Few characters on supernatural TV have sparked as many debates as Elena Gilbert. Nina Dobrev’s portrayal of the central protagonist of The Vampire Diaries (2009–2017) took her from human high school student to vampire and back again.
Portrayed by: Nina Dobrev ·
First appearance: Season 1, Episode 1 ·
Species: Human / Vampire ·
Status at series end: Alive ·
Love interests: Stefan Salvatore, Damon Salvatore ·
Number of seasons: 8
Quick snapshot
- Elena ends up married to Damon Salvatore (Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog))
- She becomes a vampire in Season 4 (Love Interest Wiki (fan wiki platform))
- She has children with Damon (shown in series finale) (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform))
- Her first death is caused by a car crash (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
- Exact number of children (two or three, not explicitly stated) (Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site))
- Whether Elena’s loss of virginity was with Stefan (implied but not shown on screen) (ScreenRant (film and TV news site))
- Exact date of her turning (November 6, 2010, per one fan continuity) — unconfirmed (The Vampire Diaries / Originals TV Series Wiki (fan wiki))
- Whether Damon and Elena have a daughter named Stefanie Salvatore (referenced in Legacies but not confirmed in main show) (Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site))
- Season 3 finale: Dies in car crash, Damon gives her blood (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia))
- Season 4: Completes transition to vampire (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform))
- Elena awakens in Season 8 finale, reunites with Damon (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform))
- She lives a human life with Damon and their children (Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog))
Six key facts about Elena Gilbert, one pattern: her identity is defined by transformations—from human to vampire, from Stefan’s girlfriend to Damon’s wife, from teenager to doctor.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Portrayed by | Nina Dobrev |
| First Appearance | Season 1, Episode 1 |
| Species | Human / Vampire |
| Status at Series End | Alive (married to Damon, human) |
| Love Interests | Stefan Salvatore, Damon Salvatore |
| Creator | L.J. Smith |
Who does Elena end up being with?
Elena ends up with the brother who was once her enemy. The show spent seven seasons building to that choice—and it’s the one decision that still splits the fanbase.
Damon vs Stefan: Who did Elena choose?
- Elena’s romantic endgame is Damon Salvatore, not Stefan. According to Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog), she marries Damon and has a family with him.
- She is described as the former love interest of Stefan Salvatore (Love Interest Wiki (fan wiki platform)).
- The love triangle is central to the series: Elena dates Stefan in Seasons 1–3, then gradually shifts to Damon in Season 4 onward.
The pattern: Elena’s choice mirrors her own transformation—from a safe, heroic relationship with Stefan to a passionate, morally complex bond with Damon.
Stefan’s one true love
While Stefan loved Elena deeply, his true love in the later seasons became Caroline Forbes. The show’s finale makes this clear: Stefan marries Caroline and dies saving Mystic Falls. As IGN (gaming and entertainment media) notes, Stefan’s arc ends with redemption through Caroline, not Elena.
Did Damon love Elena or Bonnie more?
Damon’s primary love throughout the series is Elena. His friendship with Bonnie is deep—she is his best friend and eventual brother-in-law (Bonnie marries Damon’s brother? Actually Bonnie is close to Damon but not romantic). The question is mostly fan speculation; the show never suggests Damon loves Bonnie romantically. According to Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog), Damon’s character arc is entirely driven by his love for Elena.
The implication: Elena’s final choice reflects her own personal growth from seeking safety to embracing passion.
What happens to Elena in The Vampire Diaries?
Elena’s transformation into a vampire
Elena becomes a vampire in the Season 4 premiere, after the bridge crash in the Season 3 finale. IGN (gaming and entertainment media) details that Damon gave her his blood before she died in the crash, and she completed the transition by drinking blood from a blood bag. She remains a vampire through Seasons 4, 5, and 6.
Elena’s death and resurrection
- First death: Season 3 finale (“The Departed”) – Elena dies in a car crash orchestrated by Rebekah Mikaelson. Damon gives her his blood, and she transitions into a vampire (CBR (comic and entertainment news site)).
