The Originals: 7 times Elijah was the real hero

In The Originals, Klaus tends to grab all the attention. He’s dramatic, destructive, and can shift from crying to biting someone in five seconds. But let’s take a step back.

What about Elijah Mikaelson? The man in the suit who actually kept the family standing while Klaus ran wild. He wasn’t loud and he didn’t burn cities. But Elijah had a calm, sharp kind of power. The kind that made you sit up and listen.

He cleaned up Klaus’s mess, held the family together, and gave us one of the best slow burn characters in the series. Elijah isn’t flashy, but he’s the one you can count on when everything else falls apart.

While Klaus was off making enemies, breaking hearts, and chasing revenge, Elijah was quietly doing the hard work behind the scenes. He brokered peace when war seemed certain, gave up his own happiness more times than he let on, and stood like a wall between his brother and total destruction.

In a world that never stopped spinning, Elijah stayed grounded. He wasn’t loud about it, but he showed up when it mattered. Let’s look at seven moments in The Originals when Elijah - not Klaus - was the one who truly saved the day.

Disclaimer - This article contains the opinions of the author. Reader's discretion is advised.

The Originals: 7 Moments When Elijah Proved He Was the True Hero

1) When Elijah Sacrificed His Happiness for the Family

Elijah could have left. He had chances to walk away, especially when he fell in love with Hayley. But instead, he stayed. He chose duty over romance.

In The Originals, that was a big deal. He loved Hayley, but he also knew the family needed him. Klaus was never the best when it came to being a dad, so Elijah took it on himself to be the steady one for Hope.

He held back his own emotions, not out of choice, but because he understood what needed to be done. That small but big act shaped a lot of what followed.

2) When He Took the Fall to Keep Klaus Clean

In Season 1, Marcel and the vampires in New Orleans weren’t exactly thrilled with the Mikaelsons being back. Klaus wanted control, and things got messy. Elijah, knowing how fragile the situation was, made deals behind the scenes.

He took the blame for more than one decision so Klaus could play the role of king. He didn’t need credit. He needed the family to survive. Elijah's actions in The Originals weren’t about pride. They were about playing the long game, even if it meant being hated for it.

3) When He Killed Himself to Destroy the Hollow

Let’s not forget one of the biggest moments of Season 4. The Hollow was wrecking everything. It had infected Hope and split its dark magic between the Mikaelson siblings.

The only solution was to separate forever. Elijah, always the loyal one, agreed without protest. He let Vincent break the magical link and walked away from everyone he loved.

It was a quiet kind of death. Not the kind with blood, but the kind where you lose your place in the world. In The Originals, that move was one of the most painful and heroic.

4) When He Protected Hayley, Even from Himself

After the Hollow’s curse was broken and the family reunited, Elijah came back different. His memories were gone. But deep inside, something still pulled him toward Hayley.

When he realised what he had done - or failed to stop, he was wrecked. And instead of hiding, he owned it. He stood beside Hayley’s coffin and told her he was sorry. No rage, no excuses. Just a man who failed and knew it.

The Originals gave us plenty of drama, but Elijah’s honesty here was rare and powerful.

5) When He Held Klaus Together in the End

By the final season, Klaus was cracking. Hope was dying, the dark magic was getting stronger, and everything pointed toward Klaus making a final sacrifice.

Elijah didn’t try to stop him. He didn’t try to take over. Instead, he sat beside him. No arguments, just quiet support. In the last scene of The Originals, the two brothers sat on a bench together, side by side. Elijah had already said goodbye to everyone else.

He chose to die with Klaus so his brother wouldn’t face it alone. That was not a dramatic exit. That was loyalty.

6) When He Was the Diplomat, Not the Fighter

Throughout The Originals, Elijah was the one who went to meetings with witches, humans, and other vampires. He kept things from exploding - most of the time. He wore suits while others wore war paint. He spoke in calm tones while others shouted.

It might not seem exciting, but Elijah’s role as the family’s diplomat was key. Without him, the Mikaelsons would have been run out of New Orleans in Season 1. He held peace when no one else could. That, too, is a kind of heroism.

7) When He Let Hope Go

After Hayley’s death, Elijah could have clung to Hope out of guilt. But he didn’t. He stayed away because he knew she blamed him. He respected her space.

When they finally did speak again, it was short and soft. He told her the truth and didn’t ask for forgiveness. In a show full of characters who force relationships and never let go, Elijah did the opposite. He knew when to step back. In The Originals, that choice made a bigger impact than any battle ever could.

Conclusion: Elijah’s Quiet Legacy

Elijah never wore a crown, but he carried himself like someone who knew exactly how heavy it could be. He was the fixer, the cleaner, and the one who stayed calm when everyone else spun out.

In The Originals, Klaus brought the fire, but Elijah kept it from turning into complete ruin. He didn’t need credit or cheers. What mattered to him was keeping the people he loved safe and steady. And more often than not, they actually made it through the worst - not by luck, but because Elijah made sure they did.