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The following are noted differences between the original Breaking Dawn novel and the movie.

Warning-icon Warning - this page contains numerous spoilers about both the novel and the film. Read on at your own risk!


Browse the "book to movie differences" pages:
TwilightNew MoonEclipseBreaking Dawn - Part 1Breaking Dawn - Part 2
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Please note: Changes are not in any particular order.

Book Movie
Bella wakes up from her transformation in a silk blue dress and wearing stiletto heels. As Bella wakes up from her transformation; she is barefoot.
Bella thinks to herself that she and Edward are the same temperature after she reacts to the temperature change. In the movie, Edward says this.
Bella wakes up and Edward is holding her hand. All of the Cullens except for Rosalie are in the room. Edward is across the room from Bella. We don't see anyone else in the room when Bella wakes up.
Edward's eyes are still black when Bella gets up after her transformation. He hasn't left her side. Edward's eyes are golden at the beginning of the film. He must have left Bella's side sometime during her transformation to hunt.
Bella encounters a deer and a mountain lion separately. Bella encounters a deer and a mountain lion at the same time.
On her first hunt, Bella changes course to pursue the scent of hikers in the woods. When pursued by Edward she reacts defensively, then runs away. Bella smells the scent of a rock climber and starts to hunt him by climbing a cliff. Edward catches up to her on a ledge, she snaps out of it and changes course.
On Bella's first hunt, she destroys all her dress so Edward gives her his shirt. Bella doesn't destroy her dress, but part of it is ripped apart.
Seth receives medical treatment from Carlisle after Bella accidentally broke his shoulder. Seth gets hurt, but the injuries aren't serious enough for medical attention.
After Jacob told Charlie about the supernatural world and Bella being different, he asks Jacob if she can turn into an animal. Charlie asks Bella personally, but Jacob is still the one who answers.
Edward, Renesmee, Emmett, Jasper, Jacob, Carlisle, and Seth are present when Charlie confronts Bella and sees Renesmee in her arms. Edward, Carlisle, and Jacob leave Bella and Charlie temporarily, and then Edward brings Renesmee out to meet Charlie.
There is a brief moment where Charlie and Bella talk before he leaves. There is no such moment.
Edward and Alice argue over who gets to give Bella a gift first on her birthday. Alice wins. Edward later gives Bella a Ferrari to replace her Mercedes Guardian. There is no argument about gifts. Alice shows Bella her present—the cottage. There is no 'before' or 'after' car.
Renesmee goes ahead to hunt, followed by Jacob. Bella notices Irina on a cliff and tries to speak to her, but Irina takes off. Bella catches up with Renesmee and Jacob and stays with them. Others attempt to find Irina, but she's long gone. Renesmee jumps and catches a snowflake when Irina notices her on a ridge. Jacob stays with Renesmee while Bella immediately pursues Irina. However, Irina escapes by jumping into the ocean.
Alice sees the Volturi coming for them moments before Irina arrives in Volterra. Alice sees the Volturi coming for them once Irina tells them about Renesmee.
Bella realizes Irina thinks Renesmee is an immortal child. Edward is the one to realize this.
Jacob arrives at the Cullen house after the Cullens realized the Volturi were coming to kill them. Jacob is present when they realized this.
In the book, Bella first looks at her book after following Alice's trail back to the cottage the day after they find out the Volturi is coming for them. Edward is waiting outside. After 13 seconds of waiting, he rushes into the cottage, prompting Bella to toss the book into the fireplace. In the movie, Bella checks the book when Edward goes to fill up water for her bath. By the time he comes out, she has already set the book on fire in the fireplace. This occurs after all witnesses have amassed.
Alice's note is longer and different in the book. The Cullens meet Sam at the treaty boundary line where he hands them the note. Bella realizes the note is a page ripped from her page and follows Alice's scent to the cottage where she finds clues to J. Jenks in Seattle. Alice's note is shorter. Sam delivers the note to the Cullen house. Bella looks into her book after the witnesses have arrived and calls J. Jenks before meeting him at a local restaurant.
The Denalis are contacted by Carlisle via the phone and then traveled to Forks for explanation before agreeing to help the Cullens; the Denalis and the Cullens have a brief argument before Renesmee convinces them that she isn't an immortal child. Edward, Jacob, Bella and Renesmee travel to the Denalis' home to tell them about the danger and about Renesmee; the Denalis and the Cullens fight with Kate shocking Edward before Bella knocks her away and then let Renesmee convince them.
Carmen is the first member of the Denali coven that Renesmee touches to share her story. Subsequently, Renesmee communicates telepathically with Eleazar, Tanya and Kate. Tanya is the first member of the Denali coven the audience sees being shown Renesnee's thoughts.
