The Originals: The Best Character In Each Season | Screen Rant
Although it didn't have as long of a run as the show it was born from (The Vampire Diaries), The Originals was arguably even better when it came to things like family dynamics and character development. With a smaller main cast, it gave each pivotal character more time to shine as a focal point.
Each of the show's five seasons felt like it had one or two characters who stood out from the rest of the pack. While most of them had strong storylines and fantastic performances throughout, there are a handful of reasons why they were the best of any given season.
Many fans would agree that the Mikaelson clan became the highlight of The Vampire Diaries during season 3 and some even felt the show's quality dipped when those characters left for their spin-off. The idea of a show focusing on Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah sounded incredible on paper but something unfortunate happened during the show's inaugural season. Rebekah wasn't around for all of it with Claire Holt departing as a series regular.
Thankfully, while she was around, Rebekah got the opportunity to have some of her best scenes. She was the reluctant one to come to New Orleans, refusing to believe that Klaus could be saved. That led to some great heart-to-hearts with both of her brothers and some emotional baggage to unpack with Marcel. Her best moment came right at the end of her run as she was trapped in a graveyard with Klaus who wanted to kill her and Elijah who wanted to protect her, making for dynamite family drama. Plus, she returned for the finale to take care of Hope.
One of the biggest plot twists on The Originals came in season 2. In The Vampire Diaries, audiences met Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, and Finn, believing them to be the only children of the family. However, right around halfway through the season, fans were introduced to Freya Mikaelson, the actual firstborn child of Mikael and Esther who viewers were told died during birth. She hadn't been around since she was given to Esther's sister Dahlia as payment for a spell she did.
Freya entered the fold and kind of changed the game for the show going forward. She had a somewhat uneasy introduction to her siblings but ended up becoming a crucial member of the family. Not being a vampire, Freya brought something different to the table and she is one of the strongest witches in this franchise. This season explored her harsh upbringing, forged her bond with her brothers and sister, and even gave Finn a rare storyline to work with.
For most of the show to this point, Marcel Gerard was both a friend and foe. He battled the Mikaelsons several times and fought to protect Davina but also teamed with Klaus due to their intense history and a sense of loyalty. It was in season 3 that he finally went into full antagonist mode against Klaus. The tragic deaths of both Camille and Davina changed him.
Watching Marcel go through the mixed emotions of these experiences made for compelling TV that was arguably even better than seeing the Mikaelsons battle old rivals like Lucien and Aurora. It all came to a head when he took the serum to become a super-vamp with the ability to kill an Original. It made him a formidable foe and his final confrontation with Klaus was one of the show's best moments.
When Hayley Marshall first showed up on The Vampire Diaries, many just believed she was a side character meant to drive a wedge between Caroline and Tyler. She turned out to be much more important and a one-night stand with Klaus led to the miracle that is Hope. Her time on The Originals helped develop her into one of the franchise's fiercest and best female characters.
At the start of season 4, the powerful werewolf hybrid was traveling the world to find a cure for her family. She got to be the hero and most importantly, this was when audiences really got to see her be a mother to Hope. In all previous seasons, Hope was a baby who Hayley took care of but now, she got to help her grow up and have important conversations with her. It was beautiful to see, especially given her devastating death the following season.
To be fair, Klaus Mikaelson was a tremendous character for the entire show (as was Elijah even if he wasn't the best of a given season). They saved his best character work for the end though. Klaus made yet another sacrifice for his family in season 4 and it caused a strained, distant relationship with Hope that he dealt with for a lot of this final season.
Along with the great scenes with Hope, Klaus also got to have a long-awaited reunion with Caroline early in the season. It wasn't just a case of the show doing it for the sake of nostalgia either as it was pivotal to the story given how she put him back on the path to Hope. The ending was also remarkably fitting as Klaus had one more sacrifice up his sleeve, taking in the Hollow and ending his life to save Hope. A selfish villain got to end his arc in the most selfless manner.