The Vampire Diaries was originally advertised as a love triangle between Elena Gilbert and the Salvatore brothers, but as soon as the Mikaelsons entered the picture, it became much more than that. 

Damon and Elena were faced with competition as the most popular 'ship when Klaus and Caroline stole the hearts of viewers on The Vampire Diaries Season 3. 

The originals were too enticing not to have a show of their own, and because of the spinoff, Klaus and Caroline never got the screentime they deserved. 

However, once Caroline Forbes popped up in the final season of The Originals, Klaroline fans all over the world had hope again. 

The only thing that prevented them from ending up together, was Stefan Salvatore. 

You might be wondering how Stefan was a problem if he was dead, and I've spent years wondering the same thing. 

As the TVD showrunner confessed herself, Klaus and Caroline were denied their happy ending because it would have dishonored Stefan's memory. And while we understand the sentiment, it's an absurd reason to keep two immortal creatures, who care about each other deeply, apart. 

Stefan and Caroline should never have been together, in the first place. They had a strong friendship, as it was similar to what Stefan had with Lexi, but the moment it became more than that the whole relationship was ruined. 

It felt like Stefan and Caroline were the only two main characters left without a love interest, so they threw them together for the hell of it. 

But when the chemistry isn't there, it isn't there. And most arguments against them are the same. The romance was forced. 

While Caroline's relationship with Klaus, and even Tyler, evolved naturally, it felt as if there was too much push and pull when it came to Steroline. 

Both Stefan and Caroline kept trying to move in opposite directions, but the writers kept shoving them back together. 

When Caroline did realize her feelings for Stefan, it took much more work than it should have to get him to return the sentiment. It was borderline painful to watch a character as incredible as Caroline, beg for Stefan to give her the time of day. 

Damon: Why don't you just date her and put us all out of our misery?
Stefan: Because I don't think about her that way. She's my friend.

• Permalink: I don't think about her that way. She's my friend.

Even after the two kissed Stefan was trying to find the best way to reject her, but watching her sing at her mother's funeral somehow changed his mind. 

Sorry, but Caroline Forbes deserves better. 

The only real argument against Klaroline is that Klaus was a bad person. And, yes, at first, he was. But so was every single vampire on the show, Stefan included.

If we're being honest, the only reason Klaus' body count was higher than Stefan's, was because Klaus has been around longer. 

We're talking about a series in which all the characters are mass murderers. These are characters that have magical healing abilities and stab each other over minor disagreements. The Vampire Diaries doesn't set the bar for morality and it never will. 

Trying to find a romance that can be deemed healthy is impossible and pointless, so why try? You won't succeed. 

Remember when Rebekah tried to kill Matt and Elena and Matt almost drowned? People don't have much a problem with that relationship. 

You could spend hours arguing about why Klaus attacking Caroline when he was trapped was worse than Stefan and Caroline attacking each other when their humanity was off. And, honestly, that's a ridiculous argument to have. 

On a vampire show, it comes down to who had the best story and who had the most magic.

It's extremely hard to argue for Stefan and Caroline on that front. 

We've seen what Stefan is like when he's in love with someone, and Stefan's love for Elena in the first two seasons of series was clear as day. No one doubted how much he loved her. 

It wasn't the same when it came to Caroline. And it's not because the love between them was "healthier," but because it was unnatural. 

There's usually something appealing about "opposites attract," but this is Caroline Forbes we're talking about. She is epic, and she wants epic. Who's more fit to give that to her than Klaus Mikaelson?

You mark my words. Small-town boy, small-town life. It won't be enough for you.

Klaus

• Permalink: It won't be enough for you.

Klaus did what Stefan never could. He loved Caroline unconditionally and without being pressured into it. His daughter may have been what turned Klaus into the honest man he became, but Caroline was the one who set him on the right path. 

She was quite literally a bright light after centuries of living in darkness. 

Similarly to how Damon and Elena could always get through to Stefan, Caroline could always get through to Klaus. And their relationship wasn't one-sided. 

Not only was Caroline called out on her feelings for Klaus many times throughout the show, but she even admitted to them, herself. The only thing that held her back was Klaus' evil tendencies.

Klaus needed time to grow and evolve into a man that Caroline could be in love with, and by the time he became that man, Caroline and Klaus were reunited.

It was a recipe for success. 

Throughout The Originals Season 5, it became clear that Klaus never stopped loving Caroline, and Caroline was finally able to return his affections without feeling like she had to abandon her morals. He had become the person she always hoped he would be. 

You are being a good father. You are being a good person. And how could I tell you not to do that when that is all that I've ever—

Caroline

• Permalink: You are being a good father. You are being a good person.

Although we do wish the two had been able to remain on the same show, everything lined up perfectly for a Klaroline endgame. Not to mention that the two had both become parents and could understand each other on a deeper level than before. 

There was quite literally nothing holding them back. If anything, it seemed like they were purposefully set up to succeed, which is what makes their ending so infuriating. 

It could be reasoned that Klaus' death was necessary, but it seemed more like a ploy to keep Klaus and Caroline apart than anything else. Sacrificing himself for his daughter was a way to complete his redemption arc, but it wasn't the only way. 

While finding peace could be considered a perfect ending for an immortal, we know from Legacies that Klaus can't find it until Hope does. So, was it really all that epic of an ending?

As long as Klaus and Caroline were both alive, they'd continue to find their way back to each other.

Klaus: Thank you, for allowing your daughters to be involved in this mess. For trusting me.
Caroline: Years ago, when the girls were really little, I was in trouble. I was scared, I just, I put the girls in the car, and I drove. And I ended up in New Orleans...looking for you. You weren't there, but the point is, I think a part of me has always known that you weren't the villain of my story.

• Permalink: You weren't the villain of my story.

But because The Vampire Diaries spent so much time on Steroline once Nina Dobrev left the show, they wanted to make sure Stefan went down in history as Caroline's one true love. 

The problem is that Caroline is an immortal woman. It had been a decade since Stefan had died, which is double the amount of time they knew each other. Even less if you take out the three years they spent apart. 

The implication that Caroline could never fall in love again because she lost Stefan when she was twenty just doesn't sit right. How is that honoring Caroline? Especially when her love story wasn't great, to begin with. 

Maybe we're deluding ourselves, but as long as Klaus exists somewhere and Caroline is alive on Legacies, we'll never stop holding out hope for them to find each other.

Should we give up? Probably. But, where's the fun in that?

Besides, in a world where Klaus never left to go to New Orleans, Klaus and Caroline ended up married and enemies of the state.

These Easter eggs definitely aren't helping us move on. 

It's your turn, TVD fanatics! What was your ideal ending for Caroline Forbes?

Let us know in the comments section down below!

And don't forget, if you haven't seen the show, you can watch The Vampire Diaries online right here at TV Fanatic.