Fans of The Vampire Diaries have been dipping their toes into Vampire Academy (run by TVD showrunners Julie Plec and Marguerite MacIntyre) and finding some bloody fun in the new series. TVD still remains a hugely popular television show, but it did afford all of its main characters a lot of plot armor through eight seasons.
The younger Salvatore brother was a character who was granted plenty of respite from life-threatening consequences, and there were times he should have definitely died in the show. His status as one of the main characters was the only thing that kept him alive.
Defeated Elijah
Stefan's final death in The Vampire Diaries was heartbreaking, but it should have happened much earlier when he and Damon took on Elijah by themselves. Rescuing Elena gave them a solid motive but did not explain how two vampires under two centuries old could take on an Original.
Elijah was known to take on whole armies and other Originals with ease, so it's safe to say that it was plot armor that prevented Stefan from being toast.
Got Killed By Julian
Many thought it was the end when Stefan had his heart ripped out by his mother's boyfriend Julian, but Bonnie on the Other Side made sure that he would return. Other vampires had gone permanently the same way, but they did not get a comeback.
Stefan's character died and came back to life because he was vital to the plot. There was no surety that every vampire with a ripped-out heart would be sent back with the collapse of the Other Side, but it was a given with Stefan.
Came Face To Face With Silas
The doppelgängers of The Vampire Diaries kept increasing in number, but when Stefan's first face, Silas, came face to face with him, it seemed like Silas would try to kill his shadow self.
Stefan was completely unprepared for the ambush, and Silas was an extremely powerful witch and immortal who had been gorging himself on blood. His move to drown Stefan made little sense when he would have, logically, killed him to take his place.
Stole The Originals' Coffins
There are things people get wrong about the Mikaelson siblings, but their defense of each other is seldom mistaken. Klaus may have put his siblings in coffins, but Stefan stealing them should have meant the end for the younger vampire.
Klaus killed people for a lot less, and putting his family in danger was something he fought for viciously. It was Stefan's plot armor that let him leave unscathed.
Became Human Again
Receiving the cure from Bonnie turned Stefan back to human age, and also brought people like Dorian back for revenge once he was vulnerable. Besides his compulsions wearing off and people queuing up to get him, Dorian straight-up shot Stefan.
At this point, Stefan could have most likely died. He was hated and attacked, and the police were inundated with victims' claims. Plot armor, however, kept him safe despite that.
Got Chased By Rayna
Rayna Cruz was intent on killing her former victims, and she was controlled by her supernatural Huntress instinct. She could not hold herself back, so when she spared Stefan and couldn't catch up with him, it seemed too convenient.
Stefan made stops and took help from Klaus, yet the Huntress was unable to touch him for a while. The young Salvatore should have been dead with Rayna's accuracy and single-minded pursuit of him.
Tried To Kill Finn
Yet again, Stefan messed with and got involved in killing an Original sibling, and was spared by Klaus and Elijah. These two were very insistent on protecting their own, and Elijah even said that those who touched them seldom lived to tell the tale.
Yet, Stefan managed to drug and trick Finn, who himself was a thousand-year-old Original, and got him killed. It was strange that Stefan bore no consequences of this.
Faced Off With Cade
Cade was an all-powerful psychic in his heyday, who then became the King of Hell. He held a huge amount of power and influence, and he was also a ruthless dictator.
Thus, the fight between Cade and Stefan was mismatched. Cade should have been able to take down Stefan with a click of his fingers, yet Stefan managed to overwhelm and kill an unkillable being.
Got Trapped In A Human Body In The Snow
When the Phoenix Stone's destruction scattered Stefan's soul into a human body, it seemed like it was time to say goodbye to him. The body couldn't contain a vampire, and the bitter cold was fatal for a human.
The way Damon found his brother in an unknown body and vicious storm was unrealistic, and Stefan could very well have perished in this human body in the snow rather than being found at the last moment.
Enzo Spared Him
Enzo hated Stefan for a long time, primarily because he had been a bad brother to Damon Salvatore. He even got into a lethal fight with him and made Stefan kill him to prove a point.
Therefore, it was strange that when Enzo returned, he stopped hating Stefan or trying to kill him. Enzo was old and strong and could have enacted his grudge at any point.
Source:gamerant.com