Josette "Josie" Saltzman is 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 Best Served Cold, 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.
Throughout The Vampire Diaries[]
Season Six[]
In Let Her Go, while Jo was thinking she was sick from food poisoning it was revealed by her brother that she's pregnant, after she gives him her power in order for him to survive the consequences of the jacked merging ritual he performed with his brother, Luke, instead of Jo. In A Bird in a Gilded Cage, Jo and Alaric began to pick out names for the baby. In I Never Could Love Like That, Elena finds out about Jo's pregnancy when she tells her that Kai had been imprisoned in the 1903 prison world.
In I'd Leave My Happy Home For You, Jo and Bonnie are attacked by Lily during Jo's bachelorette party. As she is about to feed on Jo, Lily hears the babies' heartbeats and tells her that she is expecting twins. Later, Jo tells Alaric that they will be having twins and that the Gemini Coven will want to get their hands on them to strip Kai of power by performing another twin merge. In I'm Thinking Of You All The While, Damon reveals that Jo is dead after Kai stabbed her in the abdomen and believed the twins were killed too.
Season Seven[]
Season Eight[]
Throughout The Originals[]
Season Five[]
In The Tale of Two Witches, she and Lizzie are first seen waving at Caroline as she gives a tour. Later, she and Lizzie are talking to their mother about having them siphon The Hollow out of Adyelya to save her life, but also bargain with her. They want new phones, permission to go to the Senior Solstice Dance, and Josie wants to get rid of the skirt length rules from the dress code due to it being against feminist values. Before they can talk to Klaus, Alaric shoots an arrow through his chest and they look at him. At night, they begin the spell to siphon and once it's out of Hope and into Klaus, Alaric takes his daughters away.
Throughout Legacies[]
Season One[]
Season Two[]
Season Three[]
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. Alaric's bond with Adyelya Mikaelson, and having to share his attention with the rest of the school, has led to each daughter alternately striving for perfection and acting out. In general, Josie is the calm to her sister Lizzie's storm.[2]
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 possesses all standard powers and abilities of a siphoner, a subsection of witches.
Weaknesses[]
Josie has the typical weaknesses of a siphoner.
Relationships[]
Alaric Saltzman & Caroline Forbes[]
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 running the school, while they raised her. Currently, Alaric is 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[]
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 Adyelya 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.
Penelope Park[]
- "I'm still nursing a wounded soul."
- — Josie about her former relationship with Penelope in This is the Part Where You Run
Penelope is Josie's ex-girlfriend and frenemy. The history of their former romantic relationship isn't known yet, but it has been stated several times that Penelope hurt Josie prior to their relationship ending. Josie despises Penelope and calls her "evil" every time she irks her. Josie is furious at both Penelope and MG when she catches them making out. As revenge, Josie sets Penelope on fire with a spell, burning her hair. Later, Penelope confronts Josie about burning her hair and states that she likes her new hairstyle, which further annoys Josie. Despite their cat-and-mouse game, Penelope, in her own way, still cares for Josie. Penelope believes they will never have a real relationship because she spends all of her energy taking care of Lizzie - a black hole of time and energy and love, just sucking it all up and never giving any of it back. Penelope resolves that if Josie won't stand up for herself, she'll burn Lizzie's world down around her. This proves that Penelope still cares about Josie. The feelings are also slightly mutual as Josie claimed to be "nursing a wounded soul," in reference to Penelope. Penelope helps rescue Josie after she was buried alive by a 'possessed' Jo. After the whole ordeal, Penelope reveals to Josie that she's selfish and wants Josie for herself. Josie then reciprocates and the two kiss. After this, things between Josie and Penelope are quite awkward due to Josie avoiding conversing with Penelope about their complicated relationship issues. They have awkward conversations here and there, as well as Penelope escorting Josie at the Miss Mystic Falls contest. However, Josie ticks Penelope off by purposefully losing the contest to follow her twin sister's wishes, which Penelope has had enough of. Josie finally reconciles with Penelope when she finds out her ex-girlfriend is transferring schools overseas, partly due to her finding out about Josie and the Merge. They share a heartfelt and tearful good-bye.
