10 Cringiest The Vampire Diaries Moments, Ranked (2025)

Watching The Vampire Diaries is a wonderful hit of nostalgia, romance, and fantasy, but even this massive hit show had some dated elements. From awkward farewell dances to over-the-top emotional outbursts, the show had enough scenes that left viewers squirming in discomfort. Some of these sequences had cheesy dialogue, were badly choreographed, or were just wildly out of place in the story.

These cringe-inducing moments have, for better or for worse, become just as memorable as the most iconic moments in The Vampire Diaries. They are an impeachable part of the 2000s show and contribute to its charm. However, fans do wish that these cringeworthy moments had been reconsidered before they went on air.

The rules of vampire folklore in The Vampire Diaries were clear: if a vampire was staked in the heart, they would die immediately. However, Lily's death broke the rules of this lore, as even after getting staked, she had a long, drawn-out death. She had staked herself, thinking that she was linked to Julian, so it would take him down too.

However, that was not the case, and the Salvatore matriarch somehow was able to survive a stake to her chest long enough to say some teary farewells to her Heretic family and sons. In addition to being nonsensical, this scene was also overly melodramatic. She was surrounded by people who loved and hated her, and there were long speeches that expressed the same. This made fans cringe because it was unnecessary, and Lily just wasn't that important.

9 Stefan Tells Caroline They Won't Happen

Stefan and Caroline ended up getting married (which was foreshadowed early), which is why their Season 1 interactions were especially cringeworthy. As a human, Caroline was jealous and insecure, and she always wanted what Elena did. This was why her advances on Stefan were awkward to watch, especially since he was clearly more interested in Elena.

During a school party, Caroline came and flirted with Stefan, and he very clearly told her that their romance would never happen. Seeing how Stefan also ate his own words when he eventually married Caroline, this exchange was uncomfortable to watch. Caroline's desperation and Stefan's rigidity were odd to watch in retrospect, making their future romance feel out of place.

8 Elena Tells Stefan to Save Matt While Drowning

Elena's transition into a vampire was especially shocking, but the way it happened was found to be weird by most of the fanbase. Elena relived her trauma when Rebekah made her car crash from Wickery Bridge, with Matt in it as well. When Stefan dove into the water to save her and Matt, there was a lot of precious time wasted in Elena trying to be a martyr.

Inexplicably, Elena was able to tell Stefan, while she was drowning, to save Matt first. Even stranger yet, Stefan spent a lot of time listening to her and trying to decide what to do. Eventually, he rescued Matt first, and by the time he returned, Elena had died. This entire situation didn't make sense on multiple levels, as Elena should not have been able to tell Stefan what to do, and he was a vampire with super speed who should have been able to save both of them. It made the entire scene look oddly forced and orchestrated to turn Elena into a vampire.

7 Damon and Elena's Farewell Dance

Nina Dobrev's exit from The Vampire Diaries meant the end of Elena's arc, which called for a farewell to the beloved protagonist of the show. As she lay in a slumber from Kai's sleeping curse, her friends and family linked with her telepathically and bid their goodbyes. However, when the time came for Damon to bid farewell, things got a little strange.

The two lovebirds shared an elaborate dance, which was fully choreographed with intricate lifts and spins. This dance seemed out of place during an emotional farewell, as fans assumed that Damon and Elena would have a lot to say to each other before she slept for what could be decades. It's important to remember that this sequence also happened entirely inside Elena's mind, which made it extremely cringeworthy and bizarre to watch. Surely, Damon and Elena would have spoken to each other instead of having a goodbye dance.

6 Vicki and Damon's Dance Scene

Damon's treatment of women, especially in the initial seasons of The Vampire Diaries, was abhorrent, but he was still painted as a romantic hero. He sought out young women like Vicki, who had insecurities, and exploited them for his own benefit. It was incredibly inappropriate to see him day drinking with a high school teenager while they danced in the Salvatore house.

