The main cast of The Vampire Diaries dwindled to an all time low in season 7, so it’s the perfect time to bring back some familiar faces. Who do you want to see back in season 8?

Ever since the Salvatore brothers discovered the existence of Katherine’s doppelganger, Elena Gilbert, death and departure have been ubiquitous in Mystic Falls. The once populous town has been diminished to a wasteland with only a handful of occupants.

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In some ways, this is a good thing. It gives us a lot of time to focus on some of the characters who we’ve known and loved since the very beginning. In the wake of Nina Dobrev’s departure, we were able to explore new and interesting stories with the remaining characters, especially Caroline and Bonnie.

However, with a call sheet that could comfortably fit on a sticky note, potential stories are slightly more limited than in the days when Mystic Falls was filled with the living and undead. Luckily, there are many characters who were taken from us too soon, who still have compelling stories to tell!

It’s likely that season 8 will be the final chapter of The Vampire Diaries, so this could be the last chance to bring back some fan favorite characters, or tie up some unfinished story lines. Have you been (not so) patiently waiting to find out where Katherine was swept off to? Have you been shouting “Klaroline” from the rooftops since season 2? Do you think Vicki Donovan deserves one more chance to turn things around? This could be your last opportunity to get some closure on these important issues.

Related: The Vampire Diaries renewed for season 8: What will make you tune in?

Anything is possible in Mystic Falls, but some characters are still far more likely to return than others. Unfortunately, any character who died a human is probably buried too deep for even a Bennett witch’s shovel to retrieve, especially one who’s lost her powers! We probably won’t be seeing Aunt Jenna or Liz Forbes again anytime soon, but we can always dare to dream.

While it’s all but guaranteed that Nina Dobrev will reprise her role as Elena in the series finale of The Vampire Diaries, whenever that may be, it’s not likely that she’d decide to come back as a series regular in the near future. It would be amazing to see her as either Elena or Katherine (we’d even take Amara or Tatia) in every episode of season 8, but we’ll probably have to wait for the final moments.

On the other hand, some characters could show up in town in the season 8 premiere of The Vampire Diaries without much trouble at all. Jeremy Gilbert and Tyler Lockwood wouldn’t even need to be retrieved from wherever it is that dead supernatural beings are hanging out these days. They’re simply a phone call away! A vampire hunter and a werewolf would definitely be useful in putting an end to the Damon and Enzo killing spree.

Now that The Originals has been pushed back to the winter season, crossover potential is at an all time high. Fans have missed the Mikaelsons ever since they left Virginia in favor of New Orleans, and would surely welcome their return to Mystic Falls.

All of the departed characters fall somewhere along the spectrum between “we’ll see them again when Damon and Matt get together” (would Matt Damon be the best ship name ever? Yes!) and “they’re probably making drinks in the Mystic Grill right now.” The question is, if the playing field was leveled for everyone, who would you want to come back? This poll encompasses most of the characters who were regulars at some point during the run of The Vampire Diaries, or who made an exceptionally large impact during their short stay. If there’s someone else you’d love to see in season 8, let us know in the comments!

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Tell us why your favorite character needs to be in ‘The Vampire Diaries’ season 8