The Unique Twilight Saga Powers of the 9 Members in the Cullen Family, Ranked

In the Twilight Saga, vampires have superpowers. All of them are unique because not everyone thinks the same way [Eleazar], and the characters even more so. The Cullens, in particular, are very talented. Here are the powers and special abilities of this remarkable vampire family, ranked from weakest to strongest. 

Weakest to Strongest

No. 9 Rosalie: Enhanced Beauty 

Rosalie doesn’t have a specific power, but it was mentioned many times in the books that she was extremely beautiful. This is not a power that can help with anything; it only made her vain and self-centered. Rosalie has proven to be a true friend: she helped Bella deliver Renesmee, and cared for the baby while Bella was undergoing her transformation into a vampire. Rose has never enjoyed her vampire life; she envied Bella because she had all the things that Rose wanted, and Bella would just throw it all away just to stay with Edward forever. 

No. 8  Esme: Strong Ability to Love Passionately 

Esme is a beloved character in the Twilight universe. She is a true mother, despite having lost her first son as a mortal. She attempted suicide, but was saved and turned by Carlisle. She is the oldest Cullen by the time she was turned, being 26 at the time. Esme loves all the children that she and Carlisle call their own, and she was extremely kind to Bella the first time they met. In Midnight Sun, Edward recalls when he returned to Carlisle and Esme after he went off track, murdering humans he believed deserved their fate. Esme had been so happy, and she and her husband had not held a grudge against their adoptive son; instead she welcomed him home joyously. 

No. 7 Carlisle: Extreme Sense of Compassion 

Carlisle’s power is his sense of compassion, which allows him to see and smell blood without attacking. He would only turn a human into a vampire unless they truly had no other choice other than death. He is the creator of many members of the Cullen family, and encouraged all of them to change their lifestyles from feeding on human blood to living on animal blood. They consider themselves ‘vegetarians’, a family joke as they do not kill and drink the blood of mortals. Carlisle uses this ability to become a doctor and save many lives. When Edward returned from his ‘rebellious period’, Carlisle and his wife welcomed him home happily, and Edward learned from his father’s thoughts that he had no judgment and he would not hold Edward responsible. 

No. 6 Emmett: Strength 

Emmett is the husband of Rosalie Hale. He was turned into a vampire by Carlisle at Rose’s pleading after he nearly died from a bear attack. Personally, I think that Emmett is a bit of a sore loser, as he seemed to be trying to get back at Bella during her training for all the arm wrestling matches he lost. Edward describes Emmett as someone who loves fun as much as Rose loves admiration. His physical strength as a human intensified when he turned into a vampire, though he can still be beaten by a newborn, as Bella had done so. 

No. 5 Renesmee: Tactile Thought Projection and Shield Penetration 

Renesmee is the youngest member of the Cullen family. The daughter of Bella and Edward, she is a half-human, half-vampire offspring and is one of the only five that are still alive. Bella nearly died from delivering Renesmee, but the little baby proved to be worth her efforts. Her nickname is ‘Nessie’, given by Jacob Black. She is the only one that is able to break through Bella’s mental shield with her powers, and she has the ability to show anyone her thoughts, simply by coming in contact with them with her palm. 

No. 4 Jasper: Pathokinesis (The ability to change another’s emotions)

Jasper was a major in the U.S. army. After he was promoted, he was turned into a vampire by Maria. He is one of the only survivors of the Southern Vampire Wars. He joined the Cullen family, and adopted their vegetarian lifestyles after he grew tired of hearing the emotions of those he killed and fed on. Jasper’s power is to inflict emotions on others, and he can manipulate how intense these emotions are. As shown in Twilight, Jasper’s power was so strong that he could make Bella fall asleep by making