The Vampire Diaries: The 15 Best Damon & Elena-Centric Episodes (2024)

After eight seasons of drama, tension, and even a sleeping curse, the best Damon and Elena episodes finally ended with their happily ever after in the finale of The Vampire Diaries. Their love was messy and epic — and sometimes a love triangle made it seem impossible — but it was worth seeing them end the show together, happy and human. After meeting early in the series when Damon wasn't looking for anything other than causing trouble, their love story carried the show through to the ending where they finally got the life that Elena always dreamed about.

What is impressive about the Damon and Elena episodes is that actor Nina Dobrev left the series in season 6, but there were so many big moments in the show before her departure. With that said, Dobrev returned as Elena at the end of the season finale to give Damon his happy ending, and also to wrap up their storylines in a perfect fashion. Any Damon and Elena rewatch covers the key beats of their relationship, from the highs through the lows, and it involves plenty of dances, fights, love, and death — along with some of the most memorable Vampire Diaries moments in the entire show.

"The Five"

Season 4, Episode 4

In Vampire Diaries season 4, Elena became a vampire, and it took a while for her to get acclimated to her new role in the world. However, Damon was there to help Elena adjust to this new role, as well as the urges that came with it. The season 4 episode "The Five" was one of the Damon and Elena episodes that showed how important it was for Damon to help her, as he continued to show his love for her. In this episode, Damon teaches Elena how to feed without killing anyone, and the two share plenty of steamy moments here, proving it was always supposed to be Damon and Elena and never Stefan.

"I Know What You Did Last Summer"

Season 5, Episode 1

In season 5, this episode showed them completely in love. They had defeated Silas in season 4, and this premiere episode showed that they enjoyed an entire summer of love, all while Stefan was missing (he was at the bottom of the quarry). However, this was also the start of something new as Elena started college and the turmoil began again. Despite that, this episode showed the two in a light-hearted and happy relationship - something that was often a rare occurrence in The Vampire Diaries​​​​.

"I'm Thinking Of You All The While"

Season 6, Episode 22

The toughest season was the sixth, and a big part of that was because this was where Elena left the Vampire Diaries cast. This was the most depressing season when it came to their relationship, as that is when Elena said goodbye to the people she loved from her subconscious state. While linked to Bonnie, she was at least able to say her emotional goodbye to Damon. At this moment, they shared a passionate final dance on the road where they originally met, and it all ended with a kiss and Elena admitting she loved Damon before departing.

"Original Sin"

Season 5, Episode 3

The best Damon and Elena episodes proved that the two Vampire Diaries characters had one of the most atypical relationships on television. They had huge fights, a lot of drama, and more than enough jealousy thanks to the romantic triangle that existed since the start of the show. However, there were also quiet moments and these gave fans a chance to enjoy their relationship. The season 3 episode "Original Sin" gave fans a chance to see what it was like if the two could just have a quiet romance. Of course, it was all ruined when Silas walked in, but, for a while, this showed what Damon and Elena deserved in life.

"The New Deal"

Season 3, Episode 10

For much of the first three seasons, Damon battled his bloodlust and his love for Elena. That makes "The New Deal" one of the more important Damon and Elena episodes when it comes to their love story. In this episode, Damon has to battle himself when he weighs his love for his brother with his growing love for Elena. After Stefan halts the plan to kill Klaus and saves his brother, Damon decides to make his move for Elena. He said he would feel guilty about it, but he kissed Elena, and it was time for their relationship to kick into high gear.

"Bloodlines"

Season 1, Episode 11

Damon and Elena don't get off to the best start. Stefan warns his new girlfriend of his brother from the day they first meet, and Elena is (rightfully) horrified by the way Damon treats Caroline. However, this all changes in "Bloodlines." After saving Elena from a car wreck, Damon takes Elena along on a road trip to Georgia, where they bond in a bar and first start to get to know each other for real. It's very much a friendship at this point, but this is the turning point for the two, marking the first time Elena starts to like Damon's personality.

"The Departed"

Season 3, Episode 22

Except for one flashback scene, Damon and Elena spend the entirety of "The Departed" apart. Rushed out of town by Matt, Elena is finally forced to choose between Damon and Stefan. She ultimately chooses the latter but is forced off Wickery Bridge and killed before they reunite. It doesn't sound like a recipe for a Delena episode, but the setup makes it critical. Elena notes that she may have made a different choice if she'd met Damon first, only for a flashback to reveal that they did and Damon compelled her to forget. For fans eagerly waiting for the pair to unite, this was the first real sign they might be endgame.

"The Birthday"

Season 3, Episode 1

Season 3 opens with Damon and Elena amid their summer-long search for Stefan after he leaves town with Klaus. This doesn't sound like a recipe for romantic development, but this intense period alone together has changed them. Their bond is tighter, and Damon is suddenly one of the people Elena trusts most. This episode is full of strong scenes, like when Damon returns Elena's necklace as a birthday gift. But it's the retrospective meaning that makes it such a pivotal episode. Later, in season 6, Elena reveals that this was the moment she realized she loved Damon, adding a new layer of tension to the rest of the episodes before they eventually get together.

