Why was Alaric hell-bent on killing Damon before they became friends in The Vampire Diaries?

While the friendship between Alaric Saltzman (Matthew Davis) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder) was one of the most wholesome aspects of The Vampire Diaries, the duo had complicated origins.

Originally a human and a history teacher, Alaric specifically became a vampire hunter to hunt Damon, as he believed that he was responsible for his wife, Isobel's death. After years of pursuit, Alaric won over Isobel, and the couple married. But Alaric believed that Damon murdered her when, in reality, Isobel requested Damon to turn her into a vampire.

Once Alaric learned the truth about Isobel in The Vampire Diaries, he became one of Damon's closest friends. While the duo managed to sustain their friendship throughout the show, Damon became the Sirens' slave in Season 8 and put Alaric's twins' lives in danger, which put a strain on their friendship.

However, as per Legacies, Alaric’s twins were shown in contact with Elena and Damon, which suggests that the duo remained friends after The Vampire Diaries.

More on this in our story.

Exploring the origins of Alaric and Damon's relationship in The Vampire Diaries

While Alaric was one of Damon's few friends in The Vampire Diaries, they had a complicated relationship because of Elena's biological mother. Isobel Flemming was friends with her ancestor, Katherine Pierce, a vampire, which established her connection with the supernatural beings.

After giving birth to Elena with her high school sweetheart John Gilbert, the girl was eventually adopted by John's brother. Isobel later married Alaric Saltzman, which was the beginning of his complicated relationship with Damon.

While Alaric was madly in love with Isobel, she became obsessed with paranormal research and eventually lost interest in her mortal married life. In The Vampire Diaries, she met with Damon Salvatore and requested that he turn her into a vampire. After Damon reluctantly turned her, Alaric believed that he had murdered his wife, which is why he was hell-bent on killing.

However, he later learned that his wife willingly left him and requested that Damon turn her into a vampire. In addition, it was Klaus who manipulated her into committing suicide by walking into the sun. Once this misunderstanding was cleared, Alaric and Damon's relationship saw a drastic change, and they eventually became good friends.

Alaric and Damon's friendship evolved in The Vampire Diaries

After Alaric found closure and learned about his wife's willingness to adopt the vampire life, he was also reunited with his stepdaughter Elena, who formed a common link between her stepfather and Damon.

While Damon and Alaric remained friends throughout the show, Alaric died in his friend's arms in The Vampire Diaries Season 3 finale. After being turned into an Original Vampire by Esther, Alaric's life was connected to Elena, and since she died, Alaric was also dead, leaving Damon to cope with the deaths of both his friend and lover.

However, Alaric was later resurrected, and after Damon sacrificed himself to save his friends in the Season 5 finale, Alaric motivated Elena to forget Damon's memories, as she grieved his death too much. This strained Alaric and Damon's friendship for a bit when Damon came back to life.

Discussing his character's relationship with Alaric in an interview with the LA Times, Ian Somerhalder said:

''Damon and Alaric, the funny thing about them is they are such similar individuals. They’re kind of kindred spirits. They were both pathetically in love with a woman that didn’t want them. They have so much in common that again, they’re odd bedfellows, but they are kindred spirits. They have such a strange relationship where they truly appreciate one another.''

While their friendship underwent a significant change in The Vampire Diaries Season 8, Damon continued to consider Alaric one of his closest friends.

Trending

For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback