The Vampire Diaries is a sweeping saga that revolves around Elena Gilbert, a young mortal woman living in the small town of Fells Church, Virginia, and Damon and Stefan Salvatore, vampire brothers who are vying for her affections. Forces of good and evil play out across the town as nearly everyone they know becomes wrapped up in paranormal intrigue, especially when old enemies and ancient forces come to visit. Spanning 13 novels written over 20 years, the series has inspired a long-running television adaptation and unofficial spin-offs. Needless to say, there’s a lot of characters to keep track of. Luckily, we’ve created this guide to the most important players in The Vampire Diaries universe.

Before Twilight, and nearly 20 years before the eponymous TV show, the characters we now know and love from The Vampire Diaries made their debut in The Awakening, the first book of L.J. Smith's popular series. Originally published in 1991, the novel was followed by three sequels, which were released in quick succession. They became some of the author's most notable works as her career took off in the 1990s, before she took a decade-long hiatus from writing. Here's our breakdown of the most interesting characters from The Vampire Diaries.

Elena Gilbert

Elena Gilbert is your typical "Golden Girl"—she's blond, popular, and pretty, and at times, she can be petty or even mean. Her parents died in a car accident several months before the series opens, and with her younger sister Margaret, she was taken in by her Aunt Judith. At school, she is confident and vain, knowing that she can date anyone she wants. Still, she often feels as though she's not able to connect with others, even her childhood friend and eventual love interest, Matt Honeycutt. When she meets Stefan Salvatore, she finds that she feels things for him she's never felt for anyone, despite Stefan initially ignoring her and dating other girls. Eventually, she and Stefan begin dating, but later she feels an inexplicable attraction to his evil brother, Damon Salvatore. Although she comes across as selfish at the beginning of The Awakening, over time it becomes clear that Elena cares deeply about those she loves, and goes to great lengths to protect them. Elena is Stefan's soulmate. She is also a doppelgänger of Katherine von Swartzschild.

Stefan Salvatore

Stefan Salvatore is a centuries-old vampire who was born to an Italian family during the Renaissance—though he doesn't reveal this to Elena at first. He is described as being tall and good-looking, and friendly with many. At the start of the series, he's recently arrived in Fells Church and attempting to absolve himself of his dark past by not preying on humans, only drinking animal blood. He is the younger brother of Damon. Before he became a vampire, he fell in love with Katherine von Swartzschild, a vampire who turned both him and his brother. Damon has come to Fells Church for a fresh start and, in an attempt to blend in among the locals, enrolls as a high school senior. Though initially drawn to Elena, he is shocked and disconcerted by her striking resemblance to his first love, Katherine. He is Elena's soulmate.

Damon Salvatore

Damon is the older brother of Stefan, and considered to be the more evil of the two. He is described as handsome, cold, and intimidating, with a controlling personality. Damon tends to be impulsive, even reckless, and doesn't seem to think much about mortality, having been immortal for more than 500 years. He was also Katherine von Swartzchild's lover, and hates his brother because he believes she favored Stefan. This jealousy ultimately caused her death. He's drawn to Fells Church for mysterious reasons,. When he arrives, he sets his sights on stealing Elena from Stefan, partly in retaliation for the duel that ended their human lives and left them vampires, and partly because she bears a striking resemblance to Katherine. Although he does manage to enchant Elena, she is not his soulmate. Instead, it's suggested that his soulmate might be Bonnie McCullough, who is the only human he appears to care about. He isn't afraid of any other humans, except Meredith Sulez.

Bonnie McCullough

Bonnie McCullough is one of Elena Gilbert's best friends from childhood. She's described as a redhead with a bubbly personality. Of Scottish American ancestry, she is descended from Celtic Druids, which is where she gets her strong psychic powers. Although perceived as innocent, carefree, and in need of protection, Bonnie is drawn to the darker elements of Fells Church, including Damon. Besides Elena, she is the only human who develops a deeper, genuine connection with Damon. By the end of the series, Bonnie has honed her supernatural abilities and evolved into a powerful witch.

Matt Honeycutt

Matt Honeycutt is a childhood friend of Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith, as well as Elena's ex-boyfriend. At the start of the series, he and Elena have recently broken up. He's described as an "All-American" type, but he's not the typical jock. Matt forms a surprising and strong friendship with Stefan when he joins the high school football team. But he's distrustful of Damon, who calls him "Mutt." Because of his genuine concern and loyalty for people, Matt is a good ally to Elena, Stefan, and their group of friends.

