Set in the town of Mystic Falls, the iconic supernatural drama The Vampire Diaries captured the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. The 2009 series follows teenager Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), and her rather old vampiric love interests, the Salvatore brothers. Amid the teen angst, vampires, wolves and witches, is the epic arrival of the Originals, who all elevate the story to unexpectedly thrilling heights. The Originals are the world’s first vampires, witches, and hybrids, and they come as, ironically enough, a family pack—the Mikaelsons, to be exact.
This list, compiled of every member of the immortal and incredibly powerful family, explores just what the family bring to the table. Characters like Esther (Alice Evans), the mother of the chaos-driven vampire siblings, and Elijah (Daniel Gillies), the son devoted to his siblings’ continued existence, are just two examples of the brilliant members of the Mikaelson family, who are all the literal beginning of a very captivating story.
8
Henrik Mikaelson
Played by Devon Allowitz
This Mikaelson is sadly only seen in flashbacks within The Vampire Diaries series. Henrik (Devon Allowitz) is the youngest child of Mikael (Sebastian Roché) and Esther—the lost siblings of the iconic Mikaelson clan. He appears in Season 3, where audiences of the beloved fantasy series learn of his tragic origins, which ultimately trigger the Mikaelsons’ evolution into vampires.
During his time alive, in the eleventh century, Henrik lived as a loving brother, especially to the present-day mass murderer, Niklaus (Joseph Morgan). One night, the two young boys travel to the village to watch the villagers change into wolves under the full moon. Sadly, Henrik quickly met his end, mauled to death by a werewolf—and in front of Klaus, no less. This loss devastated his mother, Esther, enough that she performed a spell of immortality on her remaining children, triggering the vampiric story of the Mikaelson siblings. Though Henrik didn’t get much screen time, his death added significant emotional weight to the Mikaelsons’ backstory—an intense reminder that the feared family audiences witness in The Vampire Diaries series also has a past marked with both tragedy and love.
7
Finn Mikaelson
Played by Casper Zafer
Finn Mikaelson (Casper Zafer) stands as the eldest son of the Mikaelson siblings, whom fans are introduced to in the beloved series The Vampire Diaries during Season 3. Finn, unlike his siblings, has a special hatred for himself, as he notoriously hates being a vampire. The sullen character is quite devoted to his mother and shares many of her ideals, one of the most important being that the immortal family deserves death.
Finn, having been daggered by his younger brother Klaus during the 12th century, is the sibling who remained confined to his coffin the longest—an astonishing 900 years. When Season 3 showcased his awakening, fans of TVD got to witness Finn’s unwavering resolve in his beliefs, shown through his willingness to sacrifice himself for what may be the greater good. Finn’s selflessness, or what could be more accurately described as self-loathing, truly sets him apart from his other siblings. He lacks the brutal knack that all the Mikaelson siblings have, lacking in flair and drama, as he remains a stoic individual. While he is one of the least developed of the Mikaelsons, his eventual death did serve as confirmation that killing an Original vampire will wipe out their entire sire line of vampires.
6
Esther Mikaelson
Played by Alice Evans
This powerful character is the catalyst for the entire Vampire Diaries franchise. Esther Mikaelson is the Mikaelson matriarch and is known as the original witch. She came to audiences, in a flash of resurrection during Season 3 of TVD, with a plan to end the immortal lives she had created—her own children.
Esther sees vampires as abominations that must be wiped out. She’s a clever schemer, and with an agenda to kill her Original vampiric offspring, she elevates The Vampire Diaries series quite a bit with a darker touch. She even momentarily tricked her children into believing that she wanted to be a true family again, which was a horrific front to her true, deadly motivations. Esther is ruthless in her time on screen, despite her loving and calm tone, she often takes—especially when speaking to her children. While she stands as an enemy for the Mikaelson siblings and the spark for the majority of the dangerous events during Season 3 of TVD, Esther, at her core, is a grieving mother whose original intent was to protect those she held dear.
5
Mikael Mikaelson
Played by Sebastian Roché
Mikael, although patriarch of the Mikaelson family, is probably one of the more disliked characters within The Vampire Diaries, and eventually in the spin-off series The Originals. He’s a looming figure that haunts the Mikaelson siblings, despite being thought to be long dead—a fitting fear, since he is as determined to see an end to his children, much like his former wife, Esther.
