Twilight’s Bella Swan – Biography, History, & Character Information

  • Full name: Isabella Marie Swan
  • Type: Human (then Vampire)
  • Special Ability: Shield
  • Physical Appearance
    • Height: 5’4″
    • Hair color: Brown
    • Eye color: “Large, chocolate-brown, and menacingly sweet”
  • Background
    • Birthdate: September 13, 1987
    • Birthplace: Forks, Washington (?)
    • Childhood: Lived in California and Phoenix, Arizona with her mother, who fled from Forks, Washington with Bella as a baby. Has always been the parent in her relationship with her mother.
    • Mother: Renee Dywer, divorced from Charlie Swan, recently re-married to Phil Dwyer
    • Father: Charlie Swan
    • Interests: Classic literature, thrill-seeking and extreme sports, mythical creatures

Isabella “Bella” Marie Swan, later Isabella Marie Cullen, is an average, clumsy, accident-prone girl who moves from Phoenix, Arizona, to Forks, Washington, to live with her father, Charlie. Though many boys are attracted to her when she arrives, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious boy she discovers to be a vampire. Desperate not to lose him, Bella vows to stay with Edward, even if it means turning into a vampire herself, despite Edward’s wishes. In an effort to keep her safe, he leaves the town of Forks. Jacob Black, a werewolf from the Quileute tribe and the son of Bella’s father’s best friend, comforts her in that time and Bella falls in love with him as well.

Bella is described as an understanding, caring, serious, shy, and intelligent person, with a very dry sense of humor, and is noted for being very clumsy, and also stubborn. She has a very private mind, which is thought to be why Edward is unable to see her thoughts, and she is determined to become a vampire. She is also said to be terrible at lying, but occasionally demonstrates good acting ability. Bella becomes faint at the smell of blood, though this does not bother her once she becomes a vampire — this trait may also be the reason why Bella does not hunger for blood as strongly as most newborn vampires.

After Bella is changed into a vampire by Edward Cullen in Breaking Dawn, she becomes very beautiful-her already pale skin becoming even whiter, her hair becoming darker, and her lips becoming fuller. After her transformation she has the ability to shield her and others’ minds from mental attacks. With her newfound ability, it is also discovered that Bella is incredibly self-controlled, much to the astonishment of the whole Cullen family-mostly Jasper. Bella learns to remove the shield from her own mind with the help of Kate, another vampire, and surprises Edward one night with all of her thoughts he has always missed out on.

Bella is described in the novels as being pale-skinned with brown hair and eyes, and a heart shaped face. Beyond this, a detailed description of her appearance is never given in the series. Stephenie Meyer explains that she “left out a detailed description of Bella in the book so that the reader could more easily step into her shoes.” While Meyer stresses that “Bella’s looks are open to interpretation”, she does supply her own personal interpretation on her website, describing Bella as: “very fair-skinned, with long, straight, dark brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her face is heart-shaped—a wide forehead with a widow’s peak, large, wide-spaced eyes, prominent cheekbones, and then a thin nose and a narrow jaw with a pointed chin. Her lips are a little out of proportion, a bit too full for her jaw line. Her eyebrows are darker than her hair and more straight than they are arched. She’s five foot four inches tall, slender but not at all muscular, and weighs about 115 pounds. She has stubby fingernails because she has a nervous habit of biting them.” Stephenie Meyer has stated that Bella’s “tragic flaw” in Eclipse is her lack of self-knowledge. After being turned into a vampire, she describes having a more clear view of the world.

Following the events of “Eclipse” in the “Twilight” series, Bella Swan’s life undergoes significant changes in “Breaking Dawn.” Her marriage to Edward Cullen is a critical turning point, signaling her full integration into the supernatural world while maintaining her human connections. The honeymoon, initially blissful, takes a dramatic turn with Bella’s unexpected and perilous pregnancy, leading to the birth of their daughter, Renesmee.

Bella’s transformation into a vampire is necessitated by the life-threatening childbirth. This new existence enhances her physical strength and sensory abilities, and she adapts quickly to her vampire traits, including notable self-control over her bloodlust. Her natural ability to shield her mind is amplified in her vampire form, enabling her to protect herself and others from mental attacks. This ability becomes crucial later in defending her family against the Volturi.

As a mother, Bella exhibits fierce protectiveness and deep affection for Renesmee. Her relationship with Jacob Black evolves into a familial bond after he imprints on her daughter. Bella’s role in the family and vampire community grows, as she becomes a key figure in safeguarding her family during the Volturi confrontation, using her abilities to prevent conflict.

