'The Vampire Diaries' Elena Gilbert Isn't Actually That Annoying
Like a variety of 2000s teen drama leads, Nina Dobrev's Elena Gilbert gets a lot of hate. Fans aren't afraid to voice when they find her annoying, whiny, and codependent. Even the other characters in the show do it too! However, I don't think Elena's actually that bad. Can she be whiny? Yes. Although, to be fair, I'd be a menace if I lost my parents and my aunt and was constantly hunted by vampires!
As The Vampire Diaries' first lead, we spend a good portion of the show seeing the world through her perspective, meaning we're more in tune to her thoughts and emotions — and I'm here to highlight the good ones.
She's Complex
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Elena definitely has some character traits (ahem, her selfishness) that can be frustrating for viewers, but that just makes her more human because to be human is to be complicated! "I think people mistake her being an unlikable person as being a poorly written character which isn’t true at all," one Reddit user says. "People tend to be all over morally complex male characters but feel the need to make female characters morally redeemable in order to like them."
Let women be complex! I will shout it from the rooftops!
Elena Gilbert Is Beloved — And Loves Others Deeply
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While Elena Gilbert can come across as a Pick Me Girl, one Reddit user makes the excellent point that it's not actually Elena's fault Stefan, Damon, Jeremy, and the rest of Mystic Falls are willing to literally bend the laws of nature to save her. But she also loves them just as much.
"She was willing to sacrifice herself to Klaus so no one else would have to die," they continue. "Oh yeah, Klaus. The same dude that murdered her Aunt Jenna, also the same dude that Caroline slept with…but only Elena is capable of being a ‘bad friend’ ok…"
It feels like Caroline and Elena make an equal amount of mistakes, but Caroline's are forgiven way easier. (Notice I left out Bonnie from this comparison. This is because Bonnie is flawless to me and I love her).
She's Loyal
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Elena loves her friends — and she stands beside them, even when they turn off their humanity and morph into totally dark versions of themselves.
"Elena always refused to leave Stefan even when Stefan thought he was doing the right thing by pushing her away," another Reddit user says. "Not to mention, Elena could’ve walked away at any time. There’s this narrative around their relationship like she was caught up in this web of lies and didn’t know left from right, up from down. She was free assertive in this relationship despite being a human."
Knowing that she could leave at any time and choosing to stay, even when it was hard, is just another example of Elena's love for the people around her. And if you ask me, it's another reason to love her!
What do you think about Elena Gilbert? Let us know your favorite Vampire Diaries scene in the comments!
Lead image via The CW/Warner Bros Television