Damon was noticeably older than Vicki, so the visual of an older man dancing seductively with a teen was seriously cringey to watch. There was nothing alluring about it, and the sequence was more disturbing than anything. He also turned her into a vampire shortly afterwards, without her consent, which makes this scene even worse.

5 Elena Does A Keg Stand And Stands On A Bike

Elena and Rebekah shared an open hostility, especially after Elena turned into a vampire. Rebekah longed for fame in popularity in high school, which was odd for a woman who was thousands of years old. When she held a party for the teens of Mystic Falls High, Elena crashed it and entered into a popularity contest of sorts with Rebekah.

After she got her daylight ring back, Elena went and did a keg stand with her classmates, which was very uncharacteristic of her. She was trying too hard to show Rebekah that she was more loved by teenagers, but the scene only made fans cringe. Right after this, Elena did some stunts on a bike with Stefan, which looked extremely awkward as they were clearly done in front of a bad green screen, and for some reason, immortal Elena was wearing a helmet.

4 Elena Tells Stefan Her Life Was Fantastic While He Was Suffering In The Vault

As a vampire, Elena did several questionable things. Her character took a turn for the worst, which was especially evident in her first interaction with Stefan when he got out of Silas' vault. While she seemed concerned, she also started telling Stefan what a wonderful summer she had while he was not around, seemingly rubbing salt into his wounds.

Stefan was traumatized by the experience and even more hurt when he realized that his brother and ex-girlfriend had forgotten about him. Nobody came to save Stefan, and then he had to hear from Elena's mouth how great her life had been while he was not in the picture. It was a tactless and cringeworthy thing to say, and Elena should have shown compassion and contrition instead of this.

3 Alaric Tells Caroline He Is Letting Her Go

Alaric and Caroline's relationship was highly inappropriate, considering how he used to be her teacher when she was in school. While Carolien did magically become a surrogate to his and Jo's twins, there was no need to make them fall in love and nearly get married. It was clear from the beginning that Caroline did not love Alaric and was only compromising for the well-being of her children.

This was why his elaborate speech in Season 7 was especially weird, as he professed his love to Caroline, which she did not return. He said that he was letting her go so that she could be with Stefan, but he should have never arm-twisted her into an engagement in the first place. Trying to marry someone who used to be a student was bad enough, but Rick's speech made it seem like he was doing something noble and self-sacrificial by letting Caroline live a normal life with the man she actually loved.

2 Jeremy Tears Off His Clothes As The Hunter's Mark Grows

Jeremy Gilbert never got his due on The Vampire Diaries, but it was hard for fans to respect him when delivered one of the most cringeworthy performances on the show. When he killed Kol, his entire sire line started dying, which started growing his Hunter's Mark. This happened at a rather unfortunate moment, which made the scene hilarious rather than serious.

Stefan, Elena, and Damon were having a heated discussion about their love lives when Jeremy suddenly got up and tore his shirt off. The suddenness of the action, coupled with his reaction to it, was hilarious and unnatural. There was definitely a better way to choreograph this scene, but the way in which it was done only elicited laughs from the audience.

1 Damon and Elena Argue About Their Toxic Relationship

While Damon and Elena, fondly called Delena, continue to be a beloved TVD ship, they were not perfect on the show. In fact, their relationship always got flak for being unhealthy, which the show tried to address. Damon and Elena had an impassioned fight about how much they loved each other but how toxic they were because Damon kept messing up, and Elena kept making excuses for him.

This scene was riddled with clunky dialogue, awkward acting, and a weird vibe overall. Damon had killed Elena's friend, but all she could think of was how much she loved him. Even when Damon told her to stop loving him, she said she could not. People realistically don't speak the way Damon and Elena did in this conversation, and it did little to address the actual toxicity of their bond.

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The Vampire Diaries

Horror Fantasy Drama

10/10

Release Date

2009 - 2016

Network

The CW

Cast

See All

• 

  Nina Dobrev

  Paige

• 

  Ian Somerhalder

  Student

Showrunner

Julie Plec

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