After reading the first book in The Vampire Diaries series, I binge-watched all eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. It took four months, and I loved every minute of it. Don’t judge. In the process, I fell heel-over-fangs in love with Damon Salvatore.
Not Stefan.
Damon. 😍 😍 😍
You remember Damon Salvatore, don’t you? Dark hair, blue eyes, eternally gorgeous vampire?
I mean, he’s what girlish dreams are made of.
*Photos from Giphy
I KNOW I’m not the only one. Elena eventually fell for him, too. Damon is the reason I kept watching the tv show. I came back day after day and month after month—because of Damon.
You may be thinking, I’ve gone a little nuts. And yes, I have.
Here’s Why Damon Salvatore Is My Ideal Netflix Boyfriend
1. Damon’s Gorgeous.
Since this boyfriend is confined to Netflix, it’s necessary that he’s easy on the eyes. And speaking of eyes, Ian Somerhalder (the actor who plays Damon) has the second most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen (my husband’s eyes come first).
Obviously, I have a type, because my husband is tall with dark hair and light blue eyes and Ian Somerhalder just happens to sport the same features. But that doesn’t change the fact that Damon/Ian is one handsome fella.
2. He’s Funny
Again, this is something I love about my husband, so it’s no surprise that Damon’s dry and morbid sense of humor endeared him to me right from the start.
No other character on The Vampire Diaries can make me laugh like Damon does. Whether he’s cracking jokes about Stefan’s “hero hair” or using glib remarks to deflect tension in a dangerous situation, Damon has a line for everything. He’s funniest when he’s at his worst or when he’s planning on killing someone, which happens a LOT.
3. He’s Dangerous
While he doesn’t drive a motorbike (thank goodness we didn’t go down THAT cliched road), Damon Salvatore dresses in dark colors and a leather jacket, which only adds to his bad-boy appearance.
But he’s dangerous in more ways than just his appearance. Damon Salvatore is as bad as they come. In a single episode, he can do away with a dozen or more people and supernatural beings. He consistently seeks out trouble and views impossible situations as a challenge. In short, he isn’t known for being the good guy.
4. He’s Spontaneous
Whether he’s changing his mind, befriending an enemy, or diving head-first into a battle he can’t win, Damon is nothing if not spontaneous.
5. He Fights for What He Wants
When Damon sets his sights on something, he doesn’t give up until he’s got it…or until the game changes and he no longer wants it. He’s willing to take any risk and put himself in unthinkable danger to achieve his purposes. Especially when it comes to Elena.
How long did we watch Damon pine after Elena? How many episodes did we watch him protect her, fight for her, and choose her over everything else? His tenacity in this area makes him all the more worthy of Netflix boyfriend status.
6. He Loves Whole-Heartedly
Finally! Damon and Elena get together and it’s a whirlwind, crazy kind of all-consuming love that makes you deliriously happy. When Damon falls in love, he jumps in with both feet and lays his entire heart on the line. He holds nothing back.
Stefan was a safe, reliable, and consistent boyfriend (except for the few times he goes on killing sprees). But Damon is the epic, dizzying romance that everyone wants to experience at least once.
7. He Doesn’t Change for Anyone
Damon knows who and what he is. He doesn’t try to pretend he’s different and he refuses to change for anyone. Repeatedly, he tells Elena that he isn’t going to change who he is for her. I like that he knows who he is (even if it’s horrible) and that he owns up to the bad things he does.
When Damon finally does change, he does it for himself. He changes his actions because he wants redemption, not because someone else wants him to.
8. He Doesn’t Give Up
Damon is stubborn, persistent, and unwilling to take no for an answer. This gets him into trouble from time to time, but it also allows him to slowly win people over.
Because he’s so stubborn, he keeps fighting for what he wants, whether it’s Elena, freedom, or his home. Even when the situation looks hopeless and he should accept defeat, Damon stubbornly looks for another alternative—and often finds it. Even if it takes an act of recklessness or danger, Damon is willing to go the distance.
Why Damon Salvatore is a Terrible Boyfriend IRL (In Real Life)
Obviously, Damon looks great on Netflix. His imperfect nature makes me love him all the more, but he would be a terrible boyfriend in real life. Here’s why:
1. He’s Abusive
Remember in season one when he dated Caroline? Or how about when he “dated” Andie, the newswoman? He compelled them to date him and then treated them with disdain. He also used them as human blood banks and fed on them constantly. There’s also his heartless fling(s) with Rebekah and countless other girls and women he hurt/ate along the way to Elena.
2. He Runs Away When He Gets Scared
We see it time and again. Damon gets what he wants, then worries he’ll disappoint someone and consequently pushes everyone away. He does it to Stefan, Elena, Enzo, and Bonnie, among others.
3. He Overreacts to Disappointment
Damon Salvatore’s love is a powerful, all-consuming thing, but his hate is just as potent.
When Elena rejects him in favor of Stefan, what does Damon do? He kills Elena’s younger brother. When Katherine inhabits Elena’s body and breaks up with Damon, he goes on a killing spree, murdering any human he comes across. That’s an overreaction to the extreme. No girl should have to worry about how many people her boyfriend will murder if she breaks up with him.
3. He’s Selfish
Damon cares about himself above everything else (including people). He knows it, everyone else knows it, and he isn’t afraid to own up to it. Several times on the show, he sacrifices his friends in order to achieve his own purposes. While Damon’s selfishness is needed for the sake of the show, a person that untrustworthy would make a terrible boyfriend.
4. He Can’t Stop Killing People
That’s right—killing people. Whether he’s picking a fight for no reason, being self-destructive, trying to prove a point, or just in the mood, he kills someone. It’s his answer to every question and he uses it liberally.
If Damon Salvatore were a real person, I’d run away like I was being chased by a mama bear. Screaming.
However, since he’s confined to my iPad screen, I’m not ashamed in proclaiming my adoration for his character.
I could stare into those gorgeous blue eyes for weeks on end.
Oh wait, I already did that.
Have you watched The Vampire Diaries? What do you love/hate about Damon?
