If you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you might have wondered how Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce, the two doppelgangers who look exactly alike, are related to each other. The answer is not as simple as you might think, as it involves a complicated history of magic, curses, and bloodlines. Here is a brief overview of how Elena and Katherine are connected in the show.
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The Origin of the Doppelgangers
Elena and Katherine are both doppelgangers, meaning they share the same physical features and are two sides of the same soul. They are both descendants of an ancient bloodline, which is connected to Katherine’s evil vampire family, the Petrova Doppelgängers.
The origin of the doppelgangers goes back to the time of Qetsiyah and Silas, two powerful witches who created the first immortality spell. Silas betrayed Qetsiyah by giving the spell to his true love, Amara, who was Qetsiyah’s handmaiden. Qetsiyah killed Amara and cursed Silas to be trapped with her corpse for eternity. She also created a cure for immortality and hid it with Silas.
However, Amara was not really dead, but in a state of suspended animation. She later woke up and took the cure, becoming human again. She also revealed that she was the first true immortal and the anchor to the Other Side, a supernatural purgatory that Qetsiyah created to keep Silas away from her.
Amara’s immortality had a consequence: nature created shadow selves or doppelgangers of her and Silas to balance the scales. These doppelgangers were destined to find each other and fall in love in every generation, as a way of mocking Silas and Amara’s forbidden love.
The Petrova Bloodline
One of Amara’s doppelgangers was Tatia, a beautiful woman who lived in a village in Bulgaria in the 10th century. She was the object of affection of two brothers, Elijah and Niklaus Mikaelson, who were part of the Original family of vampires. However, Klaus was also a werewolf by birth, and his mother Esther used Tatia’s blood to bind his hybrid nature and make him vulnerable to a special dagger that could neutralize him.
Tatia’s blood also became the key ingredient for breaking Klaus’ curse and allowing him to become a hybrid. However, only the blood of a living Petrova doppelganger could do that, and Tatia was already dead.
The next Petrova doppelganger was Katerina Petrova, who was born in 1473 in Bulgaria. She became pregnant by an unknown man and gave birth to a daughter, Nadia, who was taken away from her by her father. Katerina was disowned by her family and sent to England, where she met Elijah and Klaus again.
Klaus wanted to use Katerina for his sacrifice ritual, but she learned about his plan and turned herself into a vampire by drinking some blood and hanging herself. She then escaped with the moonstone, another component of the ritual, and went on the run from Klaus for over 500 years.
Katerina changed her name to Katherine Pierce and eventually ended up in Mystic Falls in 1864. There, she met Stefan and Damon Salvatore, two brothers who fell in love with her. She also met Emily Bennett, a witch who was her friend and protector. Katherine turned Stefan and Damon into vampires before faking her own death in a church fire that was set by the townspeople to kill all the vampires.
Katherine later returned to Mystic Falls in 2010, after learning that another Petrova doppelganger had been found.
The Gilbert Bloodline
The third Petrova doppelganger was Elena Gilbert, who was born on June 22nd, 1992 in Mystic Falls. She was adopted by Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, who were actually her biological uncle and aunt. Her biological parents were John Gilbert, Grayson’s brother, and Isobel Flemming, a woman who became obsessed with vampires after learning about Katherine.
Isobel gave Elena up for adoption and later became a vampire herself. She also became an ally of Katherine and helped her find Elena.
Elena grew up unaware of her true heritage until she met Stefan Salvatore at high school. She felt an instant connection with him and later learned that he was a vampire who had known Katherine in the past. She also met Damon Salvatore, Stefan’s brother and rival, who also developed feelings for her.
Elena soon found herself in the middle of a supernatural war involving vampires, werewolves, witches, hybrids, hunters, travelers, sirens, and more. She also learned that she was the Petrova doppelganger and that Klaus wanted to use her for his ritual.
Elena was willing to sacrifice herself to save her friends and family, but Stefan and Damon prevented her from doing so. However, she still ended up dying and becoming a vampire after a car accident that also killed her adoptive father, Alaric Saltzman.
Elena later took the cure for vampirism from Katherine, who had been forced to take it by Elena herself. She also became the new anchor to the Other Side after Amara died. She eventually gave the cure to Damon and lived a human life with him until she died of old age.
The Final Doppelgangers
Elena and Katherine were the last doppelgangers of their bloodline, as the spell that created them was broken when Silas and Amara died. They also had a complicated relationship, as they were enemies, allies, and family at different times.
Katherine tried to kill Elena several times, but also saved her life on occasion. She also impersonated Elena on multiple occasions to manipulate others. Elena hated Katherine for ruining her life and blamed her for the deaths of her loved ones. She also tried to kill Katherine, but was stopped by Stefan.
However, Elena also forgave Katherine on her deathbed, before Katherine possessed her body and took control over it. Katherine later died for good after being dragged to hell by a vengeful spirit.
Elena and Katherine were both loved by Stefan and Damon, but they chose different paths. Katherine was selfish, manipulative, and ruthless, while Elena was compassionate, loyal, and brave. They both suffered a lot in their lives, but they also experienced happiness and love. They were both remarkable women who left a lasting mark on the world of The Vampire Diaries.
