What is it About Edward Cullen?

Dissecting the Allure of Twilight's Vegetarian Vampire, Robert Pattinson

In loving Bella, Edward undergoes a radical transformation, stifling his need for her blood so effectively that her scent becomes perfume to him, her heartbeat a necessary and enthralling sound. The things in himself that have kept him alive for so long—his strength, his speed, his indestructibility—suddenly are of no use to him. He comes to loathe himself because he cannot be for Bella what she is for him: a warm place, a soft place. He tries desperately to reign himself in, to keep her safe from him, because she is so fragile in comparison. At the same time he is coming to grips with the emotions and passions of humanity, of first love, of lust and sexuality, that have evaded him for his entire existence. Even as he holds himself back from her, he is overwhelmed by the need to take her, not to quench his thirst but instead to become one with her, to give himself to her.

Edward Cullen is 108 years old. He has read every book, seen every movie, studied every language. He is a gifted musician and composer. He is wealthy, and beautiful, and powerfully strong. He is seductive, mysterious, and dark. Edward Cullen will never be out of shape, or messy, or old. He will not leave his underwear on the bathroom floor or leave the seat up. He will never stray from Bella, because she is his one and only love, his eternity, and he will love her with as much passion and constancy a hundred years from now as he does today. He may become overprotective at times, even severely so, but it is his love and fear of losing her that drives him. His entire existence revolves around her happiness, her safety, her needs and desires. Even when her desires and passions drive him to dangerous limits, he channels his inner demons (destroying pillows or headboards, for example) in order to satisfy her needs.

Edward becomes even more alluring as a partner once Bella becomes immortal. The vampire does not need sleep, does not need to eat frequently, does not even need to use the bathroom—and can make love for days on end without pause. Vampire sex in the Twilight world is constant, powerful, house-shattering. Twilight vampires' senses are heightened, making the sexual experience even more intense. Edward could literally spend days satisfying Bella, and she him. Free of the animal need for each other's blood, they are consumed by their need for each other's bodies instead.

Is it really any wonder, then, that teenage girls, overwhelmed with adolescence and hormones, are attracted to this ultimate bad boy? That grown women, whether still seeking their Romeo or long past the days of searching, are swooning at the mere thought of Edward's golden eyes, his cool breath on their necks, his touch on their skin? He is dangerous, exciting, sensual, intelligent, beautiful, and eternal. He is life and death, sexuality and abstinence, sparkling light and blackest darkness in one being. He is both too young and too old for the women who adore him, frozen forever at 17 yet with a century of experience in the world.

Robert Pattinson