Although some viewers of The Vampire Diaries cheered for the love of Stefan and Caroline (dubbed “Steroline”), others saw red flags in their relationship that showed they weren’t a good match. Some fans felt that pairing Stefan and Caroline would be bad for both of them as characters and for their friendship.

The Vampire Diaries introduces Valerie Tulle in Season 7. The heretic witch-vampire hybrid is one of Lily Salvatore’s adopted children. It turns out that Valerie was Stefan’s first love, and the two had a romantic relationship back when they were human. After witnessing Caroline with Alaric, Josie, and Lizzie, Stefan reunites with Valerie.

The brooding Salvatore believes that Caroline will be safer away from him with her new family, so he decides to leave her behind and leave with Valerie. But eventually, Valerie ends things with Stefan after realizing he still has feelings for Caroline and doesn’t love her the way she loved him. Before leaving Stefan to pursue her own life, Valerie wishes him happiness. Stefan then goes back to Caroline, and they eventually get married.

While the Stefan and Caroline pairing had its fans, some TVD fans think Stefan should have ended up with Valerie. The fans believe Stefan and Valerie were perfect for each other, as they both were very loyal people who cared for each other. In a thread where one Reddit user asked if there were any Stelerie shippers, several fans commented, expressing their love for a Stefan and Valerie pairing.

One user wrote, “They had more chemistry than Steroline to me.” Another user said, “Yes, the only Stefan ship I love other than Stelena.” A third user wrote, “Me. I preferred him [Stefan] with her [Valerie] more than with anyone else. He [Stefan] and Caroline looked good. But for Caroline, it always should have been Klaus.”

Stefan could have ended up with Valerie had Caroline chosen to be with Klaus

There was no doubt that Caroline and Klaus, or Klaroline as they were affectionately known on The Vampire Diaries, had chemistry. When the two first met in Season 3, they immediately became one of the show’s most beloved pairs. The death of Klaus on The Originals crushed the hopes of many viewers who had hoped for a Klaroline reunion.

Caroline may have ended up with Stefan, but her romantic tension with Klaus never really went anywhere. There would have been a chance for Stefan to get back together with his first love, Valerie if Caroline had ended up with Klaus.

In the last episode of the series, “I Was Feeling Epic,” Stefan gave his life to save Mystic Falls from hellfire. But maybe Stefan would have made it through if things had turned out differently and Klaus and Caroline had ended up together. The cured vampire could have stayed in Mystic Falls or moved away with Valerie to start a new life.