From “The Summer I Turned Pretty” to “My Life with the Walter Boys,” the question on everyone’s lips is the same: Which team are you on? The love triangles at the heart of these young adult adaptations fuel endless debates across group chats and comment sections alike. But before Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah, there was Team Edward and Team Jacob — the original rivalry that had an entire generation arguing over who made the better love interest.
In October 2005, author Stephenie Meyer released “Twilight,” the first book in her vampire-themed young adult quartet. The novel follows 17-year-old Bella Swan, an ordinary girl who becomes fascinated by and eventually falls in love with the mysterious vampire Edward Cullen. The rest of the series — “New Moon,” “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” — continues to explore Bella’s relationship with Edward as well as her bond with her best friend, Jacob Black, a werewolf who later confesses his romantic feelings for her.
This month marks the 20th anniversary of the first “Twilight” novel, and readers are still under its spell. The series’ introduction and popularization of team rivalries set the stage for contemporary young adult love triangles that dominate today’s romance stories. In celebration of its anniversary, it’s worth revisiting what makes the iconic “Twilight” love triangle so enduring and successful.
Love triangles aren’t a new concept in literature — think Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” or Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights.” What differentiates Bella’s love triangle from her predecessors is how Meyer allows readers to root for both love interests, creating a sense of emotional tension that extends beyond the page and into the fandom itself.
At the heart of “Twilight” lies the theme of forbidden love. Bella is torn between two worlds: the socially acceptable romance with Jacob and the dangerous, forbidden allure of Edward. Unlike earlier literary works, where the safe choice is often dull or forced, Meyer makes Jacob a genuinely likable and desirable character — someone readers can also fall for. He isn’t merely a foil meant to highlight Edward’s perfections, but he stands as a compelling love interest in his own right, charming both Bella and the audience.
Meyer vividly portrays Bella’s life with both Edward and Jacob, keeping readers on edge with the question, Who will Bella Swan end up with? This push and pull tension can be seen as Bella is torn between her risky desire in Edward and her comfort in Jacob. Bella describes her feelings towards Edward as being “unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him,” and while with Jacob, she tells him “You balanced out the clouds nicely for me.” Readers’ reactions mirror Bella’s difficulty committing to a partner, grappling with the choice between a boy next door, who offers a sense of familiarity, and the mysterious bad boy that harbors a soft spot for her.
The endless uncertainties surrounding Bella’s choices sparked online debates that helped “Twilight” reach an even wider audience, cementing it as one of the defining pop culture phenomena of the decade. People love Edward for his protective yet passionate devotion, and others love Jacob for his warmth and emotional availability, splitting the fandom in two.
Fans found joy in taking sides — Team Edward or Team Jacob — transforming a fictional love triangle into an interactive, global conversation. Even today, this pattern continues as modern romance series replicate the “Twilight” formula, creating two equally likable love interests to fuel debates. With the continued rise of love triangles in modern literature, the timeless influence of “Twilight” endures.
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