Edward Cullen

Edward Cullen
Twilight character
First appearance	Twilight
Created by	Stephenie Meyer
Portrayed by	Robert Pattinson
In-universe information
Alias	Edward Anthony Masen (human name)
Species	Vampire
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student
Family	Edward Masen (biological father) Elizabeth Masen (biological mother) Esme Cullen (adoptive mother) Carlisle Cullen (adoptive father) Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale (adoptive sisters) Jasper Hale and Emmett Cullen (adoptive brothers)
Spouse	Isabella Swan (fiancée)

Edward Cullen (born Edward Anthony Masen) is a character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is currently featured in the books Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse. He will also appear in the upcoming books, also by Stephenie Meyer, Breaking Dawn and Midnight Sun, the latter of which will be from Edward's point of view.

Personal history

Edward Anthony Masen was born on June 20, 1901 to Edward and Elizabeth Masen.

While dying of the Spanish influenza in Chicago in 1918, he was changed into a vampire by a doctor named Carlisle Cullen, as the result of an indirect request made by his dying mother; Carlisle believes that his mother sensed that he was different, and asked him to do "what others cannot do" to save her son's life.

As a human, Edward was very sensitive to the thoughts of the people around him, and when he was changed, he gained the ability to hear others' thoughts. A decade after Edward was changed into a vampire, he rebelled against Carlisle's practice of drinking animal's blood, though he understood why Carlisle only fed on animals. Since he could read minds, he purposefully sought out and preyed on only the worst of society, which helped him justify his actions to himself. However, after a few years he became guilt-ridden, realized that Carlisle was right, and returned home. He has not strayed since.

Twilight

Edward sees Bella in Twilight on her first day at Forks High school. He is frustrated to find that he is unable to read her mind. Later, in Biology (the only class he has with Bella), he is nearly overwhelmed by the scent of her blood, to the point of contemplating slaughtering the entire class just so that there would be no witnesses when he feeds on her. Edward is resentful and angry that Bella could make him lose the control that he'd built for years. To prevent calamity he runs away to Alaska, but he finally gives in and goes back to Forks.

Determined not to allow the new girl to disrupt the life he and his family have created in Forks, Edward, now prepared to resist Bella's tempting blood, starts to converse with her in class. But the day after his return, Bella is nearly hit by a van driven by a fellow student, Tyler Crowley. In a split-second decision, he saves her life using his supernatural speed and strength in public, risking exposure of his entire family. Bella witnesses his abilities and becomes suspicious, while his family's reactions range from disapproval to fury. Because of Bella's suspicions, Edward ends all contact with her for six weeks until he can't take it anymore, saying that he's tired of trying to stay away from her. They become friends, sitting and talking together at lunch. Bella goes on a trip that is arranged by her friend Mike Newton to the La Push reservation, and learns from Jacob Black that the Cullen family are supposedly vampires who moved into the area years ago. They made a treaty with the werewolves: the vampires must not bite a human or enter the reservation, and the werewolves will not expose the vampires for what they are. Bella is shocked and terrified as she comes to terms with this strange reality, knowing it is too late for her and Edward to stay away from each other.

Being with Edward is a lethal risk for Bella because he must constantly fight his desire for her blood, as well as the possibility that he could kill her without meaning to. He constantly warns Bella against being with him, but she ignores him. His fears become justified when, during a Cullen family baseball game in the woods, a group of "non-vegetarian" vampires smell Bella. Edward finds out that one of them, a tracker called James, has decided to "hunt" Bella. Edward and his family do their best to protect her, but she is nearly killed. They save her just in time, though after James has already bitten her. Edward manages to suck the venom out of Bella without drinking all of her blood. Bella spends several weeks in a hospital in Phoenix recovering from her wounds, and Edward feels guilty about the risk to her safety. Bella asks to be changed into a vampire, but Edward sternly refuses--his reason is not revealed until New Moon. They return to Forks and finish out the school year. Edward takes Bella to the prom against her will, despite the fact that Bella has a broken leg. The book ends on a happy note, but Bella and Edward are still at an impasse whether or not Bella will be turned into a vampire.

New Moon

New Moon starts with Bella being very upset by her birthday, because it will make her "older" than Edward. She and Edward are still arguing over her becoming a vampire, and Bella doesn't want to be much older than Edward when she changes. At a "surprise" birthday party for her, Bella gets a paper cut while opening a gift. The trickle of blood almost sends Jasper over the edge, prompting Edward to leave Forks in order to protect Bella from the danger their relationship puts her in. He convinces Bella that he doesn't love her anymore, and leaves Forks to travel to Alaska with the rest of the Cullens.

After leaving Forks, Edward lives an infinitely elongated, depressed and meaningless life, curled in a ball. He tries his hand at tracking Victoria (James' mate), but he is very unsuccessful. After some months, Edward receives a phone call from Rosalie, who tells him that Alice had gone back to Forks because Bella has committed suicide. Unwilling and unable to live without her, Edward rushes to Volterra, Italy to ask the Volturi to kill him. When they refuse, Edward decides to force their hand by attempting to expose himself as a vampire inside their own city, which would lead to his immediate execution. Bella rushes to Italy with Alice and stops him just before he steps into the sunlight, which would have made his skin sparkle and immediately shown that he was a vampire. The Volturi then tell Edward that Bella must be changed into a vampire, or they will kill her. To save them, Alice shows them that Bella will be changed soon enough.

Back in Forks, Bella realizes that Edward loves her as much as she loves him, and gathers the Cullens for a meeting where they vote on whether or not Bella should be changed. The majority votes affirmatively, but they all agree that it should not happen until after she graduates from high school. Edward is furious, but later agrees to change Bella himself if she will marry him first, to Bella's utter distaste. Later, Jacob reminds Edward that the Cullens are not allowed to bite a human without violating the treaty.

