The oldest vampire in The Vampire Diaries is definitively Mikael.
The Original Hunter and Patriarch
Mikael stands as the patriarch of the Original vampire family and is technically the very first vampire to exist within the lore of The Vampire Diaries. His transformation into a vampire predates that of his children, including Klaus, Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, and Finn, making him the progenitor of the entire vampire lineage.
Before his vampirism, Mikael was a wealthy landowner in Eastern Europe. He and his wife, Esther, established their family there, laying the groundwork for the powerful, immortal beings they would later become. His original purpose was to hunt down and kill his son, Klaus, an objective driven by his deeply authoritarian nature and his disapproval of Klaus's true parentage and hybrid status.
Mikael is characterized by his imposing and fearsome presence, which stemmed from his highly authoritarian demeanor, particularly towards Klaus. This strictness and the subsequent pursuit of his own son cemented his terrifying reputation among his children and other vampires, portraying him as the ultimate hunter, even among his own kind.
