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5 Reasons Ian Somerhalder Cannot Leave ‘The Vampire Diaries’

By Alexandria Ingham
Published on: 02:58 PST, Mar 22, 2016

There are rumors that Ian Somerhalder may leave The Vampire Diaries after Season 7. He would not be the first main cast member to leave, but fans are worried. Some even say it will be the definite end to the show.

The older Salvatore brother simply cannot leave the show. At least, that’s what Somerhalder’s and The Vampire Diaries’ fans believe. Here are five reasons he just has to stay.

One Original Main Cast Member Left

When Nina Dobrev left the show at the end of Season 6, there were still two of the three original main characters. The start of The Vampire Diaries was all about two brothers who were in love with the same girl — a doppelganger of a love their fought over in the past. It was all based on the book series of the same name, so the characters of Bonnie, Caroline, and Matt were secondary to them.

While Caroline and Bonnie have become more focused, they are still secondary characters for many. The main focus is on the Salvatore brothers. If Somerhalder left, that would mean no more Damon, and it would leave Paul Wesley’s Stefan on his own.

Where Damon Goes, Stefan Goes

It is very clear that Damon Salvatore does not get to spend too long on his own. His little brother Stefan is usually there, keeping him out of danger. This is especially the case now as the two brothers have grown much closer together than when they were when The Vampire Diaries started.

If Damon disappears, Stefan would likely leave with him. It would be a stretch to keep Stefan around, unless the writers killed Damon off, and fans would not be happy with that decision.

He Is The One To Tell The Truth

It took some fans time to warm to Damon at first, because he was initially viewed as a dark and evil character. Bonnie hated him because he caused the death of her grandmother. Fast-forward seven years, and Bonnie and Damon have become best friends, and the viewers love him.

Without Damon, fans would lose the only person on the show to be perfectly honest and blunt. While others will eventually tell the truth, Somerhalder’s character just sets the record straight with no dilly-dallying. There isn’t a person to replace him for that.

He Is Always There For Others

Yes, there are plenty of other characters who are like this, but Damon always goes one step further. Just an episode ago, he made one of the first overly selfish decisions to allow himself to desiccate. He was fed up of being without Elena, but he realized that everyone would sacrifice themselves for him and it was about time he did that for others on The Vampire Diaries.

Before now, he has always been there to help others, even when he didn’t really like the person. He sacrificed himself at the end of Season 5 to save his brother from the collapsing Other Side. Sure, he thought he would make it out alive easily, but he went in knowing the risks.

Damon Offers The Comic Relief

When fans worried that Damon would not return for Season 6, TV.com shared its reasons why Damon had to return to The Vampire Diaries. One of those was that he offers the comic relief, something other characters fail to do.

Stefan is the brooding one, while Bonnie tends to be angry a lot. Caroline has her moments, but in her ditzy blonde way. Damon offers something that only Klaus on The Originals can offer — the comic relief through his sometimes awful acts that fans have come to love him for having.

There is still time for Ian Somerhalder to sign on for Season 8. Right now, there are rumors that he will be quitting, and The Vampire Diaries fans sure are not happy about that idea.

[Photo by Angela Weiss/Getty Images]

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