Love it or hate it, The Twilight Saga has proven itself to be a landmark in pop culture that’s here to stay. 2018 marks the ten-year anniversary of the first movie, in which Bella and Edward have their fateful meeting in biology class, launching a supernatural love story that would change the tide of entertainment.
Apart from countless fan events and dozens of think pieces analyzing the cultural significance of the franchise, several hundred movie theatres also set up special screenings for the anniversary. Twiilight has been popular amongst adults and teens alike, and now it’s being introduced to a whole new generation of fans. The series has also enjoyed such longevity thanks to its critics, who produce parody after parody and cite the books and movies as examples of poor writing. As they say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
Much like other popular franchises, Twilight has its fair share of plot holes, and fans have taken it upon themselves to devise in-universe explanations for these gaps in logic. Others have delved further into the world created by Meyer, expanding its lore by coming up with some of the most inventive and elaborate fan theories. The list below contains spoilers for all the movies, as well as details from the books that help support each fan theory. If you’re worried about getting spoiled, now’s the time to go on a binge— it’s the ten-year anniversary of the franchise, after all.
Here are 20 Wild Fan Theories That Completely Change The Movies.
20. Bella Is Part-Werewolf
Bella’s resistance to the vampires’ special powers is never fully explained in the books or the movies. She has a kind of psychic shield that protects her from any mental attacks, and later on she’s able to extend this shield to protect others as well. Some have dismissed this random ability as part of Bella’s characterization as a not-so-average "average girl." Others have speculated that Bella is actually part werewolf.
It would also explain why Jacob would imprint on Renesmee, Bella’s daughter. There’s been no indication that werewolves have imprinted on vampires or part-vampires in the past. Renesmee carrying the werewolf gene might provide a reason for Jacob’s affection for her right after she’s born.
19. Bella Is Descended From Vampires
Another explanation for Bella’s power as a vampire is that she’s descended from vampires herself. Bella’s mother is Renee, and her name comes from “Renatus.” The feminine form of Renatus is Renata, which is the name of a vampire guard whose special ability is to deflect physical attacks. Renata is from Malta, and there’s another vampire from Malta—Makenna. Malta is close to Italy, and there are multiple references to the peninsula in the Twilight series, including Bella’s full name, “Isabella”.
We know that half-vampires grow at a much quicker pace than normal humans, so since Bella seems to have developed like the average human, she’d have to be several generations removed from her vampiric ancestor.
18. Vampires Are Actually Faeries
Stephenie Meyer took a lot of liberties with the mythology of vampires, and she got a lot of criticism for it. Not only do the Twilight vampires not sustain damage from sunlight, they actually sparkle and have special abilities.
Redditor GodEmperorOfHell suggests that the vampires in Twilight are actually faeries, citing their glittery skin and preference for living in the woods as reasons. In addition, a Sith is a creature found in Scottish and Gaelic folklore (as well as in Star Wars). In particular, a Baobhan Sith has vampiric charcteristics and consume blood. Given that werewolves and vampires exist in the universe, it’s not that far-fetched a theory that other paranormal creatures exist as well, and are mistaken for other species.
17. Sirius Black And Jacob Black Are Brothers
You’ve probably seen more than enough Harry Potter and Twilight crossovers to last a lifetime, thanks to Robert Pattinson’s appearance in both franchises as Cedric Diggory and Edward Cullen. That being said, there’s another opportunity for a crossover: maybe Sirius Black and Jacob Black are brothers.
Jacob can control when he transforms into a wolf, so he’s actually an Animagus and not a werewolf that turns during a full moon. It could also explain why Sirius (along with James and Pettigrew) managed to become Animagi in such a short amount of time. It could’ve been easier for him because it’s a skill that runs in the family. If you consider Jacob’s affection for Bella— a human— his name could’ve been burned off the Black family tree.
16. Rosalie And Jasper Are Related
Rosalie and Jasper are both part of the Cullen family, and present themselves as Edward’s adopted sibings. The two look so similar to each other that they even pretend to be twins, using the same surname “Hale." Jasper was born in 1844 while Rosalie was born over thirty years later in 1915, so they’re not actually twins, but they could be distant relatives.
During his life as a human, Jasper was a Confederate soldier from Texas, and fans have speculated that his family moved up north after the Civil War without him, eventually settling down in New York. At one point in the 30s, Jasper did move up north, having heard about the way vampires lived in peace there. P erhaps he and Rosalie did cross paths before they became Cullens.
15. Vampires Just Need Sunscreen
Forks, Washington is notoriously gloomy, making it an ideal location for the Cullens to live out their endless days. However, on the rare occasion that the sun comes out, the vampires have to stay home in order to preserve the illusion of humanity, much to Bella’s disappointment.
