The last few moments of the series finale of TVD saw Stefan sacrificing himself to save Mystic Falls, Elena, and his brother. He had already planned ahead and carried the cure which he injected into Damon.
As one of the Salvatore brothers, Stefan was a main character who had carried the show. Fans had never thought that the main trio would ever die, but Stefan's sacrifice seemed fitting, given his perspective on his crimes and how he wanted Damon to end up with Elena.
