The Vampire Diaries presents Stefan Salvatore as virtuous, so it’s fair to question why he became a bloodthirsty Ripper vampire once turned. He’s framed as a better person than his brother, Damon, more morally upright, and one would (wrongly) assume he’s always been a model vampire. However, perhaps his high moral standards are a result of his violent history.
In 1864, well over a century before The Vampire Diaries took place, the then-human Salvatore brothers were met with a sad fate. After falling in love with a doppelgänger named Katherine, they’re both turned into vampires. Decades passed and Stefan’s reputation as a Ripper–a vampire who is addicted to human blood and who feeds so violently, their victims are torn apart–came to fruition. He became the Ripper of Monterey after slaughtering an entire village of men, women, and children in his bloodlust. For the rest of his existence in The Vampire Diaries, he was essentially addicted to human blood, so much so that the slightest drop made him lose control. Although it’s unclear what exactly caused this violent bloodlust, many aspects of Stefan’s life before becoming a vampire arguably contributed to it.
Stefan Salvatore’s relationship with violence can be traced back to his human life. It has been implied throughout The Vampire Diaries that Stefan was always slightly temperamental. Presumably, he got this trait from his father, Giuseppe, who was responsible for killing Stefan and Damon when he learned they were in league with Katherine. It’s also later revealed that their mother, Lily, was also a temperamental Ripper, as she was responsible for over 3,000 deaths across Europe. As being a Ripper operates similarly to addiction, Stefan may have had a genetic or familial predisposition to being a Ripper, similar to real people with substance abuse issues. Another possible contributing factor is his early life as a vampire. He was turned by the woman he loved at the age of 17, and she, like Lily, faked her own death and abandoned the Salvatore brothers shortly thereafter. Because of this, Stefan never had a mentor to teach him anything about vampirism. He never learned to control his bloodlust.
Why Stefan Fell Off The Wagon And Became A Ripper Again
Frequently throughout The Vampire Diaries, Stefan Salvatore was shown to become the Ripper type of vampire. The first few times this happened, his savior was his best friend, Lexi. She eventually weaned him off of human blood and taught him self-control. However, the Vampire Diaries season 2 finale saw Stefan becoming a Ripper once more thanks to the most powerful Original vampire, Klaus Mikaelson. Klaus promised to save Damon and spare his life if Stefan obeyed him. This included drinking human blood, as Klaus had always found Stefan more fun when he was a Ripper. Ultimately, Stefan gave in to save his brother, immediately reverting to his Ripper ways.
Sadly, Stefan's time as a Ripper always ended in violent killing sprees, contributing to his guilt. This wasn’t his fault, of course, as circumstances beyond his control affected his entire life as a vampire. Even Stefan’s death in the Vampire Diaries finale was tragic. Despite his large victim count, he kept track of his wrongdoings, writing down the names of every person he killed in his bloodlust. Stefan’s status as a Ripper throughout The Vampire Diaries didn’t define him. His moral compass always pulled through.
