15 Most Questionable Storylines in The Twilight Saga

Twilight is still hugely beloved, but some plotlines like Bella’s coping mechanisms and Jacob’s imprint remain questionable to date.

Twilight redefined the vampire genre and revolutionized romance unlike any other franchise, but there is no doubt some parts of the movies and books didn’t age well. While the central romance between Edward and Bella took fans’ breaths away, there were many plotlines that made viewers frown even when the franchise was released, but especially today.
From the relationships in the Cullen family to Bella’s mental health in New Moon, The Twilight Saga had some questionable developments that could have been tweaked to make them more palatable. Some stories, like the imprinting narrative, proved so controversial that they should have been done away with altogether.

Updated on February 19th, 2024 by Fawzia Khan: Twilight remains at the pinnacle of pop culture, even if it had some controversial takes and plotlines. Edward and Bella’s romance keeps fans coming back for more, as do other secondary characters like Alice and Rosalie. This list has been updated with even more questionable storylines that made fans do a double-take.
One of the biggest risks of being with Edward was that Bella was at constant risk of physical harm. Even if Edward tried not to, she inevitably got hurt by virtue of being his girlfriend. Bella landed up in hospital in the first installment when James attacked her. She then lied to her parents and claimed she fell out through a window.

Edward also had to suck the venom out of Bella, and he nearly drained her of her blood while doing so. It’s not healthy for any teenage girl to be with a partner who could harm her. As alluring as Edward Cullen was, Bella put herself at risk every second she spent with him.

Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black was a sensation in the fandom, but his behavior was questionable. Even if he helped Bella through her depression in New Moon, he behaved as if Bella owed him romance for it. In Eclipse, he manipulated Bella into kissing him not once, but twice against her will, which didn’t sit well with fans.

First, Jacob kissed Bella without her consent, and didn’t take it seriously when she punched him and got hurt herself. He didn’t feel any remorse for his actions when Edward got upset with him, either. Then, when he was going to fight newborns, he essentially told Bella that he would get himself killed if she didn’t admit her feelings to him. Jacob’s interpretation of consent was completely wrong.
Edward’s exit from Bella’s life was catastrophic for her, yet her family and friends didn’t care very much. She was clearly experiencing depression. She had nightmares, low mood, and no interest in school or extracurricular life like she used to have. While Charlie comforted her, he should have taken her to a mental health professional about what she was going through.

This was the lowest point in The Twilight Saga’s timeline, but it was given surprisingly little attention. Bella’s mother should have flown down to take care of her, and her friends should have rallied around her. Instead, Bella found herself pitiably alone during her worst time.