The Vampire Diaries (TV)

The Vampire Diaries is a television show on the WB based on the book series by LJ Smith. In 2013 a spin-off series, The Originals, premiered. A second spin-off series, Legacies, premiered in 2018.
==Canon==
The show centers around Mystic Falls high school student Elena Gilbert, her boyfriend Stefan Salvatore, who turns out to be a vampire from the Civil War era and his charming and vindictive older brother Damon. 
Also her friends Bonnie, a witch; Caroline, cheerleader and daughter of the sheriff; her ex-boyfriend Matt; his friend Tyler Lockwood; and Elena's younger brother Jeremy, aunt Jenna, and a few other relatives who show up later. Oh, and vampire-hunting history teacher Alaric Saltzman, plus Stefan and Damon's long-dead vampire girlfriend Katherine, who turns out to be a dead ringer for Elena and really not so dead.
:For individual character pages on Fanlore, see :Category:Vampire Diaries Characters
==Fandom==
There is a large overlap between fans of the long-running book series and the show; however the canon is quite different so most fanfic and fanworks are based on one or the other, not both.
While a lot of viewers/fans consider the show a guilty pleasure, and the majority of fan creations produced is made for the purposes of squee, there is some analitycal content out there.
As the show progressed, some fans started to express their annoyance and frustration at the show's declining quality of plot lines and character development. Many hold Julie Plec personally responsible for plots and characters they don't like and don't approve of.
===Pairings===
::For a more complete list see List of Vampire Diaries Pairing Names
The show is a very rich shipping ground and over time a lot of pairings became canon (as an actual relationship on the show or a simple hook up). Writers of the show have a tendency to throw shippy moments to fans of popular non-canonical pairings. A flirty look between Bonnie Bennett and Kol Mikaelson in season 4 is a good example of that.
Due to an incredibly large and varied fandom tendencies when it comes to shipping characters, a detailed (though incomplete) list of pairings is available here.
Notably, first slash pairings that gained fandom interest were Jeremy/Tyler, Damon/Stefan (also called Salvatoreslash and Damon/Alaric.
Biggest het pairings from the start were Damon/Elena and Stefan/Elena, with Damon/Bonnie and Klaus/Caroline gaining popularity later on.
Threesome pairings are popular in the fandom as a way of combining two OTPs that share characters. For example; Damon/Elena/Stefan as a combination of Damon/Elena and Stefan/Elena (sometimes with incest of Salvatoreslash thrown in). Or Klaus/Stefan/Caroline as a combination of Klaus/Caroline, Klaus/Stefan and Stefan/Caroline.
Femmeslash is the least popular genre in the fandom, with very few fanworks. The most popular among them being Elena/Caroline and Elena/Bonnie.
===Common Tropes in Fanworks===
* Time travel - most often sue to a spell cast wrong/by mistake (more often than not by Bonnie) one or more character is sent back in time. It's most often used in fics where at least one side of the pairing is a vampire as a plot device that allows the younger/human part of the ship to get to know their lover better, or see them in a different light. Additionally, this trope is often combined with the premise/plot twist that the character sent back in time tries hard not to change anything, only to find out at the end that it all happened as it was supposed to. Compulsion is sometimes used as a plot device to ensure lack of time paradox.
::Example: Wings of a Butterfly by Traxits, a Jeremy/Damon time travel story. When Bonnie's new teleport spell backfires, Jeremy wakes on the front lines in 1863, fighting the Civil War alongside a human Damon Salvatore. Getting back to Mystic Falls is only the first hurdle he must face as he struggles not to change the past.
* All Human AU - a most common AU used by fanfic writers, often modified and/or combined with other tropes or common plotlines, such as BDSM, Futurefic, Royalty AU, etc. All characters are human and the supernatural world either doesn't exist or the characters aren't a part of it in any way. Sometimes, the characters are still in high school, sometimes they already graduated and are pursuing their careers.
::Example: The Only Hope for Me is You by livingdeadblondegirl, a Klaus/Caroline All Human AU. Niklaus Mikaelson is a single father but is also a business man who needs someone to take care of the kids for him. When their current nanny retires, he finds himself needing a replacement. When Stefan offers a solution, Klaus agrees to interview Caroline Forbes.
===Glossary===
* For terms used in fandom see Vampire Diaries Fandom Glossary
* For Pairing Names within fandom see List of Vampire Diaries Pairing Names 
===Lack of Diversity===
Since the start, the show has been criticised for the lack of diversity and the overwhelmingly white straight cast of characters.
