Bella Swan

In Eclipse, Bella is faced with the decision of whether or not to marry Edward who, in the previous book, proposed to her as a condition of changing her into a vampire. Bella agrees to marry Edward on the condition that before he changes her forever, they make love while she is human. Edward finally agrees, but soon after Jacob declares his love for Bella and they kiss. She realizes she loves Jacob as more than a friend and imagines a human life with him where she can have children. Bella has to finally decide who is the most important person in her life.

While Bella is faced with decisions about her future, her present life is in danger from nomad vampire Victoria. Victoria is out to kill her for revenge against Edward who killed her mate James. Bella fears for her family and friends as an army created by Victoria heads to Forks to kill her. Here she shows her selflessness when she is more worried about those around her than her own life and later proves this when she saves Edward by cutting herself, drawing blood and distracting Victoria. The army and Victoria are defeated, but the Volturi arrive to remind her and the Cullen’s that she must be changed into a vampire which Bella acknowledges.

Bella has to finally decide who the most central person in her life is and she chooses Edward. Together they agree to make their engagement public.

Edward Cullen

Edward is faced with the prospect of eventually changing Bella into a vampire. At the end of the second book, Edward proposed to Bella as a condition for doing this and in Eclipse it becomes apparent on why he is reluctant to do so. He is clearly tormented by his view that vampires are soulless creatures who will not go to heaven. He does not want to turn Bella into a monster. When Bella accepts his proposal with a condition of her own, to make love to her before turning her, he struggles to agree to this compromise and initially refuses. He is scared of losing control and hurting her, but after seeing how important it is to Bella he agrees but only if they marry first.

Edward also faces further more pressing torment with the news that Bella is the target of Victoria, whose mate James he killed. Her protection is his priority but help from Jacob and his werewolf companion’s cause’s friction between him and Bella as he does not believe she is safe in their presence. He finally lets the pack help with the protection of Bella and fighting the vampire army heading to Forks. He also accepts that Bella has feelings for Jacob and lets her know that whoever she chooses he just wants her to be happy.

In the end Edward defeats Victoria and Bella chooses him as the person she wants to be with. He invites Jacob to the wedding with the view he deserves the choice to come or not and persuades Bella they have to tell Charlie of their marriage plans.

Jacob Black

In the beginning of Eclipse, Jacob is still hurting over Bella’s relationship with Edward. He misses her and the time they spend together, but his anger about her being so close to vampires ensures he keeps his distance. Jacob, however, decides he has to keep Bella human when he finds out she is set to become a vampire after her graduation. They spend more time together. Jacob introduces her to the Quileute legends at a council meeting, and then Jacob declares his love for her. He kisses her believing Bella will kiss him back, but she punches him in anger instead, breaking her hand in the process. Edward threatens to hurt Jacob if he ever touches Bella again without permission.

Jacob attends the Cullens’ graduation party and gives Bella a bracelet with a charm of a wolf on it. It is here he finds out about the newborn army and Victoria’s plans to kill Bella. He agrees to fight alongside the Cullens and he and the Quileute pack learn how to fight together against the army. Jacob decides to remain with Bella while the fight commences. He takes her to a safe hideaway along with Edward. It is here he and Edward have a heart-to-heart about their feelings for Bella and they come to a mutual understanding that they both care for her.

Later, Jacob finds out Bella is engaged and he warns her that he might as well kill himself because she does not love him. Bella offers to kiss him if he will promise to come back and Jacob agrees. They kiss and Jacob goes off to fight intending to return for Bella. He ends up seriously injured when rescuing Leah and he is saved by Carlisle. Bella visits him and tells him that she has chosen Edward, but cares and loves him greatly. He is devastated, but promises to always be there for her.

At the end of the book, Jacob is struggling to come to terms with the idea of his best friend as a vampire. He finds an invitation to Bella and Edward’s wedding along with a letter from Edward. In the letter, Edward thanked Jacob for everything and said that he felt Jacob had the right to come to the wedding or not. This is too much for Jacob and he phases into his wolf form and runs into the forest wanting to be left alone.

Carlisle Cullen

In Eclipse, Carlisle remains clear headed and compassionate in the latest crisis the Cullen family are facing. With a newly formed vampire army heading towards Forks, he helps lead his family in an alliance with the Quileute werewolves to help fight the newborns. The army is defeated, but Jacob gets seriously injured. Carlisle, as a doctor, helps heal his horrific wounds even with Jacobs’s hostility towards him and his family. Carlisle also takes a blood sample of Jacobs’s blood for studying purposes and finds out fascinating details about werewolf chromosomes.

Esme Cullen

In Eclipse, Esme continues to be a motherly presence for her family as they face the challenge of fighting the newborn army. She isn’t as great of a fighter as her children Jasper, Alice, and Emmett, but she is still more than capable of taking on their vampire opponents as well as showing her caring nature in showing mercy to Bree, a newborn vampire who doesn’t want to fight. Her relationship with Carlisle is still the cornerstone of the Cullen family.

