In The Vampire Diaries, Alaric Saltzman, played by Matthew Davis, starts as a history teacher and becomes a vampire hunter in Mystic Falls. He is a key figure in supernatural conflicts throughout the series. Alaric, along with Caroline, establishes the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. He is part of the Saltzman Family and is related to the Petrova and Gilbert families through non-biological connections.