Likelihood is, for those who watched The Vampire Diaries, you had a powerful opinion on the present’s protagonist, Elena Gilbert.
You might need liked her, otherwise you might need hated her, however there weren’t too many viewers who fell in between.
In case you’re the latter, know you are not alone.
Basically each character on the present most well-liked Elena over her doppelganger, Katherine Pierce. When first watching the collection at a younger age, as I did, you may’t assist however agree. Elena is sweet, and Katherine is unhealthy. Plain and easy.
However each time you rewatch a present, you be taught one thing new about it. And while you rewatch as an grownup, you begin to see it in a wholly new mild. One factor that stood out, particularly, is how properly rounded of a personality Katherine is compared to Elena.
Whereas Katherine brazenly admits to her egocentric tendencies, Elena hides behind her personal private code of conduct.
What’s that they are saying concerning the satan being higher than the angel you do not?
The very first thing we’ve got to do is break aside the unrealistic idolization that nearly each human, or supernatural creature, has for Elena.
Positive, she provides out big hugs and tries to martyr herself as a substitute of placing up a battle, however does that make her the saint everybody believes she is?
Sure, Elena has misplaced an insane quantity of individuals. Sure, it is horrible and we really feel for her. However why is Elena the present’s sufferer when everybody else has suffered simply as a lot loss as her, if no more? Particularly when their struggling was, as a rule, as a result of of her?
You might use the excuse that she’s a younger lady attempting to get by means of the grief all day lengthy, however each Caroline and Bonnie are in the very same boat. The one actual distinction is that they did not have two Salvatore brothers prepared to put down their lives to maintain them out of mortal peril.
It appears as if each particular person on Earth was in love with Elena, and probably the most infuriating half is that we won’t work out why.
Being in love with Katherine Pierce is extra plausible, for causes I am going to later get to, however what’s it that attracts folks to her doppelganger?
Elena Gilbert is not a pleasant particular person. In any respect. You might say she’s self-sacrificial, however good? Not even a little bit bit.
All Elena does is spit out insults and maintain her pals to the requirements she created. It is exhausting to observe all these implausible characters fall on the ft of somebody who treats them so poorly.
For probably the most half, Elena believes she will be able to do no mistaken. As a result of she’s a “good” particular person, she’ll determine if one thing is morally acceptable or not.
Do not consider me? Take The Vampire Diaries Season 2 Episode 3, for instance. After Damon killed Jeremy, which is an entire different debacle, Elena determined to chop Damon out of her life.
When somebody tries to kill your brother, it is comprehensible to get out of the friendship. So, it ought to’ve ended there, proper? Mistaken.
Elena wanted Damon’s assist, so she manipulated him into pondering she’d forgive him if he did what she requested. Funnily sufficient, Elena had simply preached to Damon moments beforehand that “pals do not manipulate pals.”
Elena: And the reply to your query, about our friendship, is sure. You may have misplaced me endlessly.
Damon: However you knew that already did not you? You used me immediately.
Elena: You had details about Katherine that I wanted to know.
Damon: I assumed pals do not manipulate pals. You and Katherine have much more in widespread than simply your seems to be.
On high of the best way she persistently makes use of Damon’s emotions for her to get what she desires, she treats him like an individual with no actual feelings. Does she even must really feel unhealthy about the best way she makes use of Damon? Elena does not suppose so.
Everyone knows that Elena can deal with Damon nevertheless she desires, and he or she is aware of it too. Regardless that she will not brazenly admit it, as is the case with most of her faults, Elena takes benefit of his love for her.
Let’s not neglect the time she advised Damon he was a legal responsibility for lastly feeling all of the feelings she begged him to really feel for the primary two seasons.
Unsurprisingly, she did not even supply an apology. As an alternative, she made it very clear that his emotions have been insignificant, and her issues have been far more essential.
Elena: Hey, I referred to as you ten occasions final evening. We have to discuss.
Damon: Sorry, I have been busy.
Elena: In case you’re mad at me, Damon, you’ll want to recover from it.
Damon: Oh, I am over it.
In fact, this is not to say that Damon’s a very good particular person, nevertheless it’s to say that Elena is not both. And it might be a lot much less of a urgent concern if the present wasn’t constructed round Elena’s warped view of proper and mistaken.
In case you needed to twist it and say that Damon deserves the best way Elena treats him, regardless of her consistently telling him to “be the higher man,” then let us take a look at how she treats Caroline.
After turning off her feelings, Elena tried to kill a very good portion of her pals, Caroline included. Caroline put her life in danger to attempt to carry Elena again, regardless of how tough it was proving to be. Elena wasn’t herself, however after popping out of it, an apology felt like a very good start line.
