Although The Vampire Diaries ended in 2017, fans still love to go back and rewatch the series whenever they can as it provides them with a lot of comfort. It might be because they love watching the brotherly bond between Stefan and Damon grow, the endearing moments that are shared between Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline, or simply because they enjoyed the schemes villains like Katherine or Klaus concocted.
However, that’s not to say that there wouldn’t be a few fans who wouldn’t get tired of binging the show. Since The Vampire Diaries can be draining with its intense and emotional storylines, some people might want to take a break and try watching something else before resuming. If this is the case then there are just as many entertaining shows out there that have a similar style to The Vampire Diaries and could introduce fans to a plethora of new supernatural creatures.
Updated November 05, 2021, by Kayleigh Banks: Thanks to The Vampire Diaries’ spin-off show, Legacies, fans have been gifted a bit more time with their favorite characters. Not only have Jeremy, Alaric, and Klaus made reappearances, but it has also been confirmed that Claire Holt is set to reprise her role as Rebekah Mikaelson in season 4. Sadly, Legacies will also end and fans will have to permanently say goodbye to the TVD characters forever. But fear not, some of the TVD cast and crew have gone on to star in new projects have a similar atmosphere and get the blood pumping with its terrifying scenes.
Although its spinoff might not have done as well, the original Penny Dreadful was a lot more successful with the world. On the air between 2014-2016 and set in Victorian England, the show mainly followed Vanessa Ives and her investigative team as they worked together to hunt down any supernatural entities that are lurking around London.
Similar to The Vampire Diaries, there are some powerful villains hiding in the shadows, including the infamous Dracula, Mina Harker, and Dorian Gray. It’s a bit darker and more violent than The Vampire Diaries, but it does have an intriguing and compelling story arc that ties all three seasons together nicely.
Being Human (Available To Stream AMC Plus)
Running from 2011-2014, Being Human focused on the lives of a vampire, werewolf, and a ghost, who live together as roommates and all go on a journey of self-discovery as they try to work out what their place is in the world.
It’s not just the supernatural elements and creatures that makes the series similar to The Vampire Diaries, but some of its best romances are just as emotional and iconic too, with many gravitating towards Aidan and Sally as well as Josh and Nora.
Shadowhunters (Available To Stream FuboTV)
With the inclusion of vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and faeries, many Vampire Diaries fans might find themselves drawn to the world Netflix’s Shadowhunters occupy. Running from 2016 to 2019, the TV series centers on the life of Clary Fairchild, who discovers that she is part of a long-lost line of Shadowhunters and is destined to protect the world from some dangerous supernatural demons and entities.
Like The Vampire Diaries, the viewers will see plenty of werewolves, vampires, and warlocks appear as they either battle it out with the Shadowhunters or form alliances with them. It’s not all full of action sequences either as there are plenty of romances and mystery plots included too.
From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (Available To Stream On Netflix)
Although From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series might not have a large fanbase, fans of The Vampire Diaries will still enjoy this vampiric tale. Running from 2014-2016, From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series followed the story of two brothers, Seth and Ritchie, who find themselves in over their heads when they uncover a vampiric criminal underworld on their travels.
Similar to the bond Damon and Stefan have on The Vampire Diaries, the viewers will enjoy watching the relationship between Seth and Ritchie go from strength to strength as they overcome the odds thrown their way. They may also be intrigued by the redemptive story of Santánico Pandemonium, who, like TVD’s Klaus, starts as a villain but ends up becoming an empowering hero. The only major difference is that it is a bit more graphic in terms of themes and violence.
Roswell, New Mexico (Available To Stream On Netflix)
Based on the young adult books Roswell High, many Vampire Diaries fans might find a lot of joy in following the story of Liz Ortecho in Roswell, New Mexico as she discovers that one of her childhood best friends is an extraterrestrial. However, she later finds out that he has been keeping a greater and more heartbreaking secret - one that will change her life forever.