Meredith Sulez

Meredith Sulez is the best friend of both Elena and Bonnie, and one of the most grounded characters in the entire series. She is also the only human that Damon fears, given that she is descended from a long line of vampire hunters. Although she doesn't like to talk about her family, she has a grandfather with mysterious ties to the vampire community and a traumatic past that she tends to gloss over. Meredith has a straightforward personality and can often see through ruses. Her love interest is Alaric Saltzman; the pair eventually become engaged.

Caroline Forbes

Caroline Forbes is the one-time friend of Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith, but they grew apart as they grew up. She is described as auburn haired and voluptuous. At the beginning of the series, she's deeply jealous of Elena and Stefan's budding relationship. She is also vindictive, as she tries to find ways to humiliate Elena. She becomes the love interest of Tyler Smallwood, and later becomes pregnant with his children. Oh, and she’s also turned into a werewolf.

Alaric K. Saltzman

Alaric K. Saltzman is in his early 20s when he first arrives in Fells Church, in The Struggle, as the new high school history teacher. He seems curious about the town and is friendly with the students, trying to understand what caused the death of his predecessor. But they soon learn it is all with a secret purpose: Alaric wants to learn more about the paranormal goings-on in Fells Church. Though not gifted himself, he has studied the supernatural at prominent universities, and he goes abroad to Europe and Russia to continue that research. He becomes the love interest and eventual fiancé of Meredith Sulez.

Katherine von Swartzschild

Katherine von Swartzschild grew up in Germany as a sickly girl, often near death. On one such occasion, her nurse fetched a vampire, who turned her. Katherine had no say in the matter, which affected her deeply. As a vampire, she met the Salvatore brothers and fell for them both, unable to choose between Stefan and Damon. Hating the jealousy and bitterness this fueled, she turned both brothers and faked her own death, hoping that losing her would force them to reconcile. Her plan backfired, however, and the now-vampire brothers resented each other even more. Katherine bears a striking resemblance to Elena Gilbert, whom she eventually learns is her younger sister. During the Renaissance, Katherine is often portrayed as naïve and innocent, immature despite her years and her experiences, with a selfish streak. In the present day, she is cold, manipulative, and bent on revenge. By the end of the series, she is able to gain wisdom and perspective.

Klaus

Klaus is the vampire who turned Katherine, and he emerges as the great villain at the heart of the series. He is an Original, a true blood vampire who has never had to experience death in order to become immortal. His exact age is not known, but he predates the Pyramids and claims to have fought in the Trojan War and helped fell the Roman Empire. Over the centuries he has been thought to be the devil himself. He is cold-hearted, cruel, and often depicted as consumed by madness. He is also capricious and seemingly enjoys toying with his victims. Klaus is extremely dangerous, especially when pressed, and nearly invincible. He has orchestrated many elaborate plans to take revenge on Elena, Stefan, and Damon—although, as he eventually learns, Elena possesses one thing capable of defeating him.

Tyler Smallwood

Tyler Smallwood is another teen living in Fells Church. A conventional jock, he is on the football team with Matt and Stefan, but he isn't very friendly with other teammates. Instead, he's brash and hotheaded. What's more, he has an aggressive streak, evidenced in the ways he tries to assault women, including Elena. Klaus helps him awaken his latent werewolf gene through murder, and Tyler joins him in his grand plan to take down Elena and her friends. Tyler's love interest is Caroline Forbes, who he turns into a werewolf. 

Vickie Bennett

Vickie Bennet is a student at the same high school as Elena and her friends, but she is not particularly close to any of them. She's friends with Tyler. She joined Elena and a small group of friends in heading to the cemetery after the Homecoming dance, where she and her date are attacked. Eventually, it's revealed that Katherine von Swartzchild has been terrorizing Vickie to the brink of madness, which is why she develops a sudden fear of Katherine's look-alike, Elena. Vickie is eventually murdered by Klaus.

Sue Carson

Sue Carson is another friend of Elena, Bonnie, and Meredith, although, like Vickie, she isn't as close to them. While mostly secondary and background character throughout the series, Sue is notably killed by Tyler Smallwood in order to awaken his latent werewolf gene. 

Judith Gilbert

Judith Gilbert is Elena's aunt, the sister of Elena's father. She steps in to raise Elena and her younger sister, Margaret, when their parents are killed. Her love interest is Robert Maxwell, who she marries in the series. Judith grew up in Fells Church, moved away at some point, and comes back to take care of her nieces. She can sometimes be strict and frequently appears to be flustered, but she cares deeply for her nieces and wants what's best for them. Eventually, it is revealed that Judith is not the girls' biological aunt but a close family friend who stepped in to watch over and protect Elena and Margaret.

For more of The Vampire Diaries, be sure to listen to the thrilling series The Return Trilogy, The Salvation Trilogy, and Stefan's Diaries.