Early History

Isabella “Bella” Marie Swan’s early life is a tapestry of movement and change. Born on September 13, 1987, in Forks, Washington, Bella’s early years were marked by her mother Renee’s decision to leave Forks, taking baby Bella away to sunny climates. Growing up primarily in Phoenix, Arizona, Bella’s childhood was unconventional, often characterized by her role as the more responsible figure in her relationship with her mother.

Bella’s father, Charlie Swan, remained in Forks, leading to a fragmented family life that saw Bella shuttle between the contrasting worlds of Forks’ perennial gloom and Phoenix’s sunny expanses. This constant moving fostered in Bella a sense of adaptability, but also a longing for stability and roots, something she eventually finds upon her return to Forks.

As a young girl, Bella developed a love for classic literature, an interest that offered her escape and solace during her transient childhood. Her interest in thrill-seeking and extreme sports emerged as counterpoints to her otherwise reserved and cautious nature. This juxtaposition of traits – a penchant for adventure cloaked in a veneer of ordinariness – would later define her interactions and relationships in Forks, especially with Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.

The move back to Forks was a turning point for Bella. There, amidst the mist-shrouded forests and in the company of her father, she began to piece together a more stable existence. However, it was also in Forks where her life took a turn towards the extraordinary with her introduction to the supernatural world, fundamentally altering her path and setting the stage for the extraordinary events that would follow in her later life.

Bella’s early history, devoid of the supernatural elements that would later define her, is a story of a young girl navigating the complexities of a broken family, finding her identity, and unknowingly preparing for a future that would be anything but ordinary.

Actor Biography

kristen stewart
  • Name: Kristen Jaymes Stewart
  • Nick Name(s): Kris, KStew
  • Date of Birth: April 9th 1990
  • Height: 5’6”
  • Hair: Long Brunette
  • Eye Color: Green

Fun Fact: Kristen got a record player for her birthday because of her love for classic rock.

Hometown(s): Los Angeles, California; Colorado

Career: Kristen Stewart started off her acting career with a bang after an agent saw her perform in a school Christmas show at eight years old. She landed the major role of Jodie Foster’s diabetic daughter in Panic Room. The film was a success and Stewart got noticed for her performance. She then was caste in Cold Creek Manor, however the film was not a big hit at the box office. Next she played the lead in the kids-comedy Catch that Kid! and was a success for the younger crowd.

One of her most memorable films is Speak where Kristen played a young teenage girl who after being raped stops all verbal contact with those around her. Kristen received high praise for her performance even though she had only a few speaking lines, but kept up a dark-witted commentary inside her head throughout the film. She then landed several other roles in various films including Zathura, Fierce People, and In the Land of Women all which received mixed reviews and success.

She got back on track with Into the Wild with her sturdy superb performance as Tracy, a teenage singer with a crush on a young adventurer. Since then her other films include Adventure Land, Jumper, and Twilight, where she plays clumsy, recluse Bella Swan. Her next roles include New Moon, K-11, and The Runaways.

About Them: Kristen Jaymes Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, to her father, John Stewart, who is a stage manager and television producer who works for Fox and her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, who is a scriptwriter who came from Sydney, Australia. She attended school until the seventh grade when she then continued her education by correspondence/homeschool.

She has an older brother, Cameron Stewart, she plays the guitar, and she is a fan of rock music-her favorite bands include U2, Radiohead, The Beatles, The Specials, Laura Marling, Green Day, Nirvana and Beck. In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, Kristen confirmed she is dating actor Michael Angarano. Stewart has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, “I want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom’s from there.” Stewart is very close friends with her Twilight co-star Nikki Reed. Kristen loves to surf and has three dogs: Oz, a border collie mix, Jack and Lily who are mutts. She also owns a cat named ‘Jella’. She has appeared in a commercial for Porsche-ironic from the standpoint of Twilight. Although born in LA, she was raised during some of her early years in Colorado.

She greatly admires actor Heath Ledger and actress Evan Rachel Wood. Kristen’s favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. She wants to go to college to major in literature. Kristen is ranked #8 in AIM’s 100 Celebs Under 25. Her favorite horror movie is The Shining.

Quick Quote: (about her love for acting) “I love it because I love to tell stories. I like being in movies that have a great story. I’m not so interested in being a Hollywood star. It’s a job, you know. When you wake up at six in the morning every day for a week, it feels like hard work.”

Share this article:
Furious
Furious

A long time Potterhead and gamer, I keep up to date with everything in the Wizarding World from Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts to Hogwarts Legacy.

Articles: 117
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments