Stefan Salvatore/Tropes

This page contains all the **tropes** related to **Stefan Salvatore**.

## Tropes

**Click Expand To Reveal Tropes**

* Stefan is a Protagonist. Although, he is also classified as a Deuteragonist.
* Stefan could also be classified as a Supporting Protagonist.
* Stefan can also be classified as a Hero Protagonist since he is both the hero of the series as well as a protagonist.
* In season one, Stefan was seen and could have been classified as an Ideal Hero. This was before much of his dark past and issues had been revealed later on in the series.
* Stefan could possibly be classified as a Dynamic Character. Since the start of the series, Stefan has gone through the most changes and ups and downs on a characterization basis. He could also be categorized as  a Rounded Character. Stefan seems to be one of the characters that is well-written with a solid backstory and insight into his past.
* Stefan fits the Tragic Hero trope.
* Stefan could also be classified as a Fallen Hero, since Season Three
* Stefan qualifies as a Friendly Neighborhood Vampire, and most of time tries to refrain from drinking human blood. He is a "bloodaholic" (as Caroline has said), and has to exercise Heroic Willpower to resist to his Dark Side, when he is off the the blood rails or wagon.
* Stefan has a Sugar And Ice Personality. This means that Stefan has two distinct personality sides. One side of Stefan is light: warm, loving, empathetic, compassionate, thoughtful and kind. The other side of Stefan is much darker (the Ripper): sociopathic, dark, unsympathetic, uncaring, cold, calculating, and emotionless.
* Stefan is a Chick Magnet. At the beginning of the series, all of the girls within the school found Stefan attractive, were drawn to him and wanted to gain his attention. Stefan has been the object of romantic interest for all of the major female characters of the series including Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, Katherine, and Rebekah.
* Stefan fits the trope of I Will Protect Her, especially in regards to Elena and Christine.
* In regards to Elena, Stefan fits the trope of It's Not You, It's My Enemies. Stefan commits his entire immortal life into protecting and saving Elena and keeping her safe. Stefan sometimes distances himself from Elena in order to protect her because he is a vampire with a dark past, and therefore, has much darkness, enemies and danger that follows him around.
* Stefan fits the I'm Not A Hero trope. Stefan views himself as a monster, or a predator meant to hurt people. But on the contrary, Stefan is a heroic, selfless, brave yet tragic individual, that despite what and who he is (which is a vampire), makes endless heroic sacrifices to save, protect and help people, especially those he loves.
* Stefan could be classified as having Heroic Self Deprication. Despite saving and helping others and making sacrifices for other people, Stefan is incredibly guilt-ridden and self-loathing.
* Stefan fits the Martyr Without A Cause role. Out of all of the characters in the series, Stefan fits the role of martyr more than anyone, even Elena. He constantly offers himself up to be sacrificed in the place of others (i.e. offering himself as the vampire to be sacrificed instead of Elena's Aunt Jenna) or puts himself in the most dangerous situations in order to protect others from getting hurt or killed (i.e. offering himself up to Klaus in order to save Damon, protect Elena and the entire town of Mystic Falls).
* In season three, Stefan fit the Classical Anti-Hero trope as the Ripper.
* Stefan also fits the Hero Antagonist trope in season three only.
* Could also fit the Sociopathic Hero role in season three.
* At times, Stefan could be classified as a Pragmatic Hero, which is a hero who has strong morals and good intentions, but is willing to do morally questionable actions in order to achieve their goals.
* Stefan could also be seen as Prince Charming, especially in regards to Elena. He is the romantic male lead of the series, who is the primary/main love interest of the heroine and protagonist, Elena.
* Stefan was seen as an Anti Hero in season three, a huge change from his tragic, romantic hero role in the previous seasons.
* Although Stefan is often seen as either a romantic hero or a tragic hero, Stefan could also be classified as a Byronic Hero, especially during the period when he is recovering from a dark Ripper phase. He could also be referred to as a byronic hero because he displays heroic behavior and is someone who has a very dark past that has tried to atone for his past actions and sins.
* Some categorize Stefan as a Marty Stu (other terms include Gary Stu, Larry Stu, Mary Joe or Mary Sam).
* Stefan often faces much Double Standard, especially when being compared to his brother Damon. For example, Damon, a vampire, can commit an immoral act and get away with it, but if Stefan, also a vampire, commits a similar immoral act, he is often criticized by fandom or the public. The main reason this often happens to Stefan and not Damon is because Stefan is The Hero of the series and therefore, has high expectations to be moral and good.
