Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy Gilbert)

Born 11 November 1993, Jeremy Gilbert, portrayed by Steven R. McQueen since the pilot, is Elena Gilbert’s younger brother, later revealed to be her biological cousin. Jeremy is Elena’s cousin because his Uncle John Gilbert (who was Jeremy’s father, Grayson Gilbert’, younger brother) was Elena’s biological father. In the beginning of the series, Jeremy is emotionally damaged by the death of his parents, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, and he begins to use drugs as a way of coping with his parents unexpected death. He is in love with Vicki Donovan, who uses drugs as well, but she is dating Tyler Lockwood, which causes a rivalry between the two boys. Vicki later breaks up with Tyler and starts a relationship with Jeremy. However Jeremy later witnesses how Stefan Salvatore kills Vicki after Damon Salvatore had turned her into a vampire. Elena, afraid that Jeremy couldn’t handle this, asks Damon to make Jeremy forget this and take away his pain. This causes Jeremy to become more stable and to stop taking drugs. Jeremy then starts a relationship with a vampire named Anna, but John Gilbert, Jeremy’s uncle, kills Anna at the end of season one. Jeremy, not wanting to deal with this pain, tries to become a vampire by overdosing while having Anna’s blood in his system, but he fails. He is later given John’s ring, which protects him from a death caused by anything supernatural. In season two, Jeremy falls in love with Bonnie Bennett and they start a relationship. Jeremy later loses both his aunt and uncle on the day of the sacrifice, leaving him and Elena without a guardian. In the season two finale, Jeremy is accidentally shot to death by Sheriff Forbes, but Bonnie is able to bring him back.

However, bringing Jeremy back from the dead was said to have consequences and since then Jeremy has been able to see and communicate with the ghosts of his dead ex-girlfriends Anna and Vicki, whenever he thinks about them. When the doorway to “the other side” is opened, Jeremy is even able to physically interact with Anna. Elena later catches them kissing and Bonnie also finds out, resulting in their break-up. When Bonnie closes the doorway to “the other side”, Jeremy and Anna decide to let each other go. After Jeremy kills a hybrid by chopping off his head and is almost killed by Klaus, Elena asks Damon to compel Jeremy into leaving Mystic Falls in order for him to live a normal life. However, after Klaus and the other Originals find out where Jeremy is, Elena takes Jeremy back home. In season four a vampire hunter by the name of Connor arrives in town, and only Jeremy can see his mysterious tattoos, later revealed to be a map to the cure for vampirism. After Elena kills Connor, Jeremy becomes part of The Five, a group of vampire hunters. It is revealed that in order for his ‘mark’ to grow, he must kill vampires. However, after doing so his urge to kill grows stronger, and he attempts to murder his own sister.