A lot happened when the cameras weren't filming The Vampire Diaries. Stars Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated and broke up, Dobrev decided to leave before the show ended, and Dobrev didn't get along with Paul Wesley at first.
On the series, so much was constantly changing in the small yet magical town of Mystic Falls, but one thing was for sure: fans considered Stefan Salvatore the "good" brother. He was kind to Elena Gilbert from the start and had trouble with his "evil" brother, Damon.
But what if Damon is really the nice guy in this family? Some fans think so, let's take a look.
The Fan Theory
The world of The Vampire Diaries has rules and it can be a little overwhelming to keep track of them all, although it's always fun to think about them. From doppelgangers to what the cure really is, viewers enjoy keeping with the supernatural universe of Mystic Falls.
One fan posted on Reddit that they have a theory about Damon and Stefan. They mentioned an episode where Damon told Stefan to drink Vicky's blood so he can remember "who he really is." The fan wrote, "I’m wondering if Damon was doing that to remind Stefan he’s dangerous, and they should leave Mystic Falls and let Elena live a normal human life."
A fan responded, "Do you then think that secretly Damon was the 'good' brother all along?" and that sparked a cool discussion.
One fan replied that since Damon wasn't interested in becoming a vampire and Stefan forced him to turn so they could be together, that proves that Stefan is eviler than anyone thought.
Another viewer wondered if Damon is good because he's aware of his problems. They also wrote that "Stefan never really accepted blame for a lot of his actions" such as being Elena's stalker.
Finding Stefan Salvatore
It's fascinating to hear about this fan theory, as there do seem to be many layers to Stefan and Damon. Stefan lived in Mystic Falls and grew up with the Civil War raging on. He was called "The Ripper of Monterey."
As fans know, when Stefan came back to Mystic Falls, he immediately liked Elena Gilbert and he even pretended to go to her school.
In an "oral history" of the first episode of The Vampire Diaries by Entertainment Weekly, Paul Wesley said that when he auditioned for the show, he had shot several pilots that didn't go anywhere. He said that after reading the script, "I knew immediately that the show was going to be a hit because it was Kevin Williamson. It was one of those auditions that everyone was vying for, all the young actors were vying for Damon and Stefan because they were such breakout roles. And they wouldn’t see me for Stefan because they thought I was too old."
As sometimes happens, Wesley auditioned for the part of Damon instead, and then he moved on because he hadn't gotten a callback. It sounds like it was definitely fate, as he was given the chance to audition again a while later.
Julie Plec told EW, "It’s the kind of role that you can’t just cast the smoldering pretty boy because there’s such depth and layers of loss and loneliness living in that character. So you really need a true actor."
Damon's Story
In an interview with EW, Ian Somerhalder said that Damon had a hard time in the first season of the show. He explained, "The struggle of Damon to find his love only to learn the naiveté of love and that he was duped and that he's not as good as his brother in the eyes of a woman that he fancied."
This brings up a good point: while Damon is painted as the bad guy and Stefan as the good brother, they each have layers and complicated emotions. It's fair to say that they have each done things that are horrible and they also have some positive qualities. The same thing could likely be said of most of the characters on the show.
After all, if Elena fell in love with Damon and realized that he was her soulmate, could he really be that bad? From the beginning, it seemed like she Stefan was her guy (or her vampire), but that changed, and fans had a new understanding and appreciation of Damon when they saw him with Elena.
While Damon Salvatore is known as the evil brother and Stefan as the sweet one, it's definitely interesting to consider that maybe Damon was a lot better than fans of The Vampire Diaries have believed.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGifnqqVqHq4tNhmqqillWKzorrSZquhoZ6geqWtzKilZq%2BRqHq1tMRmnqinlGKvs7vToZyrZZ%2BjerW0xGatmqWgnr%2BmecOimKuhlah8