A villain in The Vampire Diaries turned reformed anti-hero in The Originals, Klaus Mikaelson was a lot of things to different people. He was both a good and bad brother at different points in his life. He was an absent father, but he cared so much about his daughter he was willing to absorb the Hollow and stay away from Hope forever if it meant she would be safe. He was a father figure and enemy to Marcel. Klaus was an old friend and enemy to Stefan Salvatore. While Klaus is mostly the bad guy in Mystic Falls, he shines more as the redeemed hero in New Orleans.
In New Orleans, Klaus gets to be the person to root for. His journey took over a thousand years, and only in his final number of years had he understood how to be the best version of himself, a storyline that dominated Klaus’s arc during The Originals. Yet, it is hard to beat the exciting and villainous Klaus Mikaelson of TVD when trying to decide which iteration of him is better.
10 The Originals: Gives Him A Chance To Grow
Klaus got opportunities to develop in The Originals that could not be given in TVD when he was a villain. While he was a very developed antagonist in TVD, The Originals gave Klaus more storylines of his own where he could shine.
Klaus’s relationships with his siblings became a deeper topic in The Originals and each Mikaelson relationship had its own unique dynamic. His relationships with Marcel, Hayley, and Hope were also huge factors in watching the person Klaus became.
9 TVD: Few Villains Are As Good As Him
Klaus Mikaelson was one of the best villains in Mystic Falls, and while his family certainly ranked on the list, there were only two other villains that were as exciting as him.
Even Katherine and Kai didn’t have the residents in fear as much as Klaus – and they were just as impressionable. Given the number of enemies that made their way through Mystic Falls, that certainly says something about how unique and entertaining Klaus was.
8 The Originals: Allows For More Understanding Of His Backstory
The Originals includes several flashbacks that included Klaus that filled in the blanks of his backstory. While some things were already revealed on The Vampire Diaries, the spinoff had more opportunities to expand beyond the basics and create relationships for Klaus and his siblings that helped explain how they became who they were in the present.
More backstories gave the audience a chance to understand Klaus and how he became the person he was.
7 TVD: His Ruthlessness Is Compelling To Watch
As a villain, Klaus was ruthless because he did whatever he wanted. He was not afraid to kill whoever he wanted or cause havoc and he forced Stefan to attack Elena then compelled him to turn off his humanity. Klaus killed Jenna because he needed a vampire for his ritual.
He was even horrible to his siblings, daggering them numerous times over the centuries whenever they betrayed him or he feared they would leave him. To get revenge on Tyler for getting his hybrids to turn against him, he also killed Tyler’s mother.
6 The Originals: He Becomes More Understood
It may be difficult to empathize with Klaus, but it is not hard to understand that his biggest wish during The Originals is to protect his daughter. Through his speaking to Camille, it becomes clear that Klaus wants to be understood by someone.
He wants to be seen as something other than a monster. Yet, he also feels that his enemies must fear him if he is to get what he wants.
5 TVD: He Is Always Numerous Steps Ahead
Klaus was always several steps ahead of the Mystic Falls gang, which is one of the things that made him such an exciting villain in The Vampire Diaries.
Klaus had a backup for everything he needed to break his werewolf bind. He tended to predict other’s movements and beat them at their own game. By being so far ahead of the show’s heroes, it always became exciting to watch him and figure out how or if they would beat him.
4 The Originals: Fans Love Watching Him Protect His Family
Klaus is protective of his family and is devastated whenever he loses them. Sadly, this does happen a few times, but he usually reunites with them later. He is devastated by Hayley’s death, especially as he was so close to saving her.
Klaus is insistent on saving his family, no matter what it takes, as long as he can do something. He is willing to do anything to keep his family from harm and this makes for a good watch.
3 TVD: He Is Nearly Impossible To Kill
This actually does not work in his favor because it lowers the Original family’s stakes. But, it is a great advantage to Klaus, as a villain. As the Original Hybrid, Klaus is practically indestructible. But, the sireline makes this even more complicated and perhaps an intriguing problem to have.
Given how few things can kill Klaus and that he was 1,000 years older, beating him in a fight is nearly impossible anyway.
2 The Originals: He’s Always Many Steps Ahead
Since The Originals wants the audience to root for Klaus and his family, his skill for strategy and war makes for a fascinating series of events, especially when it looks like the family is truly backed into a corner.
Still, Klaus finds a way to trick everyone until the moment arrives when he can reveal his true intentions and save those he cares about. Klaus pulls this off with Dahlia, and when he gets Marcel to keep him alive, Klaus can be linked to his dying siblings.
1 TVD: He Has A True Motivation
Originally, Klaus’s main goal was to break his werewolf bind and leave Mystic Falls behind. The curse was placed on him over 1,000 years before, and he desperately wanted to break it to regain his werewolf abilities.
Even after he succeeded, Klaus had a motivation for bringing Stefan with him when he left. He took Stefan’s memories of their time together with Rebekah in the 1920s. Bringing Stefan with him was a way to reunite with Rebekah. In fact, nearly everything Klaus does has a reason behind it.
