Daniel Gillies as Elijah Mikaelson

Elijah Mikaelson is an Original Vampire, and the second son of Mikael and Esther. He has six siblings, a deceased unnamed older brother, three younger brothers (Finn, Kol, Henrik), and a younger sister named Rebekah. He also has a half-brother named Niklaus. After Mikael's death, Elijah is the oldest Original alive.

Elijah is a member of the Mikaelson Family.

Elijah is one of five sons of Mikael and Esther, who were wealthy land owners from Eastern Europe in the 10th century. He is the second of seven siblings, which includes Rebekah, Finn, Niklaus, Kol, and Henrik and a unknown older brother who is presumed dead. During Elijah's early life, He and Klaus both fell in love with a woman named Tatia, although she had a child by another man, both brothers argued and fought over her but then they realized family was more important then her. They lived among werewolves for about twenty years, and at first they could handle each other and keep out of major fights.

He enjoyed sparring with Klaus, much to the disapproval of his father, who didn't like the fact he was sparring with his step-son Niklaus whom Mikael viewed as reckless. One morning after a full moon, Niklaus comes out of the woods holding his dead little brother Henrik. Elijah comes running from the woods to Niklaus and Rebekah and sees that Henrik is dead. Not wanting to lose another child, their mother Esther cast a spell (Vampiric Transformation Ritual), calling upon the Sun for life and the White Oak Tree for immortality. However, the spell lead to some untimely acts. Unbeknownst to Elijah and his siblings, they drank wine laced with the blood of Tatia for dinner, and afterwards, Mikael drove his sword through their hearts. After their awakening, Mikael forced his children to feed on a local villager therefore completing their transition into vampires.

Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah Later, they began to realize their new gift had its weaknesses. The flowers that grew at the base of the White Oak Tree, vervain, burned them and prevented compulsion. The sun burned their skin, making it impossible to walk in the day light for them. They were unable to enter the homes of their neighbors without an invitation. Also their thirst was insatiable. Realizing that a wood carved from the White Oak Tree would be fatal to them, they burned the tree to the ground. The ash from the tree was saved and could be used with a silver dagger to neutralize all of the Originals except for Niklaus because he was also a werewolf, so he is known as a hybrid. Shortly after becoming a vampire, his mother was killed by "Mikael". After burying his mother Elijah, Klaus, and Rebekah promised that they will never turn their backs on each other and that they will always stick together as one, always and forever.