| “ | No, it goes deeper than that. It's a curse, right? A curse on the Gemini twins? | ” |
Josette "Josie" Olivia Saltzman was a major recurring character on The Vampire Diaries, a guest character on The Originals, and a main character on Legacies. She is one of the twin daughters of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Laughlin, the other being Lizzie Saltzman. Due to Josette's death, she was carried via surrogacy by Caroline Forbes. Her existence was revealed in Let Her Go by Kai, the babies' uncle. However, in I'll Wed You in the Golden Summertime, Kai stabs Jo in the abdomen multiple times, killing her and supposedly killing the twins. However, in Stefan...I Have To Tell You Something, it was revealed that the Gemini Coven transferred the twins into Caroline's womb. Since then, she has been raised by both Alaric and Caroline.
Josie is a member of the Saltzman Family and the Parker Family and a member of the Forbes Family, due to being Caroline's surrogate daughter.
Early History[]
Josie was born on March 15, 2014 as a set of twins with her sister, Lizzie. She is the daughter of Alaric and Jo, and the surrogate daughter to Caroline.
Personality[]
One-half of the powerful Gemini twins, Josie is level headed, borderline brilliant, and comfortable in her pansexuality. Though well-liked and her twin's social equal in every way, Josie is content to play second fiddle to her sister Lizzie. With Gemini's prone to bipolar behavior, the stable Josie is quick to protect Lizzie when her sister starts to go off the rails.
Having never known their biological mother, the twins were raised by Caroline Forbes. Now at this key time in their development, with their mother often absent, their need for their father's approval and love is heightened.
Josie, like her sister and ancestors, battles with an inner-darkness that she doesn't quite understand. Through this, she is susceptible to the use of dark magic and negative influences. The lack of her father's involvement in her life led Josie to rely on the than-believed Professor Vardemus, who used her yearning for magical knowledge and the ability to protect her loved ones, against her. When she broke the Mora Miserium containing all the dark magic she used while partnered with Vardemus, the darkness consumed her and she became someone devoid of rules, human-life, and boundaries. Out of fear, the real Josie hid in her subconscious to avoid confronting her dark side. She was afraid that being powerful also meant being Evil. When she realized she can be both strong and good she was able to embrace her full potential and rid herself of dark Josie.
Physical Appearance[]
Josie is a pretty young woman with brown hair and eyes. She also has an athletic build and light skin. Josie often wears her hair up, mostly in a simple, loose ponytail, but she once wore it in messy twin buns for a football game.
Powers and Abilities[]
Josie possessed all standard powers and abilities of a siphoner until she relinquished her siphon power into a coin, making her powerless.
Weaknesses[]
Josie has the typical weaknesses of a siphoner.
Relationships[]
Alaric Saltzman & Caroline Forbes[]
Main Article: Alaric, Caroline, Elizabeth, and Josette
Alaric Saltzman and Caroline Forbes are Josie's biological and surrogate parents, respectively. Josie's ancestry is made up of bloodshed and a witch coven, which was decimated prior to Josie's birth. After Josie's biological mother, Jo Laughlin, was killed by her twin brother, the Gemini Coven placed Josie's fetus into Caroline, saving her life. After Alaric and Caroline found out about what truly happened, they agreed to raise Josie, and her twin sister, Lizzie, together. Today, Josie now lives in Mystic Falls and attends the Salvatore Boarding School, where she grew up. As a siphoner, Josie grew up with her parents and aunt running the school, while they raised her. Currently, Alaric and Alex are primarily raising Josie and Lizzie extensively due to Caroline's involvement in school-recruitment in Europe. Josie copes without her mother as her father is more involved with running the school. This, however, puts the burden of assisting Lizzie on Josie, though she's dutiful in this task so that they're both happy, even though their parents aren't as involved as either she or Lizzie would like. However, Josie still loves her parents and visits Caroline in Europe whenever she can.
Lizzie Saltzman[]
Main Article: Elizabeth and Josette
Lizzie is Josie's twin sister, closest friend, and helps Lizzie to see reason whenever she goes off the rails. They have known each other for basically their whole lives and currently go to the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted. Alaric Saltzman and Caroline Forbes are their father and mother, but Jo Laughlin was their biological mother. There is a dark history in which their biological mother, unfortunately, paid the price from her life. Also, both twins are descended from a dark history involving their magical lineage, which is partly due to their siphoner heritage. Despite this dark history, Josie is growing and learning to control her magical powers with Lizzie. Josie is also learning to become more comfortable with herself with Lizzie by her side though, between the two, Lizzie is more outspoken and demanding, so much so that Josie is content to play second fiddle. This is notable when Lizzie outright assumed that she'd be voted on to the school's honor council, without question from her sister. Josie implicitly helped Lizzie campaign and was forced to endure listening to Lizzie asking Rafael out as a deal if she voted with him to have Landon stay. However, Josie is surprised that she won over Lizzie, due to Penelope's influence. However, over the course of her friendship with Hope Mikaelson and reigniting her relationship with Penelope, Josie begins to stand up to her sister more and has opened up about how much her sister puts her through. Their relationship becomes strained when Penelope has to leave the school and Lizzie hid the fact from Josie. Angered by this and seeing her sister for the person that she is, Josie turns her back on Lizzie, even culminating in a magical fight between the two that Josie wins.
Alexandria Gilbert[]
Main Article: Alexandria and Josette
Alexandria Gilbert is Josie's older step-sister due to Alaric Saltzman's marriage to her biological mother Isobel Flemming. They have the best sister/aunt-niece relationship. Since Caroline Forbes is on a school-recruitment in Europe, often Josie asks Alex for advice whether that be on magic, school, or just needs someone to talk to on a female point-of-view.
Other Relationships[]
- Josie and Elena (Family/Step-Sisters)
- Josie and Jo (Biological Mother/Former Allies)
- Josie and Jade (Former Frenemies)