Few other villains have stood out the way Klaus Mikaelson did in The Vampire Diaries, and he remains a highlight of the show, despite it having three other protagonists. The middle child of the Mikaelson family, Klaus grew into the strongest of them all, due to his hybrid nature, but also the cruelest. Klaus was a power-hungry vampire who would do anything to become the most feared supernatural creature in the world.
However, Klaus’ allure stemmed from the fact that there was goodness within him, hidden under years of abuse and neglect. He was forced to be the worst version of himself due to how Esther and Mikael treated him, and his innate distrust of the world. Even then, Klaus could not keep himself from protecting his loved ones and even those he didn’t love quite so much, proving that he could be the hero of Mystic Falls too.
Klaus Doesn't Mock Katherine On Her Deathbed
Season 5, Episode 11, "500 Years of Solitude"
Klaus’ rivalry with Katherine went back over five centuries, and he had made sure that she paid for her supposed crimes against him. There was no doubt that Katherine had done nothing wrong by choosing to save her own life, but Klaus lost his ability to become a hybrid for 500 years more when she turned into a vampire. When Katherine was dying, everyone from Damon to Elena decided to give Katherine a piece of their mind.
Klaus, too, arrived in Mystic Falls to do the same, but meeting with Caroline changed his mind. He wanted to gloat too, but he held back from doing it because Caroline told him how doing so was in poor taste. Objectively, it may not be particularly heroic to be kind to someone when they are on their deathbed, but for Klaus to hold back from doing so with Katherine definitely showed growth on his part.
Klaus Saves Elena and Caroline From Alaric
Season 3, Episode 21, "Before Sunset"
Enhanced Original Alaric was intent on hurting Caroline out of a misplaced sense of justice, and he got Elena involved in his twisted games, too. Alaric had tortured Caroline with vervain and pencils by that point, but Elena managed to stall him with her presence of mind. However, it seemed unlikely that both of them would get away safely as the Enhanced Original was extremely determined to get his revenge.
When Caroline ran away, she was met with Klaus, who held her and comforted her, while telling her to get to safety. Klaus assured her that he would save Elena from Alaric, but only if Caroline listened to her. It was a heroic and romantic moment at the same time, and it also made fans swoon to watch Klaus and Caroline together.
Klaus Protects Elena From the Hunter's Curse
Season 4, Episode 6, "We All Go a Little Mad Sometimes"
It was extremely unlike Klaus to do something out of compassion, and Elena was rarely on the receiving end of it. When she killed Connor, she did not know that she would trigger the Hunter’s Curse. This Curse left Elena hallucinating in the worst way possible, and would eventually torture her so much that she would be compelled to kill herself.
Klaus knew what this felt like, as he had gone through it for more than 52 years himself, but could not die as he was an Original. So, to help Elena feel better, he offered her a room in his house where she would be safe and not do anything to hurt herself. He knew that Elena would take off her daylight ring and burn to death, so this captivity prevented that from happening. Klaus did this with no selfish motive, which was a rare occurrence.
Klaus Rescues Caroline From Pastor Young
Season 4, Episode 1, "Growing Pains"
Whenever Caroline was in danger, Klaus would turn into a hero for her. He valued her above his own sister, which was sweet but also a bit tragic for the Mikaelson brood. When Pastor Young and the Council kidnapped Caroline and Rebekah, Klaus wasn’t going to let them stay captive for too long. Bonnie had placed Klaus in Tyler’s body, and even though he was much weaker in it, Klaus decided to save Caroline first.
When Caroline and Rebekah were being transported, Klaus caused a crash that would give him the time to get Caroline out. In an act of petty sibling rivalry, Klaus left Rebekah behind to stall Pastor Young and his cronies, but made sure to take Caroline to safety. He even let Caroline believe he was Tyler, but that didn’t last too long. Klaus couldn’t help but be a protector around her.
Klaus Gives Caroline His Blood to Save Her From Her Bite
Season 3, Episode 11, "Our Town"
Klaus and Caroline’s love story began with this moment of kindness that he showed to Caroline, but it was a complicated situation from the beginning. Before he knew Caroline, Klaus made Tyler bite her, which was fatal to her as she was a vampire and he was a werewolf. However, he also showed up at her door to give the cure for the bite, which was his blood.
