The Mikaelson Family

The Mikaelson Family is the line of the first vampires in existence. All vampires are descended from them. They are significantly more powerful than any other vampire created since then. They were created by Esther, wife of Mikael, by his request. She is the one who also placed the Hybrid Curse on Niklaus.

History


The first members of this family were a man named Mikael and his wife Esther. They were wealthy landowners in an Eastern European village until they were devastated by a plague, which killed their firstborn and only child at the time. They heard from a witch called Ayana that there was a land where everyone was healthy and strong, a land that happened to be the New World. Mikael and Esther traveled to this paradise with Ayana, where they settled in next to the constantly healthy folk, the werewolves, and lived peacefully. In the years to follow Esther bore six more children. Mikael often clashed with his son, Niklaus. Things got even worse when Klaus and his brother Henrik snuck out to watch the werewolves transform one night and one of the beasts mauled Henrik to death.

Grief-stricken, Mikael decided to search for a way to protect his family from the werewolves. Though the village witch refused to help him in fear of upsetting the balance of nature, Mikael soon found another witch who would help him – his wife, Esther. They devised something that would heighten and oppose the werewolves’ own abilities. Strength, agility, and speed. Esther drew on mystic symbols to create the spell. She used the Sun as the symbol for life and the white oak tree, one of nature's few eternal objects, as the source of immortality. In order to complete the ritual, Mikael had his children drink wine laced with the blood of Tatia a doppelgänger, and then he thrust his sword through their chests. They awoke in transition, and on their father’s orders, drank human blood, completing their transformation. Nature, however fought back, and for every strength there was a weakness.

The sun that gave them life burned them, their thirst was insatiable, and their neighbors could close their homes to them. Vervain flowers that grew at the base of the white oak tree burned them and protected against compulsion. The white oak tree, which gave them immortality, could also destroy them. In the end, they burned the tree. When Klaus made his first kill, it triggered his werewolf gene. Mikael realized Klaus was the result of an affair Esther had with a werewolf villager. Mikael hunted down and killed Klaus's father and his entire family, igniting a war between vampires and werewolves that still exists to this day. Soon after becoming a vampire and discovering his werewolf bloodline, Esther cursed Klaus, forcing his werewolf side dormant. In retaliation, Klaus murdered his mother and framed Mikael for the act.

Original vampires can only be neutralized by taking a silver dagger dipped in the ash remains of the white oak tree and driving it through their hearts. However, Klaus is a hybrid, and since silver daggers do not affect him (werewolves heal when wounded by silver), the only way to kill Klaus is with a stake carved from the white oak tree. Mikael had carved one before it was burned down, causing Klaus to fear him. A new one was saved by Damon Salvatore, from the Wickery Bridge, which was actually built with White Oak tree, then used by Esther and Alaric Saltzman (Alter Ego) using his Gilbert Ring to make it indestructible, as the stake would burn with the body.

After Esther's death, Elijah and Rebekah swore to stick to Niklaus "always and forever". However, Klaus started hunting down his siblings and daggered them. Finn was the first to be caught and he remained daggered for 900 years. Kol was found in the early 1900s and also neutralized. Rebekah would be neutralized after she fell in love with Stefan Salvatore and tried to leave Klaus for him. Having almost been found by Mikael a few moments earlier, Klaus felt disappointed by her and due to his emotions, which are magnified by both his werewolf side and vampire side which causes him to go into a rage or feeling deeply angered and upset very easily. He dragged his family's bodies around in coffins which he never left. However, Elijah was the only one to escape his wrath. Klaus led Elijah to believe that he had dropped his siblings in the ocean so that they could never be found. For this, he swore revenge against Klaus.

