In 2008, the first novel in Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series received a film adaptation that would cause a major shake-up in the vampire genre and the world of young adult media. Twilight starred Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, a high school junior who moves to a small town, and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, the vampire she falls in love with.
Twilight's unprecedented success led to four more movies, each expanding the franchise's supernatural world and introducing characters to the story. Yet even if the movies couldn't expand on every vampire in the Twilight franchise, the book series introduced many powerful beings. The vampires in Twilight each have a unique talent or power. And while many of these new vampires failed to make an impression, others stood out for their power, strength, and unusual abilities.
Updated on April 11, 2024, by Florencia Aberastury: The vampires in Twilight share a unique trait, which is their enhanced talents or powers that separate them from other vampires within the genre. This article has been updated to include more information about some of the strongest vampires in Twilight, as well as to bring the article up to current CBR standards.
15 Riley Biers Was A Master Manipulator
Riley Biers Was Created by Victoria to Form an Army Against the Cullens
- Riley Biers was played by Australian actor Xavier Samuel.
- Riley was the one who led the Seattle newborn army.
- Riley was a freshman at college when Victoria found him and turned him into a vampire.
10 Best Characters in Twilight
Twilight was a massive hit because of its central romance, but the characters contributed to the magic of the vampire fantasy.Riley Biers was an antagonist in New Moon and Eclipse, serving at the right hand of Victoria, the very same vampire who turned him in the first place. Victoria and Riley, duped into thinking that she loved him, come up against the Cullen Family and their allies in an attempt to kill them once and for all.
While the Cullens eventually made short work of Riley during their battle, he was still a reasonably powerful vampire in his own right. He manages to hold his own in some battles, but ultimately can't stand up against the far more powerful Seth Clearwater. Unlike other vampires who have abilities that are more useful in battle, Riley's ability was self-control, which didn't help him much against the Cullens and the wolf pack. Forced to rely on his stronger allies for help, Riley's friends aren't there for him when he truly needs their help.
14 Renesmee Cullen Has A Powerful Mind
Renesmee Is One of the Very Few Vampire/Human Hybrids in the Twilight Saga
- Renesmee Cullen was played by Mackenzie Foy in Breaking Dawn.
- Renesmee's birth caused the war between the Cullen family and the Volturi, as the Volturi believed she was an immortal child.
Renesmee Cullen, the daughter of Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, may be better known for being Jacob's imprintee, one of the more questionable storylines in Twilight, but she is also a very powerful character in her own right. Half-human and half-vampire, Renesmee proves to be quite useful in her limited screen time in the Twilight Saga.
Renesmee may not be quite as powerful as the elder vampires in Twilight, but she does show remarkable talent at using her psychic powers. She demonstrates an ability to implant her own thoughts into someone else's mind, which, if used properly, could be an incredibly dangerous weapon. Moreover, Renesmee is still quite young at the end of the film, suggesting that she could still grow far more powerful in years to come.
13 Marcus Could Read Other People's Emotional Ties
Marcus Is One of the Co-Leaders of the Volturi
- Marcus was played by Christopher Heyerdahl in the movie adaptation.
- Marcus was once married to Aro's sister, Didyme, a vampire with the ability to make others happy.
Marcus was a member of the Volturi in the Twilight Saga, acting as an antagonist throughout the franchise. Serving Aro, Marcus uses his ability to read emotional relationships between individuals to the Volturi's dastardly ends.
Marcus's powers may not be as useful in combat as those of certain other members of the Volturi, but he certainly uses them to the best of his ability. The Volturi offers valuable information to his coven, which they can then use against their enemies. While the films don't explore Marcus too heavily, the powerful vampire could have a bigger role in the upcoming vampire-centric Twilight television reboot.
12 James Was A Relentless Hunter
James Was the One Who Murdered Alice Cullen's Creator
- James Was Played By Cam Gigandet
- Before meeting Bella, James was once obsessed with killing Alice. However, Alice was turned into a vampire before James could kill her.
The 15 Most Quotable Twilight Saga Lines
Hold on tight, spider monkey! These most quotable Twilight Saga lines have proven the series to be both a pop-culture masterpiece and one huge meme.James was the main antagonist of the first Twilight film, wherein he set his sights on Bella. Along with the help of his coven, James attempts to feed off of Bella, making an enemy in the Cullen family as a result. Even so, James presented a major threat to the Cullens in their ensuing battle. James was also the reason why Alice became a vampire, as he wanted to kill Alice when she was human, but another vampire 'saved her life' by turning her into a vampire as well.
James uses enhanced tracking to act as a thorn in the Cullens' side but is ultimately killed by Emmett and Jasper. As big a problem as James may have been in Twilight, he is ultimately one of the least powerful villains that the Cullen Family faced throughout the franchise.
11 Victoria Was A Dangerous Enemy Of The Cullen Family
Victoria Wanted Revenge Against the Cullen Family for Killing James
- Victoria was first portrayed by Rachelle Lefevre before the role went to Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse.
- Victoria's ability was enhanced self-preservation, which sometimes gave her the upper hand during fights.
Victoria was a villainous vampire with designs on destroying the Cullen clan for killing her mate James during the events of Twilight. She gathers an army of newborn vampires to fight the Cullens in New Moon and Eclipse before eventually being defeated and killed by Edward.
Victoria may not have been as physically brutal as James, but she showed a higher level of strategy in making her move against the Cullens. While her strength was ultimately inadequate to defeat the Cullens, she certainly took an impressive stand against them that could have easily ended a different way.
10 Zafrina Could Blind Her Enemies With Incredibly Vivid Illusions
Zafrina Quickly Bowed to Protect Renesmee
- Zafrina was played by Judi Shekoni.
- Zafrina's talent was visual projection.
Originally from South America, Zafrina was a member of the Amazon coven alongside Senna and their creator, Kachiri. She made her first and only appearance in Breaking Dawn when the Cullens needed witnesses to corroborate Renesmee's growth for the Volturi, therefore proving she wasn't an immortal child.
Zafrina was the only gifted vampire in her family and was capable of projecting vivid illusions into other people's minds. In battle, she could use this ability to disconnect her opponents from reality, blinding them from any other possible attacks. These abilities proved useful but ultimately didn't make her stand out among the more popular — and far stronger — vampires in the Twilight franchise.