Why ‘Twilight’ Is Still One Of The Greatest Romance Stories Ever

You’d be hard-pressed to find any young woman under the age of 35 who hasn’t read Twilight. The wildly popular mid-2000s young adult book series was made into an enormously successful film series just a few years after its release, and it’s safe to say that from 2008 to 2012, the Twilight franchise had every young woman and teen girl’s full attention.

The story is no stranger to criticism, ridicule, and disdain, of course. Twilight tells the story of Bella Swan, a teenage girl who moves to the tiny rain-soaked town of Forks, Washington. She soon falls for a boy named Edward Cullen. Edward, however, isn’t like other boys – he’s a vampire, who lives with his makeshift family made up of other vampires. Over the course of the series, Bella and Edward fall deeper in love, and eventually, Bella gives up her mortality to become a vampire and marry Edward.

As is the case with many things that are popular with young women, it didn’t take long for Twilight to garner more than a few haters, for it to become popular to hate on the series. Twilight quickly became known as the sappy, melodramatic, silly love story that only immature girls were obsessed with. Not only that, but its critics also took to deriding its heroine, Bella, for being too meek, boy-obsessed, soft-spoken, and emotional.

But despite how popular it became to mock Twilight, there’s something we can’t deny: It’s a far better love story than it will ever get credit for. Here’s why.

Edward Resists His Vampire Urges for Bella’s Interest

Edward’s desires as a vampire are the same as any other vampire’s – to drink blood. Over his hundred years of being a vampire, though, Edward has learned how to curb his desire for blood and only feast on animals. However, the scent of Bella’s blood is especially enticing to Edward, making it difficult for him to be around her, despite his growing attraction to her.

Edward is forced to come face-to-face with his desire for her blood when, in the first book, he must suck out another vampire’s venom from Bella’s bloodstream. His struggle to stop drinking once the venom is out is tangible, and yet, he’s able to force himself to stop. Edward is able to not give in to his desires and to put Bella’s interest before his own. Throughout the series, Edward denies himself, time and time again.

This stands in direct contrast to what we sadly see many young men doing today, which is to frequently give in to their whims and desires, no matter the cost. Whether it be through watching porn regularly or cheating on their spouse or engaging in hookup culture, we see that many men today lack Edward’s self-control, selflessness, and protectiveness.

Bella’s Presence Changes Edward for the Better

After about a hundred years of living as a vampire, Edward had understandably grown weary. When we first meet him in the book, he’s standoffish, isolated, and untrusting. He’s had his fair share of interactions with other high school girls over the years, never allowing anyone to get too close to him. While his vampire “siblings” were in long-term relationships, Edward had decided he would stay single forever.

Then, Bella came along. While critics will say Bella only ever acted as a victim throughout Twilight, she actually had an enormous effect on Edward. While his initial reaction was to push her away, Bella’s agency and desire to grow closer to him changed him for the better. She offered him a place to be emotionally vulnerable, softening his heart. She held her own with him in their interactions, challenging him like no one else ever had. She caused him to rethink his fate of being alone forever. 

While many singles today bristle at the idea of needing to improve, this is exactly what relationships ought to do for us – challenge us with our preconceived notions, force us to look at our patterns of unhealth, and change us for the better. 

Edward Falls for Bella Because He Truly Sees Her

It wasn’t the scent of Bella’s blood that caused Edward to fall in love with her. It was Bella – her rich inner world, her stubbornness, her innocence, her depth, her courage, her steadfastness, her intelligence, and her curiosity. Edward was initially attracted to her scent, but upon actually knowing her, he recognized her value and fell in love with her for all the right reasons.

In a world in which photo filters are used to hide our true selves, people are reduced to whatever they can fit into a dating app profile, and one-night stands are the norm, a story about a man moving past his initial attraction to a woman and falling in love with, valuing, and cherishing who she really is is what makes Twilight such an memorable love story.

Edward Was the One Who Wanted To Wait for Marriage

Edward doesn’t stop at simply falling in love with Bella, however. He respects and values Bella so deeply that it’s actually he who brings up marriage, and he says they should wait to become intimate until they’re married – which surprises Bella, whose parents went through a divorce and had become disenchanted with the idea of marriage. Still, even without Bella being the initiator, Edward holds fast to his desire to commit to Bella for life and to wait for marriage.

This is a breath of fresh air for any woman who’s felt pressured to keep a guy interested by moving faster than she’d wanted to, or who’s seemingly been the only one who desired lifelong commitment or to wait until marriage. Far too often, we see men who just “go along” with getting married. Edward’s personal desire for marriage is what made every woman swoon in this series.

Closing Thoughts

Twilight isn’t a perfect story, but when it comes to the love story, it’s actually quite beautiful. Edward is a picture of a man who chooses to move past simple attraction and desire, and falls in love with and respects Bella. And Bella is an image of a woman who changes a man for the better, making Twilight a far better love story than many being produced today.

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