10 most disturbing deaths on The Vampire Diaries, ranked

The Vampire Diaries is way more than just a teen soap. It’s a spine-chilling experience for fantasy enthusiasts. Vampires aren’t just lurking in the shadows in this series; they’re out here juggling complicated friendships, enemies, and, like, a ridiculous amount of dying.

Some deaths are quick. Other times, it’s drawn out, and you’re just sitting there yelling at your screen because it seems so unfair. Some deaths are just brutal, straight-up gut punches. These deaths stick with you long after the stake is through their hearts and they have disintegrated.

Here are 10 deaths from The Vampire Diaries that’ll haunt you longer than Damon's stare.

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10 disturbing deaths from The Vampire Diaries

1. Vicki Donovan’s death (Season 1, Episode 7)

Vicki had it rough. She was the first “big” character to die on the show. Damon did turn her into a vampire, but she simply could not deal. She was trying to hurt Elena, so Stefan had to step in the way and stop her, even if that meant consigning her to death. The fans found it super sad because Vicki was lost, and she didn’t want to be bad. To have her die so soon would be a good way to show that The Vampire Diaries can be unpredictable at times.

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2. Enzo’s death (Season 8, Episode 11)

By the end of Season 8 of The Vampire Diaries, everyone liked Enzo. He cared for Bonnie so much, and they wanted to live a happy life together. But then, totally out of nowhere, Stefan, who switched off his humanity, just killed Enzo like it was no big thing, in front of Bonnie. He didn’t even allow Enzo to say goodbye. It happened super quickly and was pretty sad to see.

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3. Jenna Sommers’ death (Season 2, Episode 21)

Elena and Jeremy’s aunt Jenna always tried to protect them, and she cared about them a lot. Then Klaus came and transformed her into a vampire for a ritual to break his werewolf curse. Jenna didn’t even know anything about all the vampires and supernatural beings until just before she was dead. It was sad and unfair for The Vampire Diaries' fans to watch her die like that.

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4. Caroline’s dad, Bill Forbes (Season 3, Episode 13)

Bill Forbes wasn’t the best dad to Caroline, especially after she was turned into a vampire. He didn’t get her at first, but he tried to be more open to her gradually. Then, one day, something terrible happened: a hybrid bit and attacked him. Alaric killed him while he still had vampire blood in his system. His only option to survive was drinking blood and completing his transition to a vampire. Instead, he chose to die instead. Caroline sobbed as he died, and it was upsetting to watch.

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5. Tyler Lockwood’s death (Season 8, Episode 3)

Tyler was a central character for several seasons of The Vampire Diaries. He’s been through so much; he started as a human, became a werewolf, and then a hybrid. But his end came suddenly. Tyler’s death was disturbing and quick; also, it was his trusted friend who killed him. Damon, under the influence of the siren Sybil, attacks and kills Tyler. It was a dark, cold scene, and it shocked and saddened fans.

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6. Katherine’s death (Season 5, Episode 15)

Katherine was the show’s most famous villain. She was clever, selfish, and always found a way to survive. But her death was twisted. She is killed by Stefan Salvatore after she possesses Elena Gilbert's body while she is dying. She was then dragged into “hell” by a mysterious force known as the darkness. The saddest part was that she was killed by the only person she truly loved: Stefan Salvatore.

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7. Lexi’s death (Season 1, Episode 8)

Lexi had been Stefan’s oldest and best friend. She came to town to celebrate his birthday, and she was an automatic fan favorite. However, before we got to get to know her, Damon killed her. He made her out to be a threat so the town would stop looking at him. Lexi never had an opportunity to fight back or defend herself. She was staked to death in public. Her death seemed so sudden and so very wrong. This scene in The Vampire Diaries made fans.

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8. Bonnie’s temporary death (Season 4, Episode 23)

Bonnie was sacrificing herself to save the lives around her. But she pushed herself too far in this episode. She got overly enthusiastic with trying to revive Jeremy, and her lore was explained away. In doing so, she died. The alarming aspect is that nobody knew she was dead. She continued to roam as a smiley, helpful ghost, keeping her secret.

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9. Jeremy’s first death (Season 4, Episode 14)

Jeremy Gilbert had many close calls in The Vampire Diaries. But in this episode, he was killed for real by Silas. What made this death hard to watch was how Elena reacted. She refused to believe he was gone. She tried to perform CPR. She cried and begged. When she learned that Jeremy wasn’t coming back, she fell apart. She set fire to their home in her grief. The combination of shock and distress and a total loss of control made it one of the most emotional and terrifying scenes in the fan’s eyes.

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10. Bonnie’s grandmother, Sheila Bennett (Season 1, Episode 14)

Grams, as Bonnie called her, was a wise, powerful, and deeply loving personality in The Vampire Diaries. She helped Bonnie open the tomb to stop the vampires trapped inside. But using that much magic drained her. After telling Bonnie she was fine, Grams peacefully fell asleep and never woke up. Fans say that this death hurt because it was peaceful on the outside but heartbreaking on the inside. Bonnie had barely started to discover her power and also needed guidance. To lose her grandmother so early in the series was like a giant emotional punch to the gut.

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The Vampire Diaries didn’t just toss in a few spooky deaths for cheap thrills; every single one of those gut-punch moments hit way deeper. It was about heartbreak, shady betrayals, and real-life stuff like fear and raw grief. Here, fans could practically feel the shockwaves through the screen. Out of all the chaos, those ten deaths stood out differently. That’s why those deaths stuck in the viewer’s head and refused to leave.