Werewolf Gene?

The Vampire Diaries Burning Question: Will Tyler Activate His Werewolf Gene?

Tyler Lockwood may no longer be a werewolf after the events of the Vampire Diaries Season 5 finale, but he still has the potential to be. The latent werewolf gene is still in him, waiting to be triggered by a death committed at Tyler’s hand. Will Tyler activate his werewolf gene in Season 6? We speculate below.

Yes, to help his loved ones. Though werewolf life may be hard, it’s also helpful. The Mystic Falls gang is constantly getting themselves into supernatural trouble and, though Matt may make being human look good, he isn’t the dude you’d want to have next to you in a fight. Being human makes you weak. It makes you a liability. And in this fictional world, those things get you and the people you love killed. Will Tyler eventually decide to trigger the werewolf gene not for himself, but to protect the people he loves? Conversely, he might be forced to kill to protect someone he loves -- a single act that will forever shape his fate.

Yes, the anger will be too much for him. The thing about werewolf genes is that they tend to be uncontrollable. The rage becomes too much, and the curse is triggered regardless of what the werewolf in question wanted for himself. Will this be the case with Tyler? Julie Plec teased to TV Guide: “Tyler is back to being a guy with a werewolf curse. He’s been down this road, and it’s really difficult [and] he’s got testosterone and machismo, so how does he keep himself together? He’ll find help in some fun sources.” But how long until those “fun” sources are no longer enough? How long until the rage takes over?

No, he now understands what it means. Not only does being a werewolf mean a painful transformation every month, but it also means Tyler could no longer return to Mystic Falls. The town is now supernatural-free, which means no werewolves. (Tyler learned this one the hard way.) When Tyler first triggered the werewolf curse, he had no idea what he was doing. He had no idea he could be a werewolf, and he didn’t understand the stakes at play when he accidentally killed Sarah. Knowing what he does now from personal werewolf experience, Tyler has all of the tools — and all of the motivation — to avoid putting himself in another manslaughter situation.