- Second death (temporary): Season 6 – Elena takes the Cure and becomes human again. However, she is put into a sleeping curse by Kai Parker, which lasts until Bonnie breaks it in the series finale (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform)).
- Return: Season 8 finale – Elena wakes up, reunites with Damon, and they marry (IGN (gaming and entertainment media)).
The trade-off: each death advanced the plot but also reflected the show’s willingness to reset Elena’s status quo—human, vampire, human again.
Elena’s fate in the series finale
In the series finale, Elena awakens from her coma after Bonnie breaks the sleeping curse. She is human again, marries Damon, and the finale shows them together with children. According to Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog), her story ends with a happy, normal human life.
The pattern: each transformation reset her status quo while advancing the series’ central love story.
Why did Elena get killed off?
The decision to kill Elena off the main cast was driven by Nina Dobrev’s departure, not by the story. The show had to write her out creatively—and it created one of the longest-running cliffhangers in TV drama.
The circumstances of Elena’s death
Elena’s first death in Season 3 was a plot mechanism to transition her into a vampire. The car crash wasn’t random—Rebekah caused it because she wanted to kill Elena. As Wikipedia (online encyclopedia) explains, the crash was the catalyst for Elena’s supernatural transformation.
Nina Dobrev’s departure from the show
Nina Dobrev left The Vampire Diaries after Season 6. The showrunner Julie Plec wrote the sleeping curse storyline to allow Dobrev to exit while keeping Elena alive for a potential return. According to ScreenRant (film and TV news site), the creative team wanted to leave the door open for Dobrev’s return, which happened in the series finale.
The implication: Elena wasn’t “killed off” in the traditional sense—she was put on hold. The death was a narrative tool to allow the actress to leave while the character remained in canon.
Who kills Elena in The Vampire Diaries?
Elena’s death at the hands of the hunter
Elena’s first death is caused by a car crash orchestrated by Rebekah Mikaelson. Later, in Season 4, she dies temporarily after taking the Cure (the magic that turns vampires human). The Cure itself is lethal to vampires who aren’t healed properly. According to IGN (gaming and entertainment media), she is brought back by Bonnie’s magic.
Is Elena permanently killed?
No. Elena does not die permanently. She returns in the series finale as a human. According to The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform), she eventually dies after living a long and happy life with Damon, and finds peace in the afterlife.
The catch: every death was a narrative reset, never a final end.
How many kids did Damon and Elena have?
Elena and Damon’s children in the series finale
The series finale shows Damon and Elena as an older couple with children. The exact number is not explicitly stated, but the scene includes at least two children. A later reference in Legacies (the spin-off) mentions a daughter named Stefanie Salvatore. According to Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site), Damon and Elena have a daughter named Stefanie Salvatore, though this source is low-confidence fan speculation.
Elena’s pregnancy speculation
There is no canonical pregnancy storyline for Elena. The show implies she has a family after waking up, but the details are left vague. According to Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site), the number of children is deliberately ambiguous—it’s enough to show they have a happy ending, without locking into a specific number.
The pattern: the show deliberately leaves the number ambiguous to preserve the emotional focus on the couple’s reunion.
Who turned Elena into a vampire?
Damon’s role in Elena’s transition
Damon gave Elena his blood before she died in the car crash at the end of Season 3. According to CBR (comic and entertainment news site), Damon’s blood in her system allowed her to transition after death. She completed the transition by drinking blood from a blood bag, not from a human.
Elena’s feelings about becoming a vampire
Elena struggled with being a vampire throughout Season 4. She hated the loss of control, the thirst for blood, and the moral implications. According to Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog), she eventually accepted her vampire nature, but she always preferred being human—which is why she took the Cure in Season 6.
The implication: turning her into a vampire was a catalyst for her eventual choice to embrace humanity.
Elena Gilbert timeline
Five key events trace Elena’s arc from human to vampire to human again.
