The Vampire Diaries is one of the most successful of the CW dramas. With so many memorable moments, its easy to lose track, but a lot of fans will argue that the prom and ball episodes never failed to entertain. Ball gowns, creative themes and dance numbers have been a present indicator that The Vampire Diaries, despite being centered on the supernatural universe, knew how to make the high school prom experience stand out. All throughout the series, characters dressed up according to the given theme, ready for a good night that always had some sort of epic song and romantic moment. Some even have too many unforgettable ones to count. The truth is, whether you shipped Stelena, Delena, or Klaroline, you will definitely remember some iconic scenes in one of the prom episodes.
Here is a breakdown of the best balls or proms in The Vampire Diaries, ranked for how many memorable scenes were in it, how it included the perfect soundtrack, and simply by how they made the dancing game impossible to resist. Even if it was a deadly one!
8. Monster’s Ball (Season 5, Episode 5)
Nothing like vampires and a werewolf disguised as famous monsters such as Bonnie and Clyde. In this frat ball, Caroline (Candice Accola) and Tyler (Michael Trevino) reconnect, thinking that they might be able to stick together given that Klaus (Joseph Morgan) is out of the way. However, what we quickly understand to the sound of INXS, is that their fate is doomed. Despite Klaus having given them the permission to stay together, Tyler has a thirst for vengeance that is way stronger than his feelings for Caroline, causing them to part ways at the end of the episode. Elena (Nina Dobrev), who is recovering from Bonnie’s (Kat Graham) death, is threatened by Professor Wes (Rick Cosnett) to go back to Mystic Falls, since everyone is keeping their eyes on her and her friends. Although this ball isn’t as exciting as the next ones on the list, it was a pivotal episode in Caroline and Tyler’s relationship status as well as the gang’s efforts to eliminate Silas (Paul Wesley) and Katherine (also played by Dobrev).
7. 50’s Dance (Season 1, Episode 12)
As we have seen a couple times in TVD, the Salvatore brothers are always ready to take care of Elena. When a new vampire seems to torment her after she hits him with her car, Elena goes to the dance accompanied by Stefan (Wesley) and Damon (Ian Somerhalder) to see if they can spot the anonymous vampire and understand his intent. A particular moment that stands out is when Damon asks Elena to dance which she refuses, extending her hand out to Stefan. The two dance and Elena insists that he show her some moves from the 50s. He ends up taking her on a full-on swing for a few seconds, which was enough for Stelena shippers to freak out.
6. Masquerade Ball (Season 2, Episode 7)
Set during Halloween at the Lockwood Mansion, Katherine preps herself disguised as Elena and goes to the Masquerade Ball. After sending a threat message through Caroline to Stefan and Damon about giving her the moonstone, Katherine asks Stefan to dance that is also jam-packed with exuding chemistry. Yet, it dies down a bit when Katherine kills off Aimee Bradley as a warning sign to Stefan to give her the moonstone. Amidst the party, Katherine is trying at all costs to not be fooled, even though she eventually becomes incapacitated when she touches the moonstone. In this episode specifically, we notice the effect Katherine has on Damon, years after their relationship, as well as her continued interest in Stefan. Despite her teasing them and being trapped into a cave later, we notice that taking revenge on Katherine isn’t as satisfying for Damon as it seemed.
5. Pictures of You Prom (Season 4, Episode 19)
When Elena is transformed into a vampire, she becomes cold-hearted and lacks any feelings for her humanity. After she is escorted against her will to prom night, everyone tries to remind her of memories they shared. Although Elena brushes Stefan aside after he tried to seduce her with a dance, it was an incredibly chemistry-filled moment. We also see Bonnie and Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen) dance together at the sound of Rihanna’s “Stay”. Even though we know it is all an illusion inflicted by Silas, it was sweet to be fooled into thinking that they were sharing a slow dance together like the olden days. It is also important to note that Rebekah (Claire Holt) has a change of heart once she is tested by Elijah (Daniel Gilles) to not use her powers. When she loses the prom queen race, we see her on the verge of giving up on her wish of taking the cure. Yet, Rebecca could show her selflessness by using her powers to save April, leading Matt (Zach Roerig) to regret his claim that she would be a terrible human.
4.The Last Dance (Season 2, Episode 18)
This is one of the few scenes before Elena fell for Damon that she danced with him and enjoyed his company while Stefan talked with Caroline about Klaus. We also see him and Bonnie plan a way to get back at Klaus to protect Elena, even if it puts Bonnie at risk. Through this we notice that Damon’s priority has always been to take care of Elena and ensure she is safe above all else. After all, he isn’t afraid to do the dirty in order to get what he wants, while Stefan is committed being compassionate and doing what is right.
3. 20s Decade Dance (Season 3, Episode 20)
Another decade themed dance, this time coordinated by Rebekah. Although Caroline dances with Tyler as her date, Klaus intervenes to say goodbye and set Tyler free. Although he cares about Caroline, she is just relieved she and Tyler have Klaus’ blessing. One of the best quotes during this slow dance is when Klaus tells Caroline: “Mark my words. Small town boy, small town life, it won’t be enough for you.” This shows that despite him feeling upset that Caroline isn’t in love with him, he sees her potential like no one else. In this prom, Elena is already having feelings for Damon, so she goes to the dance with Stefan as friends. Despite being upset at the whole situation, Stefan decides to look past what happened between her and his brother and recognizes her needs first.
2. Founder’s Day Gala (Season 1, Episode 19)
It’s impossible for Delena shippers to not have this gala event engraved in their minds. As each young woman descends the staircase to be met by their escort, Elena realises that Stefan is nowhere to be seen. Expecting to be the only one to walk alone, she nervously walks down, but at the last minute, Damon greets her. Although confused, Elena still moves on with Damon across the dance floor. The eye contact between them is so intense that it was impossible for viewers not to admit that they did have enough chemistry to become a couple. The song (“All I Need” by Within Temptation) playing in this scene serves as the cherry on top of the cake.
1. The Mikaelsons’ Ball (Season 3, Episode 14)
The reason why this ball remains #1 is due to the fact that many iconic scenes came out of it and the soundtrack was equally as memorable. When the Originals were all reunited in Mystic Falls, they organized a ball inviting everyone to put on gowns and suits and attend their beautiful mansion. The whole thing is planned so that Elena may speak with Esther (Alice Evans), the Mikaelson’s matriarch. Even though Damon and Stefan were clear when telling her not to come to the ball, she ends up going anyway and makes quite the entrance, with Damon on one side and Stefan on the other. The chills are surreal seeing that play out. Another moment that is noteworthy is during the ballroom scene, when Elena dances with Damon and then trades to Stefan. This was probably one of the hardest times to choose between the siblings because each seemed like an ideal fit. Not to mention that “Give Me Love” by Ed Sheeran is playing in the background, which adds to the intensity of the scene.
While this is happening, we also see Caroline and Klaus dancing together as she wears the dress and bracelet he gave her. Although she refuses to accept his compliments and show him any sympathy, Caroline can’t help but enjoy her Cinderella-like moment. She also receives a drawing from him, saying that he appreciates her honesty. Even though there wasn’t a memorable encounter between Rebekah and Matt, she ends up deciding to spare his life and developing feelings for him.
Here's hoping that we'll get some juicy prom moments from the upcoming Vampire Academy series.