It was obvious that Klaus fell for Caroline the moment he saw her, which was why he didn’t toy with her at all. Instead, he gave her a beautiful speech about the joys of being a vampire, of which the greatest was the art, music, and genuine beauty that she could witness with time at hand. He asked Caroline if she wanted to live, and when she said yes, he offered her his blood so that she could be healed.
Klaus Lets Tyler Come Back to Mystic Falls as Caroline's Gift
Season 4, Episode 23, "Graduation"
Usually dogged in his pursuit of vengeance and power, Klaus showed a remarkable amount of consideration and forgiveness in this moment. Not only did he save Caroline, Elena, and Mystic Falls, but he also decided to leave a sweet parting gift for Caroline’s graduation. He knew that Tyler brought Caroline joy, so he decided to lift his banishment of Tyler from the town and allowed him to come back to Mystic Falls.
Klaus didn’t need to do this as he had already been a hero for the Mystic Falls gang, but he always wanted Caroline to be happy. He told her in a heartstopping moment that he knew that Tyler was her first love, but he intended to be her last love. He knew that inviting Tyler back to Mystic Falls would make Caroline happy, but he was also sure that he was the real romantic hero of her life.
Klaus Cures Elena of Werewolf Venom
Season 4, Episode 3, "The Rager"
Elena certainly had a poor start to her vampiric life in The Vampire Diaries, but somehow, Klaus showed her a lot more compassion once she was one of the undead. When Connor poisoned Elena with werewolf venom, Stefan called on Klaus to save her life. This time, Klaus asked for nothing in return for his blood, and he immediately gave Elena his wrist so that she may recover.
While Klaus was interested in saving Elena because he knew of the existence of the Cure, it was still a heroic gesture to save her before she got worse. He could have bargained with Stefan for even more things, like his slavery and more favors, but Klaus did not waste time in saving Elena. He was the only one who could save vampires from werewolf bites, and he always looked like a hero when he did.
Klaus Gives Caroline a Big Donation For Her School
Season 8, Episode 16, "I Was Feeling Epic"
Klaus had exited Mystic Falls in Season 4 of The Vampire Diaries, but he was always looking out for Caroline. The final showdown in Mystic Falls left several characters dead, including Stefan, who had married Caroline only hours before he sacrificed himself. In the aftermath of this tragedy, Caroline decided to focus on Josie and Lizzie and decided to start the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young and Gifted.
This would also interest Klaus, who now had a child of his own named Hope. He sent her a heartfelt letter in the final moments of The Vampire Diaries, wishing Caroline the best for her endeavors, and also offering her a large donation to start her school. It was incredibly generous of him, and he knew that his money would be used in a noble cause by the right person.
Klaus Gives Damon The Cure to His Werewolf Bite
Season 2, Episode 22, "As I Lay Dying"
In this instance, Klaus was not directly on the scene, but his blood saved Damon’s life. At that time, the Salvatores hadn’t known that Klaus’ blood was the cure to werewolf bites, but when Stefan found out, he offered himself to Klaus. He agreed to turn off his humanity and be a Ripper for Klaus, if the Original would save his brother.
Klaus had his selfish motives here, but he could have easily not even provided his blood to Stefan to save Damon’s life. Katherine turned up with the cure to the Salvatore House, and Damon was instantly cured from the lethal werewolf venom. These little acts of heroism proved that Klaus had a humane and gentle side to him, but he didn’t like showing it.
Klaus Faces Mikael and Kills Him
Season 3, Episode 9, "Homecoming"
Mikael was Klaus’ greatest weakness, as his father had bullied and broken him when he was a child, and chased him across the globe when he became a vampire. Mikael wanted to kill Klaus, and he was the one figure who still enraged and petrified the Original Hybrid, but Klaus faced his fears head-on in this episode. He looked Mikael in the eye as his father tried to put him down, once more.
Klaus took the White Oak Stake from Damon, and with Stefan’s timely interference, was able to stake Mikael in the heart, once and for all. This moment was extremely significant in Klaus’ personal history, and it proved that he, too, had his own drawbacks, but he was not afraid to face them. He rid the world of a being like Mikael, and saved his siblings from his constant threat, too.
