<P> Damon Salvatore is a fictional character in The Vampire Diaries novel series . He is portrayed by Ian Somerhalder in the television series . Initially, Damon is the main antagonist in the beginning of the show and later became a protagonist . After the first few episodes, Damon begins working alongside his younger brother, Stefan Salvatore, to resist greater threats and gradually Elena begins to consider him a friend . His transition was completed after his younger brother Stefan, who is also a vampire, convinces him to drink blood . Damon, angry that Katherine chose to turn Stefan as well, vows to make his brother's life sorrowful--thus further causing a century - long rift between the two brothers . Elena Gilbert chooses to be with Damon in the finale episode . Although many depict Damon as the villain in the early seasons, his behavior was justified because he was made to spend an eternity without the girl he truly loved . </P> <P> Ian Somerhalder was cast as Damon Salvatore at the end of March 2009, six months before the premiere of the series . The initial casting call for the character required an actor in his early - to mid-twenties to play a "darkly handsome, strong, charming, and smug vampire who can go from casual and playful to pure evil in less than a heartbeat ." Somerhalder had not read the books until filming began . </P> <P> Damon Salvatore is a vampire, turned by Katherine Pierce 145 years prior to the series' debut . He is the son of late Giuseppe Salvatore, ripper Lily Salvatore and older brother of Stefan Salvatore . He is portrayed as a charming, handsome and snarky person who loves tricking humans, and takes pleasure in feeding on them and killing them during the early episodes of the first season, unlike his brother, Stefan . </P> <P> In the first season, Damon appears as the frightening older brother to Stefan Salvatore, and plays as the main antagonist for the first initial episodes with a hidden agenda . Slowly, Damon begins to be kinder to the other characters, showing brief moments of compassion such as erasing Jeremy's memory of vampires and removing his "suffering" so Jeremy gets his life back on track . Damon apologizes for turning Vicki Donovan into a vampire and admits it was wrong . Later at the Gilbert house, Elena returns home . Damon admits that he came to the town wanting to destroy it but actually found himself wanting to protect it after everything that happened at the Founder's Day celebrations and says he's not a hero and doesn't do good, saying it's not in him - those traits are reserved for Stefan, Elena and Bonnie . The two begin to kiss passionately before getting interrupted - it is later revealed that it wasn't Elena he kissed, but Katherine Pierce . Later in the season, it also implies that he actually feels human emotions, such as pain and love, which helps the viewer sympathize toward his character in some situations . But mostly, he likes to take care of himself and do the dirty work, in his own sadistic ways . </P>

When do damon and elena become friends again