The Vampire Diaries is one of the CW's most popular shows, but it was also a novel series before. As with many adaptations, there are some changes between the source material and the on-screen product. The Vampire Diaries features some popular characters who differ from their book counterparts. Both shows center around Elena Gilbert and her trials and tribulations with the vampiric Salvatore brothers. The novel series, written by L.J. Smith, was originally a trilogy released in 1991, with its success leading to the fourth novel in 1992. The television series came 17 years later, in 2009, and spanned eight seasons. While some changes were merely cosmetic to suit a targeted audience, some changes significantly deviated from the source material.
Mystic Falls Is Called Something Different In The Books
Mystic Falls High School in The Vampire Diaries
Mystic Falls is full of various supernatural creatures throughout the series and is home to the main characters. However, Mystic Falls does not exist in the novels. In the written series, the town is called Fell's Church. Fell's Church does appear in the show, but as an actual church and not the town's name.
Stefan And Damon's Origins Are Much Different
Stefan and Damon talking at a bar during WWII in The Vampire Diaries.
Damon and Stefan are old vampires at the start of the TV series. However, the vampire brothers are much older in the novel series. In L.J. Smith's books, the brothers were born in Florence during the Italian Renaissance, making them over 500 years old at the beginning of the first novel. In the TV series, the brothers are born in Mystic Falls during the 1800s and return home in the present day, a massive change from the original story.
Elena Is Actually Blonde
Elena Gilbert looking serious in the series finale of The Vampire Diaries
One of the cosmetic differences between the books and the show is the physical appearance of its main character, Elena. Elena has blonde hair and blue eyes in the source material. This is starkly different from the show's Elena, portrayed by Nina Dobrev, who has darker features. The showrunners have stated they sought the best actress for the job, not one who fits the physical description. The choice worked out for the best, as Nina Dobrev was well-received as the show's lead.
A Main Character From The Books Is Missing In The Show
Torrey DeVitto as Meredith Fell Matthew Davis as Alaric Saltzman The Vampire Diaries
The beginning of the TV series features Elena and her best friends, Bonnie and Caroline. Elena's actual best friends in the books are Bonnie and a girl named Meredith Sulez. Meredith comes from an old family in Fell's Church who are vampire hunters. Meredith did appear in the show's pilot, but her character was cut due to the similarities between all the main female characters in the script. A version of Meredith does appear later in the show under the name Meredith Fell. Torrey DeVitto portrays Meredith, and like her counterpart, descends from one of the oldest families in the town. Alaric Saltzman is their love interest in both mediums. Meredith's physical appearance in the novel resembles Nina Dobrev's Elena.
Stefan is Elena's True Love, Not Damon
The Vampire Diaries show begins with Stefan and Elena's romantic relationship before she eventually ends up with Damon. This does not happen in the novel, as Stefan is considered her soul mate. The reason given by the showrunners is that Ian Somerhalder, who plays Damon, had more on-screen chemistry than Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley. This was apparent, given fans calling for Damon and Elena's coupling before it was ever revealed. The show teased the two getting together for the first couple of seasons before pulling the trigger. However, it was clear Elena was falling for Damon in the first season of Vampire Diaries.
Elena's Family Is Different
In both the book and the show, Elena lives with her aunt after her parents' deaths. In the show, her aunt's name is Jenna, while Judith is in the novel series. The novel series also takes place three years after her parents, with the CW series picking up right after their deaths. The show also sees Elena with a teenage sibling Jeremy, whereas she has a four-year-old sister named Margaret in the written works.
In both mediums, Elena has a look-alike named Katherine, who was the love interest of the Salvatore brothers before they were turned. Elena is a descendant of Katherine in the show, but their connection is never explained in the book series.
Bonnie Was A Druid
Bonnie Bennett smiling and standing outside on The Vampire Diaries
In both, Bonnie is Elena's best friend and has magical origins. That is where the similarities stop. In the books, Bonnie's last name is McCollough, and she is a red-haired girl who is a descendant of druids. Bonnie is an African-American girl in the show who descends from Salem witches.
Katherine Was German
In the books, Katherine is German and goes by Katherine von Swartzchild. To match her history with Nina Dobrev's, she is Bulgarian in the show with her name being changed to Katerina Petrova. There are many other differences between the two Katherines as well. The one in the show is a witch and part of a doppelgänger line descended from Amara, the first immortal woman. The inclusion of doppelgängers led Nina Dobrev to play multiple characters in the show. Doppelgängers do not exist in the books, and the original Katherine was half-angel, a being unique to the written works.
Elena Was Mean In The Books
Elena resting her head on Damon's shoulder on The Vampire Diaries
Interestingly, it was noted by the producers of the show that Elena's book counterpart was not as nice as she appears in the show. While still popular and well-liked, it seems the novel version shared more traits with the show's depiction of Caroline. Upon seeing Stefan in the books, she claimed him as if he were a prize, contrary to the more innocent and romantic setup shown in the TV series. The change was likely to make the character more appealing to the audience, as it would be hard to root for an unlikable protagonist.
These are some well-known changes from the novel series The Vampire Diaries show changed. The changes seemed to work as it spawned two spin-offs in The Originals and Legacies. While it would have been interesting to see some of the original material included, like Angels and Kitsune, the current iteration produced a popular show at a time when the genre was saturated with vampires.
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