Victoria Twilight: Actress, Story and Death Explained

Victoria is a wandering vampire who first appears in Twilight (2008), directed by Catherine Hardwicke, as one of three nomads traveling together with James and Laurent. She is credited simply as Victoria in all three of her films, and the credits give her no other name or alias.

Two actresses play her. Rachelle Lefevre is the Victoria of Twilight (2008) and The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), directed by Chris Weitz. Bryce Dallas Howard plays her in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010), directed by David Slade, where the character is billed fourth. Lefevre was billed thirteenth in the first film and seventh in the second.

If you are searching for the Victoria Twilight actress change, the answer is simple: the first two films belong to Lefevre and the third belongs to Howard. The switch lands in the middle of the story, right where Victoria moves from a background threat to the main danger. For the full list of who plays whom, see the Twilight cast page, and for the wider ensemble see the Twilight characters index.

Victoria's relationships are defined by one loss: James, her mate, whose death in Twilight (2008) drives everything she does afterward.

James is played by Cam Gigandet, and Laurent, the third member of the nomad trio, is played by Edi Gathegi. Her bond with James explains why her revenge is aimed at Edward and Bella specifically: the Cullens killed James, and Bella was the person he hunted.

Her link to Riley is the one fans ask about most. In Eclipse she turns him into a vampire and uses him to raise the newborn army. So, does Victoria actually love Riley? The films give her one clear motive, revenge for James, and Riley serves that plan. Whether she feels anything more for him is left to the viewer.

Her relationship with Bella is one sided: Bella is a target rather than a rival, and the newborn army Victoria raises is what pushes the Cullens and the wolf pack to fight side by side. Her relationship with Edward is a debt she wants paid in kind. For the people on the other side of the conflict, see Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, Jacob Black and Alice Cullen.

In my opinion, Victoria's best moments are the ones where the films let her patience show, because a villain who waits for two movies is more unsettling than one who simply attacks.

The first is the end of Twilight (2008), where she is left alive and the story quietly marks her as the next problem. It is a small beat after the ballet studio fight, but it gives the sequels a reason to exist beyond the romance. The second is her pursuit in New Moon, which is brief, yet it is what ties Bella's life to the wolf pack and gives the Quileute story a stake.

The third is Eclipse, where Bryce Dallas Howard plays Victoria at her most active: she recruits Riley, builds the newborn army and forces the Cullens and the wolves to train side by side. It could be argued that the role is stronger in this film than in the first two because she finally has a plan on screen rather than a threat from off screen. Her final scene in the mountains, when she and Riley reach the hideout, is the payoff of the whole arc. If you want to hear how the saga treats its villains musically, the Twilight soundtrack page covers Eclipse's songs, and the Twilight movies ranked page shows where each film lands.