At its core, the Twilight saga is a series about love. Platonic love, familial love (both blood and chosen,) and romantic love. Each primary character is given a soul mate with whom they get to spend the rest of their lives and it is one of the few large YA franchises that ends with minor bloodshed and a happy ending for all beloved characters.
An important thing to note about Twilight is that it emphasizes the importance of selfless sacrifice in love and how true love can mean doing everything you can to protect those around you (even if that means taking yourself out of the picture.) Today, we will be reviewing some of the biggest and most impactful romantic gestures from the Twilight saga.
Bella's Stand-Off With James
Though we were screaming at our screens and the pages of our books when Bella decided to face off with a killer vampire without any backup (or even letting the Cullen's know where she was heading or what she planned to do,) we have to admit that, at its core, it was a very romantic gesture.
She knew that there was no chance of her winning. That there was nothing she could do but delay the inevitable. But she went into that ballet studio with the sole goal of keeping this hunter away from her family (both blood and chosen.) And that she did.
The Honeymoon
The coolest thing about Bella and Edward's honeymoon is the fact that it was a surprise. Edward booked the flights, arranged the boat, and planned the entire trip without letting Bella know what was coming.
There is something so beautiful and spectacular about surprising your new wife with a trip to a private island off the coast of a different continent. He stocked the fridge full of mortal food, planned some fun activities, and made it a honeymoon to die for (perhaps Bella took that saying a bit too literally.)
The Proposal
Our favourite thing about Edward's proposal was the fact that it was the perfect proposal for Bella. Bella was not to attracted to the concept of marriage, especially at her age. She knew how it went for her parents and was worried that people would make unfair assumptions about her if she got married so young. The idea made her rather uncomfortable but it was very important to Edward that they be wed.
So he planned the perfect proposal for her. Intimate and private. Using his mother's ring. Though it was not the big public ask that other characters might have preferred, Edward reining himself in in order to give her a proposal that she would be comfortable with and okay with accepting makes it perfect.
Victoria's Mission
Though we are not fans of Victoria, we have to admit that her entire plan to eliminate Bella was truly romantic- at its core. She is the main villain of the first half of the series and is a true thorn in everyone's side. But everything she did, she did for love.
The only reason that she pursued Bella so ardently was because Edward ended the life of her mate and she decided that it would only be fair to end the life of his mate in return. She gathered an entire army of people to take down a single person in the name of love.
Edward's Departure
Though leaving Bella was not Edward's best decision, we have to remember that this questionable act came from a place of love. It was not an attempt to hurt her and he had no idea that it would break her.
When he finally returns, Bella learns that leaving was utter agony for him and that he only did so because he thought a mortal life would be safer for her. But he realized that trying to make that choice for her was wrong and leaves the choice on whether or not their relationship could continue in her own hands. Since Twilight emphasizes the importance of sacrifice in love, him putting himself through that pain because he believed that was right for Bella was truly beautiful.
Alice Finding Jasper
Alice's backstory is filled with tragedy and pain. But one of the more sweet things about her life before meeting the Cullen's was her plan to find and fall in love with Jasper. She had already seen their life together and knew where they would first meet.
So she traveled to the place from her vision and waited in a diner/cafe every single day for her true love to appear.
The Trip To Italy
The truly special thing about the character of Bella is the fact that she has never even thought to put herself first. She is a girl who has spent her entire life taking care of those around her and doing everything that she can to protect them. And that does not change once she meets (and loses) Edward.
When she finds out that Edward is in danger, she runs across the world to save him from creatures that could easily destroy both of them- and expects nothing in return. She fully expects him to reject her and to return home alone. And that does not stop her. That is true love.
The Final Showdown
The action scene in the final installment of the Twilight series hit differently than many other large battles from other franchises for the simple fact that each death was fuelled by love. The final battle was entirely comprised of partners seeking revenge against the enemies that took their true love away from them.
Seeing these people face off with certain death in order to get revenge against those who dared to hurt their mate and ignoring the fate that could befall them for doing so. Luckily, the entire battle ended up being nothing more than a vision but that does not lessen the impact of the sacrifices that would have been made had Aro chosen not to walk away.
Edward And The Car Accident
When Tyler's car hit the ice wrong and came barreling towards Bella in the first installment in the series, Edward felt as though he had no choice. He knew he had to save her. It did not matter that this action could expose both himself and his entire family. It did not matter that this girl, at the time, was relatively unimportant in his life. He knew that he had to save her.
Later on, he would rationalize this action by claiming that he did it in order to avoid feeding on her spilled blood but this was not the reason why he saved her. All he could think in the moment (and the only thought that mattered in the end) was "Not her."
The Third Wife's Sacrifice
A recurring theme in the Twilight saga is the idea that the ability to sacrifice yourself for someone you love is a sign of true love. And one of the biggest sacrifices on the entire series is that of the Third Wife.
In Eclipse, Bella is taken to a council meeting where the tribes elders recount the legends of their people and Bella is taught about a woman known only as The Third Wife. She was the wife of a shape-shifter who's family and tribe were attacked by an angry vampire. In order to distract the vampire from her chosen prey (the wife's family,) she sacrificed herself in order to draw the creature towards herself and give her family a chance.