Rafael Waithe[]
As soon as Josie met Rafael, she and her twin sister, Lizzie, took an immediate liking to him. Josie and her sister gave a tour of the Salvatore Boarding School. Josie soon tells Lizzie she can go for a romantic relationship with Rafael, but this still disappoints Josie being she took a liking to Rafael too. Josie later met up with Rafael at a school party and they talk for a bit, which causes Josie to think about him after their conversation. Two episodes later, Josie rescues Rafael from a brutal werewolf fight in which he emotional excuses himself away from her afterwards. Soon after, Josie goes to look for Rafael and finds him in the nearly-burnt down house. He yells at her in anger and physical pain to leave him alone, but she doesn't and goes to comfort him. Josie then helps Rafael to calm down, in which he's grateful for afterwards and this bonds them further. Shortly after this, they discover an unconscious body of a teen girl who was abducted by a life sized spider-monster and they too become captured by spider webs. Rafael tells Josie to magically rescue them, but she explains that she can't without siphoning from a magical source. Impulsively, Josie kisses Rafael to siphon his werewolf magic, which she apologizes for, but he admits that he was fine with it. He also said that the kiss wasn't what he expected it to be. Their kiss helps Josie to receive the magic she needs to rescue them both. After their fight with the giant spider, Josie helps Rafael set his place amongst the main werewolf group of the school.
While Josie is helping Lizzie in campaigning for the student council, she awkwardly and jealously watches Lizzie ask Rafael to be her date to a party. She watches Rafael turn to her and hesitate before accepting Lizzie's request. However, Josie and Rafael are later elected into the student council. Josie later finds the decision hard to make about whether or not she should vote to keep Landon at their school. Rafael begs Josie to vote 'yes,' which only makes her decision harder. She gives her reasons to the council that Landon has put her family in danger, whether it be indirectly or directly, and she voted 'no.' This infuriates Rafael and he claims that he is done with her and the rest of the members of the council. Josie watches Rafael as he storms out of the council meeting.
Adyelya Mikaelson[]
Adyelya met Josie when she moved to Mystic Falls and for a decade their relationship was distant and cold, mostly because Adyelya used to distant herself from Josie. However, after Adyelya's mother died, they became closer and eventually became friends. Despite this, Josie harbored a secret crush on Adyelya, having once tried to tell her with a note but immediately regretted the decision due to Lizzie and her goals to go for whoever Josie liked. Josie attempted to burn the note with a fire spell to conceal her feelings, but set Adyelya's room on fire and convinced Lizzie that Adyelya said mean things about her "episode", leading to their mutual dislike for one another. Although Josie's involvement with Lizzie's and Adyelya's issues with one, Josie and Adyelya have developed a friendship. Adyelya tried to cover for Josie when they practiced dark magic together. Sometimes their friendship seems to make Lizzie (Josie's twin sister) jealous, mostly because of Lizzie's dislike towards Adyelya. On Josie's birthday, Adyelya leaves a note and a gift for Josie on her pillow. Adyelya wants Josie's wishes to come true. The gift is a necklace, charmed to "make quiet things heard", showing that Adyelya observes Josie holding herself back, and wants her to shine. Josie smiles and blushes as she puts on the necklace, admiring it and holding the pendant. Later, the necklace's magic helps save Josie's life. Adyelya is shown to care strongly about Josie and defend her.
Milton Greasley[]
MG and Josie are close friends and have been for some time. They are shown hanging out and talking often. However, Josie feels betrayed when MG hooks up with her ex-girlfriend, but MG sincerely apologizes and the two share a hug. When Josie's life is in danger on her birthday, MG is desperate to help her. They often confide in each other and are friends despite MG's mistake of hooking up with Josie's ex-girlfriend.MG and Josie are close friends and have been for some time. They are shown hanging out and talking often. However, Josie feels betrayed when MG hooks up with her ex-girlfriend, but MG sincerely apologizes and the two share a hug. When Josie's life is in danger on her birthday, MG is desperate to help her. They often confide in each other and are friends despite MG's mistake of hooking up with Josie's ex-girlfriend.
