If you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries, you must have wondered how Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce, two women who look exactly alike, are related to each other. The answer is not simple, as it involves a centuries-old curse, a powerful witch, and a bloodline that spans across generations. Here is everything you need to know about the Petrova doppelgangers and their connection.
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What is a doppelganger?
A doppelganger is a living, breathing double of oneself, who shares the same physical features and sometimes the same personality traits. According to Isobel’s research assistant at Duke University, doppelgangers are the result of nature’s way of restoring balance after an immortality spell was cast by Qetsiyah and Silas thousands of years ago. Qetsiyah and Silas were two powerful witches who fell in love and wanted to be together forever. They created a spell that made them immortal and bound their souls together. However, Qetsiyah discovered that Silas was in love with another woman, Amara, who was her handmaiden. She killed Amara and created a cure for immortality, which she hid in a mystical dimension called the Other Side. She also cursed Silas to be trapped in a tomb with the cure until he took it and died, joining her on the Other Side.
However, Amara was not really dead. She had secretly taken the immortality spell from Silas and became the first immortal woman. She also became the anchor to the Other Side, meaning that every supernatural being who died had to pass through her to reach the afterlife. This caused her immense pain and suffering, so she begged Silas to kill her and end her misery. Silas agreed, but he also wanted to destroy the Other Side and be reunited with Amara in death. To do that, he needed to perform a ritual that required the blood of his doppelganger and Amara’s doppelganger.
Who are the Petrova doppelgangers?
The Petrova doppelgangers are the shadow selves of Amara, who were born throughout history as part of nature’s balance. They all share the same face and the same bloodline, which originated from Tatia, the first Petrova doppelganger. Tatia lived in ancient Greece and was loved by both Elijah and Klaus Mikaelson, two of the Original vampires. However, she was also used by their mother Esther to create the Original vampire curse, which bound Klaus’ werewolf side with the blood of a Petrova doppelganger. Tatia’s blood was also used by Esther to turn her children into vampires, making them immortal.
The next Petrova doppelganger was Katerina Petrova, also known as Katherine Pierce. She was born in Bulgaria in 1473 and gave birth to a daughter in 1490, who was taken away from her by her father. She later met Klaus and Elijah in England and learned that she was part of Klaus’ ritual to break his curse and unleash his hybrid nature. She escaped from him by turning herself into a vampire with the help of Rose and Trevor, two of Klaus’ enemies. She then spent 500 years on the run from Klaus, who wanted to use her blood for his ritual.
The last Petrova doppelganger was Elena Gilbert, who was born in Mystic Falls in 1992. She was adopted by Grayson and Miranda Gilbert after her biological parents John Gilbert and Isobel Flemming died in a car accident. She later learned that she was a descendant of Katherine’s daughter, who had survived and continued the Petrova bloodline. She also met Stefan and Damon Salvatore, two vampire brothers who had loved Katherine in 1864. She fell in love with Stefan first, but later developed feelings for Damon as well.
Elena and Katherine are related by blood through their common ancestor Tatia. They are also both Petrova doppelgangers, meaning they share the same soul as Amara. They have both been involved in Klaus’ ritual to break his curse, but in different ways. Katherine escaped from him by becoming a vampire, while Elena sacrificed herself by letting him drain her blood. However, Elena survived because she had vampire blood in her system from Damon’s earlier bite. She then became a vampire herself after dying with Damon’s blood in her system.
Elena and Katherine have also been enemies for most of their lives. Katherine has tried to kill Elena several times out of jealousy or self-preservation. She also killed Elena’s brother Jeremy by feeding him to Silas, an immortal being who wanted to destroy the Other Side and reunite with Amara. Elena has tried to kill Katherine as well, out of revenge or hatred. She also forced Katherine to become human again by shoving the cure for vampirism down her throat. However, they have also been allies at times, when they had a common enemy or a common goal. They have also impersonated each other on several occasions, using their identical looks to their advantage.
Elena and Katherine have also shared some moments of compassion and forgiveness. Elena forgave Katherine on her deathbed, before Katherine possessed her body and took control over it. Katherine also helped Elena get her memories of Damon back, after he returned from the Other Side. They have both acknowledged that they are family, despite their differences and conflicts.
Elena and Katherine are two sides of the same coin, who have lived very different lives but have also faced similar challenges and choices. They are both strong, smart, and passionate women, who have loved and lost many times. They are both Petrova doppelgangers, who have shaped the history of the supernatural world with their blood and their actions. They are both related to each other, by blood and by soul.
