Content Warning: The following article contains discussions of extreme violence, sexual assault, and suicide.
Next year will be the fifteenth anniversary of the first Twilight film, and while it was heavily criticized in its own time, the Twilight Renaissance on TikTok has shown the importance of returning to the series. For teenage girls and young adult women in particular, Twilight was fundamental to their understanding of romance, and they were frequently criticized for that fact.
While most people know Twilight as a romance series, it actually gets really dark at times. This is especially true when it comes to the vampires’ backstories, with many of the men having violent pasts and the women tragic ones. It's important to look back on this cultural phenomenon critically, as, like so many properties aimed at women and young girls, it gets so easily dismissed. Many of the characters suffered horrible traumas, and those backstories are important to address.
Bree Tanner
The central character of the novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner captured the tortured existence so many of the women in the Twilight saga were accustomed to. Bree's father was physically abusive to her and her mother, whom he killed when she was a child. When she finally escaped him, she was briefly homeless before being forced to be a part of Victoria's army. She surrendered, but was tortured and killed anyway.
In many ways, Bree represented the ultimate innocent. She had been victimized her entire life and wanted nothing more than to be safe. The sheer brutality of her backstory and ultimate fate suggests that innocence cannot survive in the Twilight universe.
Benjamin
Benjamin is a member of the Egyptian coven, though his relationship with them is tense. As a child, Benjamin was orphaned and taken in by an uncle who took advantage of his abilities. A vampire named Amun killed his uncle, kidnapped and turned him, and then kept him captive for five years. Benjamin eventually escaped and found the woman he loved, but then returned with her to Amun's care.
Benjamin was seen as a pawn in the larger conflict between the Volturi and the Egyptian coven. He proved that he knew his own strength he had when he chose to fight with the Cullens, but by continuing to stand by Amun's side, fans have to question if he was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome.
Leah Clearwater
Though Jacob referred to her as a "harpy" for being upset by a tragically unfair situation, Leah Clearwater is a sympathetic character. After being in a devoted relationship with her for three years, Sam Uley disappeared for two years, returned acting weird, and then promptly left her for her cousin. Leah then phased into her wolf form, which killed her father and forced her into Sam's pack.
Leah endured every negative aspect of being a werewolf, with absolutely no upsides. She lost the man who had claimed to love her and then was forced into a telepathic bond with him that made her obey his orders. She also questioned her value as a wolf for being female, and as a woman for being unable to have a child, which was heartbreaking. Though her tragedies were less extreme than others, they were no less painful.
Marcus
For one of the most powerful vampires in history, Marcus's backstory is surprisingly awful. He fell in love with Aro's sister, Didyme, who had the power to make anybody around her happy. They decided that the Volturi wasn't what they wanted, but as they planned to leave, Aro killed Didyme and used another vampire's power to force Marcus to stay loyal to him for thousands of years.
While this story seems tame in comparison to the trials many other characters faced, it shows how much of a villain Aro really was. His quarrel with the Cullens had some validity, but his treatment of his supposed friend shows how little Aro valued free will.
Esme
Many fans know little more about Esme than the fact that she was Carlisle’s wife and the Cullen family “mother.” However, her backstory was explored in the Official Illustrated Guide, and it's critical in understanding who Esme is. Her husband was abusive, and she had to flee to protect her child—who ended up dying two days after birth. Having lost everything, she attempted suicide and was only saved after she had been taken to the morgue.
This seems like incredibly relevant information, particularly given Esme's choice to help Bella have her child, as she once gave her life out of love for a child too.
Nahuel
Nahuel is one of the world's only hybrids, and the only known male hybrid. But while Renesmee was born out of love, Nahuel was born to be a weapon. He killed his mother during birth and bit his aunt, making her his life-long companion. In his mind, his mother was an angel whom he killed, and his father was a monster who he tried to be nothing like.
If Renesmee showed the good that could come from a human and a vampire, Nahuel was forced to blame himself for the bad. Like Hope Mikaelson from The Originals and Legacies, he saw himself as a mistake who brought death to everyone he loved, and while he was able to heal some of that self-hatred after encountering the Cullens, it will be hard to undo 150 years of guilt in just one encounter.
Victoria
Victoria was one of the primary villains of the Twilight series, but her history is pitiable. She and her sister grew up as servants in their father's house, frequently being mistreated. They ran away, and her sister became a sex worker before disappearing, forcing Victoria into captivity and then homelessness. Her sister eventually returned and turned Victoria, only for their coven to be slaughtered by the Volturi.
If Victoria had been in a different franchise, she might have been a far more popular character, as villains with tragic backstories gained many fans on TVD. Victoria lived her entire life playing defense, and when she finally fought back, she was painted as evil.
Alec And Jane
Alec and Jane were high-ranking members of the Volturi in Twilight, but their past is pretty horrifying. Over a thousand years before the events of the series, they were born with psychic abilities. In response to those abilities, they were accused of being witches and burnt at the stake. Aro saved them, but not before they felt the pain of being burned alive.
The twins were turned at around 12 or 13, so they were permanently stuck with the minds of children who knew only pain. This then presented itself through their powerful gifts. Though they both seemed happy to torture and kill on a whim, their backstories make it clear how little of life they were ever able to experience.
Rosalie
Rosalie’s backstory is probably the best-known, but fans might not remember just how brutal it was. Rosalie’s fiancé and his friends physically and sexually assaulted her shortly before their wedding, leaving her to die in the street. As a vampire, she responded by brutally torturing and killing each of the men who hurt her.
In many ways, Rosalie is the classic example of the revenge film heroine, first being harmed by the men she trusted and then making them pay for it. But rather than feeling better for doing so, she was trapped in a life where she could never have the human things she wanted. Though a generally unlikable character, Rosalie's death and vampiric life were both tragedies.
Alice
Although Alice was one of the more upbeat characters in the series, she had a horrendous past. She foresaw her own mother’s murder but couldn’t prevent or avenge it. Her father tried to kill her and succeeded in getting her trapped in a psychiatric hospital where she lost her memory. She was cared for by one of the workers, but he died trying to protect her from James. As she became a vampire, she lost even more of her memories, leaving her a blank slate influenced by her visions of the future more than her past.
In effect, the Alice that fans came to love didn't actually exist as a human being. The girl whose life was nothing but pain died from what others did to her, and a completely different person was born. This complicates the idea that Bella could have been the same person before and after transitioning.