Edward Cullen

Edward Cullen
Twilight Saga character
First appearance	Twilight
Created by	Stephenie Meyer
In-universe information
Species	Vampire
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student
Family	Edward Masen (real father), Elizabeth Masen (real mother), Esme Cullen (adopted mother), Carlisle Cullen (adopted father), Alice Cullen, Jasper Cullen, Emmett Hale, Rosalie Hale
Spouse	Bella Swan (fiancee)

Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, also known as Edward Cullen, is a fictional character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is featured in the books Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn and Midnight Sun.

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 (due to an indirect request made by his dying mother). Carlisle believed that Elizabeth sensed that he was different and asked him 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. Ten years after he became a vampire, Edward rebelled against Carlisle's practice of drinking animals' blood instead of humans' and left. Since he could read minds, he purposefully sought out and preyed on only the worst of society, which was how he justified 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. Later, while living in Forks, Washington and attending the high school there, he meets Isabella "Bella" Swan. He soon discovers that he is practically unable to resist the smell of her blood, which is intoxicating to him. He vows to avoid her, but fate intervenes. He learns to control himself as he falls head over heels in love with her and she does the same for him. Over the period that they spend together, she discovers what he is and, to Edward's surprise, isn't repulsed. She accepts him and his family.

Twilight

On Bella's first day at Forks High School, Edward notices that he is unable to read Bella's mind and is frustrated. 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 killing everyone else in the classroom so there would be no witnesses to her death. Edward is resentful and angry that Bella could make him lose the control he'd built for years so easily. In hopes of preventing a calamity, he doesn't acknowledge her, even though she is sitting next to him, and when the bell rings, he is the first person out of class. After school, he tries to transfer out of Biology, but when Bella walks into the office, that same desire to drink her blood nearly overcomes him. To avoid doing something he would later regret, he leaves quickly and drives to Alaska.

After a week away, Edward returns to school, 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 Bella in class, although she notices his fists balled up with tension. But the day after his return, Bella is nearly hit by a fellow student, Tyler Crowley's van. In a split-second decision, he saves her life using his supernatural speed and strength in public, risking exposure of not only himself but 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 about 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. While socializing with teenagers of the nearby Quileute tribe, Bella notes that they hint at the Cullens not being allowed on their reservation. She meets Jacob Black, the son of her father's friend, and tricks him into telling her tribal legends by flirting outrageously. He says that Quileutes were believed to be descended from werewolves and that the Cullen family (vampires) moved into the area years ago. They made a treaty with the werewolves: the vampires must not bite or kill a human or enter the reservation, and the werewolves must not expose the vampires for what they are. Bella is shocked and terrified as she finally comes to terms with this strange reality, but by that point they're in too deep. It is too late for either of them to stay away from the other. When Bella is interrogated by Jessica about her relationship with Edward, she tells her they are secretly dating as opposed to a truth no one will believe.

Being with Edward is a lethal risk for Bella because he must constantly fight his desire for her blood as well as the fact that he could very easily 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 human blood drinking vampires smell Bella. Edward can hear that one of them, a tracker called James, has decided he must kill Bella. Terrified for her safety, the whole Cullen family splits up to confuse James. Alice and Jasper (Edward's siblings) take Bella to a hotel room in Phoenix, where they wait to see if the others have destroyed James, which is their intention. James, however, is clever, and eludes the others and tricks Bella into thinking that he has her mother. He uses this to get her to come to him. He decides to kill her slowly, and this gives the Cullens time to find them, which they do just in time. Even though James has already bitten her, the wound is clean and Edward is able to suck the venom back out of Bella without drinking all her blood. Bella spends several weeks in a hospital in Phoenix recovering from her wounds. Edward feels guilty that about the risk to her safety. Bella brings up wanting to be changed into a vampire, but Edward sternly refuses. They return to Forks and finish out the school year. Edward takes Bella to prom, 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 as to whether or not Bella will be turned into a vampire.

New Moon

When Bella gets a paper cut at the birthday party the Cullen's are throwing for her, Edward is able to save her from his 'brother Jasper, who has trouble with the rule of no human blood by hearing his thoughts and pulling Bella out of the way in time. Edward has always hated how he seems to put Bella in danger because of what he is, and the birthday party showed him just how dangerous vampires can be, so Edward leaves to save Bella. He convinces Bella he doesn't want her anymore and leaves Forks with the rest of the Cullens.

After leaving Forks, Edward attempts to track Victoria, whom he believes might endanger Bella's life, but mostly just lives an infinitely elongated, depressed and meaningless life curled in a ball.

After some months of living in a ball, he receives a bunch of phone calls from Rosalie. He doesn't pick up the phone at first (what's the point? he thinks), but wants her to stop calling so he answers the phone. Rosalie then tells him that Alice had gone back to Forks because Bella is dead.

Shocked, Edward calls Bella's house and asks to speak to Charlie, but a boy (Jacob Black) answers the phone and says that Charlie is at the funeral, which lead him to believe that Bella was dead.

Unwilling and unable to live without her, Edward rushes to Volterra, Italy, from Brazil and to the Volturi (the "royal family" of vampires) in order to ask them to kill him. When they refuse, Edward decides to force their hand by exposing himself as a vampire inside their own city, which would lead immediately to his execution.

Bella, who rushes to Italy with Alice as soon as they realize what Edward is doing, stops him just before he steps into the light. But even though he has not exposed himself, and Bella hasn't gone completely insane, they still aren't safe. Edward has exposed their secret to a human (Bella) and by their laws she must die or become a vampire herself. To save them, Alice shows Aro, a leader who has an ability smiliar to Edward's, that Bella will be changed soon enough--despite Edward's protests--and they are finally allowed to leave.