Eclipse

In Eclipse, Edward insists on Bella filling out various applications for college. While bringing over more applications, Edward notices the newspaper's cover story about multiple murders in nearby Seattle. He reveals that his family suspects newborn vampires to be the cause. One day at school, Alice sees that Victoria is back in town and searching for Bella. After convincing Edward that she will be safe with the werewolves, Edward allows Bella to visit Jacob in La Push once in a while. On one of these visits, Jacob confesses his love for Bella, kissing her forcefully. She responds by punching him, resulting in a broken hand. Edward threatens Jacob upon Bella’s return from La Push, telling Jacob that if he ever returns Bella injured again he will be "running with three legs", and that if he ever kisses her without her permission again, Edward will break his jaw.

Edward reveals that he is reluctant to change Bella into a vampire because he believes that vampires are soulless creatures who have no place in heaven (or any other sort of afterlife, for that matter). He tells her that if there was any way for him to be human again, he would change for her no matter what the price. Edward proposes to Bella once more, and she accepts under the condition that, after their wedding, they'll make love while she's still human.

Jacob and Edward make a treaty to work together to protect Bella from Victoria, who is breeding newborn vampires to use as an army. The werewolves agree to fight the vampires with the Cullens, and a plan is made to rage battle against them, using Jasper's knowledge of newborns and their instincts. While attempting to mislead the newborns with Bella's scent, she cuts her arm, and Edward reveals that he now has much stronger control over his thirst. The next day, Bella realizes she is in love with Jacob; however it is not of the same intensity with which she loves Edward. Edward tells Bella that he is not angry with her for loving Jacob, and that he understands her frustration.

After, Bella reluctantly agrees to let Alice plan their wedding, and Edward decides that he will make love to Bella without getting married, "no strings attached", because she's doing everything for everyone else's happiness, but not her own. Bella declines, citing Edward's original plan, and decides that it is time to tell her father of their engagement.

Physical appearance

Like all vampires, Edward is described as impossibly handsome, to the point of being almost godlike. His skin is like granite--pale, hard as stone, and ice cold, but perfect and flawless. If he has recently drank, the dark purple circles under his eyes become lighter. In the sunlight, his skin sparkles like millions of beautiful diamonds. His eyes change color depending on his level of thirst. They are described as a golden topaz when he is full and gradually darken to black, like onyx, as he becomes thirstier. It takes about two weeks for his eyes to darken from their lightest color to pitch black. However, when Edward Cullen was human his eyes were emerald. His hair is described as a strange shade of bronze or as auburn, like his human mother's, and is always in "casual disarray". Edward stands at six feet two inches, and he has a slender (yet still quite muscular) build. At various points in the series, Bella compares Edward's good looks to those of Michaelangelo's "David", the Greek god Adonis, or even to "all the Greek gods put into one".

Romantic Relationships

Bella

Isabella (Bella) Swan is Edward's first and only girlfriend, but they generally use the term "soul mates", as they figure that the ordinary human terms for love do not adequately describe the deep connection they feel.

Edward fell for Bella despite his apprehensions, and constantly struggles to keep her safe. Edward has a strong attraction to Bella's blood--she is referred to as "la tua cantante" or his "singer", because of how her blood sings to him--making it extremely difficult for Edward even to be in her presence. Early on in Twilight, Edward struggled to stay away from and ignore Bella in an attempt to protect her, but he eventually caved in and fell in love with her. He insists on keeping a close watch on her to make sure she is safe, and even admits to watching her sleep at night (and listening to her sleep-talk while sitting beside her).

Eventually, Edward becomes able to resist her blood and forms a romantic relationship with her, by using a method he likes to call "mind over matter". Edward loves Bella deeply and would do anything for her, even going so far as to attempt suicide after hearing about her 'death', refusing to live without her. This experience caused Edward to be revolted at the very thought of drinking Bella's blood. As much as he loves her, Edward refuses to change Bella into a vampire, despite her strong desire to become one, because of his belief that vampires are the damned and soulless. However, after the Cullens vote in New Moon that Bella should be changed, Edward strikes a compromise: he will change her himself if she will marry him first.

Bella dislikes the idea of getting married so young, but decides that she will if Edward agrees to change her himself and make love to her, as she is "unwilling to give up that human experience". Thus, Bella and Edward agree that they will do things "right": get married, make love, and then turn Bella into a vampire. They are planning to get married by August 13, a month before Bella's 19th birthday.

Rosalie

Rosalie Hale was changed into a vampire by Carlisle Cullen after he found her near death in the street. Carlisle had originally hoped that she would be a companion for Edward. However, Edward never had anything but sibling-feelings toward her, and she towards him. Rosalie eventually fell in love with Emmett Cullen instead, who she found dying in the mountains after he had been mauled by a bear.

Tanya

Tanya is a strawberry-blonde vampire who lives in Denali, Alaska with her family (similar in dietary ways as the Cullens). It was revealed that she showed interest in Edward when they first met, but he rejected her politely. Edward reassures Bella that Tanya poses no threat, nor had she ever, to Edward's affection for Bella, teasing her that he prefers brunettes.

Vampiric traits

Extreme stupidity and ugliness

Movie portrayal

On December 11, 2007, it was announced that Robert Pattinson will play the role of Edward Cullen in the upcoming film adaptation of Twilight.

External links

• "Official website of Stephenie Meyer"
• "Twilight Lexicon"
• Twilight Series, the books' official website