We seem to be in the middle of a Renaissance for the Twilight Saga. It’s not a bad thing. Just because the legions of fans for Twilight were mainly teenage girls, it didn't deserve the ridicule it received. Many fans for the series didn’t feel like it was okay to openly be fans at the time. If this Twilight Renaissance gives them a place to do so, then good for them.

That said, there are some problems with the series. The phrase “problematic fave” gets thrown about probably a little too much. In the case of the Twilight Saga, it’s probably apt to use it there. The depiction of Native Americans, the whole “imprinting” thing, a lot of parts of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward’s (Robert Pattinson) relationship, it all adds up for the most part. That doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t enjoy it. Go right ahead. You can enjoy it and still it its problematic aspects.

That’s what we will dig into today. Perhaps one of the most problematic characters within the series is Edward Cullen. Is he a dreamy teen vampire or something else? In the world of Twilight, he’s a little bit of both to be quite honest. While detractors and fans of the series have poked fun at the "not so great aspects to the character," it is still worth it to gather them all together and examine them.

Here are the 19 Things Wrong With Edward Cullen We All Choose To Ignore.  

The Age Difference

One of the obvious ones to get out of the way first, there’s a huge age difference between Bella and Edward. When he and Bella meet, Edward is over a hundred years old. Granted, in most vampire literature, there’s usually going to be a significant age difference between the characters. In a good portion of vampire lore, the age difference is usually between two adults. For most of the series, however, Bella is a teenager. That definitely presents certain uncomfortable implications for the older fans of the series.

Still, even so, Edward was changed as a teenager. There’s definitely a lot of teenage behaviors that he embodies, like his moodiness. Still, we have to wonder if he is old enough to know better.

Attracted To Bella Because He Wants To Bite Her

There are a lot of reasons why people can be attracted to another person. Wanting to bite them, ittedly, is probably one of the weirdest ones we’ll ever hear in our lifetime. Essentially, that’s what attracts Edward to Bella. She’s his singer. As his singer, she smells like the best things in the world to him. He wants to bite Bella though. That’s kind of the sticking point for the start to this grand love affair.

Rather than keeping away from the human who smells far too good, Edward decides to come back, follow her, and date her. It proves that the age difference between the pair has to be just a number. This is the type of plan that teenagers come up with.

Purposefully Keeps Bella In A Life-Threatening Situation

There’s a complication that all vampires who date humans continually have to face. They are, technically, dating their food source. While that is usually explained away through exceptional control, the vegetarian vampires in Twilight have a tenuous control at the best of times. Newly converted vegetarian Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), for example, goes insane with hunger when Bella has a paper cut. It sets off the Cullens into a feeding frenzy in New Moon.

If Edward is going to date a human, then he really needed to have some necessary precautions in place. Part of it is Bella’s choice, she chooses to hang out with the vampires. It’s also on the vampires to make sure that they can exercise enough self-control as well.

Briefly Led A "Dexter" Life

We touched on this briefly earlier. Edward, for a time, went rogue from Carlisle’s teachings and vegetarian lifestyle. During this time, Edward used his telepathy to read the minds of the worst of humanity and then he drained them dry. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not entirely a bad thing. Or, to our jaded 2019 eyes, it’s not a bad thing. Like how Dexter would hunt criminals. Unlike Dexter, Edward had a conscience and returned back to Carlisle.

Since then, as we said, it’s led to the biggest case of self-loathing ever and only served to convince Edward of his monstrousness. Rosalie (Nikki Reed) got rid of some really bad guys and you don’t see her losing sleep over it.

Simultaneously Scares Bella While Also Trying To Woo Her

In the first part of the Twilight Saga, Edward Cullen is the King Of Mixed Messages. He gives Bella baleful stares, looks like he smelled something bad, and disappears for weeks. When he returns, he’s suddenly interested in Bella even while keeping his distance. Once Bella figures out the truth about him, Edward tries to scare her off while also trying to bring her closer. He constantly asks her if she’s terrified of him yet after he does something he deems “monstrous.”

While Bella does get a little freaked out, she ultimately doesn’t care. In Edward continually trying to scare Bella, it just starts coming across as him being a bad boyfriend. Eventually, he stops, but it got old fast.

Watched Bella While She Slept

This is the most obvious character flaw to ever exist for Edward Cullen. Everyone who makes jokes about Twilight jokes about how Edward watches Bella sleep. The jokes are there to be made because it is weird. It is really strange and unsettling to watch a girl that you barely know sleep. It gets even worse when said girl doesn’t even know you’re doing it. Why is Edward even watching her sleep when all he wants to do is bite her? If he’s trying to make sure she stays alive, then don’t go near her.

He watches her sleep though. Bella somehow finds it charming over everything else. It remains easy joke fodder for anyone who pokes fun at the series.

Breaks Up With Bella In The Most Traumatic Way Possible 

Edward, honestly, didn’t really deserve to be taken back by Bella after New Moon. After the rough party with the Cullens where Bella nearly perished because of a papercut, Edward takes her into the woods, dumps her, and leaves her there. Sure, dumping a human after she’s nearly ended by your family, it makes sense. Breaking up with her in the most scarring and traumatic way possible? It’s just not cool. Bella spends hours lost in the woods, which probably contributes to the nightmares that plague her for months afterward.

Maybe Edward did it purposefully, so she would hate him. In doing so, it makes the audience the opposite of sympathetic to him. There are real dangers in those woods. The Cullens hunt mountain lion and bear in them. Bella could have ended up in a way worse situation than being lost for a few hours because Edward thought this was a good idea.

He Followed Bella Everywhere

Worse than watching Bella as she slept was the fact that Edward essentially followed her. Honestly, we have to wonder at this point if the folks who created You were a little bit inspired by Twilight. Yes, Edward follows Bella after deciding that he won’t run away from her. He watches her at her home, at school, and when Bella goes out with friends. Meyer tries to make this a good thing when Bella almost gets attacked during a trip to Port Angeles. After all, if Edward hadn’t been following Bella, then who knows what would have happened to her?

It comes across as more unsettling than charming. Out of all the things in the book that haven’t aged well, then this is one of the worst offenders. 

Hates That Bella Has Friends He Doesn’t Approve Of

When Bella does have a relationship outside of the coven, specifically her friendship with Jacob Black, Edward is not pleased. He makes the displeasure know repeatedly to Bella, who shows a bit of a backbone and keeps going to La Push to see her friend. Even with both the shapeshifters and the Cullens trying to convince her otherwise, Bella makes sure to go and see Jacob.

It doesn’t devolve into an argument, but it is some willing disobedience from Bella to Edward. He doesn’t like that she has friends he doesn’t approve of that she continues to see. Eventually, things do cool between the shapeshifters and the vampires in wake of more pressing threats.