The Originals, a spin-off of The Vampire Diaries, centers on three of the Mikaelson siblings: Klaus (Joseph Morgan), Elijah (Daniel Gillies), and Rebekah (Claire Holt). The Mikaelson family are also commonly known as "the Originals" due to the fact that they are the first vampires ever to exist. Niklaus "Klaus" Mikaelson is the son of a witch and a werewolf, and his quest to unleash his hybrid nature was detailed in The Vampire Diaries. The backdoor pilot, which aired on April 25, 2013, also revealed that the werewolf Hayley (Phoebe Tonkin), with whom Klaus had a drunken one-night stand, is pregnant with his child.
The series begins with the Original siblings returning to the city of New Orleans for the first time since 1919, where a pregnant Hayley has also settled. Having originally built the French Quarter, they had been forced to abandon it when fleeing from their vengeful father, Mikael (Sebastian Roché). In their absence, Klaus's protégé, Marcel (Charles Michael Davis), took charge of the French Quarter. Klaus resolves that they must take down Marcel and get back the city that once belonged belonged to them while protecting their city from a war brewing between vampires, werewolves, and witches.
