Everyone familiar with Twilight knows about the passionate love triangle between Edward, Bella, and Jacob. The saga was inescapable for years and the romantic pairings are still debated today. While there is a lot of focus on the relationships between Edward and Bella and Jacob and Bella, Edward and Jacob have their own issues to deal with. Particularly in Breaking Dawn, the two have a much more intricate dynamic than some people realize.
The vampire and werewolf each tried to sweep Bella off her feet, often at the same time. While that clearly made the two enemies, there were times when their relationship was much more complicated than that. The two had to put their differences aside to work to save Bella and often had similar life experiences as supernatural beings. There were even moments when they appeared to be friendlier than either would ever admit. Essentially family by the final movie, the two had to learn how to get along despite being natural enemies.
While Team Edward and Team Jacob fans may find it hard to agree on which man should end up with Bella, both sides will be interested in these 20 Revelations About Edward and Jacob’s Relationship.
They Are Both Dangerous To Bella
Jacob always claims he is the safer choice for Bella. He explains he can give her a normal, human life. In reality, he is just as dangerous to her as Edward is.
Just like Edward, he can lose control and lash out at her. Both men can find it hard to resist their supernatural instincts to either shift or feed on human blood. While Edward could snap and drink her blood, Jacob could shift in a moment of aggression and lash out at her, like Sam did to Emily. While Team Jacob and Team Edward fans may argue who is the best choice for Bella, they are both putting her in danger by being in her life.
Jacob Is A Werewolf Because Of The Cullens
Not all members of the Quileute tribe transform into wolves. The ability to shape-shift is only triggered when there are multiple enemies nearby. Jacob only transformed because of the many vampires entering Forks.
His father had the gene but never had enemy vampires nearby, so he never shifted. Jacob, however, wasn’t so lucky. This means without the Cullens, Jacob never would have turned into a wolf. While the Cullens are not technically enemy vampires, they are the reason that James, Victoria, and Laurent decided to stick around and try to hunt Bella. This influx of enemy vampires caused Jacob to turn. If it weren’t for them, he would have stayed human and avoided most of the problems throughout the Twilight films.
They're Both Possessive And Controlling
While both Edward and Jacob try to convince Bella they are better than the other, both characters behave in fairly possessive and controlling ways.
They try to make Bella’s decisions for her and if they can’t, they attempt to sway her choices. Edward goes as far as to break her truck so she can’t go see Jacob. Jacob decides to kiss her against her will after she has made it clear she isn’t interested. Neither man respects her decisions despite claiming they want what is best for her. They only want what is best for her if it aligns with their own needs as well. Each of them is overprotective to the point of aggression.
Edward Will One Day Be Jacob's Father-In-Law
There are a lot of strange aspects to Twilight, but one of the weirdest plot-lines is Jacob’s imprinting on Renesmee. Most fans found it creepy and uncomfortable. While Jacob explains that it isn’t necessarily a romantic attraction, it’s hinted that when Renesmee is older she will end up with Jacob. This means that Edward will be Jacob’s father-in-law one day. The two started as enemies but they will end up family.
While this sounds super weird, all of the characters are strangely okay with this concept by the final film. Jacob will one day marry the daughter of the woman he was previously in love with and the man who was once his enemy, but it’s seemingly the happy ending they all wanted.
They Are Unreasonably Attracted To Bella
Throughout the Twilight saga, multiple men are shown being practically in love with Bella from the moment they see her. Mike and Eric originally fight over who gets to talk to her first and she ends up in an intense love triangle with Edward and Jacob.
Their attraction to her has never really made sense, but it exists nonetheless. While Edward is initially attracted to her blood, he’s still infatuated with her when she’s a vampire. Jacob also was smitten with her from the second he saw her. For some reason, these two men fight over a very plain, average high school girl in Forks, Washington. It’s something a lot of guys around that area seem to have in common.
They Have The Same Enemies
Despite having extremely different backgrounds and general views on life, Jacob and Edward have fought on the same side on multiple occasions. Whether going up against Victoria or the entire Volturi, they end up with the same enemies a lot.
Bella, of course, is the common denominator. She seems to be threatened or under attack every other day, and both Jacob and Edward come to save her. If it weren’t for their mutual love for her, they would never be on the same side. Once Renesmee is born, she was yet another reason the pair teamed up. Jacob imprinted on Edward’s daughter, so they put their differences aside to protect both she and Bella from the Volturi.
