It's been rumored for quite some time, but now it's official - The Vampire Diaries will finish its beloved run at the end of the upcoming eighth season.
The news isn't exactly a shocker as many have been expecting the announcement for a while now, especially with Ian Somerhalder & Kat Graham recently hinting that the end was on the horizon. The entire cast broke the news to fans worldwide ahead of their SDCC panel in an special eight-minute farewell video, which you can view below.
The jury's still out on how exactly the show will close its doors, but showrunner Julie Plec did seem pretty optimistic that former series star Nina Dobrev, who left the show after season six, will return to close out her arc and join her co-stars in saying au revoir to Mystic Falls in the season's final few episodes: “Nina has always said that if there’s something for her to do in the series finale that she will be there to do it, When she left, she said, ‘I want to see this character to its end at the end of the show, so I can’t wait to come back and put her to bed again.’” Check out the special TVD Forever video below:
Plus, here's an early sizzle reel for Season 8:
Get ready for more epic thrills and romance in the seventh season of The Vampire Diaries. After saying an emotional goodbye to Elena Gilbert, some characters will recover while others falter and Bonnie, in particular, will explore her new lease on life. As Damon and Stefan’s mother, Lily (guest star Annie Wersching), tries to drive a wedge between the Salvatore brothers, hope remains that Stefan and Caroline’s love story is tough enough to survive. Damon will do whatever it takes to take down his mother and her band of Heretics, and Enzo will struggle with where his loyalties lie. Plus, with Mystic Falls in disarray and the arrival of the Heretics — who are set on retaliation and mayhem — the suspense will be stronger than ever.
The Vampire Diaries features:
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert/Katherine Pierce
Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett
Candice King as Caroline Forbes
Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman
Michael Malarkey as Enzo
Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
The Vampire Diaries returns October 21