As one of The Vampire Diaries main protagonists, fans had the pleasure of watching Stefan Salvatore’s arc from the first episode to the last. Stefan is mostly a kind-hearted vampire, who tries to not hurt others as much as possible but sometimes, he slips into his dark ways and becomes extremely dangerous.
In the course of 8 seasons, viewers learned about the various friendships he formed in his past as well as in the present. While some of these were exclusively platonic or short, there were others that went on to be more defining and impacted his character in a major way.
9 Katherine
Stefan and Katherine (who was a doppelganger of Elena), had a tumultuous relationship. Katherine always claimed to love Stefan but in reality, she manipulated Stefan and her brother to achieve her own goals.
However, she would regularly appear to somehow get Stefan’s affections and make his life miserable. She never actually cared for his feelings and would always try to guilt Stefan into helping her. Although the duo did share some heartfelt moments, Stefan would have never been able to befriend Katherine since she was so devious.
8 Klaus
Stefan and Klaus had one of the most complicated friendships. In the 1920s, they shared a unique bond and were extremely close to each other, until Klaus compelled him to forget all the time they spent together. When they meet again, Klaus forces Stefan to leave Mystic Falls in exchange for Damon’s life.
Klaus clearly manipulates Stefan at his will even though he states that he cares about Stefan in his own way. What makes this friendship even more toxic is that it brings out the worst in Stefan since they used to torture and murder people together (reveling in it).
7 Bonnie
Stefan and Bonnie always shared a mutual respect for each other since their lives were so intermingled. They often teamed up to protect the people they loved (like Elena and Caroline) and also cared for one another.
However, fans know that Stefan can be extremely evil when he shuts off his humanity. In the final season, he killed Enzo, which was arguably the worst thing Stefan did with his humanity off. He ripped Enzo’s heart out right in front of Bonnie, which was the cruelest thing one can do to their friend. This ruined their friendship for the fans.
6 Rebekah
Rebekah is one of the many women Stefan had fallen in love with in his long life. Sadly, when Klaus compelled him to forget that he ever met with the Originals, he forgets Rebekah too. When Rebekah comes to Mystic Falls, Rebekah seemed to be still harboring some feelings for him.
However, they both knew that the ship has sailed and they only share a no-strings-attached one-night stand in season 4. They maintain a form of friendship throughout the series and help each other numerous times.
5 Valerie
Stefan’s first love was Valerie, who is a witch-vampire hybrid. They rekindle their romance when Caroline moves on with Alaric because Stefan wanted to get over her. However, when Valerie realizes that Stefan is still not over Caroline, she lets him go and they depart as friends.
It is nice to see that at least one of Stefan’s romantic relationships is not as complicated as others. Valerie might have lied to Stefan so that she could keep him with her but still, they had a healthy relationship for three years (which is rare in Stefan’s case). They care for each other and they mutually end their relationship, without too much drama involved.
4 Elena
Elena and Stefan make one of the most popular couples in modern television and fans still constantly talk about ‘Stelena.’ They may not be the endgame couple on The Vampire Diaries, but the duo shared a lovely and sweet friendship even after their split and Elena started dating his brother, Damon.
Even when Stefan died and before Elena woke up from her sleeping spell, Stefan said goodbye to her and told her to pass on her message to Caroline. Many fans contend that they should have ended up together. Whatever may be the opinion of any fan, one cannot deny that they shared a unique and special bond.
3 Damon
Stefan and Damon Salvatore might be brothers by blood, but their relationship has been incredibly tumultuous throughout the series. They cared for each other but they often came in between each other’s happiness, which was due to the fact that they mostly fell for the same girl.
Fortunately though, by the end of the show, they were not only brothers anymore but best friends (which was something no Vampire Diaries fan saw coming). Damon officiated Stefan and Caroline’s wedding and Stefan sacrificed his life to save Damon and all the residents in Mystic Falls.
2 Caroline
Stefan and Caroline have had one of the most interesting growth in their relationship throughout the show. The series began with Caroline having an unrequited crush on Stefan, then they became best friends until finally, they fell in love and got married.
However, it was definitely not that simple. They went through a lot but mostly, they supported each other through the thick and thin. Caroline helped Stefan get over Elena when doppelgänger got in a relationship with Damon and Stefan helped her when she turned into a vampire and when she lost her mother.
1 Lexi
Stefan and Lexi didn’t have a lot of screen time on the show but whenever they appeared together, their bond was evident. Their friendship was one of the best friendships on the show and undoubtedly Stefan’s best friendship.
Their relationship stayed platonic until the end, but their care for each other rivaled how they cared for their romantic partners. Even after Lexi’s death, Stefan often thought of her and she remained his guardian angel. They met again in the afterlife, turning the sad moment of his death incredibly sweet.
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