That being said, Iustinianus has come up with an elaborate scientific explanation for the vampires’ sparkly skin. It’s a good read, but it’s too intricate an explanation for us to summarize in a short entry. What caught our attention is the conclusion that since UV light is the most likely cause of the glittering. That means that all the Cullens had to do is wear sunscreen, and they’d be free to frolic under the sun like any mortal being.
14. Bella Is A Succubus
Part of Twilight’s appeal is the unlikely romance between a (seemingly) boring, average girl and a devastatingly handsome and tragic vampire. Bella can’t quite wrap her mind around the idea of Edward loving her, but for some reason, Edward is deeply attracted to her and sees traits in her that he finds special.
A fan theory by -Graff- suggests that Bella is unaware that she’s actually a succubus, a mythological being that is incredibly attractive. First off, she smells extra yummy to vampires and is also popular with werewolves and humans alike. Plus, Edward can’t read here mind, meaning she has some magic in her as a succubus that makes her immune to the vampires’ mental powers.
13. Twilight Is A Tragedy
Twilight ultimately ends in a happy ending, but there are no doubt tragic elements involved. There’s so much angst caused by Bella and Edward’s forbidden love, and there are even references to Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies. However, Deradius takes it to a whole other level in this analysis.
As the story goes on, Bella loses more of her independence, and many other critics have been quick to point out how unhealthy her relationship with Edward is. After all, he does straight-up stalk her and damage her car so she can’t visit his rival Jacob. Her marrying Edward and becoming a vampire isn’t the happy ending it seems to be, either. She loses her humanity and has been permanently changed, and is now attached to a man way older than her.
12. The Origin Of Vampires
Ever since vampires first became part of the popular imagination, there have been immeasurable iterations of their origins. Twilight, however, doesn’t give a concrete history of its version of vampires. MoonStarRaven has suggested that the first Twilight vampire was actually a human who was bitten by a werewolf, yet became a blood-thirsty creature during the full moon rather than a werewolf.
The vampire had a kind of mutated lycanthropy, with sharp teeth that weren’t quite animalistic fangs and fur that turned into sparkling skin to protect against the sun’s rays instead. Meyer does give readers a brief history of werewolves in the Twilight universe, so maybe one day she’ll release the origin story for vampires as well.
11. The Volturi Are Harvesting Humans
Twilight is mainly a paranormal romance, but there are still antagonists looming over the star-crossed lovers. Among them are the Volturi, a group of powerful vampires that essentially act as authorities in the vampire world. They try to find and recruit vampires with special skills like Alice and Edward, and fans have speculated that they actually hunt down humans who have the potential to develop special abilities once turned into vampires.
Vampire scientists do exist in the Twilight universe, like Johan, who fathered vampire-human hybrids in order to create a superior race. Maybe the Volturi also have a group of scientists working for them, identifying humans with potential in order to harvest them for superpowered vampires.
10. Bella And Edward's telepathic bond
In New Moon, Bella starts hearing Edward’s voice whenever she’s in a dangerous situation, which prompts her to attempt risky acts over and over again in order to feel close to him. Meyer has clarified that Bella and Edward’s love is the cause of those voices, but some fans have a different theory.
The theory states that Bella is hearing Edward’s actual voice, especially because Edward’s voice would warn her even when she doesn’t consciously realize she is in danger. It could be yet another potential part of Bella’s special quirk as a human who could withstand mental attacks from vampires. If it were a telepathic bond though, it would be one-way, since Edward has said that he can’t hear Bella’s thoughts at all.
9. Panic Room Is A Twilight Prequel
Before Kristen Stewart’s rise to stardom thanks to her role as Bella in Twilight, she was perhaps best known for playing Jodie Foster’s daughter in Panic Room back in 2002. Redditor TiJoHimself thinks that the movie could be a prequel to the Twilight saga.
First of all, Stewart’s Panic Room character Sarah has diabetes. At one point she has a seizure and her treatment is delayed. That could be why her blood smells different. Bella is notably quiet and painfully shy, which could have resulted from the stress of being stuck in a panic room and having her life threatened. Plus, Foster’s character Meg Altman moves to New York after a divorce. Maybe her ex-husband is Charlie Swan.
8. Edward Only Loves Bella As A Human
Edward Cullen won over thousands of hearts when he first appeared in Twilight, swooping in and changing Bella’s life forever. He’s also been heavily criticized for being abusive and manipulative, undermining Bella’s autonomy at every turn. Regardless of your opinion of him, this fan theory might change your perspective a little.
The theory features an in-depth analysis of various key moments in the Twilight series, but ultimately boils down to the idea that Edward loves Bella for being human. The couple seem to get a happy ending after Bella turns into a vampire, spending the rest of eternity together with their immortal daughter. Edward rediscovers his own humanity thanks to Bella, and now that she’s no longer human, he might’ve fallen out of love with her.
