Rebekah Mikaelson is one of the original vampires in The Vampire Diaries universe. She is the sister of Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson. Rebekah was a central character in both The Vampire Diaries and its spinoff The Originals. However, she has yet to make an appearance in Legacies, the latest show in the franchise.
Rebekah’s Story in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals
Rebekah was turned into a vampire by her mother Esther over 1000 years ago, along with her siblings Klaus, Elijah, Kol, and Finn. As an original vampire, Rebekah is extremely powerful and cannot be killed permanently except by a white oak stake.
In The Vampire Diaries, Rebekah first appears in season 3. She comes to Mystic Falls looking for Klaus and ends up living with the Salvatore brothers for a period of time. She also develops romantic relationships with both Stefan and Matt. Rebekah is known for her feisty personality and sharp tongue, along with her strong sense of loyalty to her family.
In The Originals, Rebekah moved to New Orleans with Klaus and Elijah. She hoped to finally live a normal life free of running from their father Mikael. However, she continued to get caught up in vampire politics, witches, and supernatural threats. She fell in love with Marcel Gerard, Klaus’ former protege. But Klaus’ paranoia about always being betrayed by those he loves led him to repeatedly dagger Rebekah over the centuries. By the end of the series, Rebekah finally achieves her wish to be human again after a spell by Freya.
Rebekah’s Whereabouts at the Start of Legacies
Legacies begins roughly 7 years after the events of the series finale of The Originals. In that time jump, a lot has happened to the Mikaelson family. Klaus died sacrificing himself to save his daughter Hope. Elijah chose to die and be with his brother in the afterlife. And Hope, Klaus’ tribrid daughter, attends the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted where she tries to live a normal teenage life.
As for Rebekah, she chose to take the cure for immortality and live out the rest of her life as a human. Rebekah had made it clear over the centuries that she desperately wanted to be human again and have a family. Her wish was finally granted. It’s suggested that Rebekah is traveling and living her life freely without the burdens of being an original vampire.
In the series premiere of Legacies, Klaus narrates a letter to Hope and mentions that he hopes one day she will get to know the “fun aunt Rebekah” he remembers from his human days. This implies that Rebekah is still alive but living away from the supernatural drama at the Salvatore school.
Could Rebekah Return to Legacies?
Even though Rebekah Mikaelson is human and no longer a vampire on Legacies, there are still several ways the character could potentially return and make a guest appearance on the show:
- Flashbacks – The show could use flashbacks to Rebekah’s time in New Orleans with Klaus and Hope when Hope was a young child.
- Dream sequence – Hope could have a dream or vision that includes Rebekah.
- Cameo – Rebekah could pop in for a quick cameo, potentially on her way to visit Hope at school.
- Her own family – The show could introduce Rebekah’s new human husband and children.
- In danger – If a new supernatural threat puts Rebekah in danger, Hope may try to find her and protect her.
However, Claire Holt, the actress who portrays Rebekah, has said that while she loves the character, reprising the role again does not seem to be in her near future plans. So unfortunately a full fledged return or guest appearance by Rebekah Mikaelson remains unlikely at the moment.
Other Originals Characters Introduced on Legacies
While Rebekah has yet to appear, Legacies has featured a few other characters from The Originals in recurring roles or guest spots:
- Freya Mikaelson – Freya made guest appearances in a couple episodes to help Hope control her magic.
- Keelin Malraux – Freya’s wife Keelin was introduced in guest spots when Freya visited the school.
- Vincent Griffith – Vincent, a powerful witch and former Regent of New Orleans, has helped Hope several times.
- Josh Rosza – Josh, a vampire friend of Marcel’s, made one guest appearance but said he does not plan to visit again.
Kol Mikaelson was also mentioned as potentially being on vacation with Davina Claire at their first mention. But none of the other original siblings, including Rebekah, have been incorporated into the storylines yet besides a few passing references.
The Actress’ Thoughts on Returning as Rebekah
Claire Holt, who played Rebekah Mikaelson as a main character for 46 episodes across The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, has discussed the possibility of reprising the role on Legacies in several interviews.
In one interview after Legacies premiered, Holt indicated she’s open to guest appearances in the future. She said:
“I’m not going to say that it’s never going to happen, because never say never. But I do think that I’m ready to say goodbye for now and let these girls run the show.”
However, in more recent interviews, Holt seems less enthusiastic about stepping back into Rebekah’s shoes anytime soon. Here are some key quotes:
“I don’t know if I see myself going back anytime in the near future.”
“I think I need more time [after The Originals] and after having kids…”
“I think I’m ready to sort of say goodbye, which is bittersweet, but I’m ready to say goodbye for now.”
Based on her comments, Holt seems content with Rebekah’s ending on The Originals and focused on new acting projects. But she remains touched by the fans hoping to see Rebekah again someday.
Could the Character Return With a New Actress?
Since Claire Holt is reluctant to reprise her role as Rebekah, some fans have wondered if the character could return played by a different actress.
This recasting possibility can’t be ruled out entirely. Shows sometimes recast major roles when actors depart ways – for example, the recasting of Ruby on Supernatural. And The Vampire Diaries actually recast Rebekah once before. Maisie Richardson-Sellers originally played Rebekah in flashback scenes during season 3 of The Vampire Diaries.
However, recasting such an iconic character would be very risky with fans. Claire Holt’s portrayal of Rebekah is so well loved that seeing another actress in the part would inevitably invite backlash. The writers would also have to come up with an in-universe explanation for Rebekah’s different appearance.
Overall, it seems unlikely the show would attempt to recast Rebekah when they have plenty of new characters to develop and expand on. Introducing a different version of Rebekah would feel disjointed from her established story arc across both The Vampire Diaries and The Originals.
Conclusion
To sum up, while Rebekah Mikaelson was a huge fan favorite character in The Vampire Diaries and Originals universe, she has not yet appeared nor been significantly incorporated into the storyline of Legacies. The spinoff show has offered some hints about Rebekah living her life as a human after taking the cure. But actress Claire Holt seems finished with the character for now after portraying her for so many years.
Despite fans eager to see Rebekah return, a full reprise or guest appearance from the character remains doubtful in the near future. The show would have to rely on flashbacks, dream sequences, or odd cameos to include her. Recasting Rebekah with a new actress is highly unlikely as well. The writers seem focused on developing the new generation of characters rather than dwelling on past casts.
While never say never, currently all signs point to Rebekah Mikaelson staying off screen throughout Legacies’ run. Her story seems complete after the bittersweet way The Originals wrapped up her journey to find love and humanity again. But the Mikaelson family legacy continues to live on through Hope, as the tribrid heroine forges her own dramatic path at the Salvatore school.
