Important Characters of Vampire Diaries (spoilers)

ELENA GILBERT
Species: Human, also the dobbelganger of Katherine Pierce

Occupation: Student
Significant other: Stefan

Family:
Jeremy Gilbert (adoptive brother/paternal cousin)
Jenna Sommers (adoptive aunt, deceased)
John Gilbert (adoptive uncle/paternal father, deceased)
Isobel Flemming (paternal mother, deceased)
Miranda Gilbert (adoptive mother/paternal aunt, deceased)
Grayson Gilbert (adoptive father/paternal uncle, deceased)
Katherine Pierce (ancestor, deceased)

STEFAN SALVATORE
Born: 1847
Species: Vampire
Turned: 1864 by Katherine Pierce
Cause of death: Shot to the chest by Giuseppe Salvatore

Occupation: Student
Significant other: Elena

Family:
Damon Salvatore (older brother)
Giuseppe Salvatore (father, deceased)
Zach Salvatore (distant nephew, deceased)

Stefan was, along with his brother Damon, shot to death by his father, Giuseppe Salvatore. Katherine had fed him her blood, which would make him a vampire.

DAMON SALVATORE
Born: 1842
Species: Vampire
Turned: 1864 by Katherine Pierce
Cause of death: Shot to the chest by Giuseppe Salvatore

Occupation: Head of the Founder's Council

Family:
Stefan Salvatore (younger brother)
Giuseppe Salvatore (father, deceased)
Zach Salvatore (distant nephew, deceased)

Damon was, along with his brother Stefan, shot to death by their father, Giuseppe Salvatore. Katherine had fed him her blood, which would make him a vampire.

CAROLINE FORBES
Species: Vampire
Turned: 2010 by Damon Salvatore
Cause of death: Asphyxiation by Katherine Pierce

Occupation: Student

Family:
Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes (mother)
Bill Forbes (father)

BONNIE BENNETT
Species: Witch

Occupation: Student

Family:
Sheila Bennett (grandmother, deceased)
Emily Bennett (ancestor, deceased)
Lucy Bennett (cousin)

JEREMY GILBERT
Species: Human (As long as he wears his Gilbert ring, he can't be killed by supernatural forces)

Occupation: Student

Family:
Elena Gilbert (adoptive sister/paternal cousin)
Jenna Sommers (aunt, deceased)
John Gilbert (uncle, deceased)
Miranda Gilbert (mother, deceased)
Grayson Gilbert (father, deceased)

ALARIC SALTZMAN
Species: Human

Occupation: Teacher
Significant other: Jenna (deceased)

Family:
Isobel Flemming (wife, deceased)
Elena Gilbert (stepdaughter)
Katherine Pierce (relative through marriage)

KATHERINE PIERCE
Born Katerina Petrova
Born: 1475 in Bulgaria
Species: Vampire, also a dobbelganger
Turned: 1492 by Rose
Cause of death: Hung herself

Occupation: Socialite

Katherine gave birth to a baby girl out of wedlock, at age 15. Her family disowned her, and she ran of to England. There she met Klaus, and found out what his plans was for her. She hung herself with Rose's blood in her system, which turned her into a vampire.

TYLER LOCKWOOD
Species: Werewolf / Vampire hybrid
Turned: by Klaus
Cause of death: Broken neck

Occupation: Student

Family:
Carole Lockwood (mother)
Richard Lockwood (father, deceased)
Mason Lockwood (uncle, deceased)

MATT DONOVAN
Species: Human

Occupation: Student, Waitor

Family:
Kelly Donovan (mother)
Vicki Donovan (sister, deceased)

NIKLAUS "KLAUS"
Born: 10th century
Species: Original Vampire / Vampire-werewolf hybrid
Turned: by Mikael
Cause of death: Stabbed through the heart

Family:
Esther (mother), Mikael (step-father), Elijah (half-brother), Rebekah (half-sister), Henrick (half-brother), Kol (half-brother), Finn (half-brother).

Klaus is the result of his mother's romance with another man, who was a werewolf. He is part vampire and part werewolf, therefore he can only be destroyed by a witch who channels intense power.

ELIZABETH "LIZ" FORBES
Species: Human

Occupation: Sheriff

Family:
Caroline Forbes (daughter)

CAROL LOCKWOOD
Species: Human

Occupation: Mayor

Family:
Tyler Lockwood (son)
Richard Lockwood (husband, deceased)
Mason Lockwood (brother-in-law, deceased)

REBEKAH
Undead
Born: 10th century
Species: Original Vampire
Turned: by Mikael
Cause of death: Stabbed through the heart (as human), neutralized by Elena (as vampire)

Family:
Esther (mother), Mikael (step-father), Elijah (half-brother), Rebekah (half-sister), Henrick (half-brother), Kol (half-brother), Finn (half-brother).

Rebekah is, together with his family, the first vampires. He can only be killed by a silver dagger dipped in the ash from a white-oak tree.

ELIJAH
Undead
Born: 10th century
Species: Original Vampire
Turned: by Mikael
Cause of death: Stabbed through the heart (as human), neutralized by Klaus (as vampire)

Occupation: Historian

Family:
Esther (mother), Mikael (step-father), Klaus (half-brother), Rebekah (half-sister), Henrick (half-brother), Kol (half-brother), Finn (half-brother).

