What Common Emotional Conflicts Appear In Elijah Mikaelson Fanfic Plots?

I've noticed a pretty consistent pattern across a lot of fics. The central conflict almost always revolves around his profound, centuries-long guilt versus his predatory nature. Writers love to dig into that tension: he desperately wants to be a good man, a protector, but he's built a legacy as the 'great evil' and the originator of his family's torment. You see a lot of internal monologues about whether he can ever earn forgiveness or if he's just doomed to keep repeating cycles of violence, especially when he's trying to protect someone new. That internal battle often gets externalized through his relationships—like, can someone truly love him after knowing everything he's done? Does his love inevitably become a curse? Fics that explore a redemption arc really lean into this, while darker ones might have him finally embracing his monstrous side after being pushed too far.

Another big one is the loneliness of immortality clashing with his deep-seated need for family. He's lost so many people over a thousand years, but he's also the one who compelled his siblings to stick together through trauma. That creates this messed-up dynamic where he's both the glue holding them together and the source of their shared pain. I read a fic once where he met a mortal who reminded him of Tatia, and his whole conflict was between the desperate hope for a fresh start and the crushing fear that history would just repeat itself, that he'd ruin this person too. It wasn't about romance, really, more about whether he could ever have a connection that wasn't stained by his past.

A conflict I find fascinating, though it's less common, is the one between his honor and his practicality. He fashions himself a man of his word, a noble figure, but he's also a survivor who has done incredibly dishonorable things when necessary. Some stories pit that code directly against his family's survival. Like, he might make a vow to protect a human ally, but then Klaus's latest scheme puts that person in the crosshairs. Does he break his word to save his brother, or uphold his honor and potentially lose the only family he has left? It's not as flashy as the guilt stuff, but it feels very true to the character—he's constantly trying to balance these impossible ideals with the brutal reality of his existence. You get a lot of quiet, tense moments over a glass of bourbon where he's just weighing these terrible choices.

Most plots I stumble into fixate on his love being a destructive force. He falls for someone, and the entire story becomes about whether his presence in their life is a blessing or a death sentence. The conflict is rarely if he loves them, but whether that love itself is toxic. Can they survive it? Will his enemies use them against him? It’s a bit repetitive, but when done well, the angst is superb.

Honestly, the emotional core I see most is his control issues. He's this ancient vampire who's used to having absolute power over his environment and his family, but his emotions—especially grief and love—completely unravel him. That's the real conflict: the rigid, controlled persona he presents to the world versus the raw, chaotic mess of feelings he's been carrying since the 10th century. A fic isn't really an Elijah fic if it doesn't have at least one scene where his perfect posture and suit are just a hair's breadth from shattering because of some emotional trigger, usually tied to Klaus or Rebekah. The best writers make you feel the weight of all those years of repressed emotion finally bubbling up.