Although there aren’t any vampires involved in the show, that doesn’t mean its presence can’t be felt. Not only do they have several Vampire Diaries and The Originals writers working on the scripts, including Carina Adly Mackenzie and Eva McKenna, but several of the shows’ stars appear too (such as Nathan Dean Parsons, Michael Trevino, and Riley Voelkel).
The Magicians (Available To Stream On Netflix)
The Magicians ran for 5 seasons from 2015-2020 and centered on Quentin Coldwater and his group of friends he meets at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy.
The show begins with Quentin being obsessed with fantasy and the idea of magic when he discovers that magic is actually real and there’s an established college where he can study and meet other magicians. The series is arguably more mature than The Vampire Diaries, but it has similar themes of romance, drama, and the supernatural.
The series Grimm was based on the History of the Grimm Brothers and centered on a detective who was tasked with protecting his town from supernatural threats. The show ran from 2011-2017 and followed detective Nick Burkhardt who comes from a long line of hunters called the Grimms.
The series was full of supernatural creatures, both good and bad, and drama between the main character, his allies, and all of their enemies as they tried to keep their town safe.
Once Upon A Time (Available To Stream On Disney+)
Once Upon a Time was on the air from 2011-2018 and was a modern retelling of multiple fairytales and re-imagining of classic fairytale characters. The show centers on Emma Swan and her son, Henry, who believes that his mother is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming and that their town is full of other fairytale characters.
The show introduces several other fairytale characters from Captain Hook to the Mad Hatter with fantasy, witchcraft, drama, and romance throughout.
Supernatural (Available To Stream On Netflix)
Supernatural was on the air from 2005-2020 so there’s a lot for fans of The Vampire Diaries to watch now that their favorite show has ended. The series follows two brothers, Sam and Dean, as they travel the United States hunting villainous supernatural creatures and saving people.
Multiple relationships are built throughout the series even if it doesn’t necessarily focus overtly on romance and there are certainly enough supernatural creatures, including vampires, throughout the series for any fan of The Vampire Diaries to enjoy.
Sleepy Hollow (Available To Stream On Hulu)
Sleepy Hollow had 4 seasons from 2013-2017 and is a re-imagining of the well-known story of Ichabod Crane, the headless horseman, and Sleepy Hollow. Crane is brought back to life by some supernatural force centuries after his death in modern America, and the villainous headless horseman is brought back as well. Crane realizes he has to stop him and any other supernatural force that comes to Sleepy Hollow alongside his partner Abbie Mills.
There’s drama, romance, and supernatural forces throughout the series, just like The Vampire Diaries.
Salem (Available To Stream On Hulu)
Salem is a supernatural drama that aired between 2014 and 2017. The series is set during the 17th century and is based on one of the darkest periods in American history, the Salem Witch Trials. This show follows Mary Sibley, the most powerful witch in the town of Salem. When her former lover returns to town, her plans to use her dark powers to get ahead are forced to change.
For fans of The Vampire Diaries, this show is perfect. The Vampire Diaries is a show that mostly focuses on vampires with side stories that involve witches, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures, this show has the same dark and suspenseful drama and romance that got fans hooked on The Vampire Diaries in the first place.
True Blood (Available To Stream HBO Max)
True Blood aired between 2008 and 2014. The series follows a waitress named Sookie who doesn’t exactly fit in in Louisiana because of the fact that she can read minds. When she falls for a charming southern vampire, her struggles to fit in with those around her become even more pronounced thanks to the local people’s hesitation to accept their relationship.
Even though True Blood and The Vampire Diaries both involve vampires, these shows are different enough that they’re both super interesting. True Blood is a more adult-oriented show, but the supernatural drama is enough to keep anyone interested.
Pretty Little Liars (Available To Stream HBO Max)
Pretty Little Liars is a teen drama that aired for a total of 7 seasons from 2010 through 2017. The series is set in Rosewood where a group of former friends are forced to come back together after the disappearance of another of their friends. When they start getting strange messages, things take a dark turn for this group of students.
