Johnathan 'John' Gilbert is played by David Anders.
In his teenage years, John learnt about the vampires that had once threatened Mystic Falls from his older brother, Grayson, whom he held in high regard. Later on, he met and fell in love with Isobel Flemming and they went out a couple of times. One day, Isobel told him she was pregnant and John brought her to Grayson so that she could give birth to a daughter, Elena. Isobel left Elena in the good hands of Grayson and his wife Miranda, who didn't know that John was the father. Reading Johnathan Gilbert's journals, John discovered a number of secrets such as the existence of the tomb under Fell's Church and that Damon and Stefan Salvatore were vampires.
Sometime later, Isobel came to see him and asked him if he knew about the vampires. He told her that he knew Damon and he sent her to meet him. When Isobel was turned into a vampire at her own request, John harbored a deep hatred for the vampires who stole his 'true love' from him and felt guilty at having sent Isobel to Damon.
Sometime prior to Founder's Day, John returned to Mystic Falls where he was warmly greeted by Mayor Richard Lockwood and the other members of the Founders' Council. However, he knew much more than them, including that the tomb vampires had been released and he was secretly planning to eliminate them all. He blackmailed Damon with the knowledge of his secret, trying to get him to help him to find Johnathan Gilbert's invention. The invention had been stolen from Johnathan by a vampire named Pearl who then gave it to Damon after being released from the tomb. John killed Pearl before she could leave Mystic Falls and called Isobel with whom he was partners to come and help him. Isobel used her vampire abilities against Elena and Damon handed over the device. It was revealed at the same time that Isobel and John were secretly working for Katherine, the vampire who had turned the Salvatore brothers and who was the reason why the vampires were locked in the tomb. Katherine wanted John to kill the tomb vampires so that they wouldn't come after her and sent Isobel to help him get the invention which was harmful to vampires. Secretly, Isobel and John wanted the Salvatore brothers dead to save Elena from a life where the vampire world could threaten her life.
In the season finale, John talked Richard Lockwood into striking against the tomb vampires by using the invention. Knowing that the Sheriff, Elizabeth Forbes, would not approve their plan, they went over the plan with her deputies before confronting her. Forbes was furious and still refused to go through with the plan. John knocked out and cuffed her to a table so that she wouldn't disturb them. When the fireworks started during the Founder's Day celebration, John activated the invention and neutralized evry vampire in Mystic Falls. The deputies injected them with vervain and they were thrown in the basement of Grayson's old practice. Among those captured were Damon, Anna (Pearl's daughter), and mysteriously Richard Lockwood. The deputies spread the vampires with fuel and, after staking Anna, John lit a fire to kill them. This was a replicate of the 1864 Fell's Church fire. Richard died in the fire while Stefan, with help from Bonnie Bennett, saved Damon.
Believing his quest to be finished, John returned to the Gilbert house were he talked to Elena, who had discovered that he was her father, telling her why he had done it. However, she then cut off his fingers to dispose of his ring before killing him. Before being killed, John realized that it was Katherine, not Elena, and that she no longer needed him.
John, along with Alaric Saltzman, possessed a ring that prevented its bearer from being killed. John and Grayson inherited these rings but John gave his to Isobel who then gave it to Alaric, her husband. Before Grayson died, John took his ring.
Appearances
- Season 1
- Under Control
- Miss Mystic Falls
- Blood Brothers
- Isobel (episode)
- Founder's Day