Top 10 Saddest Vampire Diaries Moments
#9: Elena's Car Crash
“The Departed”
Top 10 Elena & Syd Moments on One Day At A Time
Can you imagine having to experience the same accident twice? That is what Elena had to live through. Stuck between Stefan and Damon, Elena and Matt accidentally drive off the Wickery Bridge and she is forced to relive the car crash that turned her into an orphan. She’s met with the same fate as her parents and drowns in the car. As she dies, so does Alaric whose life is tied to hers. If her death wasn’t enough to turn on the waterworks, Damon witnessing Alaric’s death and making the connection that Elena had died might be).
#8: Jenna's Death
“The Sun Also Rises”
How Jenna Ortega Prepared to Play Wednesday
You would think the Gilberts would have reached their maximum capacity for grief when they lost both parents in one car crash. But then that is only the start to their misery. Just when Elena thinks her life can’t get worse, Klaus murders her new guardian. Jenna is turned into a vampire to complete Kalus’ ritual to give himself more power. She tries to stop the ritual and Klaus retaliates by staking her in the heart. But the writers didn't think that was heart wrenching enough, so Elena had to be there to witness the entire thing.
#7: Elena Forgets Loving Damon
“Yellow Ledbetter”
Top 10 Elena Moments on One Day At A Time
Delena fans spent years wondering will they? Won't they? They finally admit they belong together, but it's too late. Damon gets stuck on the other side and Elena is unable to accept that he is gone. By now we’re used to seeing her handle grief, so seeing her not handle it was uncomfortable. She asks the Original vampire Alaric to outright erase her love from her memory. But erasing one memory isn’t enough: we have to watch Alaric painstakingly go through and rewrite the story of Delena, souring the whole relationship.
#6: Sheriff Forbes Dies
“Stay”
The pain Caroline goes through when she turns her humanity back on is only seconded by the grief faced the day her mom died (xref). Liz played an important role in a lot of people's lives, and overcame a pretty rough relationship with her daughter. After standing by the Mystic Falls vampires and helping to save them time and time again, she is diagnosed with cancer - the one thing the vampires can’t save her from. As Caroline sits by her mother’s death bed she is consumed with guilt over all the loose ends left between them. She can do little more than be present for Liz’s final moments, and then face living in a world without her.
#5: Bonnie's Funeral
“For Whom the Bell Tolls”
There is not a major problem the characters face that Bonnie doesn’t have a hand in fixing. She consistently puts her life on the line to protect her friends and family. But she eventually gambled with her life one too many times when she brought Jeremy back to life and ended up dying. Bonnie had lived in Mystic Falls her whole life, making an impact on so many people. Seeing them all come together to honor and share memories about such a beloved character is almost too much to handle.
#4: Enzo's Death
“You Made a Choice to Be Good”
After spending the majority of his life as a vampire labrat, no one deserves happiness quite like Enzo. And he finally found it with Bonnie, who also had her fair share of traumatic life experiences. They were getting ready to take action to leave the life of magic when no humanity Stefan shows up and rips Bonnie’s heart out by literally ripping Enzo’s out of his chest. Her anguish and mega powerful psychic abilities create a new dimension much like Cade’s hell, cementing her in a life of the supernatural. This scene leaves us wondering why the worst things happen to the best characters.
#3: Damon’s Death & Goodbye to Elena
“Home”
Top 10 Funniest Damon Salvatore Moments
Before she gets a chance to have Alaric erase him from her memory, she has to lose him. He gets stuck on the other side, which is on the verge of collapse, with Bonnie. No one knows what will happen to those stuck, but Bonnie knows they won’t be around much longer and gives Delena a chance to say goodbye. They had just admitted to themselves that they belong together when he crossed over and no one was ready for their love story to come to an end. After facing so much loss, it is apparent Elena is not ready for Damon to leave her, and honestly neither were we.
#2: Elena Realizing Jeremy Is Dead & Not Coming Back
“Stand by Me”
Top 10 Unforgettable Damon & Elena Moments
Jeremy had faced death before, but this time he didn’t have his ring or vampire blood to bring him back to life. We watch as Elena goes through the stages of grief, unable to accept her brother's death until she smells his rotting corpse. With her emotions heightened as a new vampire, Elena is unable to handle the pain and absolutely loses it. She decides the only thing to do is to burn down her childhood home, with her brother's corpse inside. After watching Elena gracefully handle loss after loss, it is hard to watch her lose control.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Damon Compels Elena to Forget His Confession, “Rose”
He Finally Admits His Feelings, But Doesn’t Believe He Deserves Her, So He Erases Her Memory
What Caroline's Dad Does to Her, “The End of the Affair”
Like Liz Before Him, Bill Forbes Hates Vampires So Much That He Torments His Daughter
When Stefan & Elena Broke Up, for Real, “Plan B”
They Shared a Deep & Genuine Love, But When Katherine Puts Jenna in the Hospital, Elena Chooses Her Family
Damon & Alaric's Ghost at Alaric's Grave, “Memorial”
Damon’s Left Unhappy & Overwhelmed with Responsibility When Ric Dies
#1: Stefan's Sacrifice & Goodbye to Elena
“I Was Feeling Epic”
It looked like Stefan and Caroline would be getting their happily ever after when he is turned back into a human and they wed. But with the biggest danger facing their town yet looming in the near future, Stefan decides to sacrifice his own life to save the day and ensure Damon can live on to see Elena wake back up. He had his demons, but always left us rooting for him. After decades of sibling rivalries, love triangles, and brotherhood it was heartbreaking to see the Salvatore brothers finally part ways. But no one can deny that Stefan made every moment count.