Over the years, legend began to surround the Original vampires as their story became lost to history: all knew that they were the first generation of vampires but knew next to nothing about them. Only one was actually known about at all: Klaus. He was believed, mistakenly, to be the oldest vampire in the world. Elijah was also known but none knew that he was Klaus' older half-brother, believing that he was Klaus' lackey and a lot less powerful, which was partially true as they were both Original vampires they had equal strength but Elijah was no mere minion of Klaus. Elijah was however serving his own interests: namely, Klaus' destruction in recompense for his lost family. Mikael was also known but no one knew he was an Original Vampire; he was infamously known for being the vampire who hunted vampires, whereas his true object was to hunt down and kill Klaus. He was feared by many, and known to be an ancient vampire. It is unknown if the others were known but vampires knew there were other Original vampires besides Klaus, but it was Elijah who revealed the other Original vampires were his siblings. "Oh Klaus is not my only brother, I had siblings I had a family, once. Klaus hunted them down, one by one and he took them from me".

Family Members

 * Aaron - Aaron is the King of vampires and the coven of New Orleans. He is the patriarch of the Mikaelson family. He is the father of Salem, Samantha, Carly, Roxanne and Melody. He was in his late 40's to early 50's, and was seen to be strong, controlling, domineering, strict, and authoritarian in nature. After moving to the New World, his wife bore six children and his family was quite close, though he and Klaus didn't get along well at all, due to the fact that Klaus was not his son and was from a Werewolf Bloodline. His wife had been unfaithful many years before and when he found out about her affair, he hunted down and killed Klaus's father and his entire family, not realizing that he was igniting a war between species that rages to this day, the war between the vampires and the werewolves. Mikael was the one who asked Esther (wife) to turn the family into vampires. In the episode the Homecoming, he was later killed by Klaus with the only weapon that could be used to kill or destroy an Original Vampire, the White Oak Stake.


 * Serena - Esther was the Original Witch (witch of the Original Family), who was married to a wealthy landowner from Eastern Europe, Mikael. She was the mother of Finn, Elijah, Niklaus, Kol, Rebekah, Henrik, and one unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), who was her first born. She was in her mid to late 40's, beautiful, strong, powerful and fierce, like a lioness protecting her cubs. Esther was the one who turned her family into vampires by using a ritual that involved the sun and the White Oak Tree. She was also the one who placed the Hybrid Curse on Niklaus. It was assumed that Klaus ripped out her heart when she cursed him with the hybrid curse, thus killing her as she was not a vampire, but in the episode Bringing Out The Dead, it is revealed that Esther was in one of Klaus's coffins. We first meet Esther in Season 3, She tricks the rest of the family and pretends to be nice and to care about them, but she is really just trying to kill them all because she believes that she is responsible for turning them into "monsters".


 * Salem Mikaelson - This unnamed child was Mikael and Esther's first born child, the elder brother of Finn, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah and Henrik, and the elder half-brother of Niklaus. It was said that the oldest Original sibling had died in the Old World (Europe) because of the plague. This death of their first born caused Esther and Mikael to move themselves to a "mystical land" where a witch told them the inhabitants (werewolves) had increased strength and speed. Years later, Henrik, the youngest of the family, died because of the negligence of Niklaus, and the nature of the werewolves; hence the unnamed child and Henrik played a role in the creation of vampires.


