I haven’t read all the novels of the Twilight series. I didn’t even watch all the films. And with the era of Team Edward vs. Team Jacob being way over, my opinion on Edward Cullen would neither matter nor be solid, with MUCH details about him missing. Same goes for Jacob Black.

But as someone who has recently finished the first novel (albeit 14 years too late), I think I can see why teens across the country swooned over him back then.

*Solely based on the first Twilight novel written by Stephenie Meyer.

Italian Vampire

First of all, it is hinted that the Cullens are Stregoni Benefici, aka Italian vampires “said to be on the side of goodness, and a mortal enemy of all evil vampires” (Meyer 135).

So Twilight‘s Edward Cullen is a handsome ITALIAN vampire who is described as a “Greek God” or “Adonis,” the handsome young man from Greek mythology who was loved by the goddess of love and beauty herself. Not to mention that Edward, along with his family, are described as “devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful” (19).

A Good Vampire (No Human Blood Needed)

So despite the fact that Edward Cullen is a bloodthirsty creature, Meyer makes him a GOOD vampire. His foster parent Carlisle, head of the Cullen family, believes in abstaining from human blood. He was turned into a vampire back around the 1650s after being bitten, and he resolves to feed on animal blood to not become a “vile monster he feared” (337).

Carlisle encourages his family members to do the same, and so the Cullens hunt grizzly bears, mountain lions and whatnot instead of humans.

A handsome young vampire who doesn’t drink human blood? That’s sure to have teen girls excited.

Supernatural

And it just happens so that this sexy Italian vampire who doesn’t hurt humans possesses supernatural abilities. He has superhuman strength, saving the protagonist, Isabella “Bella” Swan, from a car accident and leaving a “deep dent in the side of the van’s body” (56). He’s so fast that it takes just minutes for him to cross a distance that normal people would need to hike hours for.

On top of that, this handsome, strong, and fast vampire has smooth, marble skin that’s always cool. He doesn’t even sweat, being the supernatural vampire that he is. And instead of burning to ashes in the sun, his white skin literally sparkles as if “thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface” when exposed to sunlight. (260).

Oh, and he can read everyone’s minds except for the main character’s.

Musically Talented

Did I mention that Edward Cullen is also a pianist who composes his own music? He even plays a song to Bella when she visits his home, saying that she inspired it.

And he listens to Debussy. Clair de Lune is one of his favorites.

If a handsome boy at the high school I attended was good at sports, played the piano, wrote his own songs, AND enjoyed listening to Debussy… All the girls would obsess over him even if he wasn’t an Italian vampire on the good side.

Defies Fate for the Girl He Loves

So vampires can’t date humans for obvious reasons, but Edward decides to because he falls in love with Bella. Despite the overwhelming temptation to bite her and drink her blood (as displayed by his bizarre behavior in their Biology II class), he gives into his heart’s desire and takes the effort to defy fate, to defy conventions. He takes the effort to hunt and feast on animal blood before spending time with her, and successfully controls his urge/appetite/thirst, calling it “mind over matter.”

And instead of minding his own business like a normal vampire, he goes out of his way to save her from the car accident and rescue her from a group of men that corner her in Port Angeles.

Not to mention the fact that he tells her all about his secrets when she asks him. And the fact that he kills a fellow (albeit evil) vampire named James who hunts down Bella and tries to kill her.

Genuine Courtship

Not only does Edward answer all of Bella’s questions, but also he asks endless questions. He wants to know about her memories, the people closest to her, and just everything about her. He asks her what her favorite color is. What the music in her CD player is. Movies she liked and hated, places she wanted to go, her favorite gemstone, and more (Meyer 229).

I mean, he asks her what kind of flowers she prefers! That’s undeniably romantic.

He even asks her deep questions like what she misses about her old home in Arizona, listens, and sympathizes with her situation of leaving her mother for her happiness.

And he makes sure that Bella’s father Charlie knows that they are dating. He visits her home to pay his respects to him and invites Bella to introduce her to his vampire family.

This is the type of boyfriend all girls deserve. The kind that is rarely found these days. It really is no wonder so many girls fell in love with Edward Cullen after reading Twilight.

Sees Only Her

But most importantly, I think what made Edward so dreamy to girls world over was the fact that he only sees Bella. He doesn’t even glimpse at the pretty waitress named Amber who tries to flirt with him in chapter 8 when they’re having their unofficial first date. The beautiful Rosalie Cullen, Edward’s fake sister, is, according to him, nothing compared to Bella. The flawless beauty Rosalie “could never have one tenth, no, one hundredth of the attraction [Bella holds for him]” (304). Throughout the novel, no girl other than Bella comes into his view.

And he proclaims in chapter 14 that he’s never loved another human being before meeting her. Not even another vampire. His mother figure, Esme, confirms this fact in the following chapters, saying that he was alone all along.

This is what every girl dreams of! A boyfriend who sees nobody else but her alone. A guy who burns for her only and no one else.

And Edward Cullen is just that.

Conclusion

Based on the first Twilight novel, I think Stephenie Meyer did a great job crafting the ultimate fantasy for teenage girls. She knew her audience very well and successfully created a wild fandom that obsessed over her dreamy, supernatural vampire that protected the human he loved.

What do you think?

P.S. Click HERE to read the full book review & to see why Edward Cullen would actually be a creep in real life.