The vampires identified as being in covens are the Denalis, Amazons, Romanians, Irish and Egyptians, plus the Cullens themselves (the "Olympic Coven") and the Volturi. The movie includes a "French coven", which includes Henri and Yvette, and is not mentioned in the books. A Japanese nomadic vampire, Toshiro, appears also only in the movie, only to be killed off by the Volturi when Aro finds he planned on meeting with the Cullens and siding with them. The vampires KachiriCharles, and Makenna do not appear in the movie.
Maggie, of the Irish coven, has bright red hair. Maggie has darker brown hair.
Zafrina is more talkative than Senna. Senna speaks once; Zafrina doesn't speak at all.
Zafrina and Senna are found by Alice and Jasper and are convinced to go to Forks. Kachiri stays behind in South America to help Alice. There is no explanation to Zafrina and Senna arriving except for Bella's narration (their pleas are being heard all over the world). Kachiri isn't in the movie.
Alistair keeps to himself in the Cullen house and witnesses Bella's training sessions from the attic windows. He flees when he senses the numbers of the Volturi and witnesses coming for them. Alistair still keeps to himself, but attends a meeting with the Cullens and their allies when the Romanian coven arrives. He observes Bella's training session on a tree branch. He flees when he spots Bella preparing needed items for Renesmee and Jacob's escape.
Bella first realizes her shield when Eleazar explains to her about her power and how much advantage she could provide for them if she learns how to use it. Bella first realizes her shield when Eleazar tells Edward "he never told him his wife was a shield" and then explains to her. To prove his point, Kate tests her power on her. Tanya suggests she learn how to project it.
Kate shocks Edward and then tries to shock Renesmee to motivate Bella to project her shield better. Edward endures the shock throughout the training. Kate shocks Edward and then threatens to shock Renesmee, but then stops and threatens to shock Edward full force to motivate her. Edward endures the torment, but shows fear and later tries to pass the role off to Emmett.
Stefan and Vladimir are introduced at the Cullen house. Jacob and three young werewolves pursue Stefan and Vladimir. They perch on a cliff. The Cullens and Denalis join the wolves and speak with the Romanians.
Jacob comments Stefan and Vladimir as "creep-tacular." Jacob simply comments them as "creepy."
Bella first meets J. Jenks at his office after the witnesses have all arrived. She figures out his profession and asks him to forge legal documents for Renesmee and Jacob. She receives them one week later. Bella first meets J. Jenks at a local restaurant after the witnesses have arrived. Jasper tells J. to make the documents, and by the time Bella meets J, he has already finished the arrangements.
After Alistair deserts the Cullens out of fear of the Volturi, the remaining vampires have heated arguments amongst themselves. When Stefan and Vladimir decide that they will help fight, almost everyone else comes on board with a commitment to fight the Volturi if needed. Edward is the one who makes an appeal to his guests to not only witness, but to fight for the sake of his family and for the way they want to live. Edward incorporates arguments from Garett's long speech (from the book). Amun wants to leave but Benjamin convinces him otherwise. Alistair is unconvinced. Everyone else commits to help fight the Volturi.
On Christmas Day, Bella, Renesmee, Edward, Jacob, Sue, Sam, Emily and Jacob's pack all celebrate Christmas at Charlie's house. Bella, Edward, Renesmee, Jacob, Sue, Seth and Leah are the only ones to do so.
Edward gives Charlie a fishing machine for Christmas. Bella and Edward give Charlie and Sue tickets to Fraser River for a fishing trip in order to keep them from danger.
Bella gives Renesmee the golden locket on Christmas. Bella gives Renesmee the golden locket the night before the confrontation.
Renesmee grows to the size of a two-year-old toddler at the end of the series. Renesmee grows to the size of a young child at the end of the movie.
The Volturi's witnesses were at the edges of the clearing away from the Volturi force. The Volturi's witnesses arrived in step with the main Volturi force—right beside & behind them.
Garrett gives a long speech to the Volturi's witnesses: he accuses the Volturi's pretense of justifying act to shroud their true agenda of acquiring more power to themselves, and tells the witnesses to choose a new side. Garrett doesn't say anything.
Benjamin opens a sinkhole in the ground with his power over earth in an unsuccessful attempt to slow Alec's power. He doesn't use fire, but is mentioned to have power over it. In the battle vision, Benjamin creates a sinkhole with a punch to the ground and many participants either fall or get pushed down. As did some shape-shifters—namely Leah. He uses fire to start a bonfire the night before the confrontation.
Alec tests Bella's shield with his power: it wraps around her shield like a bubble but does no damage. Alec didn't have a chance to test his gift on Bella's shield.
The confrontation is almost completely peaceful. Everyone prepares for battle; Renesmee crawls onto Jacob's back and they prepare to escape. Before the fight began, Alice and Jasper emerge just in time to stop it and present Nahuel and Huilen.

