"When someone becomes a vampire, all of their natural behaviors get sort of amplified. [...] As a human, I cared deeply for people, how they felt. If they were hurting, I felt their pain, and I felt guilty if I was the one who caused it. And as a vampire, all of that got... magnified." — Stefan Salvatore (2.03)
"Anger becomes rage. When you're sad, you're in despair. Grief. Loss. It can cripple you. That's why so many of us turn our emotions off. It just becomes... too overwhelming. You know, for a while, for me, the good just wasn't worth the bad." — Stefan Salvatore (2.20)
"It hurts me. It hurts me, knowing what I've done, and that pain... That pain is with me all the time. And every day, I think that if I just... If just give myself over to the blood, I can make that pain stop. It would be that easy, and every day, I fight that. And I am so terrified that one day, I'm not gonna want to fight that anymore, Elena." — Stefan Salvatore (1.20)
"It's his signature; it's a reason they call him the ripper. Feeds so hard, he blacks out and rips them apart, but then when he's done, he feels remorse. That's the damn thing... he put the bodies back together." — Damon Salvatore (3.01)
Stefan is a vampire who is incapable of stopping himself from caring or feeling guilt. When we first meet him in Season One, he's brooding, serious, and something of a white knight, repeatedly stepping up to protect others without hesitation. He's sworn off human blood, and is implied to be the only vampire with the discipline to subsist entirely on animal blood. Although you may assume that this is a characteristic "friendly neighbourhood vampire" quirk, it's later revealed that abstaining from human blood is the only way Stefan can cope with being a "ripper" — a vampire with an exceptional drive to hunt, kill and feed. What distinguishes a ripper from any other bloodthirsty vamp is their complete lack of moderation. Stefan once wiped out an entire migrant village — men, women and children — in one go. Like an alcoholic, he is literally addicted, and becomes a whole other person when he's been drinking. The only solution he found was to go completely "clean."
That Stefan is a ripper is directly tied into his magnified compassion: his grief, guilt and self-loathing spur his desire for human blood. Human blood is only thing which allows a vampire to deaden their emotions, and shut themselves off from their guilt. (This ability has been described as a "switch", although canon indicates that "switching it off" means the emotions are still there under the surface, the vampire can simply choose to ignore it.) But the more blood he gets, the guiltier he feels; hence, the more he wants the blood. To say that Stefan has a martyr complex is an understatement. He literally blames himself for every single bad thing which has happened since Katherine transformed he and his brother into vampires. Even fifty-plus years of living as a "good" vampire, not killing or feeding on any human beings, was not enough to atone for any of it. (Although it did make him pretty self-righteous and hypocritical at times, especially when dealing with his less apologetic brother.)
Stefan managed for decades to fight against his nature and hold onto his humanity. He found true love in Elena Gilbert, and had begun to mend his complicated relationship with his older brother, Damon. He gave it all up to serve as Klaus' wingman, and while it was "only" a few months he spent tearing apart dozens of humans up and down the Eastern seaboard at Klaus' beck and call, the time left him permanently altered. (Note that the last time he was a ripper, it took thirty years for Stefan to pull himself back together.) Even while doing the worst, most unforgivable things in his life, Stefan held onto his humanity (i.e. his ability to feel empathy and remorse), for the sake of his love for Elena.
Stefan in 3.03 is right on the precipice of the darkest place his character will go, although at this point he believes he can't descend any lower. But he has yet to give up his humanity, or threaten the lives of his loved ones, or even completely give up on the possibility of redemption. (Later, when he does all these things, he can only find a reason to keep going through anger, hatred and a desire for vengeance.) Which isn't to say that right now he's not in a bad place. A few months ago, he was ready to commit suicide because he almost killed a girl. At this point, he's willingly killed more people than he can count, and has basically resigned to continuing down this path. He doesn't believe it's possible for him to return to the life he had.
He is not, at his core, drastically different from the tortured, considerate and socially awkward vampire of Season One. Instead he tries very hard to act otherwise, for Klaus' benefit, and can be seen swaggering as he tortures a werewolf, or blithely claiming he doesn't care about anything anymore, or relishing in a kill. Stefan is not a great actor. If he seems convincing, it's honestly because some part of him does enjoy killing and torturing, and this part of him only fuels the self-flagellating part of him. This contradiction is best illustrated by a wall of names he kept in the 1920's, during his worst period as the Ripper of Monterrey. He listed the names of every single one of his victims since he first became a vampire, both to punish himself so he never forgets the people he's hurt, and to let him relive the kill over and over. He's spent decades repressing the latter side, and now months ignoring the former, and believes only one or the other can define him. (Later, Stefan will find some peace in accepting his dark side and stop trying to repress so much, but right now he's not even close to that revelation.)
