I've Been Rewatching The Twilight Movies (Again), And Bella Should Have Become A Vampire Way Sooner

Look, I know there are a lot of upcoming horror movies to look forward to during the Halloween season, but I have a tradition to uphold, and that’s rewatching the Twilight movies just about every fall season. Sure, there are some insane wigs among other things, but it's all part of the charm for me, especially since I grew up loving the books and movies when I was a teenager. But, in my most recent rewatch, I found myself thinking about the fact that Bella remains human until Breaking Dawn, and how I actually wish she had been turned into a vampire a lot sooner.

I get it, there’s something to be said about the “so the lion fell in love with the lamb” of it all, but as I’ve viewed the series over and over, I’ve come to realize that Bella wants to be with Edward and be a vampire from pretty much the beginning of their relationship, and I wish I had seen a lot more of vampire Bella than we get to see in the franchise. Let’s talk it through further…

Edward Could Have Turned Bella In Twilight

When I was watching Twilight all over again, which is actually coming back to theaters later this month with the rest of the movies, it got to the scene where James lures Bella to the ballet studio, and Edward has to make the decision whether to turn Bella into a vampire or suck the venom out. Edward successfully gets the venom out of Bella, but not without some struggles to feed on her blood completely.

I’ve seen this scene tons of times, but this time I found myself chanting “TURN HER!” because I know how much more danger Bella is going to be in the middle of for the next three movies. I totally respect Edward and Bella for making sure they are compatible before literally signing up for forever together, and Bella wouldn’t have had Renesmee if they didn’t wait until marriage. But, alternatively, I actually think it would have been so much fun if Bella could have joined Team Vampire in the first movie, and taken on all the calamity of the saga with her immortal powers on her side. I also think it might have humanized Edward a bit more if he had no other choice but to turn her vampire (or if James beat him to it), and had to come to terms with blaming himself for it, while also finding himself with the vampiress of his dreams.

Bella Often Feels Like A Passive Character Because She Can't Defend Herself

One of my favorite moments in the Twilight series that literally gives me chills every time I watch the movies is when Bella becomes a vampire at the end of Breaking Dawn - Part 1. Why? Because it’s exactly what Bella has wanted for herself the whole time. She’s this average girl who finds herself in the middle of this fantastical world between vampires and werewolves, and while any other person would run the heck away from it, she’s instantly obsessed and wants to be part of it. I think one reason why it’s become a phenomenon among so many young girls is the fantasy of being suddenly important, eternally desired, and potentially very powerful. So, I think it's totally normal to want to see that happen for her sooner.

Throughout most of Twilight, Bella wants to be able to fight for herself and be more active in her journey with Edward, but he pretty much keeps his control over her by not answering her wishes and keeping her human. (Kristen Stewart herself has made this complaint about Edward and Bella’s relationship, by the way!) I understand Edward’s perspective of not wanting to basically kill the woman he loves and doom her to be a vampire, therefore keeping her innocence intact in a way, but if it was basically decided for him in Twilight to turn her, their relationship also wouldn’t have the uneven (and honestly creepy) power dynamic hanging over it like it does.

I Would Have Loved To See Bella Navigate Being A Vampire Earlier On

In the movies and books, Bella becomes a vampire after she’s graduated high school, and has both married and had a baby with Edward. But, if she had become a vampire at the end of Twilight, then she would have to get through the rest of high school as a vampire. I think this honestly would have been really entertaining, and a lot higher stakes to watch as a viewer. Maybe, Jacob, his pack and other vampires would catch wind of a new vampire being turned, and it would create some new conflicts that wouldn’t have existed before (but would not involve Bella basically trying to kill herself because Edward left her or Jacob straight up falling in love with her newborn baby, etc).

Rather than the whole series being about Edward shielding Bella from the dangers of the vampire world, we’d get to see her grow into her new identity as a vampire, both in secret and among humans.

Edward And Bella Are A Lot Less Cringe Of A Couple When They Are Both Vampires

Going back to the cringey-ness of Edward and Bella’s relationship, I’ve always felt that the pair were the best as a couple after they became vampires together. You can really see Edward relax because he’s not thinking about drinking her blood 24/7, and there’s something a lot more romantic about these two choosing each other, when they can live any life they please eternally. Nowadays, it works for me much better than Edward trying to convince Bella to give up on him and go human while at the same time telling her he can't live without her. Mixed messages, my dude!

After seeing the movies so many times over the years, I’d absolutely love to see this version of the story play out. As I think about it more, it would actually fix some of the issues I’ve had about the series as I’ve gotten older.. But hey, the Twilight movies are some of the best vampire movies still, and one of the reasons why it works is because it is exactly how it is. Even so, I had to explore my thoughts about how it might have been different if Bella had become a vampire sooner.