The Vampire Diaries is a popular TV show that follows the lives of vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans in the small town of Mystic Falls. One of the main characters is Stefan Salvatore, a 162-year-old vampire who falls in love with a human girl named Elena Gilbert. But who is Stefan’s family and how is he related to Zach Salvatore, the man who claimed to be his uncle?
The Salvatore Brothers
Stefan Salvatore was born in 1847 to Giuseppe Salvatore and an unnamed mother. He had an older brother named Damon Salvatore, who was born in 1840. The brothers were close until they both fell in love with the same woman, Katherine Pierce, who turned out to be a vampire. Katherine turned both Stefan and Damon into vampires in 1864, but they were unaware of each other’s fate until decades later.
Stefan and Damon became enemies and spent most of their time apart, until they reunited in Mystic Falls in 2009. They both developed feelings for Elena Gilbert, who was the doppelgänger of Katherine Pierce. Stefan and Damon eventually reconciled and became allies against various threats, such as Klaus Mikaelson, Silas, and Kai Parker.
The Salvatore Nephew
Zach Salvatore was a distant nephew of Stefan and Damon Salvatore. He was a descendant of their half-brother, who was the illegitimate son of Giuseppe Salvatore and a maid. Zach lived alone at the Salvatore Boarding House until Stefan came to live with him in 2009. Zach was unhappy about this, especially after a number of “animal attacks” occurred in town. He also didn’t like the presence of Damon, who came to Mystic Falls to torment Stefan.
Zach showed Stefan that he had been growing vervain in the basement and they could use it to stop Damon from hurting anyone else. They failed at the first attempt but Stefan managed to spike Caroline Forbes’ drink with vervain, thus weakening Damon when he bit her. Zach later visited the basement where they had Damon locked up. Zach told him that he had vervain in his system for several years and it wouldn’t help to kill and drink his blood. Damon tried to strangle Zach until Stefan saved him.
Zach encouraged Stefan to find any way to kill Damon. However, Damon showed he still had an influence over Caroline and compelled her to free him. He attempted to kill her for blood but Zach tried to stop him. Damon broke Zach’s neck and killed him.
The Salvatore Daughter
Zach Salvatore had a daughter named Sarah Nelson, who was born in 1994. Sarah’s mother was Gail, who was pregnant when she met Damon for the first time. Damon fed on Gail and killed her, but Sarah survived and was adopted right out of the hospital after Stefan compelled Zach to forget the child and her mother.
Sarah grew up unaware of her biological family until she came to Mystic Falls in 2015. She met Enzo St. John, who was working for Lily Salvatore, the mother of Stefan and Damon who had returned from a prison world. Enzo pretended to be Sarah’s friend but he actually wanted to use her as leverage against Lily. He revealed Sarah’s true identity to her and tried to turn her against the Salvatores.
However, Sarah eventually learned the truth about Enzo’s motives and decided to leave Mystic Falls. She pursued a career as a photographer and moved to New York City. She was later killed by Sybil, a siren who wanted to hurt Damon by taking away his humanity.
Conclusion
The Salvatore family tree is complicated and tragic, as most of its members have died or become vampires. Zach Salvatore was one of the few human relatives of Stefan and Damon Salvatore, but he also met a violent end at the hands of his uncle. His daughter Sarah was the last living descendant of the Salvatores, but she also died before she could get to know her family better.
The Vampire Diaries is a show that explores the themes of love, family, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption through its characters. The relationship between Stefan and Zach Salvatore is one example of how family ties can be strained by secrets, lies, and bloodlust.
