Bonnie McCullough

Bonnie McCullough (Full Name: Bonnie May McCullough) is a protagonist, the second main female character (after Elena Gilbert), the supporting protagonist and the narrator (during Dark Reunion) and quadragonist overall of The Vampire Diaries novel series. Bonnie is an eighteen year old young human psychic turned witch and she was born and raised in the town of Fell's Church, Virginia. Bonnie is the youngest daughter of Colin McCullough and Ailsa MacLachlan, the younger sister of Mary McCullough, the best friend of Elena Gilbert and Meredith Sulez, the childhood friend, close friend and brief fling of Matt Honeycutt, the close friend of Stefan Salvatore, the love interest of Zander (in The Hunters trilogy) and finally wife.
Born to Scottish American parents (both her paternal and maternal grandparents are Scottish immigrants), Bonnie is a Scottish American descendant of ancient Celtic Druids. She possesses strong psychic and magical powers that consistently evolved and proved to be immensely useful throughout the course of the series. Her Scottish maternal grandmother from Edinburgh, Scotland, is also a psychic witch and she shares an intimate relationship with her. In the very beginning of the series, Bonnie started off a very kind-hearted and caring individual but was not seen to be very sensible, especially when compared to her other friends. Bonnie is frequently seen as the outcast amongst the core group because almost everyone within the group views her as "the child" that is in constant need of protection. She could be flirtatious and contradictory, as demonstrated by her numerous infatuations with those who were already either in a committed relationship or devoted to another (such as Matt, Stefan, and Damon), and the fact she is deeply fascinated with and drawn to darkness, death, blood, and unconventionality, especially death (which dramatically contrasts with her generally sweet and light-hearted exterior and personality). Bonnie has also shown that she is very adventurous by nature and that she is drawn to the dangerous, wild, and unpredictable side of life.
However, as the series progressed, Bonnie gradually matured and learned how to focus on the truly important problems at hand rather than about the opposite sex. She grew to even surprise herself with her insight and her helpfulness in the fight against the forces of evil. Her most notable contribution was her supernatural powers: Bonnie had inherited gifts of witchcraft and psychic powers from her Druid ancestors, and while they frequently overwhelmed her with their intensity at first, she learned to control and use them effectively. Milestones in her magical career include performing a summoning ritual to call Stefan and Damon back to Fell's Church, helping Stefan communicate with Elena's spirit, and even possibly resurrecting Elena, establishing herself as a powerful witch whom none should ever underestimate, as well as a special individual who is not as stupid as she had believed herself to be. Bonnie is seen to be very friendly and she pretty much gets along with or befriends everyone she meets. She is seen to be very forgiving of others even when they hurt or betray her. Bonnie could be seen as the "all-loving hero" of the series as she always tries to see the best in people.
Another unique point to note about Bonnie would her profound bond and connection to the seemingly antagonistic Damon, and how she is the only person (other than Elena) to develop a positive and genuine relationship with him. She deeply, strongly cares about him unconditionally and is indescribably and undeniably drawn to him. Damon has frequently saved her life on various occasions throughout the course of the series and because of it, Damon is seen and is often established as Bonnie's hero and protector. Damon has shown to be fiercely protective (sometimes to possessive and overly protective levels) of Bonnie even though he won't and can't admit it to himself (for whatever unexplained reasons). Damon is always there for her whenever she is in trouble of any kind. Bonnie is Damon's "weak spot" although Damon constantly and repeatedly tries to deny it throughout the series.
==The Original Series==
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|-|The Awakening=
|-|The Struggle=
|-|The Fury=
|-|Dark Reunion=
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==The Return Series==
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|-|Nightfall=
After Elena's return to life, Bonnie, together with Matt and Meredith, decided to accompany Stefan in helping Elena adjust to living again as well as they could. They bring her clothes and other necessities that Stefan cannot help her with, as well as keeping the couple company whenever it was appropriate. One night, Bonnie, Meredith and Matt were driving in Matt's old truck. Matt wasn't paying much attention to the road ahead, and suddenly a red object is in front of the car and they crash into the side of the road. Huge branches coming from no-where held them trapped in the truck, lightly stabbing them all over. The truck was cold and they had no way of getting out. Bonnie decided to use her last bits of energy to channel Damon, since she supposed Stefan and Elena were already asleep. Damon responded to her call and found them, taking only Bonnie with him to where Stefan and Elena stayed. As Stefan went to see the two others, Damon put Bonnie in the tub of the house, took off her clothes and nursed her to the best of his abilities.
