11 Reasons Bree Tanner Should Have Lived (Twilight’s One Death)

For the most part, Twilight is a book of happily ever afters. It’s fairy tale quality means that nearly every character finds happiness, whether in the form of a mate or a satisfying life, and all arcs are tied up with a pink ribbon. However, there is one character who ends up with a rather different kind of ending. Eclipse introduces you to a newborn vampire, Bree, who chooses not to fight in the clearing. She surrenders herself to Carlisle, yet the Volturi decide she deserves to die and the Cullen’s are in no position to argue. In one of the series’ darker moments, the brutality of the Volturi is showcased when they exercise their lack of mercy in killing the girl…before she’s even had a chance.

It’s a moment Meyer herself later regretted, showcasing the character’s potential in her own novella. In it, you meet Bree Tanner, the girl who will ultimately die, as well as glimpse the world Riley has created around her. While the novella offered an intriguing look into the rest of the vampire world, it also invested the reader in a character who was doomed from the start. If anything, it deepened the regret readers had at seeing the character go.

Between her own backstory and the perspective she offered as an outsider, Bree could have added something more to the saga’s world. If she had lived, she could have added several elements to the remainder of the books.

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1) Showcasing the Future

Bella is fairly nonchalant about her conversion into a vampire…until she learns how newborns function. Seeing the newspaper headlines showcasing what vampires can do is a wake up call for her. Newborns are described to her: they are bloodthirsty, impulsive, and otherwise wild. They lose themselves in the frenzy for blood, and the result is headlines that involve missing family members and the end of several futures for their hapless human victims.

Though Bella hears enough to cause concern, seeing Bree in person is another moment which increases Bella’s unease. The chapter in which Bella meets Bree is titled “Mirror.” Bella feels she’s catching a glimpse of her future…and it’s not all sunshine and rainbows off pretty vampire skin. Bree is desperate, almost feral. Had the character lived, and remained with the Cullen’s, Bella would have been a firsthand witness to a newborn’s volatile nature. Bree might have taken a snap at her, growled, or otherwise acted in a way that made Bella less certain of her future. Having another reason for Bella to doubt her choice could have added tension to the narrative.

2) The Odd Woman Out

Esme notes that Edward has been the “odd man out” for too long. However, by the third book, he has found Bella. His future is secure. Alice is with Jasper; Esme is with Carlisle; and Bella and Edward are getting married. Everyone has a partner. Everyone is perfectly matched and the clan is made up of even numbers…but Bree could have changed that. As a new member of the clan, she could have taken Edward’s place as the bachelor of the party—or in Bree’s case, the bachelorette. Having an odd number of vampires in the house, and a member who wasn’t caught up in a romantic relationship, could have changed the family dynamic to interesting effect.

3) Newborn Conflict

As a newborn, Bree wouldn’t have just made Bella nervous. She would have created conflicts for the family. Jasper would have had to busy himself with not only training Bree, but with preventing her from doing anything drastic. Her unpredictable behaviour would have made Edward anxious if she was near Bella; her craving for human blood would have increased tensions with the werewolves, increasing the chances that a mishap on Bree’s part could break the treaty. In short, looking after her would take a lot of work. Much of Alice’s efforts would be focused on predicting Bree’s choices; Bella would narrowly avoid being snapped at, as happened with Jasper; and the Cullen’s could even have had a moment of narrow escape. If Bree had gone after someone, and they had stopped her, the resulting close call would have built up suspense.

4) Renesmee’s Confidante

It’s safe to assume that Bree would have calmed down with time and training. By the time Bella was giving birth to a daughter, she may even have been an asset to the family—particularly given her age. She wouldn’t have just been one of the youngest vampires. She would have been one of the youngest physically too. At 15, going on 16, she’s just on the cusp of being “too young.” Being stuck at the developmental phase of a teenager could cause problems (teens are notorious for rash thinking and temper tantrums) but it also would have endeared her to the family’s other youngest member, Renesmee. Being closer to childhood than any of the others, she could have acted like an older sister to Renesmee. Bree would be less fussy about staying out of trouble or keeping it clean, and would still be closest to Renesmee’s age when the hybrid reached maturity. The pair could have acted as confidantes, even planning mischief behind the backs of the adults.

5) New Character Arc

Having a new character, with her own arc, could only have added depth to the series. Though Breaking Dawn is packed with action, what with deadly births and werewolf wars, having a newborn, with her struggle against self restraint and difficult transition to animal blood, in the mix could have spiced up the story further.