Notably known as “the vampire who hunts vampires,” Mikael is not only a threat to his family but also to every vampire in existence. He’s a lethal brute who is a ruthless Viking warrior and a terribly abusive father, who despises what Esther did to them in a bid for immortality. Mikael, in all his hate, makes it a habit to feed on other vampires instead of humans, seeing it as a righteous act in his immortal life of sin as a vampire. The frightening character is the ultimate predator of the Originals, and even the strongest of the Mikaelson siblings fear him, mostly due to the burn of childhood abuse he faced at the hands of Mikael. Mikael, although a terrible man and an even worse vampire, is a figure that is the true embodiment of vengeance and retribution, and while he’s scarily irrational, he does make for a fantastic villain in the TVD series.
4
Kol Mikaelson
Played by Nathaniel Buzolic
This Mikaelson is a charming yet extremely reckless brute with quite the sadistic streak. Kol Mikaelson (Nathaniel Buzolic) is considered the rebel of the Mikaelson siblings—a wild child who refuses to be tamed. He is the impetuous younger brother, who is more into stirring up chaos and having a good time, rather than listening to any authoritative figures in his life.
Introduced in Season 3, when he was undaggered by Klaus, Kol delighted in acts of horrific violence and petty fights, especially with beloved fan-favorite character, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). He’s a youthful terror who desires disruption, even in his family’s lives. While Kol is indeed the most rambunctious and often obnoxious Mikealson, he also wields the family’s cunning, which can be extremely frightening for a character prone to chaos. Though Kol’s screen time is limited in The Vampire Diaries, fans have found the character to be—in his own obnoxious way—a pretty charming outsider when compared to the iconic trio, Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah.
3
Rebekah Mikaelson
Played by Claire Holt
Rebekah Mikaelson (Claire Holt) is a beloved favorite in The Vampire Diaries series, and grows even more so when the spin-off, The Originals, comes around. She is one of the most dynamic characters in TVD, and, at the time, the only known sister of the Mikaelson siblings. Rebekah, while as cunning and ruthless as her brothers, is also extremely unpredictable, likely because she often acts on her emotions.
Rebekah is an instant conundrum for fans, a character whose role switches from ruthless villain to vulnerable young girl who’s been wronged one too many times—often by her family. On one hand, she wields a haunting cruelty that can be startling to viewers of the epic fantasy series, and on the other hand, she stands as a terribly lonely figure that is desperate for proper treatment, affection, and stability. While Rebekah can be a bit dramatic, she is an important character who truly values family and is a perfect blend of brokenness and boldness.
2
Elijah Mikaelson
Played by Daniel Gillies
This respectful gentleman is the beloved older brother of the iconic Klaus Mikaelson and the very first Original sibling audiences are introduced to within The Vampire Diaries. Appearing in the second season, Elijah Mikaelson instantly captures the attention of both characters and viewers alike, with his old-world elegance and finery.
While Elijah holds himself as an elegant gentleman, he is a lethal vampire, no different from the rest of the Mikaelson siblings. Elijah is a family-first kind of vampire, resolute in his devotion to his family, and the lengths he is willing to go often reveal a deep layer of honor and loyalty beneath the brutal acts he commits. He is a definite believer in the Mikaelsons’ creed of “Always and Forever.” Elijah stands as one of the most notable Originals in The Vampire Diaries series, a pillar of stability for his siblings, and a vicious killer to his enemies. While there is an unhealthiness in his devotion to his family, Elijah is still one of the most likable characters to appear on TVD.
1
Niklaus “Klaus” Mikaelson
Played by Joseph Morgan
Niklaus “Klaus” Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) is one of the most memorable terrors that is a part of the Mikaelson family. As the first-ever Hybrid—a vampire–werewolf—he stood as the most powerful existence in the Vampire Diaries world for quite some time. Introduced in Season 2 as a shadowy villain, Klaus was quick to prove his status as the most merciless and most dreaded antagonist the characters of The Vampire Diaries have ever seen.
Klaus Mikaelson should never be mistaken for a kind or benevolent saint, because viewers would be just one scene away from witnessing him decapitating a passerby in a bold act of power and cruelty. Klaus may be a monster, but with his charm, wit, and evil cunning, he has garnered a practically feral fandom. He is a powerful, manipulative, narcissist with a heartless outer shell, but buried unsurprisingly deep, lies a shockingly emotional and sensitive being. Klaus has a complex bond with his family, and while he does love his siblings in his own way, they are often all one fallout away from being daggered and shoved into a coffin for a few centuries. The villainous character is a standout and is actually the catalyst for most of the drama seen in TVD. Klaus, with his unpredictability and British-accented charisma, is a fan-favorite villain who earned him his very own spinoff series, where fans fall even more in love with him each episode.
