The finale of Legacies closed the door on 13 years of The Vampire Diaries supremacy on the CW, bringing back beloved characters and tying off loose ends. While the showrunners say there are more shows in the works, they would be in "a different setting and with different characters." Because of that, it's the perfect opportunity to see which characters had the biggest impact on The Vampire Diaries universe.
One of the clearest ways to see which characters mattered most is by seeing who was present in the highest number of episodes across the trilogy. Shockingly, several characters who appeared in all three shows didn't get close to the top ten highest number of episodes, since they either were minor characters in each show or only took on central roles in the spinoffs, which had considerably fewer episodes than The Vampire Diaries. Despite that, fans might be surprised who made the cut - and who didn't.
Elijah: 113 Episodes
Elijah Mikaelson was the first Original to appear in The Vampire Diaries, coming into the universe with the kind of entrance few characters could even hope for. He was depicted as unbelievably powerful, breaking every rule set for vampires up to that point, but also had a strong moral code and a vulnerability to the people he loved.
Though Klaus became significantly more important in the long run, Elijah was in 23 episodes of The Vampire Diaries and 90 of The Originals' 92 episodes. His mission to redeem Klaus (or at least clean up his messes) kept him busy through both shows, and the realization of his own brutality made him one of the franchise's most complex characters.
Hope: 119 Episodes
Hope Mikaelson became the most important character in both TVD spinoffs, as the one protected in The Originals and the one protecting others throughout Legacies. She is the only character ever to be conceived on one show, born on another, and killed on a third, which certainly proves her significance as a character.
Portrayed by actors of all ages, Hope was in 51 episodes of The Originals and all 68 episodes of Legacies. Though many fans took issue with how her character declined throughout Legacies, there can be no doubt that she was the most powerful being to ever exist in The Vampire Diaries universe, making it likely that she may show up in future spinoffs.
Matt: 130 Episodes
Matt Donovan is the only character to remain human throughout The Vampire Diaries and its spinoffs, and that human element helped keep the supernatural plotlines grounded. While everyone else was concerned with crazy supernatural villains, Matt focused on protecting the humans of Mystic Falls, a task that was aided by his association with the major supernatural figures in town.
Matt is one of the very few characters to appear in every TVD show, with 127 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, 1 cameo in The Originals, and 2 in Legacies. Though not a fan-favorite character, Matt helped his friends keep their humanity in both a literal and metaphorical sense, which made him a necessary figure in any story connected to Mystic Falls.
Elena: 134 Episodes
Thanks to Nina Dobrev's departure from seasons 7 and 8 of The Vampire Diaries, Elena was in significantly fewer episodes than any of the other main characters. Despite that, her status as a doppelganger motivated many of the villains who came to town, making it hard to imagine the show without her.
Counting only the episodes when Nina Dobrev played Elena, and excluding the brief period when Katherine took over her body, Elena was in 134 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, along with 4 mentions in Legacies that proved her importance to Mystic Falls and her friends.
Bonnie: 136 Episodes
Though she didn't receive as much attention as Elena and Caroline, Bonnie was the most giving, powerful character in The Vampire Diaries, quickly mastering multiple forms of magic so that she could protect her friends and town. Bonnie came from a powerful bloodline, and her dedication to her craft consistently pushed her to new heights.
As a series regular, Kat Graham was credited in all 171 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, though she only appeared in 136. In addition, she was mentioned twice in The Originals and eleven times in Legacies. Although Bonnie did not physically appear in any of the TVD spinoffs, fans remain hopeful that Bonnie may one day get a spinoff of her own.
Klaus: 137 Episodes
Klaus was the best new character in season 2 of The Vampire Diaries, transforming a minor villain from the books into one of the most important characters in the franchise. Klaus was ruthless, willing to hurt anybody to get what he wanted, including his own family, but he showed his softer side when it came to Caroline and his daughter.
Klaus was only in 44 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, but his 92 episodes of The Originals and cameo in the Legacies finale make him the only character not from season one of The Vampire Diaries to turn up in all three shows. Joseph Morgan's take on the character was extremely complex, which helped make The Originals such a success.
Caroline: 156 Episodes
Though Elena was the main character in The Vampire Diaries, Caroline stepped up after Nina Dobrev's departure, which helped cement her place of honor in the franchise. Caroline's character has been consistent and strong in each of the TVD shows that have highlighted her and is frequently considered to be the franchise's best female character.
Caroline was in 150 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, 5 episodes of The Originals, and 2 episodes of Legacies (though one was only through voice-over). While Elena and the Salvatore Brothers' arcs were fittingly ended in The Vampire Diaries finale, Caroline was the character with the most long-term potential, which was borne out in her spin-off appearances.
Alaric: 167 Episodes
Alaric was introduced on The Vampire Diaries as the new history teacher, but he takes on a variety of other roles in later seasons, as a vampire hunter, father figure, and even an Enhanced Original. Though few fans would call him their favorite character, Alaric had several strong arcs in the franchise, particularly when he was headmaster of the Salvatore School.
Though actor Matthew Davis is credited in 194 episodes across all three shows, the highest number of any TVD actor, the character was only present in 167—99 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, 3 episodes of The Originals, and 65 episodes of Legacies. Even excluding the 27 credit-only episodes, however, that gave him more episodes than any character other than the Salvatore brothers, suggesting that Alaric may have been the true main character of The Vampire Diaries trilogy.
Damon: 171 Episodes
Ian Somerhalder did an impressive job with Damon, depicting his villainous turns, all-consuming love stories, and complex friendships with flair. Many of the show's best friendships were his (Alaric, Liz, Bonnie, Enzo, etc.), and he kept the franchise going strong, even after Nina Dobrev left.
Damon was in all 171 episodes of The Vampire Diaries, which allowed him to grow in ways fans never could have expected in season one. From his first to last episodes, Damon changed a lot, which made his redemption arc possible. While everyone readily admits Damon was the show's ultimate bad boy, he also had a heart of gold that was on display in every single episode.
Stefan: 172 Episodes
Stefan was at the heart of everything in The Vampire Diaries as a doppelganger, Elena's first love, and Damon's brother. He was also well-connected with the Original family, thanks to his affair with Rebekah and his rampages with Klaus. Though he was seen as the good brother, he had his dark sides, which made him more interesting than most television heroes.
Stefan was present in all 171 episodes of The Vampire Diaries and one episode of The Originals, as well as being referenced 4 times on The Originals and 7 times on Legacies. Though he did not play a major role in the spinoffs, Stefan was present more often than any other character, making it so that he would live on in fans' minds long after his sacrificial death.