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Who Are The Old Ones In The Vampire Diaries? Explored
The Old Ones were the first vampires and have terrorized humanity for millennia. They possess unique abilities like immunity to traditional vampire weaknesses.
Vampires' popularity stems from their longevity, allowing them to have extensive personal histories. They often manipulate human civilization through grand conspiracies, with their forebearers being more mysterious than modern vampires. The Vampire Diaries introduces fans to the concept of the Old Ones, the first and most powerful vampire species, from whom all other vampire lineages claim descent.
Being the first among their kind, it gives them abilities that their descendants could only dream of having. Wise and benevolent ancestors they are not though. The Old Ones could be just as tyrannical as the worst of their descendants, and given their abilities, this makes them especially dangerous. So, here is everything that is known about the Old Ones.
The Old Ones were the first vampires
The Old Ones' history is complex due to their uncertain origins. They were never human and existed before the pyramids were created, making them around three thousand years old. One Old One, Klaus, claims his earliest memories come from the Bronze Age, potentially making him four and five hundred years old. This suggests that the Old Ones cannot remember their origins due to their long lives or that something, likely their progenitor, erased their memories for unknown reasons.
Theories suggest the Old Ones are connected to Mesopotamian deities, but there is limited information. The Old Ones were described as tyrannical and domineering, often enslaving others and posing a significant threat to humans. The series' history reveals that they unleashed chaos and death on humans, with the Principle Guardians as the only true defense against them. The Principle Guardians' power rivals the Old Ones.
The Old Ones clashed with the series' protagonists. Kalus would cause them all grief in the town of Fell's Church until a final confrontation destroyed him. Elena Gilbert and her companions embarked on a quest to hunt down them, hoping to bring peace. They successfully destroyed several Old Ones before the remaining ones gathered to destroy the last descendants of the Principle Guardians.
The Old Ones were the strongest vampires
The Old Ones possess all the abilities of their descendants, including enhanced strength, senses, and supernatural abilities like weather manipulation and telepathy. As the first of their kind, they likely possess more powerful versions of the base vampire traits, making them more dangerous than their descendants. This explains their unique characteristics and their potential for dominance.
Being an Old One offers unique abilities, including immunity to typical vampire weaknesses, daylight operation, and the ability to use hands-on methods like fire, wood, or wolf bites. Even decapitation or heart removal slows them down. Old Ones also possess an "aura" that can affect the emotions of those around them, instilling fear or potentially altering their emotional state, making them more malleable for manipulation. These powers make them harder to identify and dispatch, making them a valuable asset in the vampire world.
They can resurrect themselves if they are killed. The process requires the blood of a descendant of the Old One looking to be resurrected, revitalizing the body and allowing it to return. However, if their body has been destroyed an Old One can possess the body of a descendant. Given that there are many vampires out there and they all claim descent from the Old Ones, this means truly guaranteeing that the Old Ones are gone for good would require exterminating the entirety of the vampire species.
Weaknesses of the Old Ones
Old Ones, seemingly invincible, can be limited, harmed, or killed. They require invitation into homes and cannot cross running water, a weakness shared by their descendants. Ghosts can help deal with Old Ones by transporting them to a plane of existence where they can no longer harm them. Ghosts are incapable of killing Old Ones or the already dead but can transport them to a state where they can no longer cause harm.
The series also revealed that the use of White Oak wood can harm an Old One. It is important to note that the word harm is used specifically here. It is unknown if a stake crafted from its wood would successfully kill the creatures. On that note, there is one definite way to kill the Old Ones: with the blood of the Principle Guardians. It is poisonous to Old Ones and can kill them if they ingest it. This is the weapon that Elena Gilbert discovered, as she herself is a Principle Guardian/Human hybrid.
That being said, even if an Old One is killed, it is only a matter of time before they are resurrected.
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