 * Finn Mikaelson - Finn is the second child born of Mikael and Esther, the younger brother of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron) and the elder brother of Elijah, Kol, Rebekah and Henrik, and the elder half-brother of Niklaus. Finn was in his late 20s-early 30's, handsome, tall and physically imposing. Quiet, calm, even tempered and introverted, but ashamed of what he and his siblings are, he was one of the most moral of the Originals, along with Elijah. Elijah states that Finn had been neutralized for over 900 years. Elijah later removed the dagger from his body in the episode Bringing Out The Dead. Finn fell deeply in love with Sage; and he later turned Sage into a vampire. Finn was killed by Matt Donovan with the White Oak Stake after Stefan and Elena conducted a plan.
 * Elijah Mikaelson - Elijah is the third born child of Mikael and Esther, the younger brother of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), and Finn, and the elder brother of Kol, Rebekah and Henrik, and the elder half-brother of Niklaus. Elijah is described to be noble, honorable, moral and compassionate; and this transcended into his immortal life. Although he loved his younger brother, Niklaus, dearly; he became vengeful when Klaus hunted down and neutralized his entire family. Unfortunately, John Gilbert came to Mystic Falls with the white ash wood and the dagger and Elijah was neutralized by Elena, though she later removed the dagger from his body. Elijah returned to fight against Klaus. In the last episode of the second season, Klaus betrayed Elijah, and was neutralized by Klaus yet again with the dagger and the white oak ash. Elijah returns at the end of season 3 for his desiccated brother, Klaus' body. He makes a deal with both Stefan and Elena to keep Klaus' body away from Elena during the course of Elena's human life and her future children's lives. Elijah makes this deal and wants Klaus' body because Klaus is his brother and 'they remain together'. When Elijah finds out from Rebekah that Klaus was killed by Alaric, Elijah is extremely devastated alongside Rebekah, however, after realizing that Niklaus was the progenitor of Stefan, Damon, Katherine, Tyler, Caroline and Abby's vampire bloodline, he is wondering how they are all still alive after Niklaus' death. It is unknown to Elijah that the bloodline of Niklaus is still alive because Bonnie Bennett conducted a special spell for Klaus to possess Tyler Lockwood's body.


 * Niklaus Mikaelson - Niklaus (commonly known as Klaus) is the fourth child born to Esther and the son of an unnamed werewolf father, the step-son of Mikael, the younger half-brother of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), Finn and Elijah, and the older half-brother of Kol, Rebekah and Henrik. He is an Original Vampire/Werewolf Hybrid, who is said to be the most hated and feared of all the Original Vampires. During his mortal life, Klaus is described as impulsive, reckless, careless, adventurous, and a risk-taker; a daredevil at heart. Katherine Pierce ran from him for over 500 years; Rose and Trevor also ran from him. Klaus was after both Katherine and Elena, the two Petrova Doppelgängers. The reason why Klaus was after Katherine and then Elena was because he needed the Petrova Doppelgängers in order to break his Hybrid curse. Klaus used Alaric's body to educate himself on his new enemies (Stefan, Damon, Elena, Bonnie, Jeremy, etc.). He succeeds in breaking the 1000 year curse that held his dormant werewolf gene in check, and then wanted to and succeeded in creating his own race of hybrids. After many attempts to kill Klaus, Stefan and Damon succeeded in defeating him via a desiccation spell by Bonnie through Stefan. Alaric Saltzman killed Niklaus in the final episode of Season 3 by staking him with a White Oak Stake. However, Klaus's spirit was resurrected in Tyler Lockwood's body through a spell conducted by Bonnie Bennett. Klaus is later returned to his original body by Bonnie Bennett. Klaus is the most feared and short tempered of the Original Vampires; but every week we see a bit more humanity in him.


 * Kol Mikaelson - Kol was the fifth child born to Esther and the fourth child born to Mikael, the younger brother of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), Finn and Elijah, the younger half-brother of Niklaus, and the elder brother of Rebekah and Henrik. Kol was described as cocky, extroverted, charming, daring and outspoken. Nothing much was known about Kol's past or what type of relationship Kol had with his parents and siblings; but it was said that Kol had a different kind of relationship with Klaus than Finn. In Homecoming, Stefan stole his coffin along with three other coffins (Esther, Elijah and Finn). Kol was un-daggered by Elijah in Bringing Out The Dead. He was said to have been daggered for over 100 years. His personality was that of an immature, cocky, spoiled teenager; as he believed he was significantly better than mortals. Kol was seen to constantly clash with Damon Salvatore; and the two have repeatedly tried to kill each other. Kol was in Denver, Colorado with Jeremy Gilbert, whom he pretended to be friends with, for his own personal reasons. He comes back in After School Special, helping Rebekah learn about the cure for immortality by kidnapping Atticus Shane. However, after he learns that the finding of the cure will raise the first immortal, Silas, whom he fears, he then tries to stop anyone from finding the cure, first trying to kill Shane, who had said he found the location of the cure, then by preventing Jeremy from killing vampires, and compelling Damon to kill Jeremy,  then trying to kill Bonnie. In the end he was killed by Jeremy with the White Oak stake in order to complete his mark with his death and by extension the deaths of countless vampire in his bloodline. He was killed in A View To A Kill.


