Both Nina Dobrev and Candice King have been busy in their post-The Vampire Diaries lives with their wine-making ventures and brand new podcasts. But while it's fun watching the actresses thrive and grow, fans will always remember them as Elena Gilbert and Caroline Forbes. Not only were the two best friends hugely important to the show, but they were also similar in more ways than one.
Both the Mystic Falls teens got involved with the supernatural at a young age, and even shared many love interests during their time in school and college. Their personalities did not match at all, but many of their foundational values and character traits were the same. Fans loved to see Caroline and Elena behave similarly, proving just how close they were to each other.
They Fell For Stefan And Matt
Caroline and Elena had the best friendship on TVD, because even though they liked the same boys, this never got in between them. In a seeming pattern, Caroline dated Matt after he and Elena broke up, and then she fell for Stefan a while after Elena chose Damon over him.
The two clearly had very similar tastes in partners, which was why they both fell for Stefan and Matt. Both these men were known for their sensitivity and tolerance, which was something that Caroline and Elena each looked for in men.
They Lost Close Family
Mystic Falls was as much a hub for the supernatural as it was for tragedy. Elena and Caroline were two teens who lost their parents early on in their lives, although Elena's parents' death was much more shocking. A freak accident killed Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, which orphaned Elena at a very young age.
Caroline had some heads-up before she lost Bill and Liz, but she suffered immensely in the wake of her family members' deaths. These losses united Caroline and Elena together, and made them even closer than ever since they had no real family left anymore.
They Became Vampires At A Young Age
Vampirism was something that happened to both Elena and Caroline against their will but impacted their lives differently. For Elena, it was the saddest thing to ever happen. She never wanted to be immortal, and it made her do things that she was not proud of. Being run off the bridge by Rebekah made her a creature she never wanted to be.
Conversely, Katherine's brutal "killing" of Caroline gave her a new lease on life — vampirism suited her much better than being human. She had immense control and became a better version of herself. Both the friends became vampires as teens, which was a rare shared experience.
They Turned Off Their Humanity
There were points in the show where the friends couldn't handle grief in their lifetimes, so they flipped the switch. Elena and Caroline both turned into their no-humanity selves, which led them to hurt, maim, and kill people with their callousness.
Funnily enough, with their humanity off, both Elena and Caroline threw barbs at each other, which included stealing dresses and giving reality checks. Love and care were what bound these friends together, and the lack of humanity cleaved a big emotional gap between the two when they each flipped the switch.
They Had Romances With Anti-Heroes
These two Mystic Falls ladies liked bad boys, which was why they each had their own torrid love stories with the two biggest anti-heroes, Damon and Klaus, during The Vampire Diaries.
Both of them tried hard to fight against their feelings for the villains, but try as they might, they only got swept closer to them. Elena took several seasons to even admit to herself that she felt for Damon, and Caroline could never fully be with Klaus because of his evil ways. Their ships, Delena and Klaroline, remain the most loved ships on the show.
They Would Do Anything For Bonnie
Bonnie was both Elena and Caroline's best friend, and a vital part of the trio. She was a powerful witch, but Elena and Caroline would do anything to save her. The vampires would even cross personal boundaries and go against core values if Bonnie's well-being was at stake.
Strictly against killing people, Caroline slayed 12 witches to save Bonnie from being killed, while Elena willingly went into a deathly coma to keep her safe and alive for the rest of her lifetime. They sacrificed their beliefs and their entire lives to safeguard Bonnie, which proved just how close they were to each other.
Their Fathers Had Questionable Beliefs
Caroline suffered majorly at the hands of Bill Forbes, who tried to condition vampirism and predatory impulses out of her through torture, which was bleak since he was her father. He was a fanatic when it came to vampires, and went to disturbing lengths to work against the supernatural creatures.
While much wasn't known about Grayson Gilbert, even more questionable practices came to light when he was revealed to be a part of the Augustine society. This meant that both Elena and Caroline's fathers were anti-vampire, and in a way that was seriously detrimental to others. Ironically, both their daughters became vampires, and even married them long after being cured.
They Were Ambitious
Even though these two were almost always drowning in supernatural problems, or facing menacing villains all the time, they did not give up on their dreams. Through the chaos, Elena found time to pursue medicine, and Caroline got her drama degree that she so wished for.
Consequently, they achieved their dreams, which was heartening to see. This drive was also evident when they were in school, and participated in cheer squads and various other committees.
They Were Sired By Damon
Coincidentally, it was Damon's blood that turned Elena and Caroline into vampires. The killing was done by Rebekah and Katherine, but both the teens had ingested or been given Damon's blood to heal them, and that was how they transitioned into vampires.
Damon had sired many vampires, but turning Elena and Caroline was not his plan. However, between the two, only Elena developed a sire bond for him, possibly because of the deep devotion she already felt towards Damon.
They Killed People
As one is prone to do as a vampire, both Elena and Caroline had taken lives. Even though neither of them ever wished to do so, they were driven to it. Caroline killed by accident when she didn't know how to feed, and she also killed to defend her friends.
Elena killed quite a few unsuspecting waitresses, Hunters, and Travelers when she became a vampire, too. The friends were compassionate and never wanted to be in a situation where they had to end lives, but they still went through with it, which corrupted their innocence a fair bit.
Source:gamerant.com