Although Pretty Little Liars isn’t supernatural (with the exception of some ghost stories during the Halloween specials), the show is still perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries and the characters of Pretty Little Liars are easy to love. The twists are surprising, and the drama is enough to keep the viewer engaged.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a supernatural drama that aired from 1997 through 2003 and even spawned a spinoff series. This series follows Buffy, the latest in a long line of people known as Slayers who are in charge of keeping the world free of vampires, demons, and other dark supernatural creatures.
Odds are, fans of The Vampire Diaries have already seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer and probably its spinoff series, Angel. But, if some have somehow gone since the ’90s without seeing this classic, it’s time to change that. There are some great and likable characters in Buffy and the storylines are really engaging too.
Riverdale (Available To Stream On Netflix)
Riverdale is a dark TV adaptation of the Archie comics. Set in the fictional town of Riverdale, this suspenseful teen series follows all our favorite Archie comic book characters, including Archie himself and his friends Jughead, Betty, and Veronica. The series has been airing since 2017 and always has fans guessing about what’s going to happen next to these characters.
Like The Vampire Diaries, this series is airing on The CW. Although it lacks the vampires and werewolves that made fans love The Vampire Diaries, there’s enough drama, intensity, and supernatural moments to keep any fan of teen dramas hooked.
The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (Available To Stream On Netflix)
This isn’t the ’90s Sabrina sitcom that fans grew up with. The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is a Netflix original series and a darker version of the Sabrina Spellman that we know and love. This adaptation of the Sabrina the Teenage Witch comics follows as Sabrina, a half-mortal and half-witch, tries to balance the dark and light within her.
Fans of the character storylines on The Vampire Diaries like Stefan try to balance holding onto their humanity while being a vampire, will be immediately hooked on The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. This show is dark and spooky, but such a fun imagining of Sabrina’s life.
The Originals (Available To Stream On Netflix)
The Originals is the spinoff series of The Vampire Diaries that follows the Mikaelson family. The Mikaelsons are the family of Original Vampires that were introduced in The Vampire Diaries. In this series, Klaus, his siblings, and his friends return to New Orleans in order to regain control over the supernatural community there.
Although most fans of The Vampire Diaries have likely already seen this spinoff, there are five seasons to enjoy for anyone that somehow missed out on it. For everyone dying to know what happened to Klaus, Hayley, and Rebekah after they left Mystic Falls, it’s time to catch up.
Loosely based on the ’80s movie of the same name, Teen Wolf is a dark, supernatural drama that aired on MTV from 2011 through 2017. The series follows a pretty average high school student named Scott whose life in Beacon Hills is turned upside down after he’s bitten by a werewolf and ends up becoming one himself, thrusting him into the heart of the supernatural world.
Because of the fact that both series have werewolves and are both set in tight-knit, smaller towns, Teen Wolf is a series that regularly gets compared to The Vampire Diaries. If fans are looking for a similar supernatural teen drama this show is a perfect choice.
Charmed (Available To Stream On Peacock)
With a total of 8 seasons, Charmed is a show that aired from 1998 through 2006. The series is set in San Francisco where it follows a group of three sisters who just discovered that they’re witches. Their purpose as witches is to protect the rest of the world from the forces of evil, while still trying to balance their normal lives.
This series is similar to The Vampire Diaries in that it has a heavy focus on supernatural beings that are living in the regular world with all the normal people. If a fan’s favorite character in The Vampire Diaries was Bonnie and you always wanted more witchy storylines, check this classic show out.
The X-Files (Available To Stream On Hulu)
The X-Files is a massively popular science fiction series that began airing in 1993 and has aired a total of 11 seasons since then. The series follows a pair of FBI agents who are tasked with traveling around the country in order to investigate unexplained events that seem to be of the paranormal variety.
If fans enjoyed seeing the wide variety of supernatural creatures that The Vampire Diaries featured as side characters, they’ll definitely love this show. Each episode follows the two agents as they investigate new out-of-this-world phenomena in a suspenseful and spooky way.
