Every Time The Vampire Characters Turned Off Their Humanity - CBR

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Menu Follow Followed Like Threads 1 More Action Sign in now Screen Awards MCU, DCU & More Dragon Ball Lord of the Rings Procedurals & Dramas Westerns Zelda Close By Fawzia Khan , Katie Doll & Ajay Aravind Updated May 25, 2024 Sign in to your CBR account Jump links

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• When Does Stefan Turn His Humanity On?

• When Does Elena Turn Off Her Humanity?

• When Does Damon Salvatore Turn His Humanity Back On?

• When Does Enzo Turn His Humanity Back On?

• When Does Caroline Turn Off Her Humanity?

follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread 1 Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Summary

• The Vampire Diaries leaned into several common vampire tropes, but it also introduced new concepts to the genre.
• One element that had varying impacts throughout the series was the fact that vampires could "turn off" their humanity to shield themselves from painful emotions
• A handful of characters decide to turn off their humanity during The Vampire Diaries, and the consequences are often terrible.

The Vampire Diaries adhered to every vampire trope and trademark, from enhanced abilities to blood-drinking to immortality. However, the CW supernatural drama—which aired from 2009 to 2017—also introduced additions that perked up the plot. The show's vampires could manipulate dreams, compel humans, shut down their humanity, and turn off their emotions.

The latter two allowed the vampires to live carefree lives without remorse. Over the course of The Vampire Diaries' eight-season run, many characters turn off their humanity to deal with pain and difficult decisions. However, those situations almost always ended with dire consequences.

Updated on May 24, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: The vampires of CW's The Vampire Diaries were different -- they had certain powers and abilities, unlike any other creatures of the night in pop culture. One of the most unique powers was their ability to turn off their humanity, granting them the ability to move forward from emotional setbacks. This feature has been updated with further information and analysis.

When Does Stefan Turn His Humanity On?

Stefan Salvatore Turned Off His Humanity Four Times

Image via Warner Bros

First Appearance	Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pilot"
Portrayed By	Paul Wesley
Humanity Lost In	Season 3, Episode 5, "The Reckoning"

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Portrayed by future Starfleet captain Paul Wesley, Stefan Salvatore turned off his humanity four times. The first time, he did so unknowingly because he was a new vampire at age 17, guilty and alone after his brother Damon left him. Unaware he had turned off his humanity, Stefan lost control over his blood lust and went on a killing spree until he met another older vampire, Alexia "Lexi" Branson. She became his best friend and mentored him on how to turn his humanity back on and survive on a strict diet of animal blood.

In The Vampire Diaries Season 3, Episode 5, "The Reckoning," the original vampire, Niklaus Mikaelson, compelled Stefan Salvatore to turn off his humanity. While Stefan kept Elena Gilbert "safe" for Klaus’ plan to create hybrids with her blood, he reverted back to his early Ripper days, not caring for anything or anyone. The show never revealed how Stefan regained his humanity. But when Damon tried to kill Klaus with the White Oak Stake, Stefan saved Klaus because he knew the hybrids were programmed to kill Damon if the original vampire died. That proved Stefan's humanity had turned back on, though he acted as if he no longer cared about anyone.

In Season 6, Episode 16, "The Downward Spiral," Stefan Salvatore turned off his humanity again when Caroline Forbes, with her humanity switch flipped, threatened to kill his niece Sarah. He then made Caroline join him in his killing spree, during which they fed and then left behind injured victims and dead bodies. It was only when Damon brought back their mother, Lily — who had been turned into a vampire — that Stefan turned on his humanity again.

The last time Stefan Salvatore turned off his humanity was to save Alaric's daughters, Lizzie and Josie Saltzman, who had been kidnapped by Seline the Siren. In exchange, he offered himself up to Arcadius, the creator of Hell, and chose to turn off his humanity for a year to bring him souls. Like always, he fell off the wagon and became a Ripper while he tipped people toward darkness to corrupt their souls. So when did Stefan turn his humanity back on in Season 8? When he was offered a choice to break the contract and kill Elena Gilbert instead, he remorselessly killed Enzo. He only stopped when Bonnie Bennett — grief-stricken over Enzo’s death — injected him with the cure, turning him human and bringing back his emotions as Stefan remembered everyone he had slaughtered for Arcadius.

When Does Elena Turn Off Her Humanity?

She Lost All The Guilt She Associated With Killing Humans

First Appearance	Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pilot"
Portrayed By	Nina Dobrev
Humanity Lost In	Season 4, Episode 15 "Stand by Me"

Being human was the most integral thing for Elena Gilbert (played by Nina Dobrev), but everything changed when she became a vampire against her will. Rebekah made Elena's car drive off Wickery Bridge for a second time, and she died with vampire blood inside her. It took her a long time to adjust to her new, immortal life, but tragedy struck just as she got comfortable. Elena's brother Jeremy was killed in Season 4 by Silas and Katherine, which signified the loss of the last of her family.

After being in denial for a long time, she was unable to handle the immense grief of Jeremy's death. This was when she was advised by Damon Salvatore to turn off her humanity to handle her pain. Elena didn't go on a killing spree like other vampires, but she did burn her whole familial house down, which was seriously alarming. Elena had some great moments, but these were not it. She lost all the guilt she associated with killing humans and committing crimes.

Elena Gilbert was more than happy to do some blood-binging in broad daylight. Whether it was high school cheerleaders or her own friends, Elena was no longer afraid to drink blood or attack people. She changed her appearance, and her new persona deteriorated to the point that she attacked Bonnie and tried to kill Caroline Forbes, all because she felt ignored at prom. Even though Damon had convinced Elena to turn off her humanity, turning it back on was a task. After repeated tries, it was only when Damon and Stefan threatened to break Matt Donovan’s neck that she turned her humanity back on, forcing her to feel again.

When Does Damon Salvatore Turn His Humanity Back On?

Damon Salvatore Lost His Humanity Twice

First Appearance	Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pilot"
Portrayed By	Ian Somerhalder
Humanity Lost In	Season 4, Episode 17, "Because the Night," Season 5, Episode 9, "The Cell"

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Damon Salvatore (portrayed by Ian Somerhalder) was tortured by Dr. Whitmore as part of the Augustine Society, which had experimented on vampires since 1953. Enzo’s friendship helped Damon hold on to his humanity in one of his best moments. When he had the opportunity to flee in 1958, Damon tried to escape with Enzo but failed because the bars of his cage were soaked in vervain. He knew that to save himself, he had to stop caring about his friend — and so he turned off his humanity and left Enzo to die. With no guilt remaining, Damon led a reckless life for years, during which time he unknowingly killed Maggie James, Enzo’s one true love.

In the 1970s, Damon hosted wild parties and fed upon people when Lexi found him and tried to regain his humanity. Damon tricked her into becoming stuck on a rooftop with sunlight and no way to escape until nightfall. In 1994, he visited Stefan in Mystic Falls with Uncle Zach Salvatore and Zach's pregnant girlfriend Gail — who Damon killed when Stefan took away his daylight ring. While it was never confirmed exactly when he regained his humanity, Damon claimed that when he met Zach in 2007, he remembered how he "ruined everything," indicating that he either got his humanity back or it resurfaced from that point onward.

Damon lost his humanity for the second time in The Vampire Diaries Season 7 when the siren Sybil mind-controlled him and Enzo into bringing her the flesh of the wicked. At the same time, their souls were saved for Arcadius to consume. She ordered Damon to turn off his humanity to ensure his conscience didn’t hinder him. Under her influence, he murdered Tyler and joined his brother in killing innocents. Still, his love for Elena Gilbert allowed him to retain a shred of humanity that helped him overcome Sybil. In retaliation, Sybil brought back Damon's humanity, allowing his guilt to intensely hurt him.

When Does Enzo Turn His Humanity Back On?

