Dear Diary, today we watched the final episode of The Vampire Diaries. We cried a river as we saw Stefan die and our hearts were elevated as Delena reunited. Making this goodbye even more heartbreaking were the several nostalgic moments being thrown our way. With every scene came a hidden callback to earlier seasons, reminding us of every great moment from this show.

Prepare for the memories to come rushing back to you – here are 18 Easter eggs in The Vampire Diaries finale you might have missed…

1. That’s For Me to Know…

Katherine Pierce has a history of snarky quotes but her latest has a significant meaning. When the Salvatore brothers pester the vampiress to tell her where she’s hidden Elena’s body, she replies “That’s for me to know and for you…” That line was added in her script intentionally. As you may recall, Damon said it to Stefan back in season one episode two. This show sure likes to reuse lines in the smartest of ways…

2. Ms Cuddles

You have to be eagle-eyed to recognize this Easter egg! When Caroline was preparing to evacuate Mystic Falls, she had a special little something gripped tightly in her hands – Ms Cuddles! You might remember Bonnie’s cute stuffed bear from season six!

3. History Class

In season one, Elena first recognized Stefan from “history class”. There was a callback to this in the show’s finale. When Stefan looks for Elena’s body in Mystic Falls High, the first place he looks in is an American history classroom. We don’t know about you, but we can feel the tears rolling down our cheeks at this very moment…

4. Grandpa

As Mystic Falls evacuated the city in the finale, one particular resident stood out most – Tiki’s grandpa. Who? Tiki’s grandfather appeared in season one episode five, as the man who recognized Stefan from a vampire attack 50 years ago. Remember him now? He showed up being wheel-chaired out of the hospital in the series finale asking, “Where’s Tiki? Where’s my granddaughter?” Now that’s an Easter egg only dedicated fans of The Vampire Diaries would notice.

5. The Return of the Bennett Witches

We have Bonnie Bennett to thank for saving Mystic Falls from Hellfire obliteration. But she didn’t do it alone. By her side during that scene were a few magical and familiar faces. Grams, the woman who helped Bonnie realize she was a witch in earlier seasons turns up alongside other Bennett witches, Beatrice and Lucy Bennett. We all know how much Grams means to Bonnie so seeing them reunite gave us all the feels…

6. Hallway Run-In

All the memories came flooding back as Elena gazed at photos from her cheer-leading days in high school. Not only was she back in Mystic Falls High but she also relived an iconic moment from season one – the day she ran in to Stefan Salvatore. When Stefan dies in the finale, he bumps into Elena in some sort of in-between state of life and death. Seeing them recreate their hallway run-in was the Easter egg all Stelena fans needed and more!

7. Never Say Never

Stelena fans were treated to another nostalgic callback during that emotional scene. As Stefan moves on to his afterlife, The Fray’s Never Say Never plays in the background. This is the exact same song that was played in the pilot when Elena first invited Stefan into her home. This particular moment certainly pulled on a few heart strings…

8. Elena’s Outfit

Did you recognize Elena’s outfit in the Vampire Diaries finale? She wore a similar white lace blouse, purple cardigan, and jeans several times in the past. Can you feel the nostalgia hitting you like a ton of bricks?

9. I Was Feeling Epic

As mentioned in our Vampire Diaries facts, every episode title of the final season is named after a quote from the first series. “I Was Feeling Epic” is the name of the show’s finale but it’s also a famous line said by Lexi in season one, episode eight. Stefan says it once again in the finale when he reunites with his BFF in the afterlife. It certainly was epic seeing them together again…

10. Dear Diary…

It wouldn’t be called The Vampire Diaries without hearing a segment from Elena’s diary, right? After several seasons, we finally got to hear Elena’s thoughts again in the show’s finale. “Dear Diary. Today will be different. Today I will smile. It will be genuine because today is the day I get to live again”, she writes. This takes us back to the first season of The Vampire Diaries when Elena wrote similar words…

11. Stefan Died Aged 171

According to Stefan’s Wiki page and his tombstone, he was a 171 year old cured vampire when he died (considering the eighth season takes place in 2018). Think that’s just a random age the writers came up with? Think again. This just happens to be the number of overall episodes in the series. Stefan truly was a special part of the show. RIP…

12. Stefan’s Gifts

As his friends and loved ones visit his grave, they leave a few monumental gifts behind. Damon leaves his daylight ring, Elena leaves her old vervain necklace, and most importantly, Caroline leaves a snow globe keychain. What’s the significance behind Caroline’s gift? The keychain was given to her by Stefan all the way back in season six. Cue the goosebumps!

13. Klaroline

As much as we loved Stefan and Caroline’s romance, there was always a part of us that wished to see the return of Klaroline. Klaus and Caroline really did have something special back in the day. In the finale, he sends her a generous donation for her school but there were a few words in his letter that stood out most – “I do look forward to thanking you in person, someday. However long it takes”. Do those words ring a bell? They sure do! Klaus used that line back in season four, episode 23, when he told Caroline that he intended to be her last love “however long it takes”. SWOON!

14. Jeremy Gilbert

Gone is the teenager who hated life and school! Jeremy turns up for brief moment in The Vampire Diaries finale as a teacher in Caroline’s new school for gifted children. Our hearts skipped a beat after seeing our fave Gilbert brother holding his infamous crossbow once again. His appearance was so quick, it can almost be counted as a sneaky little Easter egg!

15. The Cemetery and Crow

Remember when Elena used to get stalked by that crow before Damon’s arrival? The same thing happened again in the show’s finale. Like in the first season, Elena sits in the cemetery and is visited by the black crow just before her true love, Damon turns up. This time however, she doesn’t fear the bird. She smiles and welcomes it with open arms…

16. Hello Brother

Damon and Stefan end their final scene together in the exact same way they began their first one. When Damon dies and reunites with Stefan in the afterlife, the first thing he says to him is “Hello Brother”. Forget Delena or Steroline, Stamon had the best romance off all time.

17. The Return of Jo, Lexi and Elena’s Family

Not only did Jeremy Gilbert make a brief appearance but his parents did, too! Elena was finally reunited with her deceased parents after years gone by. Alaric’s Jo also turned up and of course, not forgetting the beloved Lexi. Seeing these familiar faces again made us real sentimental.

18. Tyler and Vicky

We went down memory lane seeing Vicky again but the nostalgia really kicked in when she reunited with Tyler Lockwood. Blinked and you might have missed it. In the finale, we briefly saw the fan-favorites standing side-by-side, insinuating that they found peace in each other. Gone are the days of their toxic relationship. This small Easter egg in the final episode made a lot of fans happy…

Boy has it been tough to say goodbye. Thanks for the memories, The Vampire Diaries! Is it too early to re-watch the whole show from scratch? Excuse as we press play. The Vampire Diaries pilot is about to begin…

Want to remember the show forever? Get your hands on one of these Vampire Diaries gifts…