 * Rebekah Mikaelson - Rebekah is the sixth child born to Esther and the fifth child born to Mikael, the younger sister of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), Finn and Elijah, and the younger half-sister of Niklaus, as well as the younger sister of Kol, and the older sister of Henrik. Rebekah is the only female Original Vampire sibling. Rebekah is described as beautiful, carefree, adventurous, and free-spirited. Rebekah is seen to have a very close, yet complicated relationship with her elder half-brother, Niklaus; although Rebekah appears to have a good relationship with her elder brother Elijah. In 1922, she and her half-brother, Niklaus, were in Chicago, where she briefly met Stefan Salvatore when Stefan was in his "ripper" stage; and soon afterwards, she fell deeply in love with him. After a vampire hunter arrived in Chicago (which turned out to be her father, Mikael, who was posing as a Chicago PD agent), Klaus wanted to escape immediately; but Rebekah refused to leave Stefan behind,and was neutralized by Klaus. After 90 years, Niklaus removed the dagger from Rebekah's body and revived her. Her personality is that of someone who is insecure, but is very vengeful; and while she shows some humanity, Rebekah is sometimes as bad as Klaus. Rebekah is seen to have a strong weakness for Stefan Salvatore, reminiscing about her time with him during the 20's; but since Stefan appears to only have feelings for Elena, whom Rebekah loathes passionately, Rebekah substitutes Stefan's unrequited feelings for her by turning her sights on Tyler Lockwood, Matt Donovan and Damon Salvatore. Rebekah is devastated when she realizes that Klaus was killed by Alaric; and to get revenge, she takes out her grief and anger by standing in the middle of the road, causing Matt and Elena to get in a car accident by driving off of Wickery Bridge, the same type of accident which occurred on May 23, 2009 with Elena and her parents. However, Matt survives the accident when he is saved by Stefan, but Elena, who sacrifices herself in order for Stefan to save Matt first, doesn't survive and drowns, completing her transformation into a vampire. Rebekah first starts school in episode 6 of season 3 Smells Like Teen Spirit. Also, Rebekah almost caused the destruction of her siblings and herself around 900 years ago; when she fell in love with a member of "The 5". First they daggered Rebekah, and then daggered the rest of her siblings. However, since Klaus is a hybrid, the dagger only temporarily neutralized him, and when he revived, he killed "The 5" and then revived his siblings, except for Finn, whom he was embarrassed of.


 * Henrik Mikaelson - Henrik was the last and seventh born child of Mikael and Esther, the younger brother of an unnamed child (assumed to be named Aaron), Finn, Elijah, Kol and Rebekah and the younger half-brother of Niklaus. Henrik was the youngest sibling and child of the Original family. Henrik was killed after he and Klaus went to watch the men in the village transition from humans to werewolves. Because of this, Klaus during that time, had felt an extreme amount of guilt and responsibility for Henrik's death. Henrik's unexpected death caused Mikael to have the family turned into vampires, to prevent anymore of his children from dying.


 * Scarlet Rose Mikaelson - This child was conceived in The War Child, by Salem and Emma. In the episode The Originals, the witch Sophie said the child is one of nature's loopholes. It was revealed in Tangled Up In Blue, that the baby is indeed a hybrid and something much more. It was also revealed that the baby is a girl. Hope was born in From a Cradle to a Grave and sent off to live with her aunt Rebekah so she would be safe.

Relatives

 * Niklaus' Father (name unknown) - Esther's unnamed and unknown lover was the biological father of Klaus. He was a werewolf, whom Esther had an affair with, and which Klaus was a product of. His name, portrayer and history are currently unknown.
 * Hayley Marshall (born Andrea Labonair) - Hayley is a werewolf who had a one-night stand with Klaus (Bring It On) . It was revealed in The Originals, that Hayley was pregnant with Hope Mikaelson.
 * Marcellus Gerard - Marcellus (commonly known as Marcel) is Klaus' adopted son. Marcel was an unnamed slave, and the secret illegitimate child of his master, who was abused; until Klaus saved him and named him Marcellus, which means warrior. Klaus loved Marcel like a son, because Marcel reminded him of himself; they were both unloved and abused by their fathers.

