* Different Origins: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series was published in 2005, while The Vampire Diaries TV series premiered in 2009. The Vampire Diaries was based on a book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, which was published beginning in 1991. So, the Vampire Diaries was inspired by a pre-existing book series, not Twilight.
* Different Themes and Focus: While both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries feature vampires, their focus and themes are different. Twilight emphasizes romance and a forbidden love story, while The Vampire Diaries explores darker themes of family, friendship, and supernatural power struggles.
* Both Drawn from Vampiric Folklore: Both series draw inspiration from the broader mythology and folklore surrounding vampires. This is common in fiction, and it doesn't necessarily imply copying.
It's more accurate to say that both Twilight and The Vampire Diaries draw from common sources of inspiration within the vampire genre. They both build upon existing tropes and themes, but they develop those ideas in unique ways.