Enzo Also Turned Off His Humanity Twice

First Appearance	Season 5, Episode 9 - "The Cell"
Portrayed By	Michael Malarkey
Humanity Lost In	Season 8, Episode 5 "Coming Home Was a Mistake"

The first time Lorenzo "Enzo" St. John (Michael Malarkey) turns off his humanity is when he learns Damon has killed Maggie. She had attacked Damon to subdue him and then take him back to Augustine. With his humanity off, he not only beheaded her with his bare hand, but he also staged her body to look like Stefan had killed her. Enzo shuts down his humanity to stop caring about Maggie’s death and to stop hating Damon.

Deciding to act on his whims, Enzo tried to kill Liv and then attacked Damon and Stefan when they tried to stop him. He also kidnapped Elena Gilbert and tried to kill her. Enzo subsequently attempted to set fire to Stefan, who pulled on Enzo's heart. Knowing that nothing would pain Damon more than to know his brother killed his best friend, Enzo stepped back, allowing his heart to be ripped out. He then returned as a ghost to torment the Salvatore brothers and Elena until Damon assured him he could be brought back from the Other Side with Bonnie’s help. While it was unknown what flipped his humanity back on, Enzo joined Caroline to look for ways to bring back Damon after he got stuck on the Other Side.

Enzo turned off his humanity in The Vampire Diaries Season 7 for the second time after Sybil realized his obedience to follow her commands couldn’t be controlled by her siren call alone. She discovered the bond he shared with Bonnie allowed him to resist her influence and tasked Damon to kill her. Desperate to save Bonnie, Enzo agreed to part ways with his humanity. Later, Bonnie took Enzo back to their cabin and tried everything to recover his humanity, but it was in vain. As a last-ditch attempt, Bonnie sets the cabin on fire to force Enzo to turn on his humanity in response to her impending death, and it works.

When Does Caroline Turn Off Her Humanity?

She Still Remained In Full Control Of Her Bloodlust

First Appearance	Season 1, Episode 1 - "Pilot"
Portrayed By	Candice King
Humanity Lost In:	Season 6, Episode 14 "Stay"

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In The Vampire Diaries Season 6, Episode 14, "Stay," Elizabeth Forbes died of a rare cancer despite her daughter's attempt to cure her with vampire blood. Unable to cope with the pain, Caroline (Candice King, who returned in the spinoff Legacies) flipped her humanity switch before Stefan could tell her he loved her. Without her humanity, Caroline didn’t care what others thought and kept herself busy with shopping, partying, and drinking. However, she was still in full control of her blood lust, knowing that a string of bodies would put the police on her trail.

Caroline Forbes told Elena and Bonnie that all she needed was a year without feeling pain, grief, or remorse — and if anyone or anything tried to bring back her humanity, there would be dire consequences. Her warning was tested when Stefan tried to trigger her feelings for him. Knowing that Stefan would keep trying to bring back her humanity, she retaliated by kidnapping his niece Sarah and compelling Liam to kill Sarah, forcing Stefan to turn off his humanity. Caroline abandoned her careful "routine" of leading a normal life when Stefan pushed her to join him on killing sprees. She went as far as to torture people just for fun; she even tried to kill Tyler and Matt, which resulted in the latter getting staked.

When Damon triggered Stefan’s humanity by bringing back their mother, the younger Salvatore once again pursued Caroline and convinced her that his humanity was still off. He tricked her into getting caught by Damon, Elena, and Bonnie. This successfully brought back her emotions by putting visions of her mother in her head, pushing Caroline to break down and face everything she had done in her attempt to suppress her pain.

Image via Warner Bros.

The Vampire Diaries

Like Follow Followed Horror Fantasy Drama Release Date 2009 - 2017-00-00 Network The CW Showrunner Julie Plec Directors John Dahl Writers Julie Plec, Kevin Williamson, L.J. Smith

Cast

See All

• Paul Wesley Stefan Salvatore
• Ian Somerhalder Damon Salvatore

The Vampire Diaries follows the lives, loves, dangers and disasters in the town Mystic Falls, Virginia. Creatures of unspeakable horror lurk beneath this town as a teenage girl is suddenly torn between two vampire brothers.

Genres Horror, Fantasy, Drama Seasons 8 Powered by

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