How to Watch The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies In Chronological Order

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I remember when this show first came out in the 2010s – it totally blew up! It became way more than just one show, actually. They’ve built a whole universe with two spin-offs, which is amazing. What I really love is how characters and villains pop up across all the shows – it’s such a fun surprise when you see someone you know from a different series. There’s just so much to dive into, and the way everything connects – all the storylines and characters – is what really makes this franchise stand out from all the other vampire shows out there.

After fans became captivated by the complex backstories and powers of the villains in The Vampire Diaries, The Originals was created to explore their origins. The Mikaelson family, as the very first vampires, dates back to the Viking era. Rather than showing their history through flashbacks, The Originals focused on their present-day lives, though both shows occasionally jumped forward or backward in time, which could be a little confusing. Legacies, a second spin-off series that continued the story after The Originals, ran for four seasons before ending.

The Vampire Diaries Focused on the Love Triangle Between Damon, Elena, and Stefan

The story started with The Vampire Diaries, and it expanded with The Originals, which was a spin-off. Then came Legacies, building on the stories from both previous shows. The franchise centers around two brothers who become vampires after meeting the cunning Katherine. Following a major conflict, they return to their hometown, Mystic Falls, and encounter Elena, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Katherine.

Despite trying to live normal lives, Elena and her friends face serious danger. Elena soon discovers that a classmate is a centuries-old vampire. On top of that, they learn Elena isn’t just a regular human – she’s a doppelganger, part of an ancient twin lineage with powerful magical abilities.

Damon also develops a strong, mysterious connection with Elena, creating the complicated love triangle that became a central part of the show. And finally, the powerful Mikaelson family, or the Originals, are determined to control Elena’s fate.

The Mikaelson family, introduced in the second season, quickly became central to the show’s storyline. Though the initial threat came from Katherine and the other vampires trapped in the tomb, the Originals presented a much greater challenge. Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Finn, and Kol were more powerful than even Stefan and Damon, and Klaus was revealed to be a uniquely strong hybrid – a werewolf-vampire – who needed Elena’s blood to fully activate his powers.

In Seasons 2 and 3, the original family becomes central to the storyline, remaining important until Season 5, Episode 1. That’s when Klaus and his family leave Mystic Falls, sharing a final, emotional moment with Caroline before starting their own show.

Beyond the central love triangle between Stefan and Damon, the show featured various antagonists – like the Travelers, Sirens, and a powerful version of Alaric – all aiming to harm Mystic Falls and Elena. The main characters – Stefan, Damon, and Elena – were supported by a strong group of friends, including Caroline, Bonnie, Enzo, Tyler, Matt, and Alaric (when he wasn’t under the influence). Each of these friends had their own compelling storylines, which the show developed effectively.

Nina Dobrev even returned for the show’s final episode, bringing her love story full circle and neatly resolving most remaining plot points after more than 170 episodes.

The Originals Has an Intertwining Timeline With The Vampire Diaries

Following Klaus’s exit from The Vampire Diaries, The Originals begins his new life in New Orleans, where he starts a family. The show picks up after Klaus’s unsuccessful attempt to build a hybrid army in Mystic Falls. A preview episode was actually included as part of Season 4, Episode 20 of The Vampire Diaries, called “The Originals.” With his affairs wrapped up in Mystic Falls, Klaus no longer has significant ties to Elena and her friends, only occasionally helping with a cure if someone gets bitten by a werewolf.

Seeking a new purpose, Klaus returned to New Orleans, a kingdom he once ruled. He reunited with his old protégé, Marcel, hoping to reclaim his position as the city’s leader, accompanied by his siblings Elijah and Rebekah. Meanwhile, Hayley, a werewolf, discovered she was pregnant with Klaus’s child, setting the stage for the events of The Originals.

Season one of The Originals happens concurrently with season five of The Vampire Diaries, which features Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline at Whitmore College. Klaus invited Caroline to join him as he moved to New Orleans, but it became clear they were heading down separate paths.

In Season 1, Episode 22 of The Originals, Hayley gives birth to Hope, who later becomes the main character in Legacies. Legacies takes place many years later, focusing on a new generation of supernatural beings. Meanwhile, in The Originals, Hope’s birth is key to changing a dangerous, heartless magical creature into someone capable of feeling regret.

