In The Vampire Diaries, of all the supernatural beings, massive plot twists, and breakout villains, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Mystic Falls was which Salvatore brother Elena would end up with. The love triangle was at the heart of the series, with Elena being in the middle of Stefan and Damon’s tug-of-war for her companionship. She struggled to identify what emotions she felt for each of them, and when she finally made a decision, it was counteracted by the sire bond she had with Damon. Although Elena eventually ended up with Damon, a decision backed up in the series finale; perhaps things could have been more exciting had Elena ended up single.
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Elena has almost no love interests outside of Stefan and Damon, making it inevitable that she would end up with one of them. However, Damon and Stefan each had ways of being possessive and controlling Elena’s life to such a degree that she rarely got the opportunity to expand on other potential romantic interests or decide she would rather be alone. The Salvatore brothers brought a lot of pain and difficulty to Elena and her family and friends in their single-minded desire to protect Elena above all. Had the series taken another route and given Elena a different ending, it may have been the most unpredictable thing the series could have ever done.
It Would be Unpredictable
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For a show where one of its biggest questions followed which of the male leads the female protagonist would end up with, allowing Elena Gilbert to end the series choosing to be single would have been a surprising avenue. The Vampire Diaries strived to twist and turn the love triangle until it had become one of the show’s most overused storylines. The love triangle was embedded so much into The Vampire Diaries that it did not entirely disappear even after Elena ended up in a magical coma, as her existence still played a role in Stefan and Damon’s relationship. It seemed that audiences waited for the entire series for a solid answer regarding if Stefan or Damon would be Elena’s final choice. But what if she had chosen neither?
Elena could have walked away from Mystic Falls or chosen to stay in town, but stepped away from having a romantic involvement with Damon once she woke up from her coma. It was predictable that Elena would end up with Stefan or Damon as no other romantic interests ever held up to the constant back and forth of the Salvatore brothers. But, having her choose neither and decide to have her life take a different path would have been surprising.
Elena Was Caught in The Love Triangle for Most of the Series
The love triangle technically concludes when Elena officially chooses Damon in “Graduation,” in control of her feelings once her humanity has returned and the sire bond is gone. However, that does not mean the love triangle goes away. Instead, it still holds on tightly as a subplot when season 5 introduces the history of the Doppelgängers and the curse that surrounds them, suggesting they are destined to be together after finding each other for centuries. Although the love triangle does die down a bit, there are still references to it throughout season 6 as Elena and Stefan recall the aftermath of their failed relationship as they continue their friendship and Elena’s forgotten memories of Damon.
But, having Elena end the show alone would have been a fresh change from having been torn for so long, especially if it was a decision she made for herself rather than killing both of the brothers. Having them both die, leaving Elena to grieve another two people, would have been devastating. But, Elena recognizing the dangerous history that came with Stefan and Damon, and choosing to step away from having that play such an integral role in her life, could have portrayed a different light for the character.
She Could Have Found a Healthier Life
With Stefan, he jumped from one extreme to the other. At his best, Stefan could only survive on animal blood, never quite as strong as other vampires. At his worst, Stefan’s Ripper and No-Humanity sides took a while to come back from. Although Elena supported Stefan, it would have been exhausting to constantly deal with, knowing how many innocent people could die at Stefan’s hands if he drank human blood. Elena’s relationship with Stefan is not perfect, as it begins with a series of lies, and Stefan, although wanting to support Elena’s decisions, also tends to overstep and tries to control things. In Damon’s case, he and Elena acknowledge they are in a toxic relationship. They do not bring out the best in each other and instead tend to bring out the worst constantly.
Ending the series single would have left an open ending for Elena to do whatever she wanted, including potentially falling in love with a healthier partner down the line. Perhaps, Elena could have found someone she had a healthier relationship with, human or not. Unfortunately, The Vampire Diaries tended to trap Elena into this concept that she would inevitably end up with either Stefan or Damon, as if there were no other potential suitors with whom she could have eventually fallen in love. Elena was a teenager with her entire life ahead of her, and The Vampire Diaries tended to act as if Elena’s decision as a teenager would be the most important one she would ever make. However, either way, Elena ended up in a troubled relationship, regardless of if it was with Stefan or Damon. Ending the show single would have eliminated that possibility.