Nevertheless, Elena did not suppose that was mandatory with Caroline, both.
Caroline: Nicely, what about while you stated, and I quote, “You are a repulsive block-sucking management freak monster”? Did you actually imply these issues?
Elena: In case you’re ready for an apology then you definitely’re not going to get one. I can not let myself really feel unhealthy, as a result of if I really feel unhealthy, then I really feel all the things.
Sorry if it is too upsetting so that you can admit you probably did one thing mistaken, Elena, however think about how upsetting it will need to have been for Caroline while you tried to kill her.
Beginning on The Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 1, Elena and Bonnie handled Caroline extra like an annoying little sister than a buddy. Whereas Bonnie grew out of it comparatively shortly, it nearly appeared as if Elena loved protecting Caroline on the surface.
Caroline: Who’s Emily?
Bonnie: The ghost.
Caroline: Oh, the ghost has a reputation now?
Elena: Caroline, please.
Caroline: Okay, what is going on on? Why am I not part of this dialog? You guys do that to me on a regular basis!
Her mother-like tendencies in the direction of Caroline have been typically condescending, somewhat than nurturing.
But it surely’s Elena’s relationship with Bonnie that really exemplifies how badly Elena handled her so-called “pals.” At first, the collection made it seem as if Bonnie was Elena’s journey or die.
That was proved unfaithful when she fell for the Salvatore brothers.
Elena claims to be Bonnie’s finest buddy, however episodes go by with out the 2 ever interacting. If something, Caroline was higher pals with each of them. The one time Elena ever referred to as Bonnie after the primary season or two, was when she wanted a witch to resolve her issues.
Bonnie loves Elena and would do something for her, regardless of Elena being the supply of most of her distress.
You might argue that Elena has no management over the issues folks do to maintain her secure, however Elena does have management over how she treats her BFF.
Bonnie had been useless for months, and Elena was so busy with Damon, she did not even discover that one thing wasn’t proper. Should not your finest buddy on this planet higher than that?
Then once more, it is perhaps a little bit exhausting contemplating that Elena solely ever talked to her for supernatural-related causes.
When Elena lastly decides to go on the lookout for Bonnie, it isn’t as a result of she’s frightened, however as a result of she wants her personal private witch to return and clear up her mess.
All in all, these examples have been merely proof that Elena is not the good particular person the present paints her out to be. And there are loads extra the place that got here from.
However to take it one step additional, there are additionally quite a lot of issues that make Elena simply as unhealthy, if not worse, than many of the villains on the present. It is particularly ironic provided that Elena crucifies Katherine for acts that Elena is not above doing herself.
When watching a vampire present, what’s extra enjoyable? A loopy, egocentric, hilarious vampire who will do no matter it takes to outlive? Or a hypocrite who consistently provides lectures about what’s proper and mistaken?
If this was The Good Place, none of those characters can be gaining entry. Sorry, however you are all murderers.
As a result of vampires are predatory in nature, it is far more entertaining to observe a vampire who tries not to let their humanity in, than one who kills and makes excuses for themselves.
Katherine Pierce is ruthless. When her life is on the road, she’ll sacrifice whoever is important to outlive.
Stefan: They have been your mates. They have been your loved ones. And also you simply offered them out.
Katherine: With out blinking.
Katherine is not reliable, and he or she does not declare to be. She makes it clear that her survival comes earlier than something and anybody. Which, when you consider it, is not too loopy of a notion.
She’s a vampire who does not need to die. Is it actually all that stunning?
Not like Elena, Katherine did not have somebody to show her Vampire 101. She killed herself to outlive, and was compelled to be taught the ins and outs of vampirism on her personal. No marvel she did not have self-control.
All of us noticed what Stefan was like earlier than he had a trainer and it wasn’t fairly.
To cease Elena from turning into a vampire, everybody put their lives on the road. Her organic father even died to maintain her human, once they each might have lived if she was keen to just accept her destiny.
Even after Elena was turned, everybody went out of their option to cease the transformation along with her encouragement. Which, as we all know, is unimaginable.
Why did not anybody attempt to discover a method out for Caroline? Or Bonnie’s mother? Why is it solely essential when it is occurring to Elena?
Due to her incapacity to just accept the reality, but once more, Elena nearly died for actual.
Katherine typically calls Elena out for her egocentric habits, and it is tough to not cheer when somebody lastly provides Elena some chilly exhausting reality. Katherine is not afraid to inform it like it’s, and he or she does not sugarcoat issues. It is a compelling trait that lots of the TVD villains have in widespread.