6) Insider Knowledge

Bree also comes with insider knowledge on the Volturi. Upon reading the novella, you learn that they knew about Victoria’s scheme, even communicating with her. In the exchange between the Volturi and the Cullen’s, Bree relays what she can of this information to Edward, having heard of his gift. As with Bella, Bree’s first impression of the sinister cloaked vampires isn’t a positive one. She sees, firsthand, that they have a crooked side, and her mistrust of them going forward would have further foreshadowed their role as corrupt in the last book. Their excessive response to Irina’s news would have felt all the more in character if Bree had been given a chance to elaborate on their nature with all of her new coven members.

7) Another Perspective

In addition to knowing something of the Volturi’s true nature, Bree is also introduced to the seedier underbelly of the vampire world. She begins her journey as a street kid, preying on the homeless and the helpless. Unlike other members of the Cullen’s, she doesn’t begin with a sturdy support system. She’s never taught an alternative to human blood, she’s shown no other life style but one of violence and feuding with rival clans, and she’s even given misinformation—Riley convinces her, along with his other newborns, that the sun burns vampires. This differing perspective could have offered a counter view to Bella’s otherwise optimistic outlook on the immortal life. The vampires Bree knows aren’t sparkly and benevolent. She’s seen how brutal the life of the bloodsucker can be.

8) Unique Relationships

If having a distinct perspective and arc wasn’t enough, Bree’s relationship with other members of the family could have added flavour to the narrative. While she could have acted as a sister and close friend to Renesmee, she also could have formed unique bonds with other members of the coven. She could have been a particular thorn in Jasper’s side, given he likely would have been the one charged with training and calming her. To Esme, she could have been another daughter. Moreover, Bree’s rough home life would have prompted her to see in Carlisle the father she never had—not only in her vampire life, but in her human one as well. Having such caring parental figures in Carlisle and Esme would have been a novel experience for Bree, and a heartwarming moment for the book.

9) Jacob’s Argument

Jacob’s hatred of vampire kind naturally makes him adverse to Bella joining their ranks. He believes their minds work differently, that whoever they were as humans are still dead. He describes Bella as having her mind shaped into a “crystallized predators head,” emphasizing how alien vampires seem to Jacob. Even with their sophisticated ways and ability to respect human life, the Cullen’s still unnerve the local tribe. A newborn vampire would have highlighted the basest nature of their kind. Seeing how animalistic an individual could be in their early years would have made Jacob all the more horrified over what Bella could become. Seeing Bella as a Cullen bothered him, but realizing she could become someone like Bree—bloodthirsty and out of control—would have provided him with another point in his case. Moreover, Bree, as physical proof of vampire nature, may even have compelled Bella to listen to Jacob, if only for a moment.

10) An Awkward Wedding

After a few weeks to cool off, Bree might have been involved in Bella’s wedding. This could have not only increased tension, but provided humour. It’s possible Alice would have dressed Bree in red, “just in case.” Having a newborn in a sea of humans wouldn’t have been easy, but Bree’s awkward attempts at conversation or appraisal of which humans smelled the best would have been fun to see. The Cullen’s would have been tasked with explaining her appearance too: she would have had to play the role of the introverted, adopted cousin, when locals asked, and Seth, being similar in age, might have hit it off with her. Seeing a vampire and a werewolf get into teenage shenanigans for a night would have been a treat.

11) She Deserves It

If not for the sake of the narrative, Bree deserved to live for the sake of her own merits. She had a bad home life, choosing homelessness over a continued presence in her father’s life. Even when Riley picked her up, it was only as a means to an end; she never had a friend, or anyone batting for her. After everything she went through, she deserved a little happiness. Being accepted by the Cullen’s would have been her first taste of a real family, and the first time in her life when she could be sure others cared about her. After such a tragic life, her death was equally tragic. For this character, there was no happily ever after.

Bree could have added depth to the narrative: she could have created conflict, introduced a new arc, offered another perspective, and intrigued readers with a new slew of relationships. Her life really was too short, and a reader can only dream what her character would have added to the saga. She deserved more, and Meyer’s compulsion to give Bree her own novella illustrates the author’s own regret over her ending.

Do you think Bree should have lived, or do you feel her death was necessary to add darkness to the saga? What character were you sorry to see killed in a book? Let me know!