Alice Cullen

Alice has a vision in the third book of Victoria coming back to Forks, but is unable to get a picture of what Victoria’s plans involve because she is using Riley. Bella realizes Victoria’s plan to create an army and later Alice has a vision of the army coming. This allows the Cullen’s to join up with the werewolves and train, create strategies and anticipate their arrival in Forks. Alice proves to be an adept fighter in the battle as she can predict her opponent’s moves before they do them.

In Eclipse, Alice also becomes closer to Bella after their trip to Italy to save Edward. She plans a graduation party for the graduates of Forks High School and after learning of Bella and Edward’s engagement, she is adamant that she is arranging the wedding of which she will be the maid of honour.

Jasper Hale

Jasper plays a key role in the third book and his past is revealed to be similar to the mysterious events occurring in Seattle. He suspects that a newborn army is being created just like what he helped do himself when he first became a vampire. Jasper tells Bella of his life as a soldier in the Confederate Army and the night he came across three young beautiful women named Maria, Nettie and Lucy. They turned out to be vampires and they turned Jasper into one.

Maria used him to help create her own newborn army and this proves vital for the Cullen’s present situation. Jasper is able to train his family and the Quileute werewolves in how to fight newborns and his past as a soldier helps him to strategize against their enemy. He helps to successfully defeat the army as well as protect Alice. Jasper also tells Bella the story about how he and Alice met.

Rosalie Hale

In Eclipse, Rosalie finally tells Bella why she has never been kind to her. She decides to tell Bella the story of how she came to be a vampire and informs Bella to really think about the price of becoming immortal. Rosalie fell in love with a man named Royce King II and always dreamed of having children, however she tells Bella that one night he and a group of his friends attacked her and left her for dead. Carlisle found her and changed her into a vampire and with her new power she killed Royce and the others who had attacked her. Rosalie warns Bella that she did not have a choice to become a vampire, but she does. She cannot agree with her decision to become one by choice.

Rosalie takes part in the final battle against the newborn army which is successfully won by her family and the Quileute pack, however she is the most reluctant of the vampires to join forces with the werewolves as she cannot stand their scent.

Emmett Cullen

Emmett proves to be the strongest Cullen in Eclipse throughout their mission to capture and kill Victoria and the newborns. At the beginning of the book he ends up almost clashing with werewolf Paul after he gets in the way of capturing Victoria. He is calmed down before the situation turns violent. When the Cullens and the Quileute pack join forces and begin training, Emmett is used as a substitute newborn as he is physically the strongest vampire. In the battle itself, Emmett helps the Cullen’s and their allies defeat the army.

Emmett also continues to be his playful and carefree self throughout Eclipse, teasing Bella when she breaks her hand after punching Jacob.

Victoria

In Eclipse, Victoria continues her crusade to kill Bella as revenge for Edward killing her mate James. She continues to ruse the Cullens into thinking she is alone and has no way of truly reaching Bella, but she gathers key information and is creating a newborn army. She cleverly avoids Alice seeing her actual plans by using Riley, a vampire with no connection to the Cullen’s, as her leader of the newborns. She lets him go into Forks to get an item of clothing with Bella’s scent therefore attracting them to her.

Bella finally works out her plan which allows Alice to connect to Victoria’s real plans. She finds Bella with Edward and Seth and attempts to escape by using Riley as a distraction. Edward, however, taunts her about James and she finally stays to fight. She is killed by Edward when he rips her head off.

Riley Biers

Riley is chosen by Victoria to be the leader of her army to face the Cullens in Forks. He appears with Victoria in the clearing where Bella and Edward are camped out. Edward tries to prevent Riley from attacking them by telling him about James and Victoria and how he has been used by her. He does not listen and fights Seth Clearwater, who kills him after Victoria doesn’t come to his aid.

Sam Uley

In Eclipse, Sam plays an important role as the alpha of the Quileute pack. With the immediate threat of Victoria and her newly created army, he agrees to join forces with the Cullen’s to fight side by side against them. By following strategies created by Jasper, Sam and his tribe help defeat the army and his trust of the Cullen’s increases, especially when Carlisle saves Jacob. You also learn more about imprinting through his relationship with Emily and when Jacob runs away he is understanding and lets him have time to himself.

Quil Ateara

In Eclipse, Quil finally becomes a werewolf and joins his best friends in the pack. He imprints on Claire, a two year old which causes Bella to criticise the situation until she fully understands that imprinting is not a choice for Quil or any werewolf. Quil takes part in the fight against Victoria’s army.

Embry Call

Embry is a part of the Quileute pack that helps the Cullens against the newborn army.

Jared Cameron

In Eclipse, Jared joins his pack in coming together with the Cullens to defeat Victoria and her newborn army. He is there at the council meeting where we first learn about the Quileute Legends with his girlfriend Kim. Jacob informs Bella that Jared has imprinted on Kim.

