Jacob Black is somewhat of a controversial character from the Twilight saga. While he starts out being a rather sweet, average teenager, he changes into a shapeshifting werewolf, and this is when his story really begins.
When the books were first coming up, the ship war between Edward and Bella shippers and Jacob and Bella shippers was pretty intense. So, while not everyone loved Jacob because of the love triangle, there were still times where he was inspiring as well as other times when fans felt bad for him.
Felt Sorry For: When Bella didn’t choose him
Getting rejected in love is always painful and difficult. Of course, this pain doesn’t excuse some of the things that Jacob did after his heart was broken, but it is easy to feel bad for Jacob being heartbroken. He did love Bella and want to be with her, and seeing her choose Edward over him wouldn’t have been fun to go through. However, he always needed to back off and accept Bella’s choice instead of throwing fits about it.
Inspiring: Coming into his own as a werewolf
When Jacob first became a werewolf, it wasn't exactly easy for him. However, it doesn’t take him long to learn how to live with his new identity and life. He slowly becomes one of the best shapeshifters, and he’s one of the few that really starts to stand up to Sam who is the leader of the wolf pack. He also learns more and more how to control his anger and when and how he shapeshifts.
Felt Sorry For: When he became a shapeshifter
On the other hand, it was really sad when Jacob first learned about being a werewolf. He started off just thinking he had a normal stomach flu, but then learned about the history of the shapeshifters and the Quileute tribe. Given that he was a descendant of Ephraim Black, his family history was very intensely connected to being a sheep-shifters. But, it clearly was a very upsetting process for him.
Inspiring: When he created his own pack
While Jacob and Sam disagree many times throughout the series, it’s not until Breaking Dawn that things really come to a head and are unsustainable. These two have very different opinions on how to handle Bella and her unborn child.
Because of this, Jacob ends up challenging Sam, and he breaks off to form his own pack. After becoming the new Alpha, Jacob’s pack consisted of himself, Seth Clearwater, Leah Clearwater, Quil Ateara V, and Embry Call.
Felt Sorry For: His struggles to find his place in the pack
Before Jacob gets to the point of asserting himself as a leader and an alpha, he definitely doesn’t always feel at home in Sam’s pack. While he does care about them, and especially about certain other such as his friends Quil and Embry, he disagrees with the choices that Sam makes as the alpha. This is largely because he has a conflict of interest many times because of Bella.
Inspiring: Was a good friend to Bella after Edward left
There are many times when Jacob just isn’t that good of a friend to Bella. But, these instances happen later on in the series. When Bella first starts hanging out with Jacob in New Moon, he’s really kind and ive. Bella is very heartbroken and depressed, but Jacob is fine to just hang out with her and put up with her being eccentric sometimes.
Felt Sorry For: Figuring out how to balance being a werewolf and caring about Bella
Jacob often is pretty conflicted in the series. He’s just a teenager, and he’s dealing with a lot of things. Most teenagers are moody, and having to also handle being a werewolf on top of everything else wouldn’t be easy.
There are many times where Jacob is clearly struggling to figure out how to be a werewolf, how to protect the Quileute Tribe, and also how to maintain a relationship with Bella.
Inspiring: Protected Bella from Sam's pack
One of the most inspiring moments that Jacob has is when he protects a pregnant Bella from Sam and his pack. Sam has decided that he must kill Bella and an unborn Renesmee, but Jacob won’t go along with Bella being murdered. While he might still think Renesmee has to die, he does want to protect Bella, and he goes against the order of his alpha to do so.
Felt Sorry For: When Harry Clearwater died
While Harry Clearwater wasn’t his father or a relative, the Black family was really close to him. Harry and Billy Black were good friends, and the death was a big deal for many people in the Quileute tribe. It was an upsetting moment, and fans felt bad for Jacob. But, even more so, they felt bad for Harry’s father including his wife Sue and his children Leah and Seth.
Inspiring: His loyalty to his family and friends
While Jacob does struggle at times to figure out how to balance his love of Bella with his loyalty to the pack, he doesn’t ever stop caring a lot about the people around him. One of the most inspiring things is his love for his father. He clearly cares about him a lot, and he wants to protect him.
