Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
'The Vampire Diaries' characters Stefan, Elena, and Klaus
Photos by The CW
Category:
TV

Here’s the official watch order for ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘The Originals’

Honey, you are WELCOME.
Ashley Marie
  and 
Aya Tsintziras
|

Published: Dec 9, 2024 03:05 pm

When The Vampire Diaries premiered to audiences on Sept. 10, 2009, fans were immediately enamored with the storyline of Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), a high school student who lost her parents in a tragic accident and moved in with her aunt alongside her brother, Jeremy Gilbert (Steven R. McQueen). The hit CW drama is another reminder that there’s more to the world of vampires than just Twilight!

Recommended Videos

The six seasons that followed introduced viewers to vampires along with witches, hybrids, and werewolves. There were species so far hidden within the town’s history that only a select few knew of their existence, and they were hell-bent on keeping it a secret. There may be a lot of vampire content, but the fact that the seemingly innocent small town of Mystic Falls had so many different species living there sets the TV drama apart from the others.

The Originals and Legacies spinoffs helped grow The Vampire Diaries universe. The expanded realm allowed fans to learn even more about the vampiric stories they loved so much. Of course, The Vampire Diaries also introduced a few key players from The Originals, and the same goes for Legacies. If you’re wondering how the heck to watch all of these shows in some kind of coherent order, fear not ⏤ we’ve got you covered.

How should you begin your Vampire Diaries Universe watch?

Without vampires, humans, witches, and werewolves forming those initial bonds (or becoming enemies), the other series wouldn’t have been possible. How do the various episodes work in tandem with each other? Whether you’re a fan of TVD who has never ventured into the other realms, are starting entirely from scratch, or just want to rewatch your favorite vampire series, how do you get started?

You most definitely want to begin with The Vampire Diaries. You’ll undoubtedly fall in love with either Stefan (Paul Wesley) or Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), or maybe even both (an occupational hazard of being a TVD fan). You’ll also root for Elena to dive deeper into her relationships with them and understand why her heart is torn Bella Swan-style. If you thought the most swoonworthy vampire of all time is Edward Cullen, trust me ⏤ Stefan and Damon’s contrasting good guy/rebel personas will win you over! (And you won’t find any creepy moments here, so that’s a plus.) You’ll relate to the characters, and then you’ll get to the episodes where outsiders are introduced and your real journey begins.

You can start by watching The Vampire Diaries seasons 1-4 before intertwining TVD episodes with The Originals. If you’re wondering how best to do this, a pop culture fan has laid it out for you in a well-developed and inevitably time-consuming list. On Quora, an account named Shivam Upadhyay laid out an episode-specific watchlist for fans of The Vampire Diaries and its spinoffs. I’m forever grateful for their contributions, as I’ve watched all of the series on their own and can attest that watching it this way is truly something special.

While Elena and the Salvatore brothers are of course important characters, Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) is also a key part of how the various shows within the franchise work together. After first appearing in The Vampire Diaries season 2, the creepy/dark/mysterious/charming Klaus becomes the main character on The Originals, and his family appears in the second spinoff Legacies.

This list will help you navigate the story in its entirety, and it provides a fascinating way in which to watch the series for new or existing fans.

The official watch order for The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies

