Characters of the Past: Days of Our Lives' Stefano DiMera!

Remembering the days of Stefano DiMera on Days of Our Lives. Read more here--->>

Our Throwback Villain this week is Stefano DiMera. S-T-E-F-A-N-O. Stefano was (Was or is? We know our beloved Joe Mascolo is with the angles. But Stefano, it is believed could be somewhere very much alive) extra extra extraordinary. Unique doesn't quite scratch the surface. We have had so many great villains in daytime. But very very very few have been similar to Stefano. Our Stefano was a rare breed.  At the snap of his fingers or with the crook of his finger countless people ran to do his bidding (his list of henchmen is long). Grown men feared and revered him. Very recently, Chloe Lane and Stefan were being held at gunpoint when Stefan told one of the men he was the son of Stefano DiMera. The man blanched and told his partner in crime; I don't need those kind of troubles. He went running for the hills. Stefano "The Wizard of Salem" always behind the scenes making things happen. The ultimate puppet master. It took an entire city and national law enforcement to try and just stay in step with the Phoenix, the ultimate international crime lord.

As ruthless and formidable as he was in his criminal activities, he was also an astute businessman. He built an international empire that lives on today. DiMera Enterprises historically included the illegal business and criminal activities of the DiMera family. In the last few years, especially Chad focused on re-branding DiMera Enterprises as an upstanding legal enterprise and distancing the company from Stefano's reputation. Hmmm. We love Stefano's reputation!

You know you are a bad (bad meaning good, real good, great) man when there are symbols that are instantly recognized as being associated with you; The Phoenix, chess board, a signature room, a portrait, DiMera Tunnels, DiMera trick door, DiMera safe, a drink in that special Stefano glass. Grown people in present day just can't help but talk to Stefano's portrait. Stefano's mystic, aura and power is legendary and eternal in the soap world.

We've written it before. Stefano's greatest legacy is not DiMera Enterprises, his power, his mystic, his symbols are even his portrait; it's his children. The DiMera family is a legacy that will live on. The DiMera's are much more than a family. They are a dynasty. Stefano's children;

Renee DuMonde (deceased)
Andre DiMera (deceased)
Tony DiMera (we are listing him/deceased)
Megan Hathaway (deceased)
Lexie Brooks Carver (deceased)
Benjy Hawk (deceased)
Peter Blake
Kristen DiMera
E.J. DiMera
Chad DiMera
Stefan O. DiMera

This is one of those glasses half empty half full times we always talk about. If we detail Stefano's entire story we will be here until the next Throwback. However, if we are topical and give an overview (which we are going to do) we have to make sure we do Stefano and Joe justice and then some. We are going to give it the ole college try.

From the first time Stefano appeared on screen with his son, Tony DiMera, in true DiMera fashion, doing what he did best, studying and gaining leverage over his adversaries (that he hadn't even met yet) through the time Shane Donovan and Steve Johnson realized Stefano might not be dead after all and had outfoxed them all once again; Stefano reigned. Whether he was on screen or off screen; he was King. His name was on everybody's lips whether he was thought to be dead, alive, in Salem or who knows where.

Listed are some of the events/crimes/happenings involved with Stefano, his family, loved ones and foes.

80's Stefano:
Shot and "killed" Roman by pushing him off a cliff.                                                                                                                                  Chased after the Three Prisms to find a cure for his inoperable brain tumor.                                                                                          Posed as Mrs. Lafferty (Godmother to one of his henchman to get closer to Marlena.)
Kidnapped, young twins, Sami and Eric Brady.

Lost his daughter Megan Hathaway (electrocuted in a hot tub).                                                                                                          
Shot by Marlena and assumed dead in a fire.