* Stefan suffers from Chronic Hero Syndrome, which means that he feels the constant need to save others and if he doesn't end up saving people, he'll burden guilt.
* Stefan most definitely has a Dark And Troubled Past. He has gone through some very dark phases in his immortal life and has an darker alter ego, known as the Ripper.
* To get to know Elena he posed as a New Transfer Student. Of course, they are in school so rarely, one wonder if they have a One-Hour Workweek.
* Very often, he is Mr. Fanservice and is often shown shirtless, exposing his athletic, buff physique with his muscular pecs, arms and his six-pack abs.
* He has the part of The Hero, and always tries to be Lawful Good, but in his heart, he is always Chaotic Evil.
* Stefan committed a Heroic Sacrifice in season three, when Stefan sacrificed himself to Klaus in order to save Damon's life.
* Stefan fits the Romantic Vampire Boy trope, since he is the male lead and romantic hero of the series.
* Stefan's main storyline of the series is the Hero's Journey.
* Stefan is in a Love Triangle with Elena and Damon, with Stefan being in love with Elena, Elena being in love with Stefan, Damon being in love with Elena and Elena having feelings/attraction for Damon. Stefan was also in a similar love triangle back in 1864 with Katherine and Damon. He can also be classified as in a love triangle with back in 1864 with Ophelia and Katherine, and in the present with Elena and Christine.
* Stefan has an Anchored Ship with Elena (which is often an official couple who suffers many struggles, issues and obstacles that try to come between them over the course of the series).
* Stefan and Elena are also an Official Couple, which implies that Stefan and Elena are the main, canon romantic pairing of the series (usually, the series revolve around this particular couple).
* His love triangle is of the "Betty vs Veronica" type (with Elena as "Archie", Stefan as "Betty" and Damon as "Veronica") and also a "Sibling Triangle" (with Stefan and Damon being brothers in love with the same girl, Elena).
* His love triangle is of the "Betty vs Veronica" type (with him as "Archie", Ophelia as "Betty" and Katherine as "Veronica").
* Stefan is the Second Love to Elena. This is because Elena's first love is Matt Donovan.
* Stefan is the First Love to Ophelia.
* Stefan was in an Interspecies Romance with Elena and for some time with Christine. He has a MayFly December Romance with Elena and for some time with Christine before he became a human again.
* Stefan and his relationship with Elena is the Beast And Beauty type.
* Stefan and his love relationship with Christine is said to be True Love according to the producers of the show.
* Stefan has a Reincarnation Romance with Christine. This is due to the fact that Stefan and Christine are soulmates and therefore, have shared "past lives" together (in the form of Christine and by extension, Stefan's doppelgangers.)
* Stefan and Elena are often referred to or known as Star-Crossed Lovers, especially by fandom. This is due to the fact that like Romeo and Juliet, Stefan and Elena over the course of the series suffer and continue to suffer from many issues, obstacles and struggles (mostly external, but also internal or personal) that try to keep the two apart. But despite the odds, they often overcome the struggles and come back together, often stronger than before.
* From seasons one to three, Stefan was in an Interspecies Romance with Elena. Stefan was a century old vampire and Elena was a teenage human girl.
* Stefan and Elena had fit the Non-Human Lover Reveal. Stefan and Elena first meet each other and feel a deep, instant connection with Elena not knowing that Stefan is a vampire. However, Stefan eventually reveals to Elena that he is a vampire and tells her about his dark past.
* Stefan is part of a Fire And Ice Love Triangle. In this case, the fire and ice represents Stefan and Damon, with Stefan being the Fire and Damon being the Ice.
* Stefan's relationship with Elena also fits the The Power Of Love trope. In season three, due to the strength of Stefan's love for Elena, he fights the power of Original vampire Klaus' compulsion three times in order to stop or prevent himself from biting or hurting Elena and shutting off his emotions. This comes into play with Christine later on.
* Stefan has a Sibling Rivalry with his brother, Damon. The reason for this is since 1864, Stefan and Damon have been in competition for the same girl's affections (Katherine in 1864, Elena in the present).
* Stefan fits The Atoner trope. Due to Stefan's dark past as a Ripper, he sees the error of his ways and always tries to atone for his dark past and mistakes.
* Stefan's character alignment can be classified as Lawful Good, although there are times when Stefan's character alignment fits the Neutral Good description.
* Stefan fits the I Just Want To Be Normal trope. Although Stefan is a vampire, he tries to live as much of a human life as possible, as he loathes what he is.
* Stefan fits the Hurting Hero trope.
* Stefan might have a case of Bad Powers, Good People. Since he is a vampire, Stefan is capable of using his abilities to be extremely destructive, but instead, he chooses to use his abilities to save and help others because of who he is.