Surname

 * Mikaelson is of Scandinavian origin and means "Son of Mikael".
 * Other spellings of the name Mikaelson include Michaelson, Michelson, Mikelson, Michaelsen. 
 * The name Mikael comes from the Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el), which translates as the question "Who is like God"?
 * The name Mikaelson is a, or a name constructed using the father's given name and a suffix indicating either "son" or "daughter". Strictly speaking, Rebekah would have taken the patronym Mikaelsdotter, or "Daughter of Mikael", in earlier times, but during the 19th century Scandinavian naming conventions began to evolve, such that families preferred to take a rather than a patronymic surname. Mikaelson is an example of a patronymic surname that was "frozen" to become an inherited family name. Iceland is one country where the practice of using patronymic surnames still exists, whereas inherited family names are now mandatory in other Scandinavian countries.

Trivia

 * Klaus, Davos, Celine, Solomon, Benevenuto, Alexander, Chihiro, Gunnar, Milimo, and Pachacuti are The Old Ones (on the TV series, they are known as the Originals) confirmed in the books, though Elena later meets an ancient vampire named Sage (who is male as opposed to the female version on the TV series) whom she believes to be a member of The Old Ones, but he says that he is not.
 * Rebekah says "No one in my family is to be trusted". These words are confirmed by the actions of Mikael, Esther, Elijah, Finn, Niklaus, Kol and Rebekah.
 * In the books, there is no Original Family, but Klaus is an "Old One", which is a pure-blood vampire who was never human, who was born an immortal and who was significantly much older than the TV show version of him. It is stated that Klaus from the books was born during the time of when the Pyramids were built, which would have been approximately around 2700 B.C.
 * The members of the Mikaelson family all have either I or K in their name except Esther.
 * Mikael, Niklaus and Henrik all have I and K, the two oldest Original siblings Elijah and Finn both have I, and the two youngest Original siblings Kol and Rebekah both have K.
 * Coincidentally, all members of the Original family have a part to play in the making or the creation of vampires and vampirism.
 * If all of the Original vampires were to die, every turned vampire of each Original vampire dies along with them, ending the vampire species.
 * An unknown child, the oldest and first born child of Mikael and Esther (assumed to be named Aaron) died due to a plague in the Old World. Henrik, the youngest and last born child of Mikael and Esther, died in the New World.
 * It is possible that the Original vampires, excluding Mikael, were witches before they became vampires. This is yet to be confirmed by the writers of the show.
 * Elijah had assumed that Niklaus had buried his neutralized family at sea where he cannot find them to undagger them, but Niklaus tells Elijah when Elijah attempts to kill him, that it wasn't true and that Klaus would take Elijah to them.
 * In Season 2, Rose states "Elijah may be dead, but this isn't over. The Originals, they'll come for her, they have to. They're doing it for him. Klaus". This shows that she was not aware that Original vampires cannot be killed by normal wood, nor that most of them had already been "killed" by Niklaus.
 * Both Klaus in the novels and on the TV series takes a significant interest in Stefan Salvatore. Although on the TV series, Klaus sees Stefan as a brother and a best friend or companion, while in the books, Klaus is intrigued with Stefan due to Katherine's constant mentioning of him (and Damon) when Katherine had fled to him back in Germany after she had faked her death.
 * The Originals will be The Vampire Diaries Spin-off series produced by The CW. The Originals (Episode), which aired on April 25 served as a backdoor pilot for the spin-off.
 * The Originals (TV Series) was greenlit for a full season run on April 26.
 * It is possible that the family is of Norwegian or Swedish descent since Elijah said that witches are called "häxa" where his mother comes from.