  • The Vampire Diaries Season 1
  • The Vampire Diaries Season 2
  • The Vampire Diaries Season 3
  • The Vampire Diaries Season 4
  • The Vampire Diaries Season 5, Episode 1
  • The Originals S1, E1
  • The Originals S1, E2
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E2
  • The Originals S1, E3
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E3
  • The Originals S1, E4
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E4
  • The Originals S1, E5
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E5
  • The Originals S1, E6
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E6
  • The Originals S1, E7
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E7
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E8
  • The Originals S1, E8
  • The Originals S1, E9
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E9
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E10
  • The Originals S1, E10
  • The Originals S1, E11
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E11
  • The Originals S1, E12
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E12
  • The Originals S1, E13
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E13
  • The Originals S1, E14
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E14
  • The Originals S1, E15
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E15
  • The Originals S1, E16
  • The Originals S1, E17
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E16
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E17
  • The Originals S1, E18
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E18
  • The Originals S1, E19
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E19
  • The Originals S1, E20
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E20
  • The Originals S1, E21
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E21
  • The Originals S1, E22
  • The Vampire Diaries S5, E22
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E1
  • The Originals S2, E1
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E2
  • The Originals S2, E2
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E3
  • The Originals S2, E3
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E4
  • The Originals S2, E4
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E5
  • The Originals S2, E5
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E6
  • The Originals S2, E6
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E7
  • The Originals S2, E7
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E8
  • The Originals S2, E8
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E9
  • The Originals S2, E9
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E10
  • The Originals S2, E10
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E11
  • The Originals S2, E11
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E12
  • The Originals S2, E12
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E13
  • The Originals S2, E13
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E14
  • The Originals S2, E14
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E15
  • The Originals S2, E15
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E16
  • The Originals S2, E16
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E17
  • The Originals S2, E17
  • The Originals S2, E18
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E18
  • The Originals S2, E19
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E19
  • The Originals S2, E20
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E20
  • The Originals S2, E21
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E21
  • The Originals S2, E22
  • The Vampire Diaries S6, E22
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E1
  • The Originals S3, E1
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E2
  • The Originals S3, E2
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E3
  • The Originals S3, E3
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E4
  • The Originals S3, E4
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E5
  • The Originals S3, E5
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E6
  • The Originals S3, E6
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E7
  • The Originals S3, E7
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E8
  • The Originals S3, E8
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E9
  • The Originals S3, E9
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E10
  • The Originals S3, E10
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E11
  • The Originals S3, E11
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E12
  • The Originals S3, E12
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E13
  • The Originals S3, E13
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E14
  • The Originals S3, E14
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E15
  • The Originals S3, E15
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E16
  • The Originals S3, E16
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E17
  • The Originals S3, E17
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E18
  • The Originals S3, E18
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E19
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E20
  • The Originals S3, E19
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E21
  • The Originals S3, E20
  • The Vampire Diaries S7, E22
  • The Originals S3, E21
  • The Originals S3, E22
  • The Vampire Diaries Season 8
  • The Originals Season 4
  • The Originals Season 5
  • Legacies Season 1
  • Legacies Season 2
  • Legacies Season 3
  • Legacies Season 4

Exhausted yet? Yeah, this one’s gonna be a commitment. But I promise that if you follow this watch order to the letter, you’re going to get the best TVD viewing experience possible.

But wait, what is Legacies?

You might have anticipated only watching The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, but I’ve decided to include Legacies in this optimal viewing list, too, as it’s the final installment in the story that first captivated us so many years ago. Legacies picks up 10 years after the conclusion of The Vampire Diaries and around three years after The Originals. It includes some familiar names and faces, like Hope Mikaelson (Danielle Rose Russell) who appears on The Originals. A slew of new characters help flesh out the rest of the exciting story, and Legacies is an important chapter in the overall narrative. While TVD is about Elena’s journey and love for two vampires and The Originals focuses on one vampire family, Legacies will appeal to fans of Wednesday as 17-year-old Hope goes to the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. Major Nevermore Academy vibes, right?

Thankfully for current Netflix subscribers, Legacies is currently available to stream there in full; however, The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are not. TVD can currently be found over on Max while The Originals is chillin’ over on Prime Video.

We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more

We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
related content
Author
Image of Ashley Marie
Ashley Marie
Ashley Marie is a staff writer, beat leader, Disney fanatic, and Yellowstone expert. When she's not filling her friends in on all the entertainment news they can handle, she's drinking her go-to Starbucks order — a caramel macchiato, thank you — and wishing she was at Disney World or spending time at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. With a focus on positivity and kindness in journalism, Ashley has been writing for a decade and hopes to keep bringing you articles for decades to come.
Author
Image of Aya Tsintziras
Aya Tsintziras
Aya Tsintziras is a freelance writer at We've Got This Covered who has been writing about pop culture since 2014. She has a Masters of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and enjoys writing about TV dramas, horror movies, and celebrities. When not working, she's reading a thriller novel, catching up on The Real Housewives, and spending time with friends and family.