Back in Forks, Bella at last uncovers that Edward really does love her as much as she loves him, and gathers the Cullens (who have moved back) in a meeting where the family votes on whether or not Bella should be changed into one of their kind and enter their family. The majority votes affirmatively, but they all agree that it should not happen until after she graduates from high school, in order to raise less suspicion. 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 or kill a human without violating the treaty.

Physical appearance

Edward is described as being impossibly handsome, beautiful and extremely godlike. He is considered the "ideal boy." His skin is extremely pale and ice cold, and his body has the firm density of stone. He has dark, purplish circles under his eyes, as if he is always tired (the rest of the Cullens also have these). In the sunlight his skin sparkles like millions of diamonds casting mini-rainbows everywhere, as happens with all other vampires. His eyes change color depending on his level of thirst; topaz when he has just fed, gradually darkening through the golden tones and to black, like onyx, as his thirst progresses (like the purple, bruise-like circles under their eyes, it takes about two weeks for them to fade to pitch black). To Bella, his eyes are the most captivating thing about him, drawing her to him, because they are deep, hypnotizing, and, as to most humans, completely irresistible. During Edward's human life it is said that he had green eyes. After he feeds, his skin becomes slightly flushed, which lessens as he becomes more thirsty. His hair is described as bronze, and is always in "casual disarray". Edward stands at six feet two inches and his build is slender, yet still quite muscular. He is overall, very attractive.

Romantic relationships

Isabella Swan

Isabella Marie Swan, "Bella," is Edward's first and only girlfriend, but he would prefer the term "soul mate." (despite the fact he believes he no longer has a soul). 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 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 and ignore Bella in an attempt to protect her, but he eventually caved in and fell in love with her. He begins 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-talking).

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 try to commit suicide after hearing about her 'death', refusing to live without her. This experience causes Edward to be revolted at the very thought of drinking Bella's blood. But as much as he loves her, Edward refuses to change Bella into a vampire, despite her strong desire to become one, because of his strong belief that vampires are the damned and soulless and his fears that Bella would be subject to the same fate. However, at the end of New Moon, Bella brings the matter to a vote with the other Cullens and it is decided that she will be turned into a vampire after graduation by Carlisle. However, Edward strikes a compromise. He will change her himself if she will marry him.

Bella doesn't want to get married, but decides she will if Edward will change her and sleep with her, as she is "unwilling to give up that human experience". Thus, Edward promises to sleep with her and turn her into a vampire only if Bella marries him first, as he wishes to protect their virtue as was custom during his human life in the early 1900s.

Interestingly, at the end of "Eclipse', Edward decides to drop Bella's side of the compromise but Bella refuses, saying she wants to do this in her own definition of "right" which is essentially to marry Edward first and allow her family and friends to be present at the wedding to say goodbye before she becomes a vampire. Bella is very anxious about getting married.

Rosalie Hale

Rosalie was created after being raped and left for dead by her wealthy fiancé and his drunk friends. Although she does not desire Edward in a romantic way, she admits to being jealous of Bella because she, as a mere human, is able to capture Edward's love and attention, when she, Rosalie, as a beautiful immortal cannot. Rosalie's past is very dark, however; in it she always craved growing up and having beautiful children of her own and this desire has only increased in vampire form. She is jealous and angry at Bella because she feels that by becoming a vampire she is giving up all the choices she has as a human--such as her chance at a normal life and any chances of having children.

Tanya

Tanya is a strawberry blond "vegetarian" vampire who lives in Denali, Alaska with her family (similar to the Cullens). It was revealed that she showed interest in Edward when they first met, but he says that 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, and that Tanya is strawberry blond.

Vampire Traits

Edward, like all vampires, is much stronger and faster than humans. Edward is also said to be the fastest of the Cullens. Edward can also read minds within a few-mile radius of himself as a side affect of his nature (with the exception of Bella). He can also cease breathing for as long as he desires when needed, since breathing is not a necessity for vampires (though Edward has stated that it gets uncomfortable to stop breathing, due to the fact that it is linked to their sense of smell). Like other vampires in the series, Edward is not adversely affected by sunlight, but avoids it, as it causes his skin to sparkle. These vampires are incapable of sleeping, and receive nutrients only from blood. He and his family resist the temptation to drink human blood, a vampire's natural food source, choosing instead to drink the blood of animals. They could drink human blood from the hospital's blood bank, but Dr. Carlisle Cullen is against it for more than one reason: one, then their eyes would not be an onyx black color and in deep contrast to their pale white skin when they are thirsty (hungry, really), but a deep, sinister burgundy color of a bloodthirsty monster; and two, because then they would be taking blood donated by people to those who are hurt or sick and in need of more blood or clean, healthy blood.

Vampires release venom when they bite their prey. If this venom is absorbed into a human's bloodstream, they will undergo the painful process of transforming into a vampire in approximately three days, depending on the location of the bite relative to the heart. When the "heart stops beating" then the transformation is complete.

Movie Portrayal

A film is in the works, Meyer has mentioned her preference for actor Henry Cavill as a personal favorite to portray Edward. However, she recently announced that Cavill, now 24, is too old for the role; her personal choices are not to be older than 21 in real life. She also apologetically eliminated Gaspard Ulliel, now 22. Her current realistic choice is actor Tom Sturridge.

Meyer makes it clear, however, that if and when her books are made into feature films, she has no say as to who they end up casting in the roles of her characters; and though "eliminated" by Meyer, Henry Cavill and the French Gaspard Ulliel remains the top choices of many fans and the rally for casting continues. However, Tom Sturridge is rising up the list, at 21, and Hayden Christensen is a favourite on role-play MySpace pages.

A few of her favorites according to looks and not by acting ability are Mike Vogel, Drew Fuller or Hugh Dancy.

External links

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