The Vampire Diaries Season 7 returns to screens this week, and there is a big question of who will die. This season is expected to see the loss of one of the main characters, and fans worry that it will be Ian Somerhalder’s Damon Salvatore.

Somerhalder, like many of his Vampire Diaries co-stars, has yet to sign on for Season 8. The show has been renewed, but the whole premise is still hush-hush. Announcing actors returning and leaving would give far too much away for the rest of Season 7. It is not like last year when Nina Dobrev and the Vampire Diaries showrunners wanted to make sure fans were ready for her leaving. Nor is it like Grey’s Anatomy, where the cast is big enough to lose a few each year.

The show has become a running joke for many. The main characters have never really been killed off permanently. During Season 4, there was the worry that the show had finally done it by killing Jeremy Gilbert. However, a few episodes later, he was brought back, and Bonnie died and became a ghost. She then came back by being the anchor for The Other Side and was saved and returned to life after The Other Side collapsed and they found out she and Damon had been trapped in a 1994 prison world. Even Alaric did not remain dead on The Vampire Diaries after being killed off at the end of Season 3. He made it back through from The Other Side in the Season 5 finale.

Minor characters have been permanently killed off, but never one of the main characters. Is it possible that The Vampire Diaries could decide to do something different this year? There are certainly hints that this will happen, and it could be one of the Salvatore brothers.

‘The Vampire Diaries’ Season 7 Spoilers: Ian Somerhalder Teases Damon, Bonnie Fight https://t.co/pvdOg3YYmn pic.twitter.com/r5JLhf7XRg — The Vampire Diaries (@Vamp_Diaries) March 28, 2016

According to Zap2It, while Somerhalder has hinted that someone major will die in the next Vampire Diaries episode, “Days of Future Past,” the publication does not think it will be Somerhalder himself. In fact, the publication does not think that either of the Salvatore brothers will die. The main focus for Season 7 has been the brotherly bond, since Elena is no longer in the picture and Bonnie is alive.

The Vampire Diaries (2009–Present) pic.twitter.com/tLxjiiD7iJ — Films & TV Shows (@thesemovies) March 25, 2016

Somerhalder has also hinted that more than one character will die, and some fans wonder if that means the end of the Heretics — at least some of them. It appears that it will involve a car explosion too, and Somerhalder was close to that during the filming. He hints further that he could be the one involved. It could also be Valerie, since she is seen in the trailer with him in a car. While fans will not feel the same explosion that Somerhalder felt during filming, they will feel the heartbreak for why it happened, suggesting it is a character that Vampire Diaries fans are invested in.

Zap2It goes on to suggest that while the Salvatores are going to be fine, Bonnie and Caroline are also likely to be safe. If Bonnie dies, it means Elena has to come back, and Dobrev has not said she will definitely make a return to The Vampire Diaries, but there are rumors. Caroline also has a major storyline with the twins, and there are too many Klaroline shippers who would be angry if something did happen to her. Chances are that the ones to die will be either Enzo, Matt, or Tyler from the boys or the female Heretics.

The Vampire Diaries returns on Friday at 8/7c on the CW channel, with “Days of Future Past” directed by Somerhalder.

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