My first exposure to the Twilight cinematic universe was binge-watching all five installments in a single weekend when I was in middle school. Almost eight years after Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2’s release, I wanted to understand what all of the hype was about. Were the movies actually the huge cultural phenomenon that everyone claimed they were? After watching all of them, I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they are cinematic masterpieces, but they were quite entertaining. From the blood feuds between vampires and shapeshifting werewolves to the infamous love triangle of Bella’s—choosing Edward or Jacob—and all the angst, I would say this movie has definitely carved out its space in the memory of pop culture.
Pressing fast forward all the way to the 2026 press junket interview with French broadcaster Canal+, Robert Pattinson and Zendaya were both asked the age-old question: “Team Edward or Team Jacob?” Those who are familiar with the novels and/or the films know that any answer to this question will be extraordinarily divisive. In fact, it’s practically the social equivalent of inquiring whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. Zendaya, expressing loyalty to her “The Drama” co-star, answered, “I’m team Edward, all day. Let’s go.” Robert Pattinson, the man who embodied Edward Cullen for four years, of course answered that he was “Team Edward.” However, he also added that, “No one’s team, Jacob, that was just a marketing thing.”
Whether or not Pattinson was being facetious, it is in my opinion that to say that “no one’s team Jacob” is to downplay the chokehold that the franchise had over the youth. Even though it was Edward who ultimately won the affection of Bella Swan, Jacob still had the affection of the viewers. According to a Business Insider poll from 2019, at the time, Gen Z actually had a preference for Jacob, with 55.8% of the respondents being in his favor over Edward’s.
For the purposes of this article, I took a BuzzFeed quiz to see whether Edward or Jacob was my true “soulmate.” After seven grueling questions, I found out that the “sparkling” and “broody” Edward was indeed my “soulmate.” Although the questions did not seem to have any scientific merit behind them at all, I could see just how easily people could get Jacob for their results. People are allowed to have their own opinions on their preferred fictional love interest.
Although the debate is nearly twenty years old, it’s still going stronger than ever. Are you for Team Edward or Team Jacob? For the vampires or the werewolves? If you haven’t engaged with any Twilight media at all, I strongly suggest giving it a try. In hindsight, the films are incredibly camp and fun.