Meanwhile, their beloved hometown of Mystic Falls continues to be a magic-free zone, protected by a mysterious new community watch program. What happened to Bonnie and Damon, and if they can even be saved, remains a mystery. Now, months after this devastating tragedy, everyone is dealing with the loss of their loved ones in different ways, some more destructively than others. Finally, with time running low until the inevitable collapse of The Other Side, Damon and Bonnie made the ultimate sacrifice in order to bring back their friends. Stefan and Caroline's friendship deepened as they stood up to the Travelers, a nomadic witch tribe driven to strip Mystic Falls of magic and cast out its supernatural residents. Damon's relationship with Elena was put to the test when Enzo (guest star Michael Malarkey), an old vampire friend from Damon's past, revealed he was still alive and looking for revenge. As Bonnie's friends fought to bring her back to life as the Anchor to the Other Side, Stefan (Paul Wesley) had to face-off with his doppelganger Silas, and a newly human Katherine (Nina Dobrev) struggled with mortality and motherhood.

After a passionate summer with Damon (Ian Somerhalder), Elena headed to Whitmore College with Caroline (Candice Accola), not knowing that Bonnie (Katerina Graham) sacrificed her life to save Jeremy (Steven R. Season 5 of The Vampire Diaries began with a sense of hope for Elena (Nina Dobrev).

Cast of the vampire diaries season 6