Klaus Mikaelson
Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson is a fictional character in the novel The Vampire Diaries and the American television show by the same name. He is also one of the protagonists of The Originals spin-off and makes a brief appearance in the series finale of Legacies. He is a hybrid vampire-werewolf portrayed by the British actor Joseph Morgan across The Vampire Diaries Universe.
In The Vampire Diaries, Klaus arrives in Mystic Falls as a powerful antagonist intent on breaking a curse that limits his hybrid nature. His presence ignites conflicts with the Salvatore brothers, Elena Gilbert, and the broader supernatural community. Despite his violent tendencies, he forms intricate relationships with key characters, including Caroline Forbes, whose bond with him suggests a softer side beneath his brutality. His popularity among viewers contributed to his evolution from villain to a central figure in the franchise.
The character's development continued in The Originals, where Klaus relocates to New Orleans and becomes embroiled in conflicts over family loyalty, political power, and personal redemption. The series follows his relationships with siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, as well as his role as Hope Mikaelson’s father, redefining him as a complex antihero.
Morgan’s portrayal of Klaus has garnered nominations and awards, including recognition from the Teen Choice Awards, MTV Millennial Awards, TV Guide Award, and a People's Choice Award.
Character overview
Klaus is the first hybrid of a vampire and werewolf, making him one of the most powerful supernatural beings in the franchise. His narrative arc explores themes of power, family loyalty, redemption, and immortality, serving as a central element of his storyline.Character background
History
Niklaus Mikaelson was born in the 10th century in a small settlement that would later become Mystic Falls. Viking raiders had captured his mother, Esther, a witch originally from Norway, along with her sister, Dahlia. Niklaus was conceived during Esther’s affair with Ansel, a member of a nearby werewolf community, though he was raised to believe that her husband, Mikael, was his biological father. Mikael, a strict Viking warrior and landowner, relocated his family to the New World after a plague ravaged their homeland. Mikael fathered six half-siblings, with the exception of the eldest, Freya, whom Dahlia took as part of a fertility bargain. Mikael, however, assumed she had died during the plague.Niklaus grew up in a household marked by Mikael’s grief and harshness. Unlike his siblings, he faced the worst of Mikael’s cruelty, enduring severe punishments and beatings framed as lessons in strength, yet leaving him longing for approval that never came. Elijah later recalled that, as a human, Klaus was loving and starved for love and attention. As an Original hybrid, all this pain and anger made him a ruthless murderer. There were moments of love for the family despite Mikael's brutality. Klaus shielded Rebekah from thunderstorms, presenting her with a hand-carved wooden knight to protect her, and he played in the woods with his brothers, being encouraged by Elijah. Esther also attempted to protect her son by giving him a magical necklace that suppressed both his anger and lycanthropy, therefore concealing her adultery from Mikael.
Tragedy also struck when Klaus's younger brother, Henrik, was killed while witnessing his brother's transformation into a werewolf. In his grief, Mikael pressured Esther to perform magic to safeguard their remaining children. Her ritual transformed them, along with Mikael himself, into the original vampires. Klaus's first vampire kill activated his dormant werewolf gene, thereby exposing Esther's secret affair. To conceal this, Esther and Mikael cursed his werewolf side, leaving him isolated and resentful.
Outraged by his betrayal, Klaus killed Esther and blamed Mikael for the crime, igniting centuries of family conflict. In retaliation, Mikael murdered Ansel and his family, establishing an everlasting feud between werewolves and vampires. Despite the betrayal, bloodshed, and tragedy, Klaus and his living siblings, most notably Rebekah and Elijah, held fast to their vow to stay together, "always and forever."
Roles in TV series
''The Vampire Diaries''
Klaus is first introduced in season two as a threat to Elena Gilbert and her friends. His physical debut occurs in the episode "Klaus," where he initially inhabits Alaric Saltzman’s body before eventually revealing his true form. Klaus aims to break the "sun and moon curse," which suppresses his werewolf side, by performing a ritual that requires the sacrifice of a vampire, a werewolf, and the doppelgänger, Elena. He succeeds in breaking the curse, becoming the first hybrid of vampire and werewolf. However, his werewolf powers are bound to the moonstone by a coven of witches, including his mother. To unleash these powers, a ritual involving the sacrifice of a werewolf, a vampire, and a Petrova doppelgänger must be conducted.Centuries after his transformation, Klaus returns to Mystic Falls and discovers Katerina Petrova and her doppelgänger, Elena Gilbert. With Isobel Flemming's help, he finds Elena and prepares to break the curse, suppressing his werewolf side. Klaus captures and tortures Katerina, secures the moonstone, and gathers the required sacrificial victims: a doppelgänger, a werewolf, and a vampire, turning Jenna Sommers into a vampire to complete the ritual. Successfully breaking the curse, Klaus unlocks his werewolf nature, becoming the first true hybrid.
