In The Vampire Diaries, of all the supernatural beings, massive plot twists, and breakout villains, one of the biggest mysteries surrounding Mystic Falls was who Salvatore’s brother Elena would end up with. The love triangle was at the heart of the series, with Elena being in the middle of Stefan and Damon’s standoff for her company. She struggled to identify the emotions she felt for each of them, and when she finally made a decision, she was thwarted by the father bond she had with Damon. Although Elena eventually reunited with Damon, a decision confirmed in the series finale; maybe things could have been more exciting if Elena had ended up single.
Elena has almost no love interests aside from Stefan and Damon, making it inevitable that she ends up with one of them. However, Damon and Stefan each had ways of being possessive and controlling Elena’s life to such a degree that she rarely had the opportunity to develop other potential romantic interests or decide that she’d rather be alone. . The Salvatore brothers have brought great pain and difficulty to Elena, her family and friends in their single-minded desire to protect Elena above all else. If the show had gone a different route and given Elena a different ending, it might have been the most unpredictable thing the show could have done.
It would be unpredictable
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For a show where one of its biggest questions followed which male lead would end up as the female lead, allowing Elena Gilbert to end the series by choosing to be single would have been a surprising avenue. The Vampire Diaries tried to twist and morph the love triangle until it became one of the show’s most overused storylines. The love triangle was so embedded in The Vampire Diaries that it didn’t completely go away even after Elena ended up in a magical coma, as its existence still played a part in Stefan and Damon’s relationship. It seemed like audiences were waiting the entire series for a solid answer as to whether Stefan or Damon would be Elena’s final choice. What if she had chosen neither?
Elena could have moved away from Mystic Falls or chosen to stay in town, but she gave up on having a romantic relationship with Damon once she woke up from her coma. It was predictable that Elena would end up with Stefan or Damon because no other romantic interest ever resisted the Salvatore brothers’ constant back and forth. But, having him choose neither and decide to take his life on a different path would have been surprising.
Elena has been caught up in the love triangle for most of the series
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The love triangle technically ends when Elena officially chooses Damon in “Graduation”, in control of her feelings once her humanity returns and the father bond is gone. However, that doesn’t mean the love triangle is going away. Instead, it still holds firmly as a subplot as Season 5 introduces the story of the Doppelgängers and the curse surrounding them, suggesting they’re destined to be together after ages finding each other. Although the love triangle fades away a bit, there are still references to it throughout Season 6 as Elena and Stefan reminisce about the aftermath of their failed relationship as they continue their friendship and Damon’s forgotten memories of Elena.
But, having Elena finish the series on her own would have been a new change after being torn apart for so long, especially if it was a decision she made for herself rather than killing the two brothers. To kill them both, leaving Elena to mourn two other people, would have been devastating. But, Elena acknowledging the dangerous history that came with Stefan and Damon, and choosing to walk away from this pivotal role in her life, might have painted a different light for the character.
She could have found a healthier life
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With Stefan, he jumped from one extreme to another. At best, Stefan could only survive on animal blood, never as strong as other vampires. At worst, Stefan’s Ripper and No-Humanity teams were slow to come back. Although Elena was supportive of Stefan, it would have been exhausting to constantly deal with it, knowing how many innocent people could die at Stefan’s hands if he drank human blood. Elena’s relationship with Stefan isn’t perfect, as it begins with a series of lies, and Stefan, while willing to support Elena’s decisions, also tends to overstep and control things. In Damon’s case, he and Elena recognize that they are in a toxic relationship. They don’t bring out the best in each other and instead tend to bring out the worst all the time.
Ending the show’s single would have left an open ending for Elena to do whatever she wanted, including potentially falling for a healthier partner down the line. Maybe Elena could have found someone she had a healthier relationship with, human or not. Unfortunately, The Vampire Diaries tended to trap Elena in this concept that she would inevitably end up with Stefan or Damon, as if there weren’t any other potential suitors she could have fallen in love with. Elena was a teenager with her whole life ahead of her, and The Vampire Diaries tended to act as if Elena’s decision as a teenager would be the biggest one she’d ever made. However, in any case, Elena found herself in a difficult relationship, whether with Stefan or Damon. Ending the show’s single would have eliminated that possibility.