'The Vampire Diaries' Death Toll: Characters we've loved and lost

We loved him because: Ben stepped in when Damon was hassling Bonnie, leading them to a very brief flirtation. Little did Bonnie know that Ben, a Mystic Falls townie, had just taken a turn -- he was a vampire, hooking up with Anna and helping her in her quest to free her mother from the tomb.

We lost him because: He got cocky. Stefan gave Ben the opportunity to leave town after Ben helped hold Elena and Bonnie hostage, but Ben stuck around instead. And then he got set on fire. Word to the wise: When a Salvatore tells you to go, you go.