Corpse Bride: 5 Reasons Victor Should Have Been With Emily (& 5 ...

Summary

• The love triangle between Emily, Victoria, and Victor in Corpse Bride leaves room for debate about Victor's choice.
• Emily displays thoughtfulness, liveliness, and a willingness to let Victor go, making her a compelling option for his true love.
• Despite being arranged, Victor and Victoria share a connection, and he ultimately wants to marry her, proving she is the right choice for him.

The love triangle between Corpse Bride's Emily, Victoria, and Victor reaches a definitive end in the animated movie, but there is still some debate about whether Victor made the right choice. The Tim Burton movie follows Victor (Johnny Depp), a nervous young man betrothed to a woman he has just met, Victoria (Emily Watson), when he accidentally becomes engaged to the Corpse Bride, Emily (Helena Bonham Carter). In the end, all three of the characters find a happy ending, with Victor and Victoria choosing to marry and Emily finding closure in the afterlife.

However, The Corpse Bride presents both love interests for Victor as strong options without truly saying which one is the better choice. Nearly 20 years later, there is still a debate over who would have been the better wife for Victor to spend the rest of his life with. Taking a look at Corpse Bride's Emily and Victoria, there are aspects of both characters and their relationship with Victor that suggest they are his true love.

Why Emily Was Right For Victor In Corpse Bride

Victor Was Comfortable With The Dead

There is a sense that Victor was a bit of an outcast in his everyday life, but he seemed to find a real community in the land of the dead. The corpses that surrounded him were friendly and interesting. Of course, when he first arrived, he was surprised and shocked, as any living human would be if they woke up to find dead people moving around and talking. However, he was welcomed by all the deceased. When he decided to marry Emily to solidify their union, he rallied the dead together and embraced what would be his future as a corpse groom.

RELATED: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Has A Heartbreaking Real-Life Inspiration

Emily Was Thoughtful

When Victor accidentally marries Emily, she gets him a wedding present that she knows will make him happy. It wasn't a boring material possession with no meaning — it was Victor's childhood pet, Scraps. It was an incredibly thoughtful moment that filled Victor with so much joy, which was the only reason for her doing it. Emily was certainly a tragic character who suffered great injustices in life, but rather than be filled with bitterness and hate, she was able to maintain a big heart. Given the lack of love Victor received from his parents, such a partner would be good for him.

Emily Was Lively

Victoria may have been alive, but it was Emily who was the lively one of Victor's two potential wives in Corpse Bride. As soon as she made her appearance, it was obvious that this corpse bride was a personality. She was sassy, humorous, sweet, poetic, and a little bit awkward. She danced in the moonlight that she had almost forgotten was so beautiful.

Emily was unrestrained and talented. Victoria lived a more oppressed life, similar to Victor with her equally overbearing parents. However, Emily's time with the dead ironically gave her a zest for life and turned her into the kind of free spirit that might have brought out the liveliness in Victor.

Emily Let Victor Go

"I was a bride. My dreams were taken from me. But now - now I've stolen them from someone else. I love you, Victor, but you are not mine."

The ending of Corpse Bride was bittersweet for many viewers who wanted Emily and Victor to be together. While they came very close to getting married, it was Emily who had to be the one to call it off as she realized she was taking Victor away from Victoria, learning the lesson that love doesn't mean possession. While it was an important realization to come to, it ignored the fact that there was a legitimate connection between her and Victor. He was the one who was willing to join her in marriage, suggesting he didn't feel as trapped as she suspected.

Emily And Victor Had Musical Chemistry

At the very beginning of Corpse Bride, Victor is shown playing the piano at Victoria's family home. Emily was also shown to play when Victor told her he could never be with a corpse instead of a living woman. She took to her piano to express her emotions and Victor joined her. His words were lost to her sad notes as she continued playing, and the two created a beautifully tender, somber, and hopeful instrumental duet. It was in this musical moment that they connected. Victor realized there was beauty in this corpse bride that he failed to see initially.

RELATED: How Emily Died & How Old She Was In Corpse Bride

Emily Knew Victor Longer

Both Victoria and Emily were whirlwind romances for Victor. However, interestingly enough, it ended up being Emily who he got to know better. Victor only met Emily briefly before their rehearsal, and though they shared a nice conversation, it was hardly enough to determine that they could spend the rest of their lives together. His time with Emily was also brief, but they were given more time to form an actual bond. Victor got comfortable with Emily faster and formed a more familiar connection.