Returned to claim his son, Benjy (Steve and Kayla wanted to adopt him).
Kidnapped Carrie Brady.
Kidnapped Benjy and lured Diana, Steve, Kayla, "Roman", Shane, and Kim to his island.
Escaped when Benjy saw Stefano for who he really was and his plans on his island failed.
Programmed "The Pawn" John Black

                                                                                                                                       
90's Stefano:
Discovered and confronted by Roman and John in the Mayan temple and afterward presumed dead.
Had a stroke as a result of his brain tumor.
Kidnapped and held hostage by Curtis Reed.
Killed Curtis Reed and framed Billie Reed for the murder.
Peter and Kristen Blake revealed to be his children via adoption.
Repeatedly snuck into Marlena's room disguised in a mask, visited her at night and opened her soul for the devil to take over.
Was rehabbed with the help of a guilty Marlena who had pushed him out the window when she was possessed. Stefano fell in love with and became obsessed with Marlena.
Revealed Belle's paternity to turn Kristen's heart away from John so she would marry Tony.
After Tony faked his death to frame John, blackmailed the judge to give John the death penalty.
Brought Kristen's doppelganger, Susan Banks, to town and impregnated her to pass the baby off as Kristen's.
Kidnapped Marlena and brought her to Paris.
Had Laura's memory zapped so she wouldn't tell anyone Kristen wasn't really pregnant.
Discovered Lexie Carver was his daughter.
Had a heart attack.
Showed up to Marlena and John's wedding with the real Roman.
Brainwashed Hope Brady into thinking she was Princess Gina.
Implanted a chip in Vivian Alamain's tooth to control her to get back his fortune.

00's Stefano:
Switched Hope's son  (Stefano believed he was the father) and gave the baby to Lexie so Stefano could be a part of his life.
Wanted EJ to impregnate Sami Brady to use the fetus' stem cells to improve Stefano's failing health.
Was injected by Marlena, which left him in a comatose state, as revenge because Stefano had brought John back to life, tried to brainwash him and had kept him in his basement.
Was put in a facility where he would remain in a vegetative state by Lexie, Tony and EJ.
Was thought to be murdered (was a whodunit) but it was a body double. Ian McAllister had kidnapped Stefano to torture him to obtain information about the other half of a valuable coin.

'10's Stefano:
Learned Chad was his son.
Hired a doppelganger to impersonate Rafe Hernandez.
Turned Hope into Princess Gina and John into The Pawn again for them to recover artwork which housed a valuable coin.
Jealous ordered a dirty cop, Bernardi to "cut it off" when Rafe was is in the hospital after he was beaten up. Kate confronted Stefano because she thought he was the reason Rafe was in the hospital in the first place. He wasn't.
Blackmailed EJ with the razor (that could get Sami off from murdering Bernardi) and told him if he, Sami and the kids moved back into the mansion; Sami would go free.
Called Kristen when he heard of EJ's death to inject him with Dr. Rolf's resurrection serum.
Partnered with Chad to oust Kate as CEO of DiMera Enterprises.
Partnered with Victor Kiriakis to bring Clyde Weston down and to justice for "killing" EJ.
Pushed Chad and Abby to be married so he could inherit a valuable piece of land.
Suffered a heart attack and was in a wheelchair.
Learned Andre was his son.
Allowed Andre to brainwash Chad to get close to Belle in the hopes she would say where Sami was with the DiMera fortune Sami had stolen.
Taunted and subsequently "killed" by Hope for his involvement in Bo's death.

Post-Mortem Stefano's Spirit:
Appeared to Chad and told him it was time for him to be the man who he wanted to be.
Appeared to Hope laughing.
Was in Chad's Dreams,
Appeared to Hope and told her she was no better than him.
Appeared to Chad and told him not to trust Andre.

Stefano sightings started appearing around the world which had everyone wondering if Stefano was alive after all. On February 9, 2017 (Joe's last on-screen appearance) Stefano had been captured and was in a Prague jail. One by one all of the Salem residents got an opportunity to give their parting shots/words to the Phoenix.

It was revealed that it was Steven and Shane who were behind Stefano's appearances. Stefano was actually Shane in a bodysuit and make-up. They concocted the scheme to exonerate Hope for murdering Stefano. They celebrated their ingenuity until they came across one particular picture of "Stefano" that Shane didn't remember posing for.

Ha-ha was it possible? Had the Phoenix risen AGAIN? Was he out there somewhere laughing that once again he had proven to be way smarter than his adversaries?

How we wish! We know Joe is in a better place resting with the angels and that gives us comfort though we miss him and Stefano so much.