Original Vampire is a term used to describe a progenitor in a vampire bloodline. The term was initially introduced when Rose revealed to Elena, Stefan and Damon their existence, and primarily refers to the Mikaelson Family, but has since expanded after Esther used a spell to turn Alaric into a vampire and Elena referred to him as an "Original". A number of characteristics differentiate an Original from the vampire bloodlines that they beget, but the fundamental difference is that Originals become vampires through a spell, not by ingesting the blood of another immortal.
A number of characteristics differentiate an Original from the vampire bloodline that they begat, but the fundamental difference is that Originals became vampires through a spell. Unlike non-Original vampires, Original vampires are indestructible and cannot be killed by anything on earth aside from the White Oak Stake, a large enough source of magic, the conditions suitable to reverse the original spell, or by the advanced venom of the Upgraded Original vampire. They also can only be temporarily neutralized by a White Oak Ash Dagger, one of the Cursed Stakes, or through various spells or rituals.
The Originals were created around the turn of the 11th century, when Mikael, the father of the Originals, wanted to find a way through magic to make himself and his remaining children immortal, as well as to make them superior to werewolves in speed, strength, fangs of their own, and heightened senses. His motivation to undergo this transformation was a result of the death of his youngest son Henrik Mikaelson, who was killed by a member of their neighboring village's werewolf pack during a full moon. When Ayana, his family's witch ally and Esther's mentor, refused to do the spell, Mikael convinced his wife Esther to do the spell instead in order to keep their children safe, ignoring the warnings of Ayana that doing so would unleash a plague upon the world.
| Name | Age | Status | Known For |
| Mikael | Age Unknown/1080+ | Deceased | The Original Vampire Hunter |
| Finn Mikaelson | 1047 | Deceased | The Boar |
| Elijah Mikaelson | 1043 | Deceased | The Noble Stag |
| Niklaus Mikaelson | 1040 | Deceased | The Original Hybrid |
| Kol Mikaelson | 1037 | Undead (Resurrected) | The Wily Fox |
| Ragnar Mikaelson | 1036 | Undead | The Lion |
| Rebekah Mikaelson | 1036 | Undead | The Original Sister |
| Renise Mikaelson | Unknown | Undead | The Second Carina Doppelgänger |
| Darius Salvatore | 941+ | Undead
(Resurrected) |
The Original Preeminent Vampire, The Original Ripper (Darius The Ripper), and The Kingly Warrior |
| Megan | Undead | ||
| Olga Milkov | 520/19 | Undead | The Clone |
| Æthelwulf | 520 | Undead | The Valiant Saxon |
| Annalise Denisa | 1 | Alive/Cured | The Visitor |
| Josie Saltzman (Omega) | 1 | Undead | Original Hybrid |
| Lizzie Saltzman (Omega) | 1 | Undead | Original Hybrid |