The Vampire Diaries season 8

The Vampire Diaries, an American supernatural drama, was renewed for an eighth and final season by The CW on March 11, 2016. On July 23, 2016, The CW announced that the upcoming season would be the series' last and would consist of 16 episodes. The season premiered on October 21, 2016, and concluded on March 10, 2017.

Main

 * Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore
 * Ian Somerhalder as Damon Salvatore
 * Kat Graham as Bonnie Bennett
 * Candice King as Caroline Forbes
 * Zach Roerig as Matt Donovan
 * Matt Davis as Alaric Saltzman
 * Michael Malarkey as Enzo St. John

Recurring

 * Kristen Gutoskie as Seline
 * Demetrius Bridges as Dorian Williams
 * Allison Scagliotti as Georgie Dowling
 * Nathalie Kelley as Sybil
 * Lily Rose Mumford as Josie Saltzman
 * Tierney Mumford as Lizzie Saltzman
 * Wolé Parks as Cade
 * Joel Gretsch as Peter Maxwell
 * Sammi Hanratty as Violet Fell
 * Kayla Ewell as Vicki Donovan
 * Reece Odum as Karen

Special guest

 * Michael Trevino as Tyler Lockwood
 * Chris Wood as Kai Parker

Special appearance

 * Steven R. McQueen as Jeremy Gilbert
 * Sara Canning as Jenna Sommers
 * Marguerite MacIntyre as Liz Forbes
 * David Anders as John Gilbert
 * Jodi Lyn O'Keefe as Jo Laughlin
 * Jasmine Guy as Sheila Bennett
 * Arielle Kebbel as Lexi Branson
 * Jaz Sinclair as Beatrice Bennett
 * Natashia Williams as Lucy Bennett

Guest

 * Aisha Duran as Virginia St. John
 * Tristin Mays as Sarah Nelson
 * Alexandra Chando as Tara
 * Evan Gamble as Henry Wattles
 * Persia White as Abby Bennett Wilson
 * Melinda Clarke as Kelly Donovan
 * Nina Dobrev as Katherine Pierce / Elena Gilbert

Production
Filming for the season began on July 20, 2016. It was announced on July 23, 2016, that season 8 of The Vampire Diaries would be the series' last and co-creater Kevin Williamson would return as a showrunner. Filming for the season ended on February 8, 2017.

Casting
On January 26, 2017, it was announced that Nina Dobrev would return as Elena Gilbert in the series finale. At the end of the episode, "It's Been a Hell of a Ride" on February 24, 2017, it was revealed that Dobrev would reprise her role of Katherine Pierce as well.

Critical response
Based on 16 reviews, the eighth season holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 8 out of 10. The site's critics' consensus reads, "Even into its eighth season, The Vampire Diaries exceeds genre expectations while still servicing fans with Nina Dobrev's return."