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The Originals, one of TV's most intense supernatural drama series, was a dark, emotional, and occasionally brutal ride, especially through the life of Elijah Mikaelson. In the series, Elijah Mikaelson dies in the final episode of the series by staking himself with the White Oak stake, alongside his brother Klaus.
From the moment he stepped into town, Elijah was the impeccably dressed, morally conflicted Original vampire with a talent for straddling the thin line between decency and savagery. But as The Originals continued to grow and develop throughout the five seasons, it became apparent that the life of Elijah was anything but a one-dimensional arc.
When The Originals wrapped up its series run, viewers were shocked, not only with Klaus's death, but with Elijah's ascension to his brother's place. Elijah's death was one of those surprise stunners the show was going to drop on the audience. Rather, it was a payoff years in the works and the moral conclusion of decades spent trying to mend what could never be made whole.
Let's discuss how Elijah Mikaelson died on The Originals, and why his character arc made his death all but certain.
The foundation of Elijah's character in The Originals
Elijah Mikaelson first showed up on The Vampire Diaries, yet The Originals received more of his story. With his dashing suits and strict moral compass, Elijah was the center of the dysfunctional Mikaelson family from the start. While Klaus was ruled by lust and love, Elijah was driven by control, honor, and duty, whatever it would take for him to be content.
Elijah always chose family over personal freedom in The Originals. This underlying theme, dedication to something else first, is his worst and best quality at the same time. He placed himself in the role of being a protector to Klaus, constantly attempting to rescue him, no matter what cost he had to endure.
Elijah's narrative was highly devoted to the greater themes of redemption, responsibility, and self-discovery, all of which were large factors in his ultimate demise.
The effect of the Hollow on the Mikaelsons
The arrival of the Hollow, a seasoned and strong ghost, introduced one of The Originals' most lethal antagonists to date. The malignant energy of the Hollow in Season 4 needed to be shared and contained in four Mikaelsons, Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, and Hope, who hoped to prevent its destructive power from coming. But at a cost.
For his loved ones to be secure, Elijah willingly had his memories erased. He left behind everything he had ever known: family, identity, and purpose. That was enough to keep him at peace for a time. When the Hollow started reappearing in Season 5, Mikaelsons knew they had to devise a long-term plan.
Then and then only was Elijah's memory brought to mind with all the wretched import of his past deeds. The Originals used this narrative of loss of memory to make us wonder how deeply pain and guilt had become entrenched in Elijah.
Klaus's ultimate sacrifice and Elijah's moment of truth
Klaus decides to unleash all of the Hollow magic and kill himself in The Originals' final episode for Hope's safety. It's his final act of redemption, a closure moment after years of havoc. What surprised fans even more, however, was that Elijah also chose to die with him.
Elijah finally came to accept that playing conscience to Klaus had paid off. He'd done everything he could. By seeing Klaus weigh ambition against love, Elijah realized that his mission on this earth was finished. He no longer needed to be the one standing in Klaus's way. This wasn't a moment of emotional awakening; this was in anticipation of redemption.
Elijah made a conscious choice to stand aside and let his brother's fate unfold.
The last scene
Season 5, Episode 13 of The Originals, When the Saints Go Marching In, the last scene is acted out. Klaus and Elijah sit side by side on a bench, in silence, with the magnitude of what they are about to do. Both are grasping one end of the White Oak stake, the only one thought to be strong enough to kill an Original vampire, between them.
As a token of their being together, both of them drove the stake into the other's heart simultaneously. No distraction, no last-minute save-the-day moment. Peaceful. The Originals ended Elijah's story not in devastation, but in peace. Not a death amid war or rage-induced, it was closure, comprehension, and emotional contentment.
Elijah's death wasn't a defeat; it was a choice
One of the constant themes on The Originals was that immortality isn't always a blessing. Life for Elijah was no longer living immortality; it was tragedy, guilt, and repeated efforts at attempting to fix his broken family. Now that Klaus was saved and Hayley had passed away, Elijah had lost the purpose to live. He wasn't quitting, he was letting go.
It was peaceful, not agony. He was finally allowing himself permission to cease carrying the emotional burden of the family. Elijah's death wasn't suicide for another; it was a decision to lay down a burden that had tormented him for centuries. It was the first time Elijah ever did something for himself, and ironically, his death became richer than tragic.
The emotional and symbolic weight of Elijah's determination
In spite of the supernatural soap opera that The Originals was filled with, Elijah's human story was the conflict between duty and not domination. He fought to be the perfect son, brother, lover, and king for over a thousand years. What he ultimately realized is that perfection was never the goal; peace was.
His final action, taking his own life with Klaus, condemned them. Not just the ending of their lives, but of the toxic cycles that had tormented their family. The final page of the Original book, and one Elijah got to author on his own terms.
Was Elijah's death necessary in The Originals?
Although there were some of the fans wondering if he needs to die or not, The Originals format is such that he does. His death was no surprise twist; it was something that was bound to happen because of all those years of angst he had accumulated. Unlike the rest of the killings of the rest of the characters of the show, Elijah's was in order.
Had he lived, Elijah would have still been burdened with guilt and grief. No going back for him, no Hayley, no Klaus, and not even with memories that he had recently recovered. Death was the ideal refuge in this scenario.
Therefore, The Originals' best finale was Elijah Mikaelson's death. It wasn't bloody or graphic; it was stunning. The man who had kept his family together for so long finally opted for peace rather than duty. It wasn't avoidance of pain; it was the awareness that it was time.
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Elijah's death was made worthwhile by how it was stripped down and, most of all, authentic. It reminded us that even the strongest of beasts are mortal all the same, yearning for love, peace, and some manner of purpose. Elijah was able to have all three in the end.
Also read: Who is Hope Mikaelson in Legacies? Character arc explored in details
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