For all this talk about unbearable guilt, his intensified feelings do go the other way too. Stefan is capable of great, selfless compassion. He demonstrated his love for Elena not only by protecting her, but also by protecting her family and friends, and protecting her freedom to make her own decisions, even if it meant he might lose her. (Notable examples include supporting Elena when she wanted to sacrifice her life to save her loved ones, or said she didn't ever want to become a vampire.) He gave up his humanity to Klaus in order to get the cure to save his brother's life. When a car went over a bridge, he jumped into the river to try to save the family within, without even knowing who they were. That's the kind of person Stefan is. Yes, certain factors like his martyr complex and impossible need for atonement influenced his actions, but at the core of him is a genuinely good heart.
So where is Stefan right now on the scale between Saint Stefan and Stefan the Ripper? Upon arriving in Kingswater, he will be removed from the presence which forces him to kill and act like a douchebag (i.e. Klaus), but he's been in it long enough that at this point it's impossible for him to just go back to "normal." He will be struggling with his insatiable thirst for blood and all of the violence and pain he's inflicted lately (and enjoyed). That Stefan now doesn't need blood to survive is as incidental a fact as it was before he arrived in this world. It's going to be hard. He will have his loved ones, most with drastically advanced development, but he will not trust himself around them (mostly, Elena). He may try to keep his distance from them.
The white knight part of him which once never hesitated to come to the rescue of someone in need is still there, but has been damaged by his recent experiences. If he falls in with a new crowd, he'll still feel the pull to protect them, but he has more difficulty showing the kind side of him, much less opening up. He'll throw himself into some sort of job or mission (killing zombies, maybe) to save himself from having to deal with his relationships or his fragile self-control. Stefan's blood-thirst can make him aggressive, irritable and/or reclusive, and this will probably be his mood 90% of the time considering how little edible blood he's getting now. He'll need to find an anchor if he wants to keep holding onto his humanity. Right now, those anchors are Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, and no matter how hard he tries to push them away, it's a guarantee that he will do everything to make sure no harm comes to either of those two.
Powers & Abilities: (Borrowed from saviored with permission.) ABILITIES:
» vampire teeth (their canines extend and blood floods the whites of their eyes, also darkening the veins around their eyes) » vampire blood (capable of transforming a human into a vampire if they die with his blood in their system; also heals injuries if ingested) → minor cuts and bruises take a few days; broken bones take four weeks (i.e. heals only slightly faster than an average human) » super strength/super speed/enhanced reflexes (at his full speed, he appears as a blur to human eyes) → reduced so that he is only a bit quicker/stronger than the average human » heightened senses (smell/hearing/night-vision) → he can see a little bit better at night (shadows mostly) and his hearing is more sensitive than average so he might catch small movements if it's quiet enough, but he's not going to be listening in on whispered conversations from across the room. Ditto for his sense of smell. His sense of smell for blood remain just as strong, however. » ability to "switch off" their emotions (discussed above) » compulsion (mind control, requires eye contact and spoken orders) → will no longer work properly, and cannot do more than small movements, if that » dream manipulation (ability to control the dreams of others) → ditto; only very minuscule changes to dreams » accelerated healing (can recover from cuts, stabs, bullets and broken bones within minutes) → minor cuts and bruises heal immediately; larger injuries will take a bit faster, but something like a broken bone will still take weeks (but not months like it normally would); deeper wounds will take anywhere from days to over a week » immortality (immunity to aging, diseases, etc.) → nerfed to fit game resurrection rules
WEAKNESSES:
» thirst for blood (bodies will dessicate if deprived of blood for over a week; in Stefan's case, also a literal constant addiction which he still managing) → dependence on blood removed, although Stefan will still crave blood » fire or sunlight → vulnerability to sunlight removed, ring is also de-spelled » vervain (a type of herb which is poisonous to vampires; also provides immunity to compulsion. Stefan has built up a slight tolerance to it.) » wood (while they can be impaled by metal, only wood will cause them pain or kill them if stabbed through the heart) » werewolf bites (especially lethal to a vampire) » invitations (vampires require an invitation to enter an occupied home; occupant must be human and/or alive) → in-game, if anyone sets up what could count as a long-term home (i.e. they're planning on staying there for at least a few months) in any abandoned house/building, he will need to be invited in. » bloodline (if the Original vampire he is "descended" from dies, then he dies too)
