‘The Vampire Diaries’: Klaus Mikaelson’s Major Love Interests All Look Too Similar to Rebekah, Some Fans Think
Between The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, it’s clear these shows don’t shy away from melodrama. Characters say what they mean, or at least loudly lie about it in a way that makes their intentions clear to the viewer. But as fans revisit both shows, they’re finding a lot more to chew on than a first viewing implies, especially regarding Klaus Mikaelson.
Klaus’ romantic life was always fraught. He always leaned toward a particular type of woman for his significant romances. And some fans are convinced that there are deep-seated, familial reasons for all that.
Did Klaus Mikaelson really have a thing for women who look like his sister?
Klaus became a huge part of The Vampire Diaries extended universe. He carried The Originals, and even made appearances in the latest spinoff, Legacies. Actor Joseph Morgan earned that status by bringing more to the character than there was on the page.
That performance got Klaus a pass to continue after originally being planned for a Season 3 death on the flagship show. With his new lease on life, he stuck around long enough to have two fan-favorite romances, with Caroline Forbes and Camille O’Connell. And fans took note of a curious fact: both of these women had fiery personalities and strikingly long blonde hair.
Those traits happen to be shared by Rebekah Mikaelson, Klaus’ sister. Who he is very close to, and borderline obsessed with. In fact, this has become a regular topic in The Vampire Diaries fandom of late.
One Reddit fan, Constant-Cable-6814, spelled it out: “I am CONVINCED he only went for Caroline because she superficially resembles Rebekah and because she’s supposed to be neurotic like Rebekah. It wasn’t acceptable on the CW for Klaus to go after his sister, so they had Caroline. On HBO it would have been a different story lmao.” And they weren’t alone in sharing similar sentiments.
Klaus’ romantic predilections may actually go deeper than his connection with his sister
The parallels between Rebekah and Klaus’ major love interests are so strong, that it’s a once-you-see-it-you-can’t-unsee-it kind of theme. It’s hard to deny that the showrunners of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals were running right up to the edge of some uncomfortable ideas.
But some fans think it goes deeper than Rebekah, and actually stems from Klaus’ unfulfilled need for acceptance by his mother, Esther Mikaelson. The powerful witch abandoned Klaus when he turned. A Reddit thread on the topic of Klaus’ romances digs into the topic.
“I think he just has mommy issues,” user girlwhofeelsinterrupted wrote. “I feel more like he’s looking for the love his mother couldn’t give him in every headstrong blonde woman he meets (Rebekah, Caroline, Camille).”
Klaus’s family issues explain many of his motivations
Part of the issue with Klaus’ romantic habits could stem from the writers handling the obvious chemistry Morgan and Rebekah’s actress Claire Holt had on screen, Screen Rant reports. Their relationship overall was very sweet and positive, but would take sudden dark turns. Klaus could come off as possessive to the point of toxicity — likely as a way to leverage the fact that Morgan and Holt always had an edge to their scenes together.
The Originals never made any of this explicit. It’s a fantastic creative decision, allowing fans room to speculate and consider the deeper themes of the series. But it’s also undoubtedly an uncomfortable one, given how it ties up romantic feelings with family trauma.