In fact, the longest living LGBT character to date is a witch named Luke, introduced in season 5; who had no on screen love interest and his sexuality was only spoken of, never shown. The LGBT Fans Deserve Better movement was highly critical of the show for its treatment of queer female characters, writing in June 2016:
The show doesn't fare better with characters of color either. The only non-white main character is Bonnie Bennett, who is a witch (a character that was a white redhead girl in the books) and has been accused numerous times of being boring and pointless by fans who felt she had no substantial storyline of her own for the longest time.
Bonnie's magical talents has also been a cause for criticism from fans, who felt that she was used as a Magical Negro. It was also worrying that the majority of witches were also black.
After the majority of season 1 of The Originals airs, there have been fans who joked that in one season, the spin off managed more characters of color and LGBT characters than The Vampire Diaries has during their entire run.
== Differences in Books vs Show ==
Elena Gilbert: In books Elena is a typical teenage girl with most teenage problems and messeses going around her. But in the show,show, she's shown aoaderperspective,, and untill season 5, she, she remains the center of the plot. In the books,ooks, Elena is an all-Americancan girl with blond hair, while in the show she appears to be brunette.
Stefan Salvatore: In thee books,, Stefan is more rude, brooding,, and an anti-hero,ero, but in the show he's rational (till he becomes a a ripper) and kind. He understands the dynamics of the emotional connections and knows how to preserve relationships (until he killed Enzo). In books he's portrayedd with green eyes and long hair,, while in thee show hiseyess appear dark and his hair isair is short. In the show, Stefan appears more mysterious throughout,, while in the books,, hismotivations and aim were clear right from the beginning.
Damon Salvatore: In books,, Damon is clearly a ruggeded guy with less or no emotions. He caress for no friends and has no one to take care of him. While in thee show, the first season portrays him as a villain,in, and then he becomes an anti-hero,, and for the rest of the 6 seasons, he is the center, and somehow everybody's on his side. The last scene of the 8th season,, when Caroline and Damon are shown to take care of each other, so unexpectedin comparison with books.
Caroline Forbes: In Books Caroline is an all-meanean character,, and in the show,, there is a vast character developmentt that continues till the last episode of The Originals. From being a selfish and insecure girl to the mother of twins and everybody's favorite, Caroline's role is shown with great depth after Damon.
Klaus Mikealson: In books, Klaus has no romantic relationship with Caroline, while in the show their chemistry is carried out till the last episode of The Originals. In books, Klaus is the only vampire from his father, Mikeal, and there is no mention of the original family. While in the show, Klaus is a hybrid, having both werewolf and vampire genes, making him extraordinary and lethal. Despite his ruthless nature and abomination, the character of Klaus Mikealson has a greater fan following than the Salvatore Brothers.The Vampire Diaries. Major Highlighted Differences in Books vs TV Show. 
===Sexualized Violence===
However, those same aspects are rarely addressed by the fans, with a few exceptions of meta here and there. And while the sexually violent source material isn't questioned, it also isn't mirrored in fanworks very often.
===Meta===
* Where the hell's my show gone? by blackcanine, season 4 meta/rant regarding characters and the show's direction.
* Love triangles--when they work, when they don't by eleai, a detailed essay about the show's love triangle.
* Questions of Agency with Vampires, Jedi, and Sith by eleai, A comparison of Stefan and Damon with a specific look at how they handle agency in their various relationships
* They fight monsters, don’t they?: A 'meta' about "choice" and The Vampire Diaries by ladygawain
* "Are All Witches in TVD Black?" by angryzen, a meta in three parts
* I just want you to fight for it: A Stefan/Elena versus Damon/Stefan meta by goldy_dollar
* "...or is it because you love her too?" by youcallitwinter, a meta about the dynamic between Stefan and Damon
* devil's advocate: damon/elena vs. stefan/elena by youcallitwinter
* On the subject of Self Sacrifice by devinecancerian, on the self-sacrifice in season 2 storyline
==Notable Fanworks==
===Fanfic===
:For a full listing of VD fanfiction on Fanlore, see :Category:Vampire Diaries Fanfiction
*Weak, by nomelon, Stefan/Damon, summary: Damon is still pumped full of vervain and locked in the basement.
*Much More Complicated by Gale (iphignia939), Damon/Alaric, summary: "Damon snapped your neck and you got up to kill vampires with him and punch him in the face. For him, that’s like a valentine."
*All The Same To Me by silvia kundera Elena/Stefan/Damon, summary: Do not underestimate Damon's powers of persuasion. Or: the one where Damon runs for public office while trying to date his brother & their girlfriend, as told by Stefan Salvatore.