Emily Put Victor's Needs First

Though Emily had waited years to find a groom to marry her, she still refused to put her own desires ahead of what was best for Victor. Upon learning that their marriage was invalid since she was dead, Emily was told it could be made official if Victor chose to be dead as well. However, Emily would not consider even asking Victor to make the sacrifice, but he chose to in any case. However, during their ceremony when Victor was about to go through with it, Emily stopped him for his own sake and not hers.

Why Victoria Was Right For Victor In Corpse Bride

Victoria Was Victor's Fiancé

Victor and Victoria had been set up in an arranged marriage in the hopes that the fortune of each would help the other — even though it was a ruse on their parent's part, since Victor's family simply wanted ties to the aristocracy, and Victoria's hoped the business interests of her new husband could bolster their ailing wealth.

Despite the fact that they were forced into the marriage, Victor and Victoria were surprised to find that they did share a connection and were willing to be married. Though Victor did accidentally propose to Emily, there was no intent behind it. Trapping him in an engagement when he was already betrothed to another immediately set his romance prospects with Emily off on the wrong path.

Marrying Victoria Was The Right Thing To Do

Victor was introduced as the quiet, nervous, bumbling, flustered type, but it became apparent that he had a strong will and morals. He was emotional and thoughtful and would stand against what was wrong. Victor was betrothed to Victoria, and he was going to get back to her. He had simply appeared to those living that he had left her and disappeared, which wasn't the case. He made his way to the land of the living and told her the truth of his predicament. Throughout Corpse Bride, Victor found his courage most when attempting to make things right with Victoria.

RELATED: Corpse Bride Ending Explained

Victoria Related To Victor

Victoria and Victor both lived in the bland world above, controlled by their parents. However, it was this shared struggle that helped them connect before their wedding. They were able to admit to each other that they were unsure about the marriage, but the kindness and honesty they shared in that moment cemented that they were on the same page. Despite only knowing each other briefly, these connections helped Victor and Vicoria become an ideal couple.

Victor And Victoria Need Each Other More

While Emily wanted to find a groom to end her haunted afterlife of being alone, she was able to find her happy ending with closure on her murder and finally finding peace. For Victor and Victoria, a happy ending was most likely if they were together. While Emily had good friends and support in the land of the dead, Victor and Victoria lived loveless lives with their self-centered parents. Finding each other meant that they finally had something in their respective lives to love them and bring them happiness.

Victoria Tried To Save Victor's Life

Victor returned to the land of the living under the pretense that he wanted Emily to meet his parents, but he actually went to find help. Emily found him in the company of Victoria and took them back to the land of the dead. When Victoria saw that Emily was dead and Victor was married to her, she tried to help. Despite sounding like she had lost her mind, Victoria showed her own bravery in defying her parents' orders, risking herself, and standing up against doubters to save her groom.

Victoria Never Doubted Victor

After Victor was first taken to the land of the dead by Emily, a rumor spread that he had run off with another woman. Despite the news shattering the wedding plans in the eyes of her parents, Victoria never doubted for a moment that Victor had betrayed her. When he did return, she didn't even ask where he was or if the rumors were true, but rather if he was alright. The immediate faith he had in Victor suggests a long and strong bond between the two.

Victor Wanted To Marry Victoria

"Victoria ... I confess. This morning I was ... terrified of marriage. But then, on meeting you, I felt ... I should be with you always and that our wedding ... could not come soon enough."

While Emily proved herself to be a kind and caring corpse bride, the simple fact was that Victor wanted to marry Victoria. Although their marriage was a duty to their families, it also led to natural chemistry. Victor was nervous about his vows, so he went into the woods and practiced. He was thinking of Victoria as he said the words that accidentally bonded him with Emily.

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While in the land of the dead, he learned Victoria was already with someone else, and he couldn't understand how she could do that to him. This influenced his decision to marry Emily by sacrificing his life. In the end, though he might have married Emily in Corpse Bride, his heart was first with Victoria. Emily's decision to let Victor go in the final scenes of the movie was definitely the right one for all three of them.

Corpse Bride

PG Animation Fantasy Horror Musical 7/10 16 9.1/10 Release Date September 23, 2005 Cast Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Emily Watson, Tracey Ullman, Paul Whitehouse, Joanna Lumley, Albert Finney, Richard E. Grant, Christopher Lee Runtime 77 Minutes Director Mike Johnson, Tim Burton Studio(s) Tim Burton Productions, Laika Entertainment Powered by

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