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From 2009 to 2017 on The CW, The Vampire Diaries was a fan favorite. The supernatural teen drama’s main characters — Elena Gilbert (played by Nina Dobrev), Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley), and Damon Salvatore (and Ian Somerhalder) — kept viewers thrilled till the very end of the eight-season hit. But the heroes (and villains-turned-heroes) would be nothing without baddies to battle in Mystic Falls. Years after the series finale, TVD diehards still have strong opinions about which fiend is best. Below are the top five Vampire Diaries villains according to fan votes on Ranker and MsMojo.

1. Klaus Mikaelson (played by Joseph Morgan)

The Vampire Diaries villians
Daniel Gillies and Joseph Morgan (right) of ‘The Vampire Diaries’ | Smallz+Raskind/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. via Getty Images

Klaus was so menacing yet charismatic that he and his siblings sparked a spinoff series, The Originals. He was both a vampire and a werewolf for an extra dose of evil.

And he knew how to deliver a witty line. One of Klaus’ most memorable was, “We evil villains usually use minions to pick up our dry cleaning and that sort of thing,” per Ranker.

Viewers still adore/fear him, with one fan insisting, “Klaus is still the BEST thing to happen to TVD!” according to MsMojo.

Even the actor who played Klaus, Joseph Morgan, loved the character’s “sociopathic nature.”

2. Elijah Mikaelson (Daniel Gillies)

Another beloved bad guy was Klaus’ brother. He and his siblings were called “the Originals” because they were the first vampires. Although he sometimes seemed stuck in Klaus’ shadow, Elijah stood out enough to earn a sizable fan base.

“Fun fact: Elijah was just as evil and powerful as Klaus,” one said. 

3. Katherine Pierce (Nina Dobrev)

Katherine was the main villain in The Vampire Diaries Season 1, and although she left, she kept coming back throughout the series and returned with a vengeance in the final season. She was a witch, a former vampire, and a fan favorite. Many viewers place her in the most dangerous group of villains. 

“Klaus, Katherine & Kai were some of the best villains in television history,” one commenter wrote. Another agreed: “Kathrine is the QUEEN. And don’t even bother to change my mind.”

4. Kai Parker (Chris Wood)

Kai was a siphoner/vampire hybrid, giving him the power to steal magic from others and having all the abilities of a vampire. He was also one of the biggest villains of the series, so fans pay him respect.

“I’m happy that Kai was so high on the list ’cause he was the only Vampire Diaries villain that truly terrified me,” one viewer said in response to MsMojo’s “Top 10 Most Badass Vampire Diaries Villains” video. “To the point where I can’t watch him (the actor) in anything else.”

5. Kol Mikaelson (Nathaniel Buzolic)

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Although he was also a vampire, Kol struggled to fit in with his evil siblings. His sometimes-violent reactions to feeling out of place earned him the role of the family’s black sheep. But if you’re looking for an attention-getting baddie, someone too volatile even for the Mikaelsons is an excellent place to start. 

“I adore Kol. Always have … always will. And if the rest of his siblings would have listened to him, all would have been right in the world,” a MsMojo viewer wrote.

Fans of The Vampire Diaries still have strong opinions about the show’s best characters, whether they were heroes who saved the day or villains bent on destroying Mystic Falls. Many enthusiasts still hope for another TVD spinoff, but in the meantime, they can revisit their favorite episodes in reruns.

All eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries are streaming on HBO Max and Peacock.

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