"As I Lay Dying"

Season 2, Episode 22

Damon and Elena's tentative friendship seems to come to an end when Damon, drunk and upset by Elena's rejection, snapped her brother's neck. This is usually a point of no return, but Jeremy is wearing his Gilbert ring and comes back to life – and, slowly, the two repair their friendship. By the time the season 2 finale rolls around, Elena cares for Damon just as much — if not more — than she did before. With him seemingly dying of a werewolf bite, she kisses him for the first time. It's more of a goodbye kiss than anything else, but the episode confirms that, despite her protests, she does have romantic feelings for her boyfriend's brother.

"Heart Of Darkness"

Season 3, Episode 19

The tension between Damon and Elena is palpable throughout most of the third season. With Stefan out of the picture for the most part, Elena struggles to fight her growing attraction to Damon — before finally giving in during "Heart of Darkness." While on a road trip to find Jeremy and contact Rose on the Other Side, Elena learns what Damon did for Rose in her final days. Overwhelmed, she initiates their first make-out session in the middle of a motel hallway. This culminated years of tension, making this one of the show's most anticipated episodes.

"Miss Mystic Falls"

Season 1, Episode 19

Elena and Damon are just becoming real friends when Stefan goes off the rails in season 1. His timing isn't great; it's the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, and his pursuit of bloodlust leaves Elena alone and at risk of humiliation in front of the entire crowd. Thankfully, Damon steps in and takes Stefan's spot for the dance. It's a first in many ways: Damon's first real romantic gesture, the first obvious display of his and Elena's powerful chemistry, and, as Elena reveals to Alaric in season 6, the first time she finds Damon attractive. More than anything, this episode highlights the difference between him and Stefan.

"Do You Remember The First Time?"

Season 6, Episode 7

She's had plenty of experience with death by this point in the show, but Elena refuses to process Damon's loss. Instead, she asks Alaric to remove all memories of their relationship – only for Damon to return to Mystic Falls, alive and well, after escaping Kai's prison world. Desperate to remind her of what they've lost, Damon tries to help Elena remember key moments from their time together. It's heart-wrenching to watch — especially considering how long it took them to get together the first time — but also delivers one of their most romantic scenes, when he thinks back to the time he promised her forever and kissed her in the rain.

"Rose"

Season 2, Episode 8

Even though Damon's emotions for Elena were clear long before "Rose," this is the first episode where it's completely laid out on the table. When Elena is kidnapped by Rose and Trevor, Damon joins Stefan to rescue her — and Stefan makes it very clear that he knows his brother is in love with his girlfriend. Damon doesn't deny it and later says those three little words to Elena for the first time before erasing the memory of his revelation. It's the first truly selfless thing Damon does in the show, and it's a turning point for the way he treats Elena moving forward.

"Graduation"

Season 4, Episode 23

Damon and Elena's relationship only gets more tumultuous once it's officially romantic. After the revelation of the sire bond and then Jeremy's death, it seems like there's no chance they'll ever get to be together for real. But then there's "Graduation". With the sire bond now broken, Elena confirms that her love for Damon is true and chooses him over Stefan. It's one of the most satisfying Delena episodes, marking the end of The Vampire Diaries love triangle trope once and for all, and it's the beginning of their official relationship.

"My Brother's Keeper"

Season 4, Episode 7

The clock starts ticking on Stefan and Elena's relationship the moment she becomes a vampire. It finally comes to an end in season 4's "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes", with Damon and Elena kicking things into gear in the subsequent episode, "My Brother's Keeper." Considering Elena cites Damon as the main reason for her breakup, the entire 40 minutes are filled with delicious tension. Finally, the timing is right for the pair to get together. Even with the revelation of the sire bond, it's a massive moment to see both give in to their emotions after repressing them for so long on Vampire Diaries.

The Vampire Diaries

Horror

Fantasy

Drama

Based on the novels by L.J. Smith, The Vampire Diaries is a story about the developing love triangle between Elena Gilbert and two vampiric brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore. Set in the town of Mystic Falls, Virginia, the show follows the trio from high school through college as they battle for one another's affection.

Cast

Nina Dobrev , Ian Somerhalder , Steven R. McQueen , Paul Wesley , Kat Graham , Michael Trevino , Michael Malarkey , Zach Roerig , Candice King , Matthew Davis

Seasons

8

Franchise

The Vampire Diaries

Story By

L.J. Smith

Writers

Julie Plec , Kevin Williamson , L.J. Smith

Network

The CW

Streaming Service(s)

Netflix

Directors

John Dahl

Showrunner

Julie Plec