|-|Shadow Souls=
After Elena, Matt and Damon left, Bonnie and Meredith stayed in Fell's Church. The town itself was deeply affected by Shinichi and Misao leaving young girls in particular, possessed. Bonnie and Meredith knew about Caroline's pregnancy with Tyler Smallwood's child, but carrying a werewolf's babies, and being possessed by a malach was transforming her into a disgusting person, especially when Caroline reported Matt as the father. Bonnie an Meredith visited her, but she started to freak them out and they left as quickly as they could. They attempted to see her again (this time only Meredith going into the house) but whatever happened, Meredith's mouth was stuffed with slugs and worms that Caroline was eating. Meredith fled and dragged Bonnie with her, but stopped when she realized that Bonnie too was affected and had to admit CPR on her. When Matt returned, he gave the girls information about where Damon and Elena were and they immediately set off to find them. They found them in a motel where Elena was shocked and relieved to see them. Elena went with Bonnie and Meredith to their room and in her sleep, Bonnie brought up what Elena and Damon did the night before, something Elena wouldn't answer. Damon refused their company, but Bonnie and Meredith decided to go to the Dark Dimension and help rescue Stefan from his prison. Bonnie and Meredith were against the fact that they had to be Damon's slave, but eventually agreed when they knew Elena would crawl after Damon if she had to.
|-|Midnight=
TBA
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==The Hunters Series==
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|-|Phantom=
|-|Moonsong=
|-|Destiny Rising=
TBA
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==Appearance==
"The maiden, who was exceptionally dainty and pretty and had, to a vampire, the most exquisite feature of all, an exceptionally long and delicate column of a neck, was looking up at him soulfully. That was nice, that she was short. She also had - you couldn't help notice - particularly large eyes in her small heart-shaped face, giving her the appearance of a kitten. They were clear brown eyes, with a dark ring at the outer rim of the iris, then a very light brown ring, as if light were shining through them in the middle, and then another dark ring around the pupil. Her hair was the color of a strawberry and curled softly all over her head in a way that made you think "pixie." Altogether, she was a lovely little ornament, with fine blue veins in naturally translucent skin."
Bonnie could be considered to be the arch-feminine type, given how she has the appearance of a dainty, delicate damsel in distress. Though she is not the blond-haired, blue-eyed, angelic beauty that Elena is, she is still beautiful in a dreamy, ethereal, and unconventional way, with an otherworldly aura about her.
Bonnie has a small, heart-shaped face with full, rose-tinted cheeks with dimples, a rounded forehead, a straight delicate nose like that of a cherub's, and well-shaped full lips that curl into a warm, soulful, and enchanting smile (which was noted by Damon). Due to her Scottish or Celtic heritage, her skin is lightly freckled, but it was still as fair, perfect, and translucent as that of Elena's, to the extent where her blue veins and fjords are visible to the naked eye (which was also noted by Damon when he first met Bonnie unexpectedly).
Bonnie has reddish-gold hair that was actually straight, but she permed it curly due to her belief that it would give her additional height. Fortunately, one could still tell that her hair was thick, long, and luxurious - in fact, it is this particular aspect that makes her look like a pixie. She also has large, wide almond-shaped hazel-brown eyes that are expressive, limpid, and soulful, with arched eyebrows and long, thick black lashes.
In terms of physique, Bonnie is somewhere between that of a little girl and a young woman: somewhat diminutive and slightly underdeveloped, with small breasts (Bonnie is an A-Cup), delicate arms, a tiny waist, slightly wide hips, slim short legs, small hands and dainty feet. Her height was between 3'10" and 4'10". Though Bonnie often complained about her physique (particularly her breasts, which made her feel less of a young woman and more like a child), and she was shorter than Meredith and Elena, Damon and her friends all note how her petite fine-boned frame made her beauty special and unique: she had an exceptionally long and delicate neck that was similar to that of a ballerina from Swan Lake, which Damon had taken particular notice of it, and he even once described it as very tempting to a vampire due to its length, its daintiness, and how its visible veins made it easier for a vampire to feed.