The main storyline of this show focuses on keeping the Mikaelson family safe. They constantly battle threats, including powerful witches in New Orleans and dangerous relatives like Dahlia, who is determined to take the firstborn child from each generation of the Mikaelsons.

Because Season 5 of The Vampire Diaries and Season 1 of The Originals aired at the same time, characters often crossed over between the two shows. Many fans enjoy watching an episode of each series back-to-back, switching between them.

This approach might not be ideal for all viewers, as jumping between shows could be confusing. To help with understanding, it’s best to watch them alternating seasons. However, the most satisfying way to experience these shows is to start with The Vampire Diaries and then watch all of The Originals afterward.

The Vampire Diaries and The Originals Include Many Time Jumps

Both shows frequently use time jumps, and when done well, they enhance the story. In Season 7 of The Vampire Diaries, a three-year jump forward significantly alters the lives of the main characters – Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Enzo. During those skipped years, Stefan was traveling with Valerie, and Caroline had a child and was raising them with Alaric.

Like Klaus’s daughter, Hope, these girls eventually become central characters in Legacies. Because they’re part of the Gemini coven and naturally draw magic from others (siphoners), their lives were always going to be unusual. Recognizing their unique abilities, Caroline and Alaric founded the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted at the end of The Vampire Diaries, thanks to financial support from Klaus.

Hope was introduced during Season 7 of The Vampire Diaries and is a young child in Season 3 of The Originals. To protect her from those who want to harm her father, she’s kept hidden away from Klaus and cared for by her aunts. Many viewers watching The Vampire Diaries were puzzled by Klaus’s sudden absence in the Season 3 finale.

You can watch this all at once before continuing with seasons 4 and 5 of The Originals. It’s worth noting there’s a five-year gap between seasons 3 and 4 of The Originals. Similarly, the final episode of The Vampire Diaries uses time jumps to wrap up the characters’ stories and give them satisfying conclusions.

This scene fast-forwards in time, showing fans what Damon and Elena’s future holds – including what happens after they die. We see they get married, have children, and live out their lives as a normal human couple. This glimpse into their future actually sets up events that happen in the show Legacies.

Legacies Takes Place After The Vampire Diaries

Throughout most of The Originals, Hope was a child, but she was always intended to be the main character in Legacies. Season 4 of The Originals jumps forward five years and happens after the story of The Vampire Diaries. After being apart for years, Hope and Hayley are finally together again.

Season 4 centered around Hope, a young hybrid who hadn’t had the opportunity to build a relationship with her father and uncles. In the season finale, Hayley sent Hope to the school run by Caroline and Alaric, which was financed by Klaus. To set up the events of the spin-off series, Legacies, The Originals jumped forward seven years in its fifth and final season. This introduced a teenage Hope, played by Danielle Rose Russell, and provided a conclusive ending for the show’s established characters.

As a huge fan of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, I was really curious about Legacies. It jumps forward two years after Klaus and Hayley are gone, and it’s all about the kids now – Hope, and Alaric’s twin daughters, Josie and Lizzie. What’s fun is that Josie and Lizzie occasionally drop little updates about Damon and Elena, now that they’re living as humans, which is a nice touch for fans like me who still care about those characters!

Though Legacies includes nods to The Vampire Diaries, it mainly tells a fresh story focused on the students at the Salvatore School. This fourth series in the franchise introduces new magical beings and storylines, and features occasional appearances from beloved characters like Klaus and Caroline. The show ran for four seasons.

Is a New Vampire Diaries Spin-Off Happening?

Although Legacies concluded in 2022, creator Julie Plec offered fans a glimmer of optimism. In an interview with TVLine, she revealed that she, Brett Matthews, and Kevin Williamson have an idea for a potential continuation of the universe, but haven’t had time to develop it yet. They are interested in exploring another story within this world, and it’s simply a matter of finding the right time to do so.

It’s been three years since the initial announcement, and we haven’t heard anything new about The Vampire Diaries Universe since then.

At the premiere of her new show, We Were Liars, Julie Plec mentioned she still has plenty of ideas for continuing the Vampire Diaries universe. She stated she’s ready to revisit those stories if anyone asks. While the show isn’t cancelled, it appears any new spin-offs are unlikely to happen soon.

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2026-03-29 03:49