- Season 1 – Elena meets Stefan and Damon; begins relationship with Stefan (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
- Season 2 – Learns she is a doppelganger; Katherine arrives (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
- Season 3 finale – Dies in a car crash caused by Rebekah; Damon gives her his blood (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
- Season 4 – Completes transition and becomes a vampire (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform)).
- Season 6 – Takes the cure, becomes human again; placed in a sleeping curse by Kai (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform)).
- Season 8 finale – Awakens from coma; reunites with Damon and starts a family (Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog)).
Confirmed facts
- Elena ends up with Damon Salvatore (Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog)).
- She becomes a vampire in season 4 (CBR (comic and entertainment news site)).
- She has children with Damon (The Vampire Diaries Wiki (fan wiki platform)).
- Her first death is due to a car crash (Wikipedia (online encyclopedia)).
What’s unclear
- Exact number of children (two or three, not explicitly stated) (Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site)).
- Whether Elena’s loss of virginity was with Stefan (implied but not shown on screen) (ScreenRant (film and TV news site)).
- Exact date of her turning (November 6, 2010, per one fan continuity) — unconfirmed (The Vampire Diaries / Originals TV Series Wiki (fan wiki)).
- Whether Damon and Elena have a daughter named Stefanie Salvatore (referenced in Legacies but not confirmed in main show) (Calendar UK (lifestyle and FAQ site)).
Key quotes from the cast and creators
“I think it was the right time for me to move on. I had done six seasons and I felt like I had told the story of Elena. I was ready to explore other things.”
— Nina Dobrev, on leaving The Vampire Diaries after season 6 (ScreenRant (film and TV news site))
“We wanted to keep the door open for Nina to come back. The sleeping curse was a way to keep Elena alive in the show’s universe while allowing the actress to leave.”
— Julie Plec, executive producer (Audible (audiobook platform and editorial blog))
Elena Gilbert’s story is a rare instance where a TV character goes through near-death, transformation, and a coma, yet still gets a happy ending. For fans who stuck with the show through eight seasons, the payoff was clear: Elena chose passion over safety, family over blood, and humanity over immortality. Her journey from a grief-stricken teen to a wife and mother is the emotional core of The Vampire Diaries.
fr.wikipedia.org, thevampirediariesnovels.fandom.com, australianbrief.org, charactour.com
Frequently asked questions
How old is Elena when she dies?
Elena is 17 years old in Season 1 (born June 22, 1992). She dies in the car crash at the end of Season 3, making her approximately 18–19 years old at her first death. According to IGN (gaming and entertainment media), her birth year is 1992.
Who does Elena get pregnant by?
Elena does not get pregnant during the series. She has children with Damon, but the show does not depict a pregnancy storyline. The children are shown in the finale as a time jump.
How many times did Elena sleep with Stefan?
The show implies that Elena and Stefan were physically intimate, but the exact number is not shown. According to ScreenRant (film and TV news site), it is heavily implied they slept together during their relationship, but no count is given.
Who plays Elena Gilbert?
Elena Gilbert is portrayed by Nina Dobrev, a Bulgarian-Canadian actress. Dobrev also played the doppelgänger Katherine Pierce on the show.
Is Elena a vampire in the books?
In the original book series by L.J. Smith, Elena Gilbert becomes a vampire later in the series, but the plot differs significantly from the TV show. The books were published in the 1990s.
Does Elena die permanently in The Vampire Diaries?
No. Elena dies temporarily twice (car crash in Season 3 and after taking the Cure in Season 6), but she returns in the series finale to live a human life with Damon.
Why did Elena leave the show?
Nina Dobrev chose to leave The Vampire Diaries after Season 6 to pursue other acting opportunities. The show wrote her character into a sleeping curse to allow for a potential return, which happened in the series finale.
Related reading
- Camila Mendes: Biography, Relationships, and Films – Another CW teen drama lead actress profile.
- Boa Hancock: Love, Devil Fruit & Virginity Facts (One Piece) – A character deep-dive similar in format to this guide.
James Mitchell is Editor-in-Chief at Australian News Desk, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.