Despite being the protagonist of The Vampire Diaries, Elena isn't the most popular character and it's not difficult to see why. Her friends are often faced with more pressing issues, but Elena's problems are always front and center because of the number of people who love her.
Everyone else's life takes a backseat when Elena needs something, and a handful of people have been killed in order to keep her alive. While the characters are honorable for putting themselves on the line for someone they love, the ends didn't always justify the means.
John Gives Up His Life
The most interesting thing about John's sacrifice is that he didn't have to give up his life to save Elena's. No one had to die if Elena would have simply accepted becoming a vampire in Season 2 of the show.
But Elena wanted to grow old and have kids, and while it's not fair that vampirism was forced on her, it was a better option than being dead. Because of how torn up Elena is and how much John wants a normal life for her, he gives up his soul so Elena can stay human.
Bonnie's Mom Is Turned Into A Vampire
The Salvatores would do anything for Elena, even if it means hurting someone else. In Elena's defense, she wouldn't have let Damon or Stefan turn Bonnie's mom if she knew what was going on, but they purposely kept it a secret from her.
To stop Bonnie and Abby from doing a spell that put Elena's life in jeopardy, they had to make sure one of them was no longer a witch. They chose to turn Abby, and Bonnie has trouble being around Elena for quite some time.
Matt Lets Damon Kill Him
The characters learned in Season 3 that the Gilbert Ring wasn't as magical as they once believed it to be. It does revive people who are killed by a supernatural creature, but everything has its limits. After coming back too many times, Alaric is revived still on the brink of death, and even develops an alter-ego.
In an attempt to turn Elena's emotions back on, Matt wears Jeremy's ring and lets Damon snap his neck. Thankfully, the plan works, but Matt was taking a big risk. He could've developed an alter-ego himself, or the ring could have failed altogether.
Chris Is Traded For Elena
Chris's death is one of the biggest victims of the Elena Gilbert obsession. He was sired to Klaus, but Tyler and Hayley helped him break the bond. Klaus was unaware that Chris's loyalties were no longer to him, and Chris puts his life on the line to help Elena escape.
In order to free Elena from the Hunter's Curse, Jeremy had to kill a vampire and become an official member of The Five. Since Chris was around and unsuspecting, Stefan stabs him and Jeremy finishes him off. Despite the risk he took to help a girl he didn't even know, Chris was killed by Elena's friends to prevent her from losing her mind.
Stefan Gets Trapped In The Tomb And Grams Dies
Bonnie and Grams open the tomb for the vampires without planning to let them back out. Stefan is made aware of the plan after Damon and Elena go inside, but when he hears Elena scream, Stefan runs in anyways.
After seeing her best friend in misery, Bonnie begs Grams to help her reverse the spell and free them. It takes a significant amount of energy from both of them, and Grams' body is unable to handle the strain. When Bonnie goes to check on Grams later that night, she finds her dead body.
Rebekah Gets Stabbed In The Back (Literally)
Rebekah wasn't a good person, but she had been through even more heartbreak than Elena. Once Elena convinces Rebekah of how evil her brother is, she agrees to help the Salvatores kill Klaus. Elena gains Rebekah's trust, and she even helps her get ready for the school dance.
Rebekah missed out on a lot of things during her life, and she was genuinely excited to have a normal teenage experience. But Elena decides that Rebekah poses too much of a threat, and daggers her while she's putting on her necklace.
Bonnie Uses Dark Magic
After Elena dies in a car accident, it's revealed that Meredith had given her Damon's blood to heal her from her earlier injuries. Elena comes back to life as a vampire, which most people would see as a lucky break.
But Elena wants to escape her fate, and her friends go out of their way to do something that has never been done in the history of vampirism. Bonnie attempts to use dark magic to keep Elena human, opening up an entirely new world of problems for her.
The Entire Hunt For The Cure
Out of all the vampires in the world, Elena was the only one worth getting the cure for. No one suggested it after Caroline was turned, or even Bonnie's mom, but everything revolved around Elena's happiness.
Elena had Jeremy kill Kol, which, in turn, killed his entire bloodline and revealed the map to the cure. She didn't care at all about the thousands of vampires who she had just sacrificed in order to turn herself back into a human.
Stefan Is Tortured
When Stefan left town with Klaus, Klaus was under the impression that Elena was dead. If he knew that she was still alive, he would come for her instantly. Stefan spent his entire time as Klaus's henchman deceiving him, and putting himself in jeopardy.
A witch, who is close with Klaus, realizes that Stefan is hiding something, but he refuses to tell the truth about Elena. She ends up torturing him to get the information, and Stefan would have died if Katherine hadn't saved him.
Damon Almost Gets Bit By A Hybrid
Damon is no stranger to werewolf bites and almost died from one in the Season 2 finale of The Vampire Diaries. When Elena goes to the mountains on a night with a full moon to hunt down Klaus and Stefan, Alaric calls Damon for help.
Not only was she putting herself in danger, but if Klaus found out Elena was alive, he would kill Stefan alongside her. Damon can't convince Elena to leave, but he also can't leave the girl he loves. When a hybrid attacks Elena, he uses himself as bait to lure him away and almost ends up dead in the process.