What happened to Josie Saltzman in Legacies? Character arc explored 

Josie Saltzman, played by Kaylee Bryant, is one of the most emotionally complex and beloved characters in Legacies, the Vampire Diaries and The Originals spinoff. Josie is a character who brings uniqueness and breaks the monotony in the show with her tumultuous and raw journey. She struggles with her identity and encounters romantic confusion coming out as the first queer character in the show. However, her desire for self-acceptance escalates to ultimately resulting in a bittersweet exit from the series in Season 4 of Legacies.

Josie leaves to reclaim some agency in her life and to heal emotionally by distancing herself from Merge's trauma and dark magic. Read on to know more about the character.

What happened to Josie Saltzman in Legacies?

Josie in season 1 often plays second fiddle to her bold and outspoken sister, Lizzie. She is portrayed as kind, selfless and brilliant; however, she struggles with self-esteem and the pressure of being a good sister. She begins a romantic relationship with Penelope Park, but the character is written off in the middle of the season. As the season progressed, she learned to fix problems but rarely prioritised herself.

In season 2, the Merge threat becomes central. Geminin Coven Merge is between Josie and Lizzie, where one twin must die. Josie, in order to delay or prevent this threat, absorbs the dark magic from Mora Miserium and becomes Dark Josie, which is a malicious version of herself. Her suppressed emotions manifest as a powerful, dark alter ego. She becomes everything Josie never allowed herself to be. She eventually is cured and returns to her original self, but her dark deeds are now part of her history.

Season 3 of Legacies is mainly about Josie struggling to find herself. She distances herself from dark magic, becoming more introspective and cautious. She explores her sexuality beyond and gets into a relationship with Finch, a werewolf. She then attends Mystic Falls High School, trying to live a normal life away from magic.

Finally, in season 4, Josie decides that she needs some time for herself to carve her own path away from the Salvatore School and the magic life traumas. She bids a bittersweet goodbye to her sister, girlfriend and Finch in episode 9. Though Kaylee then leaves the show but the makers keep the character's ending ambiguous, hinting return in any other spinoff.

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Therefore, Josie's character is complex and serves as a powerful metaphor for what happens to someone who constantly suppresses emotions and finally explodes. However, the silver lining is that when she gets cured, she is at least aware of herself and takes a hard but wise decision to distance herself. Her exile comes out of self-love and not running away.

Legacies wrapped up in June 2022.

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