Within the dangerous and morally ambiguous world of The Vampire Diaries, Stefan Salvatore is known as the good brother in the Salvatore brothers duo. And frankly, it's not hard to see why, given that the bar that Damon sets for moral goodness is typically on the floor.
However, despite Stefan's obvious appealing qualities and generally good nature, he doesn't always earn the mantle of good brother or good man, and there are some very dark sides to Stefan as a person. So when it comes to Stefan's best and worst traits as a character, where does he shine, and where does he fall flat?
Best: Hopeful
Stefan has been through a lot in his unnaturally long life, and it seems fair to say that he has seen the very worst that humanity, the supernatural world, and the entire world at large has to offer.
So the fact that he has seen and done so many bad things while still never giving up hope that things can get better, he can be better, or others can be better is pretty inspiring.
Worst: Self-Flagellating
It's not hard to understand why Stefan is so obsessed with all of the awful things that he's done in the past, because they truly were unimaginably awful and he does deserved to be punished for them.
However, he has a tendency to take things a bit overboard when it comes to emotionally hurting himself in order to pay for his past misdeeds. It's important that he not forget what he's done, but tormenting himself over it is a waste of time.
Best: Growth-Oriented
On the flip side, while Stefan does obsess too much about his mistakes it means a lot that he actually does try to become a better person.
Honestly, most of the characters on The Vampire Diaries seem to get worse and less moral over time, but Stefan is one of the very few exceptions to that rule. His ability to reflect on his past and grow from it separates him from the pack.
Worst: Secretive
When it comes to honesty and openness, Stefan can be a bit of a sneak. He's a naturally reserved person anyway, but he sort of gets around being outright dishonest by instead just withholding the truth from people for his own benefit or manipulations.
He's not typically a liar, but his desire to hide the truth from everyone around him often results in dangerous and dire circumstances.
Best: Protective
Sometimes Stefan can be a bit overly controlling and almost condescendingly paternal, but for the most part his take charge attitude comes from a good place.
He takes the lead in so many situations because he so sincerely wants to protect the people he cares about. He wants to be a good person, but if it's a choice between doing the right thing and keeping his loved ones safe, he'll always pick the latter.
Worst: Manipulative
Stefan is very good at presenting himself as a stand up guy who wants to do the right thing and grow beyond his vampire nature, and for the most part he is that person.
But there is a clear dark side to him, and that's not just his ripper persona. Stefan can sometimes take advantage of people's trust and their perception of him in order to get what he wants.
Best: Forgiving
Although Stefan and Damon spend a huge amount of time at each other's throats and they've both done terrible things to one another, something that is really easy to love about Stefan is how forgiving he can be.
Even if someone around him has mistreated him or done something that he disagrees with, he's pretty quick to get over it and see the best in that person again.
Worst: Unstable
One of the most dangerous aspects of Stefan's characterization is that he seems to operate solely in extremes. When he's trying to be good Stefan he punishes himself and restrains himself as much as he possibly can, but when he's bad Stefan he will do anything to anybody without a second thought.
In a lot of ways, those extremes make him one of the most dangerous and frightening characters in the series.
Best: Sacrificing
Stefan is kind of a glutton for punishment anyways, but despite the fact that he wants to experience happiness and love, he will always put the needs and wants of the people around him before his own.
He spent pretty much his entire tenure on TVD trying to make his loved one's lives better, and in the end he was literally prepared to sacrifice his own life so Damon and Elena could be happy.
Worst: Self-Righteous
Stefan Salvatore sometimes feels like an object lesson in the duality of man, because he can possess seemingly opposing personality traits at the same time.
And when it comes to his worst trait, his self-righteous sanctimoniousness can be downright insufferable sometimes. He does his best to be a better person, but if someone can't live up to his exacting standards, he clearly looks down upon them and thinks less of them.