The Twilight Saga introduced the world to a colorful cast of characters, including a teenage heroine named Bella Swan, a vampire named Edward Cullen, and a shape-shifting werewolf in Jacob Black. However, the Twilight cast was bigger than that, with vampires, shape-shifters, and several regular humans. When the last movie arrived, a mᴀssive battle pitted shape-shifters and vampires against the most powerful vampire coven in the world, the Volturi. I was at an advanced screening of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, and the crowd reaction proved that the movie did everything right in building to this moment.

The last movie shows Bella Swan and Edward Cullen married with a new baby. Bella almost died delivering the baby in the previous film, and since she was still human when she had the baby, the child, Renesmee, is a hybrid. This brought the Volturi to Forks, Washington, to exact vengeance on allowing a hybrid baby to be born. The Cullen family gathered allies from other vampire covens and prepared for the battle to start. However, the entire theater broke out in shocked gasps when the battle began, and things didn’t quiet down until the battle ended.

What I Experienced Watching The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 At An Advanced Screening

The Audience Had No Idea What Was Happening

In 2012, I had the opportunity to attend the advanced screening of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. The first four movies had led to this moment, bringing the Cullen clan into the crosshairs of the Volturi, who wanted to kill Bella Swan and her hybrid child. The Cullens spent the first part of the movie gathering allies from other vampire covens willing to stand by their side in this big final battle. When the Volturi showed up and confronted the vampire clans, the entire theater silently sat and waited to see what happened.

One thing about The Twilight Saga leading to his point was that many of the fans had read the books on which this was based and knew what would happen. The fun part was fans watching their favorite moments play out on the big screen, and that is one reason franchises like The Twilight Saga and Harry Potter remained so successful. However, in a shocking moment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 subverted all expectations with this final battle in the last movie.

In the book, the confrontation is almost entirely peaceful. Everyone is preparing to battle, and then Alice and Jasper show up and stop the fight by presenting Nahuel and Huilen. Aro then decides to leave after seeing the effect of Bella’s new power (her shield), which keeps him from starting a fight. However, the movie was completely different. It all started with the Cullen clan proving that Renesmee is not an immortal child, but the Volturi decide to attack anyway.

In the movie, the fight starts with the Cullens charging the Volturi. Carlisle leaped into action and went into battle with Aro. However, in one of the most shocking moments in the franchise, Aro landed and was holding Carlisle’s severed head in his hand, killing the Cullens’ patriarch. The Twilight fans in the theater gasped in shock, and more than one person yelled, “No!” Next, Jane incapacitated Jasper with her powers, and Felix and Demetri sliced off his head.

By this time, the theater was no longer quiet, and people were yelling out and audibly gasping. No one knew what was going on. None of this happened in the Twilight books, and beloved characters were dying. Some people were actually crying at this moment in the movie. This screening took place two weeks before the film officially hit theaters, and spoilers hadn’t arrived online yet, so this was shocking, and Twilight fans had no idea how to respond. The discussions after the movie in the lobby were fierce.

Twilight’s Enduring Popularity Only Confirms What I Witnessed In 2012

Fans Cared Deeply About All The Twilight Characters

Of course, the twist was that this happened in the book, but Stephenie Meyer didn’t overtly say it. Remember, Alice shows up in the book and reveals to Aro what would happen if there was a battle, thanks to Nahuel and Huilen. He saw all this but considered attacking anyway before Bella’s shield made him think differently. The movie shows what the visions told Alice, but the book doesn’t show it. When the deaths started happening, fans were shocked, but then it was revealed they were the premonitions Alice showed Aro.

Aro realized that many people would die, including himself, Demetri, Jane, and more. Knowing that this would end the Volturi, he realizes it is better to leave and fight another day. By the end, fans in the theater had a chance to catch their breath when they realized Carlisle and the other popular characters lived and the battle never actually happened. What resulted was one of the most memorable scenes in the franchise, even if it did fall into the “it was just a dream” trope.

However, it did something even bigger – especially for people who always discounted The Twilight Saga as lesser entertainment. The reaction of the audience in this packed theater was telling. These fans have watched the movies since the first one and likely read all the books. The fact that these deaths upset people means the franchise created characters who meant something to fans. Even supporting characters like Carlisle and Jasper were beloved enough to make their deaths upsetting.

Years after The Twilight Saga came to an end, the franchise still has a large fanbase who defend it despite any problematic qualities the original story contains. Edward, Bella, and Jacob were only part of the allure. The rest of the Cullen family, and even the shape-shifters and human characters, were developed so well that fans built a strong connection to them. That shocking moment from Breaking Dawn – Part 2 caused a reaction that proves why fans love these movies so much.