Nina Dobrev Returning For ‘Vampire Diaries’ Final Season: But For How Many Episodes?

We knew that ‘The Vampire Diaries’ couldn’t end without Nina Dobrev — but how much Elena should you expect to see in the final season? Well, the answer may not be what you expect.

Nina Dobrev, 27, hasn’t been on The Vampire Diaries since the season six finale, but with Ian Somerhalder revealing the show is ending, and Kat Graham,admitting she’s out either way, Nina will “10,000 percent” be part of the finale. But is that all? While sources are telling us they have a lot of time to figure it out, there are some ideas about her return.

“At this very moment, it is expected that Nina will be a part of the show on a very limited basis,” an insider close to the show told HollywoodLife.com exclusively. They also added that it would “at most” be two episodes, that is if they do a two-part finale. “There is still tons of time to figure it all out and deal with proper scheduling, but it is going to be a less is more type of situation to finish her story.”

Of course, we had to expect that she would return when last week, Kat Graham, who plays Bonnie Bennett, announced that she would be done after season eight. So, that means the show could kill her off at the end, so even if the show wasn’t ending, it gives Nina the chance to return as Elena — her character is dead as long as Bonnie is alive. 

Over the weekend, Ian Somerhalder announced at Walker Stalker Con in Nashville that season eight would be the show’s last (the network says no decision has been made); after the news, we told you that there was definitely a plan to bring back Elena. “When the show ends, Nina will be a part of it some way shape or form,” a source told us. “She is 10,000 percent coming back.”

So, do you think she should come back for longer than just the finale? Or is that enough? Let us know!