Jacob Led To Bella's Fascination With Edward
Jacob can’t stand how fascinated Bella is with Edward, but he is actually the reason she became so interested in him in the first place. In the first movie, Jacob tells Bella all about the legends surrounding vampires in Forks, most likely trying to impress his crush. He talks about shapeshifters and bloodsuckers without fully realizing any of it is real, or that Bella was already wondering why Edward seemed so different. She became obsessed with these legends after their talk.
If he hadn’t filled her head with these supernatural stories, she may have stopped looking into Edward’s life and researching the history of vampires. He unknowingly pushed her towards her dangerous relationship rather than away from it.
They Ditched Bella When She Needed Them Most
For two guys who are supposedly the end-all, be-all romance for Twilight fans, they have made some pretty terrible decisions in regards to Bella. Both have ditched her when she needed them.
In New Moon, Edward leaves Bella in the middle of the woods all alone with little explanation as to why he’s breaking up with her. This sends her into a spiraling depression, which Jacob tries to help her out of. Once she starts to trust Jacob and rely on him, he disappears from her life as well with no explanation as to why. While they were both keeping away from Bella to keep her safe, she wasn’t aware of that and to her it looked like they abandoned her for no good reason.
They Are Stalkers
Most guys shouldn’t follow Edward or Jacob’s example when trying to date a girl they like. Both men are a little creepy and stalk Bella at different points. Edward climbs in her window and watches her sleep without her knowledge, which is an absolutely inappropriate and intrusive behavior. No guy should break into the bedroom of the girl they’re crushing on to watch her as she’s unconscious. He also follows her around, though it does help him save her from a group of threatening men in the first movie.
Jacob always shows up at Bella’s school unexpectedly when he doesn’t go to the same one. He also guards her house and watches her in her window. Both he and Edward are borderline stalkers and Bella is surprisingly okay with it.
They Put Their Own Differences Ahead Of Bella's Needs
Both Jacob and Edward can be extremely petty about their problems. While they did come together to fight big threats like Victoria, they also try to cause problems for each other while ignoring how Bella feels or what she needs.
For instance, when Edward calls Bella’s house in New Moon to see if Bella is still alive, Jacob answers and purposefully misleads him into thinking she perished just because he was mad the call interrupted a romantic moment with Bella. Edward also breaks Bella’s car so she can’t drive to see Jacob even though she wants to go and visit her friend. Both men react emotionally and ignore what the girl they love actually wants.
They Both Read Minds
The power to read minds would be helpful when trying to impress the girl you like. While both Edward and Jacob have this ability in some capacity, unfortunately for them, neither are able to read Bella’s mind.
Edward was able to read minds once he became a vampire. He can get inside anyone’s head except for Bella’s, which is part of what peaked his interest in her. Jacob can’t read just anyone’s mind, but when he’s in wolf-form he can hear the thoughts of those in his pack. While the limits of their ability are different, both can technically read people’s thoughts. It isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Edward can hear every creepy thought a stranger has and when Jacob is heartbroken over Bella, everyone in his pack can feel and hear his pain.
Edward Is The Reason Why Jacob Isn't With Bella
Team Jacob fans adamantly believe that if Edward hadn’t gotten in the way, Bella would have ended up with Jacob. The two were set up as having chemistry from the beginning.
When the two hang out in New Moon, it’s clear they are a good match. Bella has more in common with Jacob than she ever did with Edward and constantly wants to be around him. In fact, if she hadn’t been with Edward in the past she would have fallen for Jacob. Immortal vampires tend to throw the natural balance of things out of order. If Bella’s scent hadn’t caught his attention she would have most likely started dating Jacob and the entire saga would be different.
They Treat Bella Like A Child
Both Edward and Jacob have a habit of treating Bella like a child. They constantly make decisions for her, tell her that her choices are wrong, or act overprotective. Edward goes as far as having Alice abduct her so she won’t go and see Jacob. While he may not think it’s okay for her to see him, that isn’t his choice to make. It’s like he’s punishing a child for trying to disobey him.
Jacob also won’t accept Bella’s decision to be with Edward and constantly acts like she’s naive and wrong. He always explains how dangerous vampire are as if Bella doesn’t already know the risk. She may be in high school, but she is capable of her own thoughts and actions.