Last but not least, Bonnie had a charming, pleasant, and highly melodious voice that was comparable to that of a nightingale or a songbird. Even Damon was strongly drawn to her voice, and hence his nicknames for her were "Little Redbird", "Redbird", and "Songbird". She also has a feminine yet casual sense of style and fashion: jeans and a variety of colored nice tops with either sneakers, heels, or boots.
Hence, though Bonnie was neither the angelic and willowy Elena, nor the elegant and sophisticated Meredith, nor the sensuous and voluptuous Caroline, she was still one of the most beautiful and desirable females in all of Fell's Church. The fact that Damon (who was deeply in love with Elena and had seen many beautiful females) had actually taken especial notice of her features and stature was also a testament to her indisputable beauty.
==Personality==
==Name==
*Bonnie is a feminine first name of Scottish or Scots-Irish origin which means "pretty", "charming", "beautiful" or "attractive". It is pronounced BAHN-ee or BON-ee.
*McCullough is a surname ultimately believed to be of Scottish origin, and an Anglicized form of the Old Scots Gaelic "MacCullaich" or "MacC(h)ullach", son of Cullach, from "Mac", son of, and the personal byname "Cullach", Boar.
==Nicknames==
Bonnie has many nicknames coined by her friends and others, which often refer to her hair color. Bonnie's nicknames include:
*'Bon'
*'Bon-Bon'
*'The Little One'
*'Sweet Bonnie' (by Shinichi)
*'Pixie'
*'Firebrand'
*'Druid Priestess'
*'Curlew'
*'Songbird'
*'the Redhead'
*'Redhead'
*'Strawberry-Haired Girl'
*'Little Red-haired Girl'
*'Fiery Little Pixie' (by Stefan Salvatore)
Aside from all of her usual nicknames, Damon individually has many nicknames and pet names that he uses for Bonnie and he normally doesn't call her by her first name, although the reason for this is unknown. Damon's nicknames for Bonnie are notably highly affectionate, loving, and tender in nature and they also often refer to her hair color. Damon's many nicknames for Bonnie include:
*Little Redbird or Redbird (this is Damon's personal favorite nickname to call Bonnie), Redheaded Bird, Little Redhead, Little Witch, Redheaded Witch, Red-Haired Maiden, Red Songbird, Little Red-Haired Songbird, Little Bird, Baby Bird, Little Human, Human, Sleeping Maiden, Sweet Baby Bird, Sweet Red Bird, His Bird, His Bedraggled Little Bird, His Maiden, His Witch, the Redbird, Fiery Little Fury, Kitten, and Sweet Songbird Bonnie.
==Powers and Abilities==
Due to her Celtic Druid ancestry, Bonnie possesses exceptionally strong psychic and magical powers that, in the early stages where she came into them, frequently overwhelmed her completely because of their intensity. Because of this, she often tries to suppress the true extent of her powers as much as she could, but with little success: her formidable supernatural powers had caused her to either pass out or collapse numerous times throughout the series. However, as the series progressed, Bonnie learned to control and master her powers all by herself without any outside help, and they had often proved invaluable to her friends. Examples of her known numerous abilities that she has shown in the series so far include: 
*Spell Casting - -The ability to perform supernatural spells that affect the natural world.
*Clairvoyance - The ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses.
*Telepathy - The ability to read other people's minds, and hear their thoughts.
#Empathy (also known as a Sensitive) - The ability to identify the emotional feelings of another person. This is also the ability to take on other people's feelings of pain or pleasure, actually feeling the emotions of others. For a psychic empathy healer it is an ability that can help in relating the symptoms and cause of a client's ailment.
*Intuition - The ability to have an innate sense of events, thoughts, and even the feelings of others that are normally outside of what the normal human ability is capable of perceiving.
*Aura Reading - The ability to perceive all of the energy fields surrounding various people, places and things.
*Palm Reading (also known as Palmistry, Chiromancy, Cheirology and Chirognomy) - The ability to tell fortunes by reading the lines on a persons hand.
*Telekinesis - The ability to move objects with the mind.
*Astral Projection - The ability to project the spiritual body of a person to another area in the world.
* Afterlife Communication - The ability to communicate, reach out or converse with the dead, ghosts or spirits.
*Premonitions - The ability to predict the future or predict events of the future.
*Precognition - The ability to have the knowledge or the awareness of the future or future events, which are obtained through extra sensory perception.
