The CW hit series Vampire Diaries has been notoriously known for killing off its main characters and giving them a comeback to life moment. Some episodes later, while others wait for seasons to get resurrected.
At some point, fans became suspicious of any death that occurred in the show. They don’t want to get too invested because they might just turn up alive anytime.
Some felt that the amount of resurrections got so old that there was no longer a shock factor to them. Then, some begged for dead characters to stay dead, especially Jeremy, Bonnie, and Alaric, who had the highest mortality rates in the show.
If you want to binge-watch but not stress yourself out on who’s who, or if you’re just here for the “fun” of reminiscing, here’s every major character’s resurrection rundown.
So, on your mark, ready, set, hit scroll.
⚠️Spoilers ahead!
Jeremy Gilbert
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Jeremy Gilbert, played by Steven R. McQueen, is Elena Gilbert’s younger brother (who was later revealed to be her biological cousin). His death count was at an impressive five.
He was first killed off in Season 2 when Damon snapped his neck in front of Elena. However, the Gilbert ring, an enchanted object designed to protect its non-supernatural wearers from death by supernatural means, allowed him to get resurrected.
Then, later in the season, Sheriff Forbes accidentally shot him after Damon dodged the bullet. However, thanks to Bonnie, a witch, he was revived.
In Season 3, he volunteered himself for a spell and allowed Bonnie to stop his heart. Fortunately (or should it be rather unfortunate at this point), Bonnie was able to save him from being totally dead.
He was killed twice in Season 4 – first, when a hallucinating Elena stabbed him in the throat, and second, when Silas broke his neck. On both occasions, his on-and-off witch girlfriend brought him back.
Bonnie Bennett
Bonnie Bennett, played by Kat Graham, is Elena’s best friend. Bonnie had been at the center of many characters’ resurrections, putting her life on the line for the sake of others. That power eventually demanded her life.
In Season 4, she died when she brought Jeremy back to life. And it wasn’t until Season 5 that she returned to the land of the living – but with a condition. She could only do so by becoming the anchor to the Other Side (a mysterious dimension where the souls of dead supernatural beings live).
She died the second time later that season when she was trapped with Damon in a prison world after the Other Side crumbled. They made their way back a season later.
Alaric Saltzman
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Alaric Saltzman, played by Matt Davis, is Mystic Falls High School’s history teacher. Alaric took the crown with a total of nine resurrections in the whole show. In fact, his deaths had become so much that it turned into a running joke.
Alaric had been protected by the Gilbert ring six times. However, every time he died, he became more vulnerable to interference. Also, Esther Mikaelson, the Original Witch, manipulated his spirit each time before he got resurrected. It ultimately leads to the birth of his dark alter ego, a blood-thirsty vampire hunter.
His human form was finally killed in Season 3 by Mikaelson in a final intervention that transformed him into an Original Vampire. Then, by the end of the season, he died for good – at least that was what the fans thought – when Rebekah killed Elena. Esther previously linked their lives, so he died too and was sent to the Other Side.
In the Season 5 finale, he was resurrected by passing through the anchor, Bonnie. He returned in Season 6 and died again when he passed the border with Stefan to save Damon and Enzo. Josette Laughlin luckily saved him.
Elena Gilbert
Elena Gilbert, played by Nina Dobrev, is the show’s female protagonist. Elena only died once, but of course, as the main character, it was a major moment.
She died after Rebekah killed her by running Matt Donovan’s car off the bridge and drowning her. Although, instead of dying, she turned into a vampire thanks to Meredith, who gave her vampire blood in the hospital.
Before that, Klaus drained her blood to break the Hybrid Curse his mother had placed on him. Thankfully, she was saved by a linkage spell put on John Gilbert, Elena’s biological father.
Katherine Pierce
Katherine Pierce, played by Dobrev herself, is Elena’s ancestor, and she died way more times than Elena did and came back every time.
First, she killed herself to transition into a vampire and prevent Klaus from using her to break the Hybrid Curse. Elena cured her, which put her in a vulnerable position where Silas could drain her blood.
She managed to survive, but she started aging in an accelerated phase and soon found herself dying (due to the removal of the Cure). So, she used the Traveler’s Passenger spell to take over Elena’s body.
Unfortunately, that didn’t work. Katherine was stabbed by the Traveler knife, which led to her death. However, she didn’t stop even in Hell and made her way to the top to allow herself to come back and destroy Mystic Falls. Sadly, she ended up getting destroyed by the Hellfire.
Stefan Salvatore
Stefan Salvatore, played by Paul Wesley, is one of Elena’s two love interests. Stefan came in second in the most number of resurrections. He had at least seven, and he also had the most variety.
His first was when he was shot by his father and transitioned into a vampire. Then, he had his heart ripped out by a possessed Tyler in Season 5. Bonnie brought him back along with the others from the Other Side.
He also died twice after getting stabbed by the Phoenix Sword. He was first resurrected by the Phoenix Stone and then ultimately brought back to life through body swapping. He then died three more times and was revived by Arcadius’ immortality spell.
However, he couldn’t escape the eighth time. Stefan finally died in the series finale, a fitting end to his arc and the whole storyline.
Damon Salvatore
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Damon Salvatore, played by Ian Somerhalder, is one of Elena’s two love interests and also Stefan’s brother.
He had a run-in with death, his first being the time when he transitioned into a vampire. After that, he killed his vampire form at the Mystic Grill Explosion and attempted to pass on to the Other Side.
Unfortunately, he failed to do so and was instead transported to the ’90s-era Prison World. He was trapped in it with Bonnie, but they were able to make it back in the next season.
Like Stefan, he was also stabbed by the Phoenix Sword and revived by the Phoenix Stone. He was also brought back to life multiple times by Arcadius’ immortality spell. Then, on separate occasions, he was resurrected from the “spaces between spaces” by Arcadius and then by Bonnie and Stefan.
He lived out the rest of his life as a human after those many death-to-life experiences and died of old age.
Matt Donovan
Matt Donovan, played by Zach Roerig, is Elena’s childhood friend and ex-boyfriend. He died five times on the show, never changed into a supernatural creature, and survived the whole thing.
The whole list of the causes of his death included drowning (along with Elena), getting his neck broken (twice), stabbing himself in the neck, and having his heart stopped by Bonnie (along with Jeremy).
All of that happened because he got caught up with all the supernatural stuff in Mystic Falls. However, he was spared and resurrected thanks to Bonnie (again) and the Gilbert Ring.
So, that was every major Vampire Diaries character’s comeback to life moment! We hope you enjoyed it.