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5 Reasons Edward Cullen is a bad boyfriend and 10 reasons Jacob is worse

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.

Growing up, The Twilight Saga were my comfort movies, and like most girls I dreamed about falling in love with a sparkly vampire of my own. Rewatching, I was shocked at how toxic both Edward and Jacob were to Bella. Here’s five reasons Edward is bad boyfriend and 10 reasons why Jacob is worse.

Disclaimer: While this article is lighthearted, there are serious topics mentioned that may trigger some readers. If you or someone you know is experiencing any form of abuse, there are resources that can help.

Edward Cullen

He Isolated Bella

Edward forces Bella to keep his and his family’s secret from everyone, ultimately isolating her. If Jacob didn’t reveal the supernatural world to Charlie when Bella became a vampire, Charlie probably would never seen Bella again.

He gaslights Bella

Literally the first half of Twilight, Edward gaslights Bella into thinking she’s crazy. Bella knows Edward is different when he magically saves her from being killed by a truck. She ask about the strange encounter and he tells her it was adrenaline. Then when Bella confronts him about his eye color changing, he says “it’s the fluorescents.”

He has anger issues

Edward has a reoccuring problem of getting angry and then taking it out on Bella, which for obvious reasons is not healthy.

He stalked her

Bella is surprisingly chill with Edward openly admitting he sneaks into her room to watch her sleep without her knowing. People, if your significant other admits to this, run the other way, or better yet get a restraining order.

He thought about killing Bella

When Edward reveals he’s a vampire to Bella, he admits he wanted to kill her because of the scent of her blood. She responds by telling him she trusts him—not quite the way I’d react.

Jacob Black

He’s unsupportive

Jacob is literally the worst person for Bella to come to with problems. He bashes everything she does and threatens to cut her off if she turns into a vampire.

He doesn’t understand Consent

Jacob kissed Bella in the beginning of Eclipse without her consent, which resulted in her throwing a punch that broke her hand. Kissing someone without consent is definitely not cool, and he deserved to get a sucker punch to the face.

He’s pushy

If I had a penny every time Jacob begged Bella to be with him, I’d have a nice Chai Latte from Starbucks in hand. Seriously though, he needed to take a hint.

He ghosts bella

I get Jacob had to keep his whole wolfie thing a secret, but completely cutting off contact from Bella when she was at her lowest was a jerk move.

He Lashed out at Bella’s wedding

Does anyone remember the scene where Jacob lashed out at Bella’s wedding, because she planned on sleeping with the guy she married? I’m confused if Jacob understands what marriage is.

He convinced Edward that Bella died

I completely forgot about the scene in New Moon where Jacob convinces Edward that Bella is dead on the phone, like what sane person does that?

He’s pervy

I’m convinced that Jacob is a pervert in Eclipse. Not only did he kiss Bella without her consent, but he had pervy thoughts when in the sleeping bag with Bella. It’s noted he was only in the sleeping bag to try and warm Bella up so she wouldn’t die of hypothermia.

He’s mentally abusive

Again, Eclipse really brought out Jacob’s true colors. He literally tells Bella he wants to die after she got engaged.

He Rats bella out

A wise man once said, “snitches get stitches.” I know Jacob telling Charlie was probably a good thing in the long run, but it proves that Jacob doesn’t respect Bella’s boundaries. 

imprints on a child

Most people collectively agree that Jacob imprinting on Bella’s newborn baby, Renesmee, is super gross. I want to know what was going through Ms. Stephenie Meyer’s head when she wrote this because it is extremely uncomfortable to watch.

If you’re interested and have some spare time, there are some weird conspiracy theories on the internet that Jacob only liked Bella because she carried the egg that would become Renesmee. 

The Twilight Saga probably are not the movies you remember from middle school. I still think of these movies as cult classics, but it’s important to acknowledge the problems. P.S. if you’re team Jacob you might want to re-evaulate your choices.

Hanna Brown is the writing director at the Her Campus at KU (University of Kansas) chapter. She oversees the writing team and acts as the publisher, ensuring all articles meet the Her Campus standards of quality and reverence. In addition to her duties as the publisher, Hanna leads weekly writer meetings and builds a safe environment where writers feel empowered to be creative. Beyond Her Campus, Hanna is the marketing/communication assistant for the Engineering Career Center at KU. Last summer, Hanna interned for Burns & McDonnell as a marketing writer/editor. There, she gained experience writing technical blogs centered around engineering, copy for digital marketing and new releases. She also interned for Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline in corporate communications. A senior at KU, Hanna is pursuing a BSJ in digital marketing communications, advertising and public relations with a minor in history. In her free time, Hanna loves to visit local coffee shops and explore her college town. She is obsessed with the Sims 4 and wants to start a podcast. Her motivation in life is to do everything in love. After college, Hanna hopes to move to the city and start a career in public relations, branding, digital marketing or copy/content writing.