They Never Physically Fought Despite Their Anger
Any good love triangle has a lot of tension. While Edward and Jacob have tense moments of anger and do get in each other’s faces, they never physically fight over Bella or their differences.
Two very aggressive, powerful supernatural creatures prone to lashing out would most likely fight at some point. Werewolves are known for losing their temper and Edward has done the same a time or two. After Jacob kisses Bella when she clearly didn’t want it, it’s surprising Edward didn’t completely lose his cool around Jacob. The two must love Bella more than they hate each other, or else they would have fought at some point. That’s some serious self-control for a vampire and a werewolf.
Bella Kisses Jacob And Edward Is Cool With It
When Jacob kisses Bella against her will, Edward is obviously mad about it. He gets in Jacob’s face and the two argue. His reaction is much different, however, when Bella chooses to kiss Jacob.
Most people would be extremely upset if their girlfriend desperately ran after someone else and begged him to kiss her. Edward, however, reacts extremely calm and doesn’t seem too bothered by it. That’s strange, particularly when he could hear the thoughts going through Jacob’s head. Before too long, he acts like Bella and Jacob’s kiss didn’t even happen. The two are practically family by the end of the saga. That’s a strange dynamic that most men wouldn’t be able to handle.
They Get Along Way Too Well By The End
With all of the drama that Edward and Jacob have been through by the end of The Twilight Saga, they should hate each other. They fought over Bella for years and because of what they are, they are naturally enemies. Regardless of that, the two are friendly and get along pretty well.
Jacob kissed Edward’s girlfriend multiple times, imprinted on his infant daughter, and is a werewolf. Edward married the girl Jacob loves and is a “bloodsucker.” Somehow they overcome all of theses differences and make some sort of relationship work. Everyone gets along and it’s one big, happy ending. It doesn’t seem very realistic and they get along far too well by the final movie.
Jacob Always Knew Edward Might've Been A Vampire
From day one in Forks, Washington, it was clear that Jacob didn’t like the Cullens. He was always giving him glares and warning Bella to steer clear of them. While it may have just been because of legends, it’s likely he knew Edward was a vampire from the beginning.
He was already aware about the treaty that kept them off of Quileute and and when one of his buddies mentions it, he acts like it’s a secret. Even if he didn’t fully believe it, he knew about the Cullens being “the cold ones” and told Bella about them. Edward was also aware that Jacob’s family descended from shape-shifters because of the treaty, though he had no way of knowing Jacob would one day transform.
Bella Would Be Better Off Without Both Of Them
Despite both men arguing about who is the better choice for her to be with, the safest and healthiest choice for her would have to not been with either of them. Jacob and Edward are both dangerous, possessive, and controlling.
Without either Edward or Jacob in her life she wouldn’t have run directly into James and Victoria, met the Volturi, realized there were vampires or werewolves, or been in a relationship that sent her into a spiraling depression that caused her to nearly lose her life multiple times. While she does end up with a happy ending, her life would have been much less complicated if she had dated someone human and avoided supernatural creatures altogether.
They Are Overly Jealous
Everyone gets a little jealous from time to time. However, most people don’t physically keep their partner from seeing their friends or grab them and kiss them when they have made it clear they aren’t interested.
Both Edward and Jacob are overly jealous to the point that it’s unhealthy. She can never fully please either of them, though she tries to. Both men argue with each other right in front of her about what she wants even though she is right there and can tell them herself. Edward tries to forbid her from seeing Jacob even though Jacob helped her with her depression after Edward left. Jacob also won’t accept that she’s with Edward and throws tantrums when she turns him down again and again.
They Are Fascinated By Vehicles
Bella apparently has a thing for guys who like cars and motorcycles. Both Edward and Jacob have a fascination with certain vehicles. A large part of the plot in New Moon involves Bella and Jacob fixing up an old motorcycle. While she’s only doing it to keep busy and try to get an adrenaline rush to see a vision of Edward, he genuinely loves fixing bikes, though his crush on Bella is part of it, too.
While it may not seem as cool as Jacob rolling up on a motorcycle, Edward is obsessed with cars. The Cullens drive all kinds of cars, ranging from his multiple silver Volvos to an Aston Martin. Bella’s old truck doesn’t exactly fit in with the cars in their garage.
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