Audiences were shocked when Stefan was killed off in The Vampire Diaries series finale. We analyze why the show decided to sacrifice one of its leads.

After 8 seasons of protecting Mystic Falls from supernatural threats, Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley) died in the series finale of The Vampire Diaries. In a selfless move, Stefan sacrificed himself so that his brother Damon (Ian Somerhalder) could have his happily ever after with Elena (Nina Dobrev). Although the twist was certainly shocking, there's another reason why The Vampire Diaries killed off one of its main characters in the series finale.

The Vampire Diaries follows Elena Gilbert as she meets two vampire brothers named Damon and Stefan, all while she deals with the sudden death of her parents. The trio protects Elena's town of Mystic Falls from the barrage of menacing supernatural beings that come their way. The show is based on L. J. Smith's young adult book series, and it ran on The CW for eight seasons.

Stefan was unofficially known as the good Salvatore brother for the majority of the show, but he had his moments when he proved otherwise — namely, when he turned off his humanity and decided to go full "Ripper." Stefan's actions during this time are what prompted Stefan's death. But it wasn't The Vampire Diaries writers who initially came up with the idea to kill off Stefan, it was actually Wesley himself.

Wesley believed death was necessary karma for Stefan. As Damon gained something of a bad boy reputation, Stefan was increasingly pigeon-holed as the opposite. Over the course of The Vampire Diaries, Wesley made suggestions to the show's writers for Stefan that allowed his character to wade in the dark side of things, specifically by having him temporarily transform into a Ripper. As Stefan ended up doing some terrible things during his time as a Ripper, he convinced the writers that he deserved to die, as an act of penance for everything he had done. As Seventeen reported, Wesley actually pitched killing off both Damon and Stefan to the writers, so Elena could continue her life with a clean slate. Damon survived, but the writers were convinced to kill off Stefan.

Convincing writers to kill him off was a bold move that brought dignity to the end of Stefan's arc. As with many teen dramas, The Vampire Diaries played out some sub-par storylines to flesh out its 8-season run. Even Wesley admitted to Seventeen that the show had jumped the shark multiple times. But having Stefan make the call to sacrifice himself for his brother added some substance back to a show that had lost some over the years. Killing both Damon and Stefan Salvatore would've been a bold a memorable move for The Vampire Diaries' series finale. While the show's writers may not have been able to commit to both deaths, Stefan's death provided a necessary emotional note for The Vampire Diaries to go out on.

More: Vampire Diaries Stars' New Company Is A Salute To The Salvatore Brothers