The Vampire Diaries, a popular TV show, was based on a series of books by L.J. Smith, which began in the early 90s and continued into 13 novels. Although the show was based on the novels, it evolved into a distinct entity, contrasting with the original series.
Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec developed the original ideas from the novels into a new TVD Universe with its own lore and twists, surprising book fans with significant changes between the books and the TV show, such as Bonnie’s powers and Elena’s family. Here are the differences between the books and the show.
1. Ekena ended up with Stefan in the books
The Vampire Diaries books and TV show differ significantly in Elena’s love triangle, with the show featuring Damon as her true love. This wild and exciting love allows Elena to feel liberated. In the books, Elena had a soul mate connection with Stefan, and ultimately chose Stefan, her true love, in The Hunters: Destiny Rising. Despite the debate, both books and TV show offer something to please Elena/Stefan and Elena/Damon shippers.
2. Elena and Caroline’s friendship
The Vampire Diaries books depict a long-standing rivalry between Caroline and Elena, who detested each other and often fought for popularity. In the show, their rivalry dies down, and they become best friends. However, in the novels, they grow apart as they grew up, with Caroline even stealing Elena’s diaries and threatening to out Stefan’s status as a vampire. This contrasts with TV’s portrayal of Elena and Caroline loving each other like sisters.
3. Elena’s appearance
The Vampire Diaries books and the show differed significantly in the protagonist’s appearance. Nina Dobrev’s Elena Gilbert, portrayed as kind-hearted and generous, had brown hair, brown eyes, and a kind-hearted personality. In the books, Elena was fair-skinned, blue-eyed, and blonde, a typical high school cheerleader. Her personality was mean-spirited and cruel, with a love triangle between Elena and Caroline, a departure from the show’s portrayal of Elena.
4. Bonnie wasn’t a witch in the books
In the show, Bonnie was the last of the powerful Bennett line of witches, with psychic, expression, and witchy magic abilities. She was the only Black character and dated Jeremy and Enzo, but couldn’t get a happy ending after Enzo’s death in Season 8. In the books, Bonnie was a Celtic druidess with red hair and fair skin, with Scottish-American lineage to an ancient line of druids. Her personality was airheaded, flirtatious, and frivolous, but she became more responsible in the future.
5. The Salvatore brothers were much older and vicious in the books
The Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon, were main characters in both books and the show. In the show, they were fed Katherine’s blood, but Stefan was unaware. They were killed by their father during the vampire purge in 1864, leading to their transformation into vampires. Damon is 169 years old, while Stefan is 162 years old. In the books, Stefan and Damon are older than the characters, with Stefan being around 520 years old and Damon being 523 years old. They ingested human blood, but were more vicious with each other. They became vampires after a brawl, fighting each other to death.
6. Elena had a sister in the books
Jeremy Gilbert, a beloved character in The Vampire Diaries, did not exist in the books. Instead, Elena had a sister named Margaret, who was only 1 year old when their parents died. By the time of the novels, Margaret was around 5 years old. Swapping out Margaret for Jeremy expanded TVD’s storytelling horizons, allowing him to become a Hunter and date Bonnie. Jeremy was technically Elena’s cousin, as Elena was John Gilbert’s daughter in the show.
7. The Gilbert’s died way before in the books
The show and novels both depict the tragic death of Elena’s parents, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert. In the show, Elena is grieving the recent loss of her parents, while in the novels, she has had time to process the loss. In the books, the Gilberts died three years earlier, giving Elena more time to grieve. In the show, Elena is more affected and motivated by the death of Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, while in the books, her parents are Thomas and Elizabeth.
8. The town was named something else
Mystic Falls, the town in The Vampire Diaries show, was a hub for supernatural activities due to its rich history of magic and paranormal events. The town was also the birthplace of the Original vampires, werewolf families, and the Bennett witch line. However, in the books, the town was named Fell’s Church, which was a more occult name for the show. Despite being less spooky than Mystic Falls, the show homaged its origins by naming the church where 1800s vampires were trapped, Fell’s Church.
9. Katherine and Elena were half sisters in the books
In the show, Katherine and Elena were doppelgangers, descended from the Petrova bloodline. Elena was a descendant of Katherine but not directly related. They had Bulgarian roots, as revealed in flashback episodes. In the books, Katherine was German and Elena’s half-sister, known as Katherine von Swartzschild. Despite her health issues, Klaus turned her into a vampire to improve her health, as requested by her maid, Gudren.
10. The vampires were more powerful in the books
The Vampire Diaries featured powerful vampires, including Damon, Stefan, and Caroline, who had compulsion, super speed, immortality, extended telepathic powers, and shapeshifting abilities. In the novels, vampires could turn into animals and read minds, making them stronger than their television counterparts. These abilities were not briefly mentioned in the pilot but retconned in the novel.
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