Items on their Person: lapis lazuli daywalker ring, clothing (including blue-grey button-front shirt, dark blue jeans, brown leather boots), wallet, cell phone
Re: Stefan Salvatore | The Vampire Diaries | Reserved
Stefan is a vampire who is incapable of stopping himself from caring or feeling guilt. When we first meet him in Season One, he's brooding, serious, and something of a white knight, repeatedly stepping up to protect others without hesitation. He's sworn off human blood, and is implied to be the only vampire with the discipline to subsist entirely on animal blood. Although you may assume that this is a characteristic "friendly neighbourhood vampire" quirk, it's later revealed that abstaining from human blood is the only way Stefan can cope with being a "ripper" — a vampire with an exceptional drive to hunt, kill and feed. What distinguishes a ripper from any other bloodthirsty vamp is their complete lack of moderation. Stefan once wiped out an entire migrant village — men, women and children — in one go. Like an alcoholic, he is literally addicted, and becomes a whole other person when he's been drinking. The only solution he found was to go completely "clean."
That Stefan is a ripper is directly tied into his magnified compassion: his grief, guilt and self-loathing spur his desire for human blood. Human blood is only thing which allows a vampire to deaden their emotions, and shut themselves off from their guilt. (This ability has been described as a "switch", although canon indicates that "switching it off" means the emotions are still there under the surface, the vampire can simply choose to ignore it.) But the more blood he gets, the guiltier he feels; hence, the more he wants the blood. To say that Stefan has a martyr complex is an understatement. He literally blames himself for every single bad thing which has happened since Katherine transformed he and his brother into vampires. Even fifty-plus years of living as a "good" vampire, not killing or feeding on any human beings, was not enough to atone for any of it. (Although it did make him pretty self-righteous and hypocritical at times, especially when dealing with his less apologetic brother.)
Stefan managed for decades to fight against his nature and hold onto his humanity. He found true love in Elena Gilbert, and had begun to mend his complicated relationship with his older brother, Damon. He gave it all up to serve as Klaus' wingman, and while it was "only" a few months he spent tearing apart dozens of humans up and down the Eastern seaboard at Klaus' beck and call, the time left him permanently altered. (Note that the last time he was a ripper, it took thirty years for Stefan to pull himself back together.) Even while doing the worst, most unforgivable things in his life, Stefan held onto his humanity (i.e. his ability to feel empathy and remorse), for the sake of his love for Elena.
Stefan in 3.03 is right on the precipice of the darkest place his character will go, although at this point he believes he can't descend any lower. But he has yet to give up his humanity, or threaten the lives of his loved ones, or even completely give up on the possibility of redemption. (Later, when he does all these things, he can only find a reason to keep going through anger, hatred and a desire for vengeance.) Which isn't to say that right now he's not in a bad place. A few months ago, he was ready to commit suicide because he almost killed a girl. At this point, he's willingly killed more people than he can count, and has basically resigned to continuing down this path. He doesn't believe it's possible for him to return to the life he had.
He is not, at his core, drastically different from the tortured, considerate and socially awkward vampire of Season One. Instead he tries very hard to act otherwise, for Klaus' benefit, and can be seen swaggering as he tortures a werewolf, or blithely claiming he doesn't care about anything anymore, or relishing in a kill. Stefan is not a great actor. If he seems convincing, it's honestly because some part of him does enjoy killing and torturing, and this part of him only fuels the self-flagellating part of him. This contradiction is best illustrated by a wall of names he kept in the 1920's, during his worst period as the Ripper of Monterrey. He listed the names of every single one of his victims since he first became a vampire, both to punish himself so he never forgets the people he's hurt, and to let him relive the kill over and over. He's spent decades repressing the latter side, and now months ignoring the former, and believes only one or the other can define him. (Later, Stefan will find some peace in accepting his dark side and stop trying to repress so much, but right now he's not even close to that revelation.)
