Alaric Saltzman

Dr. **Alaric J. "Ric" Saltzman** is a human, vampire hunter, former history teacher at Mystic Falls High School and a former Enhanced Original, not by being one of the first vampires as the Mikaelson Family is, but instead being turned through an altered version of the spell used on the Mikaelson family. He originally came to Mystic Falls to find the vampire who killed his wife, but learned that she voluntarily became a vampire and left him. He also learned that his wife had a child when she was a teenager, a daughter named Elena Gilbert, his student. Alaric began a romantic relationship with her adoptive aunt, Jenna. Following Jenna's tragic death, he seemed to step into his step-father role to Elena and is a father figure to her brother, Jeremy. He is also Damon's best friend alongside Bonnie; Damon even called Alaric "brother" on occasions.

Through overuse of the Gilbert Ring, Esther manipulated his spirit while he was on the Other Side before he would resurrect, and as a result he developed an alter ego, called The Darkness by Bonnie and Dark Alaric or Evil Alaric to others, that hated vampires and vampire sympathizers; as the Darkness, Alaric killed several members of the Town Council. With a goal to create a monster to end all monsters — similar to her husband before him — Esther linked Alaric's life force to Elena's and, in the process, created an Enhanced Original Vampire with one true weapon, the final, indestructible white oak stake. Fearing for her family's life, Rebekah Mikaelson caused Elena's death, thereby killing Alaric in the process. Following this, Alaric was resurrected as his Original vampire self without his alter-ego. While trying to save Damon from Tripp Cooke, Alaric was pulled into the magic purification zone over Mystic Falls. He temporarily died from the stab wound that killed him before his transition, when the magic that made him an Enhanced Original was stripped from his body. Jo Parker revived him with her medical skills, but upon resurrection, Alaric reverted back to his human self.

As a vampire hunter, he designed several different weapons to fight vampires which include vervain tranquilizers and arm vest stakes.

As a Ghost, he watched over Damon, Jeremy, and Elena. After being resurrected, he met and fell in love with Josette Parker, who saved his life when he crossed the magical border into Mystic Falls which stripped him of his supernatural powers and made him human again. Eventually, they came to find out that they were expecting twins. However, Josette was brutally murdered by Kai Parker at their wedding, seemingly along with their unborn children.

Unbeknownst to him, his twin children were magically transferred to the womb of Caroline Forbes by their mother's family, the Gemini Coven. Consumed by grief and rage, Alaric departed Mystic Falls, abandoning his daughters and becoming a ruthless hunter once again. He returned sixteen years later, where he hoped to form a relationship with Josie and Lizzie, during which time he came into conflict with the various monsters Malivore dispatched to the town.

He became the new headmaster of Mystic Falls High, where he became a partner of Chance Mikaelson, whose true identity he was unaware of due to the teenager's existence being erased by Malivore. He became extremely close to the younger male, seeing him as his own son, and even inviting him to stay at his house when he learned that the youth was homeless. The two combated the numerous Malivore monsters for several months, during which time he began a sexual relationship with Annalise Machado, a new teacher at his school and a secret hunter sent to town by Triad Industries.

**Alaric** is a member of the Saltzman Family and a non-biological relative to the Petrova Family and the Gilbert Family, due to being Elena's step-father through his marriage to Isobel, and Jeremy's guardian.

## Physical Appearance

Alaric can be described as tall, about 6'2 in height, with an athletic build. A handsome man with short, brown hair that is gelled on the top and has blue eyes. He often wears casual clothing, t-shirts, button downs, jackets, jeans, etc. He's mostly seen wearing dark colors, but occasionally wears brighter ones such as pink or white shirts.