Twilight Saga: Isabella [Bella] Swan (ISFP)

Bella is probably the most hated character in the Twilight film franchise, because her personality is somewhat lacking. We did our best to analyze what’s there, and come up with the most likely personality type. After considering various options, we ultimately determined that ISFP probably fits Bella the best. Of course, this is solely based on the movies. Bella from the books may be something other than an ISFP, because movies can (and often do) change how a character is portrayed. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Fi:

“I’d never given much thought to how I would die. But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go. I can’t bring myself to regret the decisions that brought me face-to-face with death. They also brought me to Edward.”

“I’m really kind of the more suffer-in-silence type.”

“But in a way, I’m glad. The pain is my only reminder that he was real, that you all were.”

“I dream about being with you forever.”

Bella‘s personality is difficult to separate from her feelings. She uses them as a guide, which can make her prone to emotionally impulsive decisions. That can be seen in how she responds to Edward, and allows him into her life. Without much logical basis, Bella seems to trust him quickly, and subsequently falls in love with him. She doesn’t let Edward talk her out of it, even when he reinforces the fact that he’s a killer, he’s dangerous, etc. Over and over again, Bella just responds by saying that she doesn’t care, and that she knows he won’t hurt her. She seems to unquestioningly believe that he’s a good person. Later, she connects with Jacob, as a way to cope with losing Edward, because it “feels right” when she’s with him.

Bella tends to lose herself in her feelings, which is why she becomes all about Edward once they express feelings for each other. When she believes he has permanently left her, Bella dwells in her pain and negative feelings for a long time. She even states that she appreciates the pain because it’s a reminder. Bella doesn’t make any effort to distract herself from her feelings, and pull out of them until her father threatens to send her back to live with her mom for her own good.

Bella tends to make decisions independently, without little regard to the input of those around her. This is why she is frequently at odds with Edward over certain decisions, like with the baby and becoming a vampire. She makes little effort to see it his way in either scenario. Instead, she firmly makes her own decision and then looks for ways to get around any obstacles.

Se:

“I have never met anyone more prone to life-threatening idiocy.” – Alice

“That was such a rush.”

“Yeah, it’s perfect. Guns, adrenaline. That’s my thing.”

“I was cliff jumping recreationally. It was fun.”

“I’ve chosen my life. I want to start living it.”

Bella lives for the present moment, which makes her generally impulsive in addition to being emotionally impulsive. How readily she accepts the risk of being intimately connected to Edward can be attributed to her Fi-Se combination. She trusts her instincts, and reacts accordingly. Bella doesn’t seem to think things far out in advance, and she doesn’t tend to regret past decisions. Once she makes a decision, she’s often eager to move forward immediately. Change doesn’t seem to bother her, or cause any hesitancy.

Bella leans into her Se in the second movie, after Edward leaves her. She starts doing risky things, and seeking out adrenaline rushes. Of course, a major reason she does this is because she believes Edward might return to save her. However, her tendency to enjoy action-oriented activities isn’t limited to this point in her life. When facing the various threats alongside the Cullens, Bella always wants to be involved, but usually expresses a desire to be involved in the action as much as possible. However, the fact that she’s human causes the Cullens to limit her involvement.

Ni:

“I can see what you’re trying to put off, but I can see it’s just to keep people away from you. It’s a mask.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You can’t protect me from everything; at some point, something’s going to separate us. It’s going to be an accident or illness, or old age. As long as I’m human, and the only solution is to change me.”

Bella fixates on things, having that singular focus that Ni users are known for. For instance, becoming a vampire ends up her solution for everything, and she constantly tries to convince Edward to change her. When dealing with Edward in the first movie, she appears to confidently draw specific conclusions, rather than hesitating to consider different possibilities.

When Edward breaks up with Bella, he asks her to promise not to do anything risky, and in return, he’d promise to stay out of her life permanently. Later, it’s as if Bella’s subconscious prompts her to use this as a way to get Edward to return. She never seems to clearly make the connection, but instead hallucinates seeing Edward warn her every time she does something risky. It causes her to do more and more risky things out of a desire to see him, hoping it’d bring him back to her.

Te:

As an inferior Te user, Bella doesn’t appear to have any life goals or plans. Instead, she’s reliant on others to propel her forward, or provide the means to achieve something she’s decided. For instance, she latches onto Edward as her life goal, fully determined that he’d change her eventually. Similarly, when she decides to keep the baby in spite of Edward, she immediately calls Rosalie to help her handle it.

Bella is shown to be incredibly stubborn, and even forceful about getting what she wants, once she knows what that is. She also can be prone to extreme, physical reactions given the right circumstances. For instance, when Jake imprints on her daughter, she nearly kills him in anger.