Elijah is, together with his family, the first vampires. He can only be killed by a silver dagger dipped in the ash from a white-oak tree.

JOHNATHAN "JOHN" GILBERT
Deceased
Species: Human
Cause of death: Sacrificed himself so that Elena could live

Occupation: Member of secret council

Family:
Elena Gilbert (adoptive niece/paternal daughter)
Jeremy Gilbert (nephew)
Jenna Sommers (sister-in-law, deceased)
Grayson Gilbert (brother, deceased)
Miranda Gilbert (sister-in-law, deceased)
Isobel Flemming (ex-lover, Elena's mother, deceased)

JENNA SOMMERS
Deceased
Species: Vampire
Turned: 2011 by Klaus
Cause of death: Staked by Klaus

Occupation: College student
Significant other: Alaric

Family:
Elena Gilbert (adoptive niece)
Jeremy Gilbert (nephew)
John Gilbert (brother-in-law, deceased)
Miranda Gilbert (sister, deceased)
Grayson Gilbert (brother-in-law, deceased)

GRETA MARTIN
Deceased
Species: Witch
Cause of death: Snapped neck by Damon Salvatore

Family:
Jonas Martin (father, deceased)
Luka Martin (brother, deceased)

JULES
Deceased

Species: Werewolf
Cause of death: Killed by Klaus

MADDOX
Deceased
Species: Warlock
Cause of death: Shot by Matt Donovan

Maddox was a member of Klaus's trusted inner circle.

ISOBEL FLEMMING
Deceased
Born: 1978
Species: Vampire
Turned: 2007 by Damon Salvatore
Cause of death: Killed by Damon Salvatore (as human), Burned by the sunlight after being compelled by Maddox (as a vampire)

Occupation: Researcher at Duke University

Family:
Alaric Saltzman (ex-husband)
Elena Gilbert (daughter)
John Gilbert (ex-lover and Elena's father)
Katherine Pierce (ancestor)

JONAS MARTIN
Deceased
Species: Warlock
Cause of death: Vampire bite by Katherine Pierce and neck snapped by Stefan Salvatore

Occupation: Doctor

Family:
Luka Martin (son, deceased)
Greta Martin (daughter)

LUKA MARTIN
Deceased
Species: Warlock
Cause of death: Torched by Damon Salvatore (unknowingly)

Occupation: Student

Family:
Jonas Martin (father, deceased)
Greta Martin (sister)

ROSEMARY "ROSE"
Deceased
Born: 1450
Species: Vampire
Turned: Unknown, likely sometime in the late 1470s to early 1480s while in her late 20's early 30's.
Cause of death: Staked (death inevitable by pre-existing werewolf bite) by Damon Salvatore

MASON LOCKWOOD
Deceased
Species: Werewolf
Cause of death: Heart ripped out by Damon Salvatore

Family:
Tyler Lockwood (nephew)
Carole Lockwood (sister-in-law)
Richard Lockwood (older brother, deceased)

ALEXIA "LEXI" BRANSON
Deceased
Born: 1640-50's
Species: Vampire
Turned: 1670's
Cause of death: Staked by Damon Salvatore (as vampire)

Significant other: Lee

ANNABELLE "ANNA"
Deceased
Born: Early/mid 15th century
Species: Vampire
Turned: Unknown
Cause of death: Staked by John Gilbert

Family:
Pearl (mother, deceased)

PEARL
Deceased
Born: Early 15th Century (~between 1400-1410)
Species: Vampire
Turned: early 15th Century around(~1440)
Cause of death: Staked by John Gilbert

Occupation: Apothecary/Entrepreneur

Family:
Anna (daughter)

VICTORIA "VICKI" DONOVAN
Deceased
Born: 1991
Species: Vampire
Turned: 2009 by Damon Salvatore
Cause of death: Broken neck (as human) by Damon Salvatore, staked (as vampire) by Stefan Salvatore

Occupation: Student, Waitress

Family:
Matt Donovan (brother)
Kelly Donovan (mother)

SHEILA BENNETT
Deceased
Species: Witch
Cause of death: Fatigue after opening the tomb of vampires

Occupation: Occult Arts teacher

Family:
Bonnie Bennett (granddaughter)
Lucy Bennett (descendant)
Emily Bennett (ancestor)
Joanna
Pauline

EMILY BENNETT
Deceased
Species: Witch
Occupation: Handmaiden to Katherine Pierce
Cause of death: Burned at stake

Descendants:
Bonnie Bennett
Lucy Bennett
Sheila Bennett
Pauline
Joanna

JOHNATHAN GILBERT
Deceased
Born: Unknown, likely late 1820s, Early 1830s.

Occupation: Inventor/Businessman

Descendants:
Elena Gilbert
Jeremy Gilbert
Grayson Gilbert
John Gilbert

GIUSEPPE SALVATORE
Deceased
Born: 1810
Cause of death: Accidentally stabbed with a stake by Stefan Salvatore

Occupation: Businessman, Member of the Founders Council

Family:
Damon Salvatore (eldest son)
Stefan Salvatore (youngest son)
Zach Salvatore (descendant)