Edward had a hard time resisting the scent of Bella’s blood in Twilight, but so did other vampires. So, why was Bella’s blood so alluring?
The scent of Bella Swan’s blood is what caught Edward Cullen’s attention in Twilight, and it also proved to be quite attractive to other vampires, but what was so special about Bella’s blood? Back in 2005, Stephenie Meyer introduced readers to a world where vampires, werewolves, and humans coexist in Twilight, the first entry in a series of four novels. The core of the story is the relationship between mortal Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen, which came across with various obstacles, such as werewolf Jacob Black and a clan of vampires called Volturi.
Like the books that they’re based on, the Twilight movie adaptations follow Bella and Edward over time, as their relationship and general lives continue to develop and unfold in the midst of characteristically supernatural happenings in the franchise’s universe. Despite beginning the series as a mortal, Bella is progressively able to embrace the paranormal aspects of her new life. A component of her Twilight saga character that lends itself quite well to this new kind of life path is how Bella always feels so different from everyone else around her. Almost every young person feels alienated and like they don’t quite fit in at some point while trying to sort out their particular place in the world. However, these concerns are very much validating for Bella as the Twilight series unfolds.
The first Twilight film follows Bella as she arrives at Forks, Washington, to live with her father. As she’s the new girl in town, she’s the new sensation at school, but there was one particular reaction to her arrival that caught her attention: that of Edward Cullen. During biology class, Edward reacted with disgust towards her, as if she was nauseating to him, and it was later revealed this was because the scent of her blood was irresistible to him. It turns out that the Twilight character wanted to kill Bella and their classmates, and was struggling to remain calm and not hurt them. Edward ultimately managed to control this desire and began a (problematic) relationship with Bella, but as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one drawn to her due to the scent of her blood.
Why Bella’s Blood Is So Special In Twilight
In the Twilight books, it’s explained that every vampire has a “cantante” or “singer,” a term used by the Volturi to describe humans whose blood is especially appealing to a certain vampire, almost in an extreme way, as if it was “ singing” for the vampires. It’s explained that “singers” are individual, meaning that the blood of a person who “sings” for one vampire won’t have the same effect on others. Bella was Edward’s singer, and unlike many other cases (such as Emmett’s), she survived. Not only that, but Bella even became a newborn vampire in Twilight: Breaking Dawn. However, Bella’s blood was very appealing to other vampires as well, which is why she was in constant danger, so there must have been something special or different about her blood that drove vampires so crazy.
For example, in New Moon, Jasper nearly attacked her after she cut her finger with the wrapping paper of one of her presents, and in Twilight, James was immediately drawn to her as soon as he caught her scent. Bree Tanner, a newborn vampire from Victoria’s army in Eclipse, describes her blood to be “the sweetest scent she’d ever smelled,” but why exactly was Bella’s blood so special is unknown – it might be attributed to her blood being O-negative , or even to her diet.
With no solid answer as to why Bella’s blood was so alluring to vampires in the Twilight books and movies, this part of the story remains as nothing more than a narrative resource, needed to kickstart the story of Bella and Edward and as the main threat in Bella’s life once she became involved with the Cullen family. This way, it’s up to every Twilight viewer to decide what was so special about Bella, or if her blood was truly just that irresistible to Edward and the rest of the vampires were just exaggerating.
