After eight seasons, ‘Vampire Diaries’ stars are ready to close the book – USA TODAY

The onscreen brothers played by Paul Wesley, left, and Ian Somerhalder on CW''s 'The Vampire Diaries' have been through a lot together.(Photo: CW)

The Vampire Diariesstars are ready to let their characters die. Permanently.

After spending much of the last decade biting, staking and fighting over the same girl, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalders vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore have one episode left. After eight seasons and 171 episodes,CW is airing the series finale Friday (9 ET/PT, after a retrospective at 8).

And no, the boys will not be back after that: no reunion, no movie, no reboots.

All good things must come to an end, and lets end it on a good note, says Wesley. Vampire Diaries"shaped my entire existence, and a lot of my formative years in my 20s. The show is forever going to be ingrained in my personality. Im grateful for it, (but) I think Im closing the chapter.

Damon officiated the wedding between Caroline and Stefan in the second-to-last 'Vampire Diaries' episode.(Photo: CW)

Somerhalder won't be reprising his role, either.In 10years Im probably going to be living on a ranch in Wyoming, and youll never hear from me again, he says.

But before the actors flee Mystic Falls for good, theres plenty of drama afoot. After a penultimate episode that saw Stefan and Caroline Forbes (Candice King) finally have their June wedding;Bonnie Bennett (Kat Graham) protect the Gemini twins from a fire caused by the resurrected Kelly Donovan(Melinda Clarke); and a glimpse of Vicki Donovan(Kayla Ewell), the finale sees animportant death andthe return of former co-star Nina Dobrev. Of course, the actors wont saywhose funeral they attend onscreen, but know this: Reading the finale script had Wesley in tears.

Nina Dobrev is finally returning to 'Vampire Diaries'

I read the script on the plane (and) I got a bit teary-eyed, says the "cold-hearted" actor. Sohetook a red-eyed selfie from the sky and sent it to the shows co-creators.

Somerhalder like Damon was much less sentimental about the whole thing. Up until the second they yell cut, its the same (stuff), he said.

Nina Dobrev (left, as Elena) is returning for the 'Vampire Diaries' series finale after leaving the show at the end of its sixth season in 2015.(Photo: Bob Mahoney, CW)

But it didnt feel that way for Somerhalder in Season 1, before the seriessaw hell unleashed on Earth.

The newness of it in the beginning was very special, he says, citing the shows sixth episode, Lost Girls, as his and Wesleys decisive favorite.

What's the best 'Vampire Diaries' episode of all time, according to the cast?

"That's when we were like 'This show's pretty good,'" Wesley says. Since then, I died 17 times and killed 18,000 people, and Im still the hero, he says, jokingly.

Same goes with Somerhalders dark protagonist.

It was wild," he says. "Damon couldve walked into an orphanage and in cold blood killed 20 orphans, and people would say, Well, he was really upset about Elena.'

Paul Wesley (left) and Ian Somerholder (as Stefan and Damon Salvatore) would sometimes interrupt their bloody murder scenes with jokes.(Photo: CW)

Theres no telling what borderline-unforgivable things the Salvatore brothers will do in their last episode, but Wesley promises a satisfying end for the characters.

Were going out with some pride and dignity, says Wesley. Wait, do we have any dignity left?

No, theres no dignity, jokes Somerhalder.

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After eight seasons, 'Vampire Diaries' stars are ready to close the book - USA TODAY