7. The Transformation Determines Vampires' Self-Control
When Bella first becomes a vampire, she’s disappointed that she doesn’t seem to have a special skill. She thinks that maybe her better-than-average self-control could be her gift, and is underwhelmed by the thought. She learns later on that she can project a shield to protect her family from mental attacks, but TheMasterMadness has come up with a fan theory to explain Bella’s extraordinary control.
The theory suggests that more control over one’s emotions during the transformation process equals more control over one’s bloodthirst after becoming a vampire. Carlisle has incredible self-discipline thanks to his wealth of experience, but didn't take lives as a new vampire. Bella also doesn’t have any slip-ups. Both of them were able to keep quiet during their transformations, enduring tremendous amounts of pain in silence.
6. Embry And Jacob Are Half-Brothers
Okay, so Sirius Black might not be Jacob’s brother since they’re from two completely separate franchises, but’s totally possible that Jacob has a half-brother in the Twilight universe. There’s a werewolf named Embry in Jacob’s pack, and even though the gang have vague ideas as to who his father could be, nobody really knows for sure.
As a result, fans have speculated that Embry’s dad is actually Billy Black, making him Jacob’s half-brother. Embry’s already known as one of Jacob’s best friends, and he’s especially upset when Jacob leaves the pack to protect Bella and Renesmee. Embry kept his shape-shifting a secret from Jacob and Quil at firsst, so maybe he’s hiding the knowledge that he’s actually related to Jacob as well.
5. Jacob Imprinting On Renesmee Unclouds Alice's Vision
There’s a giant plot hole at the end of Breaking Dawn: Part II that got the Internet abuzz with speculations. The Cullens and their allies team up to help protect Bella and Renesmee from the Volturi, resulting in a massive battle with heavy casualties. It’s a wild fight scene-- except it’s simply a vision of the future that Alice shows Aro, leader of the Volturi, to prevent him from attacking her family.
There’s just one problem: the werewolves fight alongside the Cullens, and they’re part of Alice’s visio, but Alice is supposedly unable to see the future when werewolves are involved. One fan theory says that Jacob imprinting on Renesmee unclouds Alice’s vision, since it’s a bond that unites the werewolves with their mortal enemies.
4. Renesmee Turned Bella Into A Vampire
Much of Bella and Edward’s disagreement stems from their differing views on Bella turning into a vampire. However, Edward eventually has no choice but to agree to turn her in order to save her life when she gives birth to their half-vampire, half-human baby. The pregnancy does a lot of damage to Bella’s body, but Edward injects her with venom in time. However, you can hear a crunch right before Renesmee is taken away from Bella, and ackthbbft thinks that maybe Renesmee is the one who turns Bella into a vampire.
The books debunk this theory, since it specifies that only male half-vampires are venomous, but since it’s not explicitly stated in the movie, it’s quite a creative and intriguing theory that makes for an interesting mother-daughter dynamic.
3. Edward Betrayed Bella
Edward promptly falls in love with Bella, who melts his cold heart, and he remains loyal to her throughout the books until the end of time-- or does he? I_do_paradies thinks that Edward’s disappearance in New Moon is a lot more than just him feeling guilty for the birthday party incident when Jasper almost attacks Bella. Edward might’ve been two-timing Bella, having fallen in love with Jane from the Volturi.
He tries to step out into the sun due to the guilt of betraying Bella and the stress of having to choose between her and Jane. However, Edward ultimately goes running back into Bella’s arms, realizing that he loves her more when she attempts to save his life.
2. Emmett Still Has Painkillers In His System
Emmett Cullen is perhaps the most laid-back vampire in the Cullen family, and sometimes his sense of humor and upbeat personality can get on his family’s nerves. In addition to being a good sport though, let’s be real: he isn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and he can be a little reckless and impatient.
Phalseprofits has come up with a potential explanation for Emmett’s personality. Carlisle had tried to give Emmett morphine to decrease the pain of his transformation, but it didn’t work because the venom had already spread through his body. Maybe Emmett is able to remain optimistic despite all the drama around him because he still has that morphine in his system from 1935.
1. Bella Is A Reincarnation Of Edward's Soulmate
When Edward first meets Bella, he’s distraught because of how good she smells and he worries that he’s going to lose control of his appetite and hurt her. The series later reveals that it’s not an uncommon phenomenon for a human to have particularly tasty-smelling blood. They’re known as “singers,” and vampires have been known to meet multiple singers in their lifetimes.
That has lead occupandi-temporis to speculate that the tempting humans Edward has met in the past are actually reincarnations of his soulmate. That means he’s encountered Bella’s soul before, and avoided her until this particular reincarnation as Bella Swan. The soulmate theory might’ve led to more vampire-human couples, but since it’s hard for vampires to resist singers, it’s easy to see why paranormal romances like Bella and Edward’s are so rare in Twilight.
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What are your favorite Twilight fan theories? Share them in the comments!