One day in the BookTrib offices, three of us almost came to blows over The 100’s “Bellarke” and “Clexa” relationships as we fought for who Clarke should ultimately end up with (Bellamy for the win with two against one!). That’s when we realized how passionate ‘shippers can be — including us. Which is why we’re presenting our own “Battle ‘Ships,” our latest column that pits some of the biggest television ‘ships against one another. We’ll weigh in our favorites and give you a chance to vote for yours.
Not sure what a ‘ship is? Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered.
This time we’re tackling one of the most complicated shows on television: The Vampire Diaries. As soon as The Vampire Diaries aired back in 2009, it was a hit. Based on a young adult series by L.J. Smith, the show focuses on Elena Gilbert as she encounters the world of the supernatural, including the very sexy vampire brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore.
But now Elena is dead (at least for now), making the relationships even more complicated than usual. At this point all the TVD ‘ships have changed so often it’s almost impossible to keep up. It doesn’t hurt that the fans are some of the most dedicated out there, passionately fighting for their favorite couples. Since there are so many (Hello, Bamon, Delena and Stelena!) we’re narrowing it down by kicking off this column with Caroline’s greatest loves. Here are her two major ‘ships (in our opinion):
“Steroline”: Stefan and Caroline
They started out as friends, but when Elena moved on to Damon, the relationship between Stefan and Caroline started to change. She liked him, then he liked her, then they FINALLY managed to get on the same page towards the end of the sixth season while Caroline’s mom was dying (don’t even get me started on this!).
These two are a huge support system for each other, and their friendship is one of the few solid things on this constantly-changing show. It’s also one of the major criticisms of their ‘ship — that they feel more like brother and sister than lovers (anti-fans call them “Sterocest,” I just found out!). They’re currently together in the seventh season, though the fact that Caroline is carrying magical witch twins might throw things off a bit. But if anyone can get through it, it’s “Steroline;” they truly seem to care about each other. There’s a constant sweetness to their relationship, which is rare for a show that is usually much more interested in people ripping each other’s clothes off.
“Klaroline”: Klaus and Caroline
Speaking of ripping clothes… Enter Klaus, Caroline’s other main love interest. The two might have only one major kissing scene and they’re currently on two different shows (ugh!), but their chemistry is so insane that fans are still clamoring for them to get together.
As soon as Klaus showed up on TVD as an immortal vampire, we knew he’d be trouble. He quickly started manipulating everyone, becoming the bad guy we loved to hate. But it was his interest in Caroline that gave him some much-needed humanity as he pursued her with a single-mindedness that never abated. She made him a better man. He wanted her. He needed her. And when they finally hooked up in the fifth season, it was electrifying.
But alas, The CW shipped (no pun intended!) Klaus off to new relationships on The Originals and Caroline found love in the arms of Stefan. Do these two have any kind of future together? Only time will tell.
The Verdict: Klaroline. That kind of chemistry is not something to be trifled with. Sure, they’re currently on different shows, but The CW is no fool. If The Originals gets canceled anytime soon, you can bet that Klaus is headed back to Mystic Falls to cause some serious trouble for good-guy Stefan. We. Can’t. Wait.
Agree? Disagree? Answer in the poll! And which ‘ships are you rooting for? Tell us who you want to see in “Battle Ships” in the comments below “About The Contributor”!