Aro decides to retreat after witnessing the effect of Bella's shield and seeing the disadvantage that he has.

The confrontation seemingly turns violent and a battle ensues. Jacob and Renesmee are chased by Santiago as they run across the forest. Many characters lose their lives, including Aro, Carlisle and Jasper. However, this turns out to be a vision of the definite future if the Volturi decided to fight.

After Nahuel and Huilen's testimony, Aro decides to retreat after seeing his ultimate demise in Alice's vision.

Aro has Renata as his personal bodyguard due to her powerful gift to repel opponents. Edward confirms that she was only one he has ever met with a shielding power. Aro has no personal bodyguard, which makes him vulnerable to Bella's and Edward's combined attack in the movie. Edward confirms that he has met more than one.
Bella wears Aro's necklace, his wedding gift to them, during the confrontation. Bella does receive the necklace, but does not wear it at the confrontation.
Garrett promises Kate to follow her anywhere if they live through the day before the Volturi attack. Garrett makes his promise before the Volturi arrive.
Zafrina, Benjamin, Maggie, Alistair, Bella, Eleazar, Kate, Charles and Siobhan's gifts are all explained and explored. Renata's and Chelsea's powers are also mentioned. Alec's gift manifests in the form of a hazy shimmer. Many gifts are neglected to be mentioned; the only ones that do get explored are Bella's, Kate's, Benjamin's and Zafrina's. Alec's gift manifests in the form of a black vapor. Charles, Chelsea and Renata do not exist in the movies.
Amun and Kebi leave the confrontation after giving their witness. Charles and Makenna also take their leave. A few more of the Volturi's witnesses also leave before a final decision is made by Aro, Caius and Marcus. Amun and Kebi remain in the clearing, but leave right after the situation was cleared when everyone was celebrating. None of the Volturi's witnesses leave before the end of the confrontation.
Caius asks if Irina has complaints against the wolves and the Cullens for defending them. She disagrees. This doesn't happen. Caius in another context says that the Cullens have been consorting with werewolves as a reason to fight them. However, Aro and Marcus overrule him and the Volturi leave in peace.
Alice's visions cannot see shape-shifters or half-vampires. Alice sees the process of a humongous battle involving the shape-shifters, the Cullens, the Volturi and their respective allies; and then sees a happy future of Jacob and Renesmee, who is a grown woman. In the beginning, however, she could not see them at all.
Stefan and Vladimir leave town before the Cullens and their friends stopped celebrating their victory against the Volturi's accusations. Stefan and Vladimir tell the Cullens to attack instead of letting them leave. When they fail to convince the Cullens, they leave town.
Bella first removes her shield on the day of the confrontation in their cottage; hours after the Volturi left in peace. She explains the shield removal was Zafrina's idea. Bella removes her shield several months after the confrontation in the meadow. She explains that she had been practicing to lift her shield.
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