Landon Kirby[]
When Landon first arrives at the Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, they have very little interaction as he's not deemed supernatural. This ultimately leads her during the Honor Council meeting to vote against him staying at the boarding school for his safety. However, with the revelation of his supernatural status as a phoenix she she welcomes his return, though not without Landon casually reminding her of her vote. When Adyelya is absorbed by Malivore, all memories of her were erased, and she and Landon began a friendship. With a rocky start of Josie witnessing him drown himself she confides in him that they should both stop worrying about dying, specifically her and Lizzie in regards to the Merge and they should just start living. As the semester comes to a close, they spend the summer of 2028 together off and on — Josie watching over Alaric as Landon took care of Rafael — and they became close friends. Their relationship eventually evolved into a romantic one where they shared their first kiss.
At summer's end and a new semester beginning, Landon finds himself to be the popular guy at the school for his role in "defeating Malivore". This leads to unwanted attention from other girls that spurs Josie's jealousy, so much so that she harmed another student. Despite this, they eventually go on their first date for sushi that ends awkwardly. Landon comes to find out that in order to not be a problem on their date she accepts even though she's allergic to seaweed. More so, she is worried about their relationship because of her codependency and her need to "fix" things and wondered where she fit in his life if she wasn't fixing problem. Landon notes that it could just be that she's never been in a relationship where what she wanted matters. The two then make up and kiss after Landon officially refers to himself as her boyfriend.
Things get turbulent with Adyelya returning and Josie performing a spell that returned everyone their memories of Adyelya. Ultimately, Landon chooses Adyelya, leaving Josie heartbroken. However, he wanted to remain friends.
Other Relationships[]
- Josie and Elena (Family/Step-Sisters)
- Josie and Jo (Biological Mother/Former Allies)
- Josie and Jade (Former Frenemies/Kissed)
- Josie and Finch (Dating/Girlfriends)
Name[]
- Josette is a French girl name. The meaning of the name is "God Will Increase".[3]
- Saltzman is an Ashkenazic Jewish occupational name for a producer or seller of salt, from German Salz "salt" + Mann "man". Altered spelling of German Salzmann.[4][5]
Trivia[]
- If the Gemini Coven found out about the twins then they would have tried to take them from Jo and Alaric in order to strip Kai of his power as leader of the coven.
- However since it was revealed that they were siphoners, the Gemini Coven would wait for another set of twins to lead them because of their own prejudice against siphoners.
- She and her twin sister, Lizzie, are the first babies that are known to have been carried by a vampire.
- She and her sister were the third on-screen birth after Nadia's birth in Katerina and Adyelya and Håkon's birth in From a Cradle to a Grave.
- However, she and Lizzie were the first to be born via C-section.
- She is the first pansexual character to be featured in Legacies and the TVD Universe.[6][7]
- In This Year Will Be Different, it is revealed she is allergic to seaweed yet still went on a date with Landon for sushi.
- In Since When Do You Speak Japanese?, it is revealed that she can speak Japanese.
References[]
- ↑ Between When The Saints Go Marching In and This is the Part Where You Run, there has been a two-year time jump to 2028. Despite this time jump, Lizzie and Josie celebrate their sweet sixteen - having been born on March 14, 2014, in This Woman's Work, this is a timeline error. Without the timeline error, this would make them 14, not 16. As of Life Was So Much Easier When I Only Cared About Myself, the timeline error is continued with their 17th birthday.
- ↑ See her full psychological assessment.
- ↑ http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/josette
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzmann
- ↑ https://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=saltzman
- ↑ https://twitter.com/lindsayjoane/status/1027689092136329216
- ↑ https://twitter.com/hereticlizzie/status/1155645486180831233