For all this talk about unbearable guilt, his intensified feelings do go the other way too. Stefan is capable of great, selfless compassion. He demonstrated his love for Elena not only by protecting her, but also by protecting her family and friends, and protecting her freedom to make her own decisions, even if it meant he might lose her. (Notable examples include supporting Elena when she wanted to sacrifice her life to save her loved ones, or said she didn't ever want to become a vampire.) He gave up his humanity to Klaus in order to get the cure to save his brother's life. When a car went over a bridge, he jumped into the river to try to save the family within, without even knowing who they were. That's the kind of person Stefan is. Yes, certain factors like his martyr complex and impossible need for atonement influenced his actions, but at the core of him is a genuinely good heart.
So where is Stefan right now on the scale between Saint Stefan and Stefan the Ripper? Upon arriving in Kingswater, he will be removed from the presence which forces him to kill and act like a douchebag (i.e. Klaus), but he's been in it long enough that at this point it's impossible for him to just go back to "normal." He will be struggling with his insatiable thirst for blood and all of the violence and pain he's inflicted lately (and enjoyed). That Stefan now doesn't need blood to survive is as incidental a fact as it was before he arrived in this world. It's going to be hard. He will have his loved ones, most with drastically advanced development, but he will not trust himself around them (mostly, Elena). He may try to keep his distance from them.
The white knight part of him which once never hesitated to come to the rescue of someone in need is still there, but has been damaged by his recent experiences. If he falls in with a new crowd, he'll still feel the pull to protect them, but he has more difficulty showing the kind side of him, much less opening up. He'll throw himself into some sort of job or mission (killing zombies, maybe) to save himself from having to deal with his relationships or his fragile self-control. Stefan's blood-thirst can make him aggressive, irritable and/or reclusive, and this will probably be his mood 90% of the time considering how little edible blood he's getting now. He'll need to find an anchor if he wants to keep holding onto his humanity. Right now, those anchors are Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, and no matter how hard he tries to push them away, it's a guarantee that he will do everything to make sure no harm comes to either of those two.
Powers & Abilities: (Borrowed from
ABILITIES:
» vampire blood (capable of transforming a human into a vampire if they die with his blood in their system; also heals injuries if ingested) → minor cuts and bruises take a few days; broken bones take four weeks (i.e. heals only slightly faster than an average human)
» super strength/super speed/enhanced reflexes (at his full speed, he appears as a blur to human eyes) → reduced so that he is only a bit quicker/stronger than the average human
» heightened senses (smell/hearing/night-vision) → he can see a little bit better at night (shadows mostly) and his hearing is more sensitive than average so he might catch small movements if it's quiet enough, but he's not going to be listening in on whispered conversations from across the room. Ditto for his sense of smell. His sense of smell for blood remain just as strong, however.
» ability to "switch off" their emotions (discussed above)
» compulsion (mind control, requires eye contact and spoken orders) → will no longer work properly, and cannot do more than small movements, if that
» dream manipulation (ability to control the dreams of others) → ditto; only very minuscule changes to dreams
» accelerated healing (can recover from cuts, stabs, bullets and broken bones within minutes) → minor cuts and bruises heal immediately; larger injuries will take a bit faster, but something like a broken bone will still take weeks (but not months like it normally would); deeper wounds will take anywhere from days to over a week
» immortality (immunity to aging, diseases, etc.) → nerfed to fit game resurrection rules
WEAKNESSES:
» fire or sunlight → vulnerability to sunlight removed, ring is also de-spelled
» vervain (a type of herb which is poisonous to vampires; also provides immunity to compulsion. Stefan has built up a slight tolerance to it.)
» wood (while they can be impaled by metal, only wood will cause them pain or kill them if stabbed through the heart)
» werewolf bites (especially lethal to a vampire)
» invitations (vampires require an invitation to enter an occupied home; occupant must be human and/or alive) → in-game, if anyone sets up what could count as a long-term home (i.e. they're planning on staying there for at least a few months) in any abandoned house/building, he will need to be invited in.
» bloodline (if the Original vampire he is "descended" from dies, then he dies too)
Items on their Person: lapis lazuli daywalker ring, clothing (including blue-grey button-front shirt, dark blue jeans, brown leather boots), wallet, cell phone