Paul Lahote

Paul continues to be hot headed in Eclipse when he has an encounter with the Cullens. With Victoria back in the area and the perimeters being searched at each side of the treaty line, he nearly fights with Emmett. Emmett smacks into Paul by accident while attempting to catch Victoria and he has to be quickly calmed down. He successfully takes part in the battle against the newborns.

Seth Clearwater

Seth is the son of Harry Clearwater who died in New Moon. He has become a werewolf member of the Quileute pack alongside his older sister Leah. He is a friendly and enthusiastic character who learns about the Quileute legends with great eagerness alongside Bella and others. He is instructed to stay away from the battle and he therefore becomes the werewolves’ connection to Edward, Bella, and Jacob’s camp in the mountains. However, he is called into action when Victoria and her ‘mate’ Riley find where Bella is hidden. He proves he is more than capable when he manages to kill Riley and helps Edward defeat Victoria. He and Edward thereafter strike an unlikely friendship.

Leah Clearwater

Leah is the daughter of Harry Clearwater who died in the second book. She has become the only female werewolf of the Quileute pack. She is there along beside her younger brother Seth. She has a feisty relationship which stems from her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, pack alpha, Sam Uley who imprinted on another women leaving her in the process. She is desperate to prove herself as a capable werewolf and takes on a newborn vampire alone in the fight against them. Jacob saves her but gets seriously hurt. She tries to help Jacob get over his feelings for Bella, who she dislikes, as she has experienced something similar in her life.

Charlie Swan

Since Edward left Bella in New Moon, Charlie mistrusts Edward and is worried about Bella’s relationship with him not being healthy. He has therefore grounded her for her sudden trip to Italy in the hope she will spend less time with Edward. He later agrees to end his daughters grounding under the condition she spends more time with her friends, especially Jacob. He does not hide his biased opinion that she should choose Jacob over Edward.

Charlie is also worried throughout the book about the murders taking place in Seattle, unbeknown to him they are been caused by the vampire Victoria. He spends time with Billy in La Push when the army comes to Forks so that he is safe from being attacked. Once the fight is finished Bella informs him that she has chosen Edward and even though the is disappointed by her decision he accepts her choice and understands that Edward cares a great deal about her.

Renee Dywer

In Eclipse, Renee proves to be an insightful and good mother to Bella. She is visited in Florida by Bella and Edward and she has the opportunity to be around the couple and see how they interact with one another. She gives Bella advice telling her Edward seemed very intense and protective around her. Renee is worried that Bella is too young to be in a relationship so serious at her age and she could be missing out on other things. In the end, Bella persuades her she has been reading too many mystery novels and Renee, the care free person she is, lets it go.

Bree Tanner

Bree is a new character introduced in Eclipse. She is a newborn vampire turned to be part of Victoria’s army to help kill Bella. During the fight itself the Cullens sense that she doesn’t want to be there and so they don’t harm her in anyway. It is clear from her thoughts, that Edward can hear, that she is struggling to resist the temptation of Bella’s blood but she resists and keeps herself under control. When the battle is over, the Volturi arrive to see to the army, but even though the Cullens are willing to take responsibility of her, she is tortured by Jane for information about the fight and then executed.

Jessica Stanley

Bella and Jessica are not as friendly as they were when Bella had first come to Forks. Jessica is invited to the Cullens’ graduation party and at the graduation itself she and Bella become better friends again.

Angela Weber

Angela has become a great friend for Bella and in Eclipse they hang out together a few times. Angela welcomes Bella’s help in addressing her graduation invitations and shows great observation skills when suggesting Edward is jealous of Jacob. She will be attending Washington State University after school and, along with her boyfriend Ben, attends the Cullens’ graduation party.

Mike Newton

Mike only sees Bella in school and at work and they rarely interact with one another. He attends the Cullens’ graduation party and graduates along beside his friends.

Eric Yorkie

Eric is valedictorian of his graduating class in Eclipse. Like Jessica, Angela and Mike, he attends the Cullens’ graduation party.

Jane

Aro sends Jane and a Volturi guard to take care of Victoria and her army. She arrives when the battle between the army and the Cullens and werewolves has ended, carefully hiding her shock and disappointment that they are safe and unharmed. Jane tortures the final newborn Bree for answers on what happened and shows how truly evil she can be by inflicting pain without a care in the world. She then instructs Felix to kill Bree instead of allowing the Cullens to take responsibility of her like they offered.

Before Jane leaves she reminds Bella and the Cullens of the fact Bella is still human and threatens them with the prospect of sending a guard after her. Alice, however, lets Jane know the date has been set and Bella will be changed soon.

Felix

Felix is sent out with Jane and Demetri to help deal with the situation Victoria has created. At the end of the fight he steps in to determine what to do next. It is here he is ordered by Jane to ‘deal’ with Bree. Felix shows her no mercy and kills her.

Demetri

Demetri is present alongside Felix and Jane on their mission to take care of the newborn army being created in Seattle and heading to Forks.