Top 10 Differences Between The Vampire Diaries Books & TV Show
#10: Elena & Katherine’s Relationship
Top 10 Elena & Syd Moments on One Day At A Time
One of the major plot points in this series is the striking similarity between Katherine and Elena. In both the books and the show, they are Doppelgängers, but their physical appearances are explained differently in each medium. In the books, we find out that Katherine and Elena are actually half sisters who share the same mother. In the show however, viewers eventually discover that Elena is actually a descendant of Katherine’s. We kind of wish that they had stuck closer to the book storyline in this regard, as the half sister angle definitely adds to the intrigue and drama.
#9: Stefan Drinks Human Blood in the Books
On the show, Stefan sets himself apart from other vampires by refusing to damage human life by drinking blood, except for a couple of rare occasions when he literally can’t help himself. He’s a “vegetarian” who enjoys animal blood instead. In the book, he basically follows the same principle but there is one major exception: he often “shares” Elena’s blood, which is done in an intimate way and is quite different from normal feeding. In the show, he’s fed on her a couple of times, but only for very specific reasons. Despite him “sharing” more regularly in the books, he is still weaker than Damon because, for the most part, he is only consuming the blood of animals, just like on the show.
#8: There Are Other Types of Supernatural Beings in the Books
While we meet plenty of supernatural characters in the show, there are even more in the books that never get any screen time. For example, in the show Bonnie Bennett is a witch, but in the books Bonnie McCullough is considered not only that but also a Celtic druidess, an inheritance she can trace back through her family. Perhaps more importantly however, there are angels in the books, otherwise known as guardians, who are never mentioned on the show. The spirits could possibly be seen as the equivalent in the TV series, but the two entities are quite different.
#7: Elena’s Siblings
Top 10 Elena Moments on One Day At A Time
Fans of the books probably recall that Elena had a younger sister, Margaret, who was a human/angel hybrid. Some may have been disappointed however when she never appeared on the show, and instead was replaced by a brand new character: Elena’s adoptive brother Jeremy, who is also her biological cousin. Jeremy was a major player on the show who had a huge role in the storyline for much of the series, including having a relationship with Bonnie. As you can imagine, this definitely changed the family dynamic quite a bit!
#6: Elena's Friends
Top 10 Unforgettable Damon & Elena Moments
In the books, Meredith Sulez and Bonnie are two of Elena’s best friends, and both have pretty major roles to play. When the show started though, book fans were surprised to find that Meredith was completely missing. They introduce a character named Meredith Fell in season three who shares some similarities with her book counterpart, including having a relationship with Alaric Saltzman, but she’s still quite different in terms of overall characterization. While Bonnie is of course on the show, her character’s appearance is totally different, being described in the book as being short with red hair and “naturally translucent skin”.
#5: Immortals Had More Abilities in the Books
Though vampires are obviously very powerful in the “Vampire Diaries” TV show, some of their abilities are expanded upon even further in the novels. In particular, their telepathic abilities are more extensive in the books than on the show, with vampires being able to read minds as well as communicate with one another without speaking. In the series, the vampires do have mind compulsion, though that could potentially be blocked. In the books, they also have the ability to transform into animals, which isn’t really touched upon much in the show.
#4: Caroline & Elena's Relationship
It might surprise you to find out that in the books, rather than being friends (or ok, maybe frenemies), Caroline and Elena are actually straight up enemies. They’re in a sort of competition for who can be the most popular girl in school and Caroline even steals Elena’s diary - even threatening to tell everyone about Stefan. In the books, she and Elena used to be good friends when they were younger, but their relationship has completely devolved. Seeing how close these two become on the show, it’s almost impossible to believe that their relationship took such a different path in the source material!
#3: Bonnie & Damon Are a Couple in the Books
If you’ve only seen the TV show, you know that Elena and Damon are totally endgame. But in the books, there’s actually someone else competing for his affections and it’s not who you would expect. In the novel series, Bonnie and Damon have quite the complicated relationship, and might even be soul mates - though it hasn’t been proven. Their relationship starts off as a contentious one, just like on the show, but rather than remaining good friends, their partnership develops into something more. Despite this deep connection, they can’t truly be together for a variety of reasons, including Elena. Also in the books, Bonnie dated Matt!
#2: Elena Is Blonde in the Books (& Her Personality Is Different!)
The most obvious change that the creators of the show made when casting for Elena was picking actress Nina Dobrev, who has dark hair. In the books, Elena is blonde and fair with blue eyes, so fans of the books were pretty shocked when they saw the first episode. More importantly though, Elena’s personality does a complete 180 from the books. In the novels, Elena isn’t nearly as likeable of a protagonist, often acting mean and selfish or occasionally even shallow. On the show, she’s extremely sympathetic and relatable, always doing things for others and displaying compassion on many occasions. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: The Town's Name Is Different Some Characters Had Different Last Names in the Books The Timeline of Elena's Parents' Death Aunt Jenna Is Aunt Judith in the books
#1: In the Books, Elena Winds Up with Stefan in the End
Really, “The Vampire Diaries” is just one big love triangle, with fans returning episode after episode and season after season to see which of the two Salvatore brothers Elena would finally choose. The interesting thing though is that the outcome is different in the novels and in the show. In “The Hunters: Destiny Rising”, Elena picks Stefan, her soul mate, to be with forever. But anyone who has seen the show knows that things end totally differently, with Elena marrying Damon and eventually ending up in the afterlife with him.