Later, Klaus manipulates Stefan Salvatore into aiding him in his plan to build an army of hybrids. Believing that he will be consoled by creating friends, Klaus compels Stefan to embrace his darker impulses, resurrecting his bloodlust. It is revealed that the dynamic between them has deeper roots, as Stefan and Klaus were companions in the 1920s.
Klaus’s family history gradually unfolds: he was responsible for killing his mother, Esther, after she suppressed his werewolf side, and he has been hunted for centuries by his stepfather, Mikael. Damon Salvatore later removes the dagger from Elijah, triggering a series of events that lead to the revival of the other Original siblings. This ultimately reunites Klaus with his family, although their relationships remain volatile and fractured.
While he continues to rule in Mystic Falls, Klaus forges an intriguing friendship with Caroline Forbes. After saving her from a werewolf's bite, he begins to woo her by inviting her to the Mikaelsons' ball and dancing with her. Although she rejects him. Klaus is then incapacitated by a desiccation spell cast by Bonnie Bennett and is seemingly killed by Alaric Saltzman. However, a spell cast by Bonnie allows Klaus’s spirit to inhabit Tyler’s body until he is restored to his original form.
In later seasons, Klaus pursues the Cure to regain the ability to create hybrids and eventually departs Mystic Falls for New Orleans, where he intends to reclaim power from Marcel Gerard. He briefly returns for Caroline’s high school graduation, saving her, Elena, and Stefan from a group of vengeful witches. As a parting gift, he permits Tyler to return to Mystic Falls, acknowledging Caroline’s love for him while hinting that he intends to be her final love.
Klaus makes a brief return in the series’ 100th episode, where he and Caroline share a passionate yet final encounter. He is later referenced during flash-forwards in season seven, with characters noting his absence from New Orleans for three years. In a crossover storyline, Stefan seeks Klaus’s assistance against Rayna Cruz, during which Klaus offers both practical support and personal comfort to Caroline following her mother’s death. Their bond is reaffirmed, though Klaus’s journey ultimately leads him back to his family in New Orleans.
In the series finale, Klaus does not appear in person but sends a generous donation to Caroline to support her school for supernatural children, symbolizing his enduring respect and affection for her.
''The Originals''
In the first season of The Originals, Klaus Mikaelson is summoned back to the French Quarter of New Orleans after being drawn in by a rumor of a conspiracy against him. What he uncovers is that his former protégé, Marcel Gerard, has seized control of the city and the supernatural community. Klaus also learns that Hayley Marshall, with whom he had a brief relationship, is pregnant with his child, a first-ever werewolf–vampire hybrid offspring. Despite Klaus's initial objections, he soon views the pregnancy as an opportunity for redemption and legacy. Much of the season revolves around Klaus's struggle to maintain control in New Orleans while protecting his family from witches, vampires, and humans who wish to harm them, as well as dealing with his siblings, Elijah and Rebekah, regarding loyalty.Klaus faces new challenges from his parents in season two. His mother, Esther, returns in a different form and attempts to rid his children of their vampirism, while his father, Mikael, long believed to be dead, is resurrected. Klaus also encounters his controlling aunt Dahlia, who seeks to take custody of his daughter Hope. Throughout the season, Klaus struggles to keep Hope safe from Dahlia's grasp, and his interactions with Elijah, Rebekah, and Hayley create tension. His paranoia and manipulation fuel family drama, all while he strives to fulfill his role as Hope's protector.
In the third season, Klaus grapples with a Mikaelson family prophecy predicting his death at the hands of friends, foes, or relatives. This prophecy pits him against friends and further alienates him from his siblings. “The return of Klaus's first sired vampires, Elijah, Rebekah, Tristan, Aurora, and Lucien, brings new conflicts arising from the prophecy.” During this time, Klaus's storyline with Cami O'Connell reveals a gentler side of his personality, but her eventual demise plunges him into deeper violence and despair.
In season four, Klaus is imprisoned for five years due to the events of the previous season. Upon his release, he must confront the emergence of the Hollow, a dark entity with intentions toward his daughter. Klaus teams up with his siblings to safeguard Hope, but the family discovers that the only way to defeat the Hollow is to harness its dark energy and then separate. Klaus makes the greatest sacrifice, opting to sever his bond with Hope by leaving New Orleans.
The fifth and final season sees Klaus return to New Orleans after years apart from his daughter. Teenage Hope struggles with her abilities and the dangers they present. Klaus tries to reconnect with her while battling the Hollow's persistent hold, which aims to destroy their family. Ultimately, Klaus decides to sacrifice himself to break the Hollow's grip on Hope for good, with Elijah choosing to do the same. Through this act, Klaus's life concludes as a powerful hybrid and a redeemed father who found redemption through his love for his daughter.