[tps_header]Damon Salvatore[/tps_header]
Damon is arguably the most complex and interesting character in the series going from the bad guy to anti-hero to hero throughout the seven seasons. In season 1 Damon is introduced as Stefan’s older brother who comes home to Mystic Falls for reasons unknown. It is only later that we learn he is there in order to resurrect his lost love Katherine, but ends up creating havoc for the town residents instead. Although his character does horrible things like repetitively feeding off of Caroline and killing innocent humans, there’s something tragic and inherently good in his character that makes the audience root for him to have a happy ending with Elena, which he gets for a while in season 4 when she admits that she loves him. Although Elena is cursed at the end of season 6 to sleep eternally until Bonnie dies, Damon develops a close relationship with the witch and their friendship has become one of the core relationships in the series.
In season 7 Damon is learning to live without Elena, we learn about his mommy issues and we watch him go down a darker path as he tries to navigate his own moral compass. Most of the season Damon is desperately trying to save Bonnie from the anti-magic pills that are slowly killing her and trying to save Stefan from the huntress’ mark, but his good deeds take a turn for the worst in the final episode when him and Enzo enter The Armory’s vault to destroy the last body of the Everlastings and they are confronted by the creature, pulling them into darkness.