You may have all the things. And it isn’t since you’re a very good little lady who deserves happiness.
Katherine
In the previous few minutes of The Vampire Diaries Season 4 Episode 14, Katherine outsmarted everybody, but once more, and stole the remedy from proper beneath their noses.
She killed Jeremy to free the remedy from Silas’ iron grip, and took off earlier than anybody else even knew she was there.
Katherine is usually referred to as a monster, however Jeremy’s demise is what the characters deemed as one in every of her most monstrous acts.
However nobody, together with Elena herself, thought Elena was a monster for the measures she took to get the remedy for her personal egocentric causes.
Whereas Katherine wanted the remedy to barter for her life, Elena merely did not need to be a vampire anymore. As a result of she could not deal with all of the downsides of vampirism, she hatched a plan to kill Kol, an unique.
Not solely was Kol somebody’s brother, however his demise brought about tons of of hundreds of vampires to die together with him. A reality Elena was properly conscious of.
So, why is Katherine persecuted for killing one particular person for the remedy, whereas Elena is allowed to kill a fifth of the vampire inhabitants?
It is easy. It solely counts as against the law if it negatively impacts Elena Gilbert.
Anybody else sensing some favoritism?
Amongst a collection a couple of lady everybody makes excuses for, Katherine Pierce, the villain turned antagonist, is the true show-stopper.
Elena was nonetheless surrounded by family and friends after her dad and mom’ automotive accident, however Katherine misplaced each single particular person she cared about in a single evening. And who might neglect how her youngster was ripped out of her arms solely seconds after giving start?
I survived childbirth, the demise of my complete household, and five-hundred years of working from an immortal hybrid. You possibly can perceive why I am a little bit upset that I am on the verge of being defeated by a sinus an infection!
Katherine
Katherine lived a life through which loving an excessive amount of might result in demise. Her household’s slaughter was proof of that.
Subsequently, she did her finest to not let herself get connected. If it got here right down to sacrificing a buddy, she made positive she was completely keen to take action.
Katherine: Klaus made me name Jenna to lure her out. There was nothing I might do. I did not have a selection.
Damon: That is why I gave you the vervain, so that you had a selection.
Katherine: It was her or me, I selected her.
Damon: I helped you, you owed me. Now when Klaus dies, you are going to stroll out of right here with no scratch, and Elena’s aunt dies. In some way you are the one one which wins, how’d that occur?
Katherine: I did not let love get in the best way.
Damon: Take pleasure in an eternity alone, Katherine.
There is not any excuse for Katherine’s selfishness, and there should not be. Katherine Pierce is who she is, take it or go away it.
On uncommon events, items of Katherine’s humanity slip by means of the cracks, and whereas they do not make her a very good particular person, they make her a superb character.
Katherine is aware of the results of loving an excessive amount of, however for some purpose, she will be able to’t assist however care.
Somewhat than being freed from Klaus, the vampire she spent her complete life working from, Katherine selected to assist Stefan save Damon’s life.
Humanity is a vampire’s best weak point. Regardless of how straightforward it’s to show it off, it retains attempting to battle its method again in.
Katherine
Why would Katherine save them on this occasion and sacrifice them in others? Who is aware of?
Possibly, there’s uncommon events the place a chunk of her humanity shakes unfastened earlier than she will be able to cease it.
Katherine’s character is not inconsistent. It is unpredictable. And what’s higher than a personality who by no means ceases to shock you?
A personality who does not battle their very nature, however tries, and fails, to battle the nice inside them.
Elena’s angle, hypocrisy, and the pedestal the present locations her on, created a essential character that was nothing lower than exhausting. Somewhat than pushing the collection ahead, she held each character again.
There are occasions the place it was exhausting to root for both Salvatore within the love triangle, as a result of they deserved higher than the best way Elena handled them. Damon and Stefan have been at their finest once they have been targeted on one another, somewhat than letting their love for Elena divide them.
Katherine was one of the unbelievable characters to return out of The Vampire Diaries, and he or she did not want a love triangle to inform her story for her.
Regardless of showing far much less typically than we would hoped, Katherine overshadowed Elena in each method attainable.
We would like to present a particular shoutout to Nina Dobrev for managing to play two characters who look precisely the identical, however are so extremely completely different.
What do you suppose, TVD Fanatics? Do you agree with our opinion?
Tell us within the feedback part down under!
And do not forget, if you have not seen the collection, you may watch The Vampire Diaries online proper right here at TV Fanatic.
Rachel Foertsch is a workers author for TV Fanatic. Observe her on Twitter.