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Klaus Mikaelson in The Vampire Diaries was a threatening presence. But his redemption arc in The Originals was one fans won’t soon forget. The show ran for five seasons on The CW and was all about Klaus and his siblings, Elijah and Rebekah. But how did the show come to be? The Originals‘ Joseph Morgan revealed the show’s inspiration in a 2013 interview.

Daniel Gillies and Joseph Morgan of 'The Originals'

Who was the first Original to appear in ‘Vampire Diaries’?

Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah Mikaelson are three of the world’s first vampires. Klaus is a hybrid of vampire and a werewolf—the first of his kind. And he’s the second Original to appear in The Vampire Diaries. Elijah was the first. Morgan’s debut in the series is in season 2 episode 19, fittingly titled “Klaus.”

Morgan told Collider in 2013 that he was only supposed to appear in a couple of episodes of The Vampire Diaries at first.

“It’s crazy,” he said. “I came on as a guest for four episodes. There was always the potential to be a regular, but there was also the potential that they would kill me off, if I didn’t do a good job after the four episodes. It’s been an amazing journey.”

What episode was the Mikaelson Ball?

It wasn’t long before The Originals captivated audiences. Fans couldn’t get enough of the chaos the Mikaelson family brought to the show, which only intensified every time a new family member was introduced.

Esther Mikaelson was the matriarch of the family and a powerful witch who turned her children into vampires. The other siblings are Finn, Henrik, Kol, and Freya.

The family hosted the Mikaelson Ball in season 3 episode 14, “Dangerous Liaisons.” And it was this episode that inspired The Vampire Diaries creator Julie Plec to create The Originals. As Morgan said:

“We did The Originals ball in Season 3, and there’s a photo of all of The Original siblings, standing on this big, lavish staircase. Julie [Plec] sent that to Peter Roth saying, ‘The Originals,’ and three hours later, he said, ‘We need to do this.’ That’s where it started. Though, originally, it was going to be set in Chicago.”

That moment he spoke of happens during the ball, when all of the Mikaelson siblings and their mother address the guests. Elijah starts the party by asking everyone to join in a waltz.

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Are any of The Originals in ‘Legacies’?

Morgan had no idea that one small scene in The Vampire Diaries would to lead to him starring in a spinoff series.

“The fans knew before I did that it was going to be a spinoff,” he admitted. “There were fan-made trailers all over YouTube, long before it was a reality.”

He was also so clueless about The Originals popularity that he was genuinely afraid of being written off the show. He said:

“Towards the middle of Season 3. I talked to Julie Plec and said, ‘Look, I really don’t wanna die. I really wanna carry on for another season. Just so you know, I wanna be a part of it.’ I kept feeling like I wasn’t done yet.  I’ve got so much fun stuff to play. It’s just brilliant.”

And got more than just one season. The Originals ran for five years and inspired yet another spinoff, Legacies, which is all about Klaus’ daughter, Hope Mikaelson. The show is currently airing its third season on The CW and has been renewed for season 4, but no Originals have appeared.

Klaus and Elijah died at the end of The Originals, choosing to kill each other and face death together. Rebekah was alive and waiting her turn to take the cure for vampirism. She’d be the most likely Original to appear in Legacies, if that’s what Plec has in store.

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