for her and nobody else for a long time.

Slowly, but surely, he started showing respect for Jeremy, Matt, Caroline, and other humans who used to despise him. Soon, Damon became somebody who wanted to help Mystic Falls as a community, and even apologized to Matt and Jeremy for being inconsiderate to them.

Sacrificed Himself To Get Rid Of The Travelers

Damon and Bonnie holding hands on The Other Side

Of all the villains in The Vampire Diaries, the Travelers may have been the most misunderstood, but Damon knew that they had to be taken out from Mystic Falls, which they had captured by force.

Very selflessly, he came up with a plan where he could get rid of all the Travelers at once, by ramming a car into the Grill while they were in it. He didn't hesitate to do this fatal job, even though he knew there was a chance that he would be stuck in limbo somewhere — which was what happened.

Switched To Blood Bags

Damon sips a drink in The Vampire Diaries.

No stranger to ripping into people's necks to get his fair share of fresh blood, Damon dramatically reduced this as the show went on. Blood bags became his go-to solution to getting nourishment, which meant fewer deaths by the vampire.

He had several reasons to do this, many practical (like pulling less attention towards himself), but he did have a desire to kill less and be more humane. This was why he started depending on baggies instead of compelling and draining.

Stopped Compelling Women

Andi looking at Damon in The Vampire Diaries

Women flocked to Damon in the earlier episodes, and he had no qualms in returning their affections — except he did it in a very unsavory manner. It was safe to say that compelling girls, draining them of blood, and ill treating them used to be regular activity for Damon.

While he should not be put on any pedestal for rectifying his ways, it's worth noting after abusing Caroline, Vicki and Andie, Damon put a stop to this awful behavior and started being respectful.

Saved Stefan Countless Times

Vampire Diaries Damon and Stefan

For someone who vowed to torment his brother for the rest of their long, immortal live, Damon came a long way. He started caring for and saving Stefan, by bringing him back from the Ripper binges and saving him from dying in the freezing cold in a human body.

Even when Stefan's absence meant that he would get uninterrupted time with Elena, Damon stuck his neck out and looked for him so that he wouldn't be alone and angry in the world. Again, Damon decided to be selfless and did the right thing, especially as a brother.

Admitted That His And Elena's Relationship Was Toxic

Elena looks at Damon on The Vampire Diaries

All Damon ever wanted was to be with Elena, so he was a big man when he admitted to her that their relationship was toxic. He could have carried on with her in their very passionate entanglement, but he took a beat to refocus, and broke up with her when he felt like it was unhealthy.

Even though that didn't last long, Damon was taking all the steps to make their relationship a special one, even if it meant splitting up. It was a positive step that Damon took so that they could get back together stronger and healthier.

Allowed Himself To Change His Mind About People

Damon's friendships were few and far between, but it showed huge growth on his part when he decided to put down his weapons and see Bonnie for who she really was — an extremely powerful, but very loyal witch.

He had hated her for a better part of the show, so when he opened his heart to Bonnie, it was surprisingly refreshing. He evolved past his prejudices, long enough to see that he could make great friends if he changed his thinking.

Respected Bonnie's Life

Damon and Bonnie dance around lights

When Kai tied Elena's life to Bonnie's, fans expected the elder Salvatore to spiral and attack Bonnie to bring his beloved back to life. When he let Elena have her freedom of choice, and respected Bonnie's right to live, everything changed.

He had truly evolved to his highest self when he realized that he could be a friend to Bonnie, and wait for Elena to wake up after she had passed so that he could be with her. It is one of his more noble moments to spare someone and alter his mindset with patience, especially since his newfound friendship with Bonnie was one of the major changes Damon faced in The Vampire Diaries.

Chose Humanity Over Vampirism

Damon and Elena in the afterlife in The Vampire Diaries.

A forever advocate of the benefits of vampirism, Damon's choice to take the cure was surprising, but upon closer look, very telling. He had held a grudge in his heart for not having lived his full human life, but kept a tough facade of loving vampirism for centuries.

It definitely had its upsides which Damon enjoyed, but when he took the cure, he let himself take the less popular route, which he had been stopping for himself. He followed his heart and that brought a huge, welcome change in his life.

Wanted To Sacrifice Himself Instead Of Stefan

Stefan holding Katherine in the Vampire Diaries finale

Stefan had spent his whole immortal life making sacrifices for Damon, so when Damon insisted that he would take Katherine down with him, it was a turning point.

All the goodness he had been hiding and holding back had come out into the open when he did so, and despite having a life with Elena just a touch away, he chose to protect his family.

NEXT: 10 Similarities Between Damon & Stefan In The Vampire Diaries