*A Corner Of Your Heart by tigs, Elena/Damon, summary: "So obviously what I need to do," Damon says, "is make it my new mission in life to see that you actually get out of the house and have fun."
*Taste by seperis, Stefan/Damon, Damon/Katherine, Stefan/Katherine, summary: There are always rules; there's no other way to break them.
*Synergy by scy, Damon/Alaric, summary: Cooperation can come in unexpected forms
*Civilised by Tangles (entangled_now), Stefan/Damon, summary: "I only promised I wouldn't eat her. I don't remember saying anything about the rest of these lovely, lovely people."
*Lure by scy, Bonnie/Damon, Elena/Stefan, summary: Some choices might be bad ideas
*Across Unhallowed Ground by ghostrunner7, Elena/Stefan/Damon, for 2010 Vampire Big Bang summary: Damon looks directly at him and either he’s been drinking much, much more than he should, or he’s trying to tell Stefan something important when he says, "It would be so much easier to just end it badly."
===Fanart===
* The Vampire Diaries Cast Portrait by Catluckey
===Fanvids===
* Don't You Worry Child by OfficialTVDNTv
* When I Was Younger by xXWhisperOfDreamsXx
* Safe and Sound by ShatteredxDesires
==Websites==
Vampire-Diaries.net, created in March 2009 features the latest news on the TV show and books, as well as a comprehensive wiki, fanfiction archive, fanart gallery, and forum. There is also a twitter account and LiveJournal community.http://community.livejournal.com/tvd_fans/ An official but less comprehensive and more profit-oriented website, Vampirediaries.com, was later created by Alloy Entertainment to promote the TV show and books.
==Archives==
*TV Series Fanfic on Vampire-Diaries.net and on the forums
*AO3: The Vampire Diaries
*FanFiction.net: TV Series
*FanFiction.net: Vampire Diaries Crossovers
*Animexx.de: Fanfics zu Vampire Diaries
*FanFiktion.de: Fanfiction zu Vampire Diaries (TV)
==Communities==
===General===
*tvdnewsletter - a newsletter for the television show
*tvd_fans - anything and everything that is related to The Vampire Diaries, be it based on the books, the game, or the television series. 1600 members.
*ontd_tvdiaries - Oh No They Didn't comm for the show
*ontd_tvd - Oh No They Didn't comm for the Vampire Diaries (both show and books)
*vd_fr - French LJ community (both show and books)
* The Vampire Diaries - a fan community on fanpop
===Fanfic===
*vdiaries_fanfic - For the show only
*tvd_fic - Fanfiction based on both the books and TV series
*The Vampire Diaries Kink Meme and associated Delicious Bookmarks
===Icons===
*tvdicons - Community created to share icons
===Pairings===
*damon_alaric - Damon/Alaric
*damonandbonnie - Damon/Bonnie
*damon_elena - Damon/Elena shippers, community is flocked. More than 2,000 members.
*jeremytyler - Jeremy/Tyler
*mattandcaroline - Matt/Caroline
*salvatoreslash - Damon/Stefan slash and/or Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley RPS. 400 members.
*salvatore_sd - Flocked community completely about the relationship between Damon and Stefan as brothers
*stefan_elena - Stefan/Elena shippers community
*tvd_slash - slash fanfiction for both books and tv series. Salvatoreslash and any future 'cest slash pairings welcome
*tvd_slash on Dreamwidth - Dreamwidth community for fic, meta, icons, and other material relating to non-incest slash pairings
===Challenges, Fests and Exchanges===
*Vampire Diaries Exchange - Secret Fic Exchange. Sign-ups open for the first round on October 1 2010 and begin posting on February 1 2011.
*Vampire Diaries Big Bang Posting begins for the first round on October 15th 2010.
*Vampire Big Bang - includes TVD fic and crossovers. Posting began for the first round on September 25 2010.
==Rec lists==
*Silvia Kundera's Bookmarks
*Deliverance's Fic Bookmarks
*themadpoker's Bookmarks
*josselinkohl's Bookmarks
*xb3ythx's Bookmarks
*sandyshaw 's Fic Bookmarks
*Kenning's Bookmarks
*shadowcat15's Bookmarks
*Silvia Kundera's Vid Bookmarks
*kalena_henden's favourite Season 1 Picspams and Elena/Damon vids
==Resources==
* Vampire Diaries Wiki
* The Vampire Diaries & Originals Wiki
* Vampire-Diaries.net - fansite
* VampireDiaries.net - official website
* The Vampire Diaries (TV) Wikipedia entry
* tvd-meta - a LiveJournal meta community
* Gale's TVD picspam/pimping post
==References==
Category:LJ Smith
Category:Vampire Diaries