The Vampire Diaries Badly Wasted 1 Main Character In Season 6 (But For A Good Reason)

Summary The writers missed the opportunity to develop Alaric's enhanced original vampire powers in Season 6.

Alaric's moral compass made it difficult for him to fully utilize his vampire abilities.

Ultimately, Alaric's powers were taken away because his morality conflicted with being an enhanced original vampire.

The Vampire Diaries made some story mistakes over the years, including wasting one main character with so much potential during season 6. Premiering in September 2009, the series ran for eight seasons, introducing a number of lovable The Vampire Diaries main characters with varying degrees of morality and power. Some characters like Stefan, Katherine, and Damon are consistently one species of creature throughout the series. However, other characters like Bonnie, Jeremy, and Alaric change throughout the show’s run.

In particular, The Vampire Diaries season 6 provided a major shift for the characters. Bonnie lost her witch powers while living in the prison world alongside Damon. Tyler became a human with an untriggered werewolf gene again, giving him back all the rage that he felt in season 1. Plus, Alaric came back to life from the other side, turning him back into an enhanced original vampire. The shift offered many great opportunities for the development and arcs of each main character. Unfortunately, the writers wasted this potential with Alaric Saltzman.

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The Vampire Diaries Failed To Make The Most Of Alaric As A Vampire In Season 6

Alaric's Enhanced Original Vampire Powers Went Mostly Untouched

Alaric dies in The Vampire Diaries after Elena and Matt drive off the bridge at the end of season 3. After Alaric is brought back to life at the end of The Vampire Diaries season 5, he has to grapple with his new life as not just a vampire, but an enhanced original vampire. He has an insatiable urge to drink blood, but he never slips up by killing a human after coming back to life. This willpower could’ve been further explored in relation to his self-hatred due to his vampirism. However, they barely ever touch on the fact that Alaric is now the thing he hates most in the world – the thing he dedicated his life to destroying.

Realistically, the enhanced original vampire powers only work for the villains and anti-heroes because they are morally corrupt enough to use them.

Additionally, they never explore his abilities that go above and beyond that of a traditional vampire, minus Alaric removing Elena’s memories. They never explore his ability to manipulate dreams, enter others’ minds, and create illusions. These all would have been interesting avenues. He could have even used these abilities for good, allowing him to come to terms with his vampirism. Unfortunately, Alaric's vampirism was then completely undone when The Vampire Diaries quickly turned him back into a human with the Traveler’s Spell.

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Alaric Was Too Powerful To Keep As A Vampire (& Was Hurting The Show)

Alaric Was Too Moral To Use His Vampire Powers

In order to keep The Vampire Diaries interesting, the writers needed to either use Alaric’s abilities as an enhanced original vampire or get rid of them altogether. By letting the powers sit there unutilized, it hurt the show. Realistically, the enhanced original vampire powers only work for the villains and anti-heroes because they are morally corrupt enough to use them.

That’s why the abilities work for Klaus and Elijah but don’t have much purpose for Rebekah and Alaric. Ultimately, The Vampire Diaries was right to take Alaric’s powers away and set Rebekah up with the cure for vampirism. After coming back to life and being in his own right mind, Alaric was too good of a person to ever be a good enhanced original vampire.