*Psychic Dreams - The ability to have dreams about the future or have illusionary dreams.
*Ceromancy (also known as Candle Reading and Ceroscopy) - The ability to use candles for spell casting or to make prophecies. Also the ability to read into or use candles to meditate by gazing into a burning flame.
*Channeling - The ability to have a separate intelligence that enters the mind and or body of the psychic and then uses that body/mind to communicate messages directly to the audience. A psychic is not interpreting the information. In a channeling situation, the message passes through as if the intelligence was using the body and mind of the psychic to hear you and to speak to you directly.
*Clairaudience - The ability to hear things that are inaudible. Meaning a psychic hears beyond the natural sense of hearing. He or she may ‘hear clearly', and perceive sounds or words from spirits, guides, or angels or simply hear into your future in some mystical way.
*Clairempathy - The ability to feel emotions from beyond natural realms.
*Clairsentience - The ability to pick up sensations and relate messages from those senses.
*Claircognizant - The ability to have the sense of clear knowing.
*Extra Sensory Perception (also known as ESP or "Sixth Sense") - The ability to have perception beyond regular or normal senses.
*Dream Interpretation - The ability to understand or read dreams. The ability to tell a dreamer something about their state of mind in a waking experience.
*Mediumship - The ability to connect with and act as a communication conduit for spirits in the after life and/or guiding entities such as angels.
*Ouija Board - The ability to use a talking board or spirit board and use it in séance with the alphabet and other symbols printed or carved on it.
==The Vampire Diaries==
Bonnie McCullough does not make an appearance in the television series. Instead, the show replaces her with a witch named Bonnie Bennett, who is based on her character. The TV series' Bonnie is very different from the books in appearance and characterization. Although in seven season of the series Bonnie used her book counterpart's name as an alias as she went under the radar from The Armory.
Bonnie Bennett is Elena's best friend and a witch. Her ancestor is a very powerful witch named Emily Bennett, whose own ancestors originated from Salem, Massachusetts—the town made famous for witches being hanged, but there weren't any burned at the stake between 1692 and 1693 due to the witch trials. Personality-wise, Bonnie is a charismatic, charming, good-natured and open minded girl that is shown to be very wise and mature for her young age. She defends her opinion fiercely and is unable to keep quiet about what she thinks is right. She has strong morals, ethics and values and believes in doing the right thing, especially when it comes to her loved ones. This often makes her look like a judgmental individual from time to time, since in more than one occasion she has demonstrated her antipathy toward people that she doesn't know, especially towards vampires (since vampires and witches are known to be natural enemies). Bonnie deeply cares for her friends and is fiercely loyal to them, eager to help them solve their problems or provides good, honest advice. Bonnie is also strong-willed, independent, and she is rather spunky by nature. Like Damon, Bonnie often uses wit and sarcasm from time to time to cover up her weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
==Trivia==
*Bonnie met Damon Salvatore before Elena did.
*In the novels, Bonnie has an unnamed cousin, and her grandmother was only mentioned occasionally. However, in the series, Bonnie's grandmother, Sheila Bennett, was a prominent though minor character who trained her granddaughter in witchcraft, but she later died. Bonnie also encountered Lucy Bennett, a distant cousin who is also a witch like her, though she is significantly more powerful, and who used to be a former "friend" of Katherine Pierce.
*In the novels, Bonnie's last name is McCullough, but in the TV series, it is Bennett.
**In One Way or Another in The Vampire Diaries, Bonnie Bennett checked in a Psychiatric Hospital using the alias "Bonnie McCullough" to investigate Virginia St. John.
*In the novels, Bonnie is a psychic and a descendant of druids, but in the series, she is a witch.
*In the novels, Bonnie is presented as a physically and mentally weak character who faints easily when her powers overwhelm her, but the Bonnie in the series is a much stronger character.
*In the novels, Bonnie had two major love interests: Damon and Zander. However, in the TV series, Bonnie's two love interests were Jeremy Gilbert and Enzo St. John. Bonnie ended up declaring Enzo the love of her life.
*In the novels, Bonnie is a red-haired, white-skinned Caucasian. In the TV series, she is of African-American descent with ancestors from Salem, Massachusetts, where the witch trials took place, and has black hair and hazel eyes.
==See also==
Category:Novel Characters
Category:Female Characters
Category:Supernatural
Category:Witches
Category:Psychics