4 Big Differences between The Vampire Diaries Books and TV Series

Oct 11, 2022

It's been decades since L.J Smith released the first Vampire Diaries novel. It easily became quite an influential book back then that spawned a hit television show that ran for almost a decade. While both forms of media became very popular during their time, a lot of the fans of the novel can't help but notice certain creative decisions that were made in the TV series that diverged from what was in the books. As a way to look back on all the great story arcs and events in The Vampire Diaries franchise, let's break down some of the major things in the TV series that were changed from the books.


1. Tyler's Character


Tyler Lockwood was nowhere near a main character in the books. However, the show's creators decided to make Tyler a part of the main cast, which meant giving him a more fleshed-out and detailed storyline than what was seen in the novels. They even gave him a name change, perhaps to signify that this was a slightly different take on the character. Tyler was given quite a memorable story arc in the series. The creators even went so far as to make him a hybrid.


In the books, Tyler was seen as having a much more hostile disposition, giving him a predator-like personality who made a forceful advance on Elena. When the show aired, that aggressive behavior might not have not sat well with many viewers, which wouldn't have worked for the show.


2. Elena's Sibling


On the TV show, Elena had a brother named Jeremy, played by Steven McQueen. Jeremy was still in high school and was Elena's adoptive brother. He played a pretty big role in the show up until the fifth season. If we look at the books, however, Elena had a younger sister, Margaret, who was only four years old. That's quite a huge difference that impacted the story on a big scale.


3. Katherine’s Name And Backstory


If we're listing iconic characters in the series, then Katherine Pierce should be pretty high on everyone's list. Katherine's backstory started five hundred years from the present time in the series. Katherine played a significant role in the series and was treated as the main antagonist for multiple seasons. In the teen drama, Katherine was born as Katerina Petrova, and she was part of an important bloodline in the series called the
Petrova doppelgangers.


In the books, however, the character was known as Katherine von Swartzchild, a young German girl who was unwillingly turned into a vampire by Klaus. Here, the Petrova doppelgangers didn't exist at all, nor the story of her bloodline.


4. The Town's Name


The Vampire Diaries teen drama series was set in a small town called Mystic Falls, Virginia, where Elena and her friends lived. Most of the story took place here in the present time and even centuries into the past. The Salvatore brothers also lived in Mystic Falls back in the 1800s, and it was also the place where the Original family settled and became vampires.


Looking at the books, the setting took place in Fell's Church, a picturesque town in Virginia. According to the author, the place was known to attract a lot of supernatural beings and events due to it being a place where several lines of energy crossed. It was that energy that attracted werewolves, vampires, and witches, not unlike a fictional version of Salem, Massachusetts.


Conclusion


There you have it! Those are just four of the most significant changes between the books and the TV adaptation of The Vampire Diaries. Both the books and the TV series are considered classics in the young adult genre, with millions of fans around the world. This is just a glimpse of a few changes in the series, among many. Keep a look out for future The Vampire Diaries fascinating trivia!


If reminiscing about The Vampire Diaries isn't enough, then you should visit The Alley in Covington, GA. Just below the Mystic Grill, you'll find our humble
little gift shop dedicated to all the fans of The Vampire Diaries. When you visit The Alley, you can take a look around the Vampire Diaries museum or take home a unique souvenir inspired by the show, in our Vampire Diaries merch. What are you waiting for? Visit The Alley today and take a trip down Mystic Falls again!

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