In the 2010s, the Twilight movie saga was at the peak of its popularity as the franchise headed towards its finale in Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. Following on from Part 1, which was released just one year earlier, 2012’s Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 saw Bella explore her newfound vampirism following the traumatic birth of Bella and Edward’s half-human/half-vampire hybrid daughter Renesmee. However, the Cullen vampire family face a new threat when the Volturi mistake Renesmee for being an “immortal child” – an outlawed, untameable vampire turned during childhood – and vow to execute all those who protect her.

When Alice has a vision of the Volturi coming to kill the Cullens, the family gather friends and witnesses to defend Renesmee’s hybrid status. During the preparation for the coming fight, Bella realizes she has a special ability, a powerful mental shield that she can project. When Aro arrives and sees the Cullen’s extended family and powers, he kills the misinformer, Irina, regardless of Renesmee’s legal status and provokes them into battle. What follows is a brutal and shocking fight between the Volturi and Cullens, with casualties on both sides, providing a memorable conclusion to the box-office-breaking Twilight movie saga.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2’s Ending Was Just A Vision

The Shocking Deaths Never Really Happened

Audiences were shocked by the battle in Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, as Aro decided to wage war against the Cullen family regardless of whatever Alice showed him in her visions, brutally murdering the head of the family, Carlisle. However, the real twist came when it was revealed that the entire fight sequence was actually a continuation of Alice’s vision, and everyone was still alive and waiting on the battlefield. As Aro realized that the Cullens would win, and he would ultimately die, he declares to the Volturi there will not be a fight today after all, and leaves.

The beginning of the vision started with Alice declaring “it doesn’t matter what I show you,” cleverly misleading the audience into thinking that what we were seeing is reality. Considering the details of the busy fight, with the scene focusing on the fates of various characters, including the deaths of Carlisle, Jasper, Seth, and Leah, it was surprising to find out that it was all just a vision. This introduced a different aspect to the Twilight saga, as the movies have been narratively straightforward up until this point, which is why Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’s twist was so shocking.

Why Alice Showed Aro The Vision

Alice Was A Secret Weapon For The Cullens

As a vampire with a special ability to see the future, Alice has featured prominently throughout the Twilight saga, and her visions even convinced the Volturi not to kill Bella in Twilight: New Moon. Her gift was prevalent from the beginning of the films, so it made sense that she would be the savior in the final movie. When Alice arrived at the battlefield separately, it diverted everyone’s attention to the newcomer. Furthermore, audiences were not privy to the plan that Alice had in mind, which only made her talk and sharing of a vision with Aro even more intriguing.

“She sees things—things that might happen, things that are coming. But it’s very subjective. The future isn’t set in stone. Things change.” – Edward Cullen about Alice’s powers

Having seen a vision of the fight, Alice knew the outcome; despite a few casualties, the Cullens would win, wiping out the Volturi. As the essential leader of all vampires, Aro has a duty to protect the Volturi and the wider population. His inciting of a fight was his version of doing that, as Renesmee presented an unknown future for the vampire kind. However, Alice needed to show Aro the vision in order to convince him that the fight was not worth it, as he would die alongside the Volturi if he tried, protecting her family from the possible slaughter.

What Jacob “Imprinting” On Renesmee Means

Jacob’s Questionable Bond To Child Renesmee

Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of the Twilight saga is the subject of “imprinting” among the werewolves. As an involuntary mechanism by the Quileute shapeshifters, imprinting is a biological process which allows them to find their soulmate. In Twilight: Eclipse, Jacob explains the strange phenomenon to Bella, as he wishes that it would happen to him, so that Bella could become his official soulmate. However, imprinting does not mean that the soulmate relationship is always romantic, as Jacob states, “You become whatever she needs you to be… whether that’s a protector, or a lover, or a friend.”

In Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Jacob imprinted on Renesmee, despite her being just a child, presenting a complicated situation with the Cullen family, as Renesmee is not only a new addition, but a rare half-human/half-vampire hybrid. As a natural opposition to werewolves, the Cullens have always been wary of Jacob, with Edward even challenging him due to his closeness to Bella. However, in Breaking Dawn – Part 2, the Cullens seem to finally accept Jacob, knowing that he will protect Renesmee due to his imprinting, which is why they trust him to keep her safe when facing the Volturi.

What Special Abilities Do Renesmee And Bella Have

Renesmee Is The Perfect Mix Of Her Parents

As a hybrid, Renesmee already has an interesting physical makeup. She can supposedly survive on human food as well as blood, and although her skin doesn’t sparkle, she does have the typical speed and agility of vampires. However, Twilight’s Cullen family have always been different, as a lot of them have special abilities. Renesmee is no different, having the ability to penetrate mental shields and show people her memories and thoughts via touch. She demonstrates this skill quite a few times, and notably uses it to prove her hybrid status to Aro with the memories of her own birth.

When Bella turns into a vampire, she is also revealed to have a special ability that’s secretly been there all along. Bella has the ability to cast a mental shield, protecting herself and others from non-physical vampiric attacks. This was stated to be the reason why Edward and Aro could never read her mind, even as a human. Yet, what’s most interesting about both Bella and Renesmee’s powers, is that Renesmee appears to have inherited powers that are the direct opposite of her parents – she can penetrate mind shields like Bella’s and project thoughts instead of reading them like Edward.

What Is Next For Bella And Edward?

A Vision Teased Bella & Edward’s Future With Renesmee

Following the events of Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Bella and Edward’s futures are teased at the end. In a brief vision, Alice sees a fully grown, adult Renesmee visiting Bella and Edward with Jacob at her side. The heartwarming scene is witnessed by Edward, who happens to catch the image when reading Alice’s mind, and he smiles. Alice’s vision suggests to the audience that Bella and Edward will continue to raise Renesmee without any further problems with the Volturi until she becomes an adult, and Jacob will remain by her side as her protector for the foreseeable future.

As a result of Alice’s vision, it is presumed that the Cullens moved out of Forks to preserve their vampire idenтιтies, and have started a life elsewhere. The Cullens have previously talked about this tradition of moving around as a family, enrolling the younger group into high school, with a growing collection of graduation caps adorning a wall in their home. Therefore, we can only presume this tradition continues after the events of Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, as the only upcoming Twilight project is an animated TV series based on Midnight Sun, retelling the first film from Edward’s perspective.

Why Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2’s Ending Was Controversial

Twilight’s Final Movie Received Mixed Reviews

Considering the Twilight movie saga was such a big deal in the 2010s, there were many who felt that Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’s ending was somewhat unsatisfactory. Although the movie concluded the saga tastefully, with all of the main characters surviving and living in peace, many felt that the vision scene was a cop out. Although Alice’s vision was a shocking twist at the time because of how well done the sequence was, an actual battle scene would have been way more exciting, and finally delivered on the growing threat of the Volturi in a dramatic, action-packed definitive conclusion.

Furthermore, many criticized Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’s animatronic and CGI versions of Renesmee for its poor execution, as well as the imprinting storyline. Jacob imprinting on a child, regardless of intention, was viewed as “creepy,” especially since Renesmee ages much quicker than a human; Renesmee could be 7 years old, yet resemble a fully grown adult, as suggested by the half-human/half-vampire hybrid Nahuel. Nevertheless, Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 marked a fantastic end to a huge franchise despite the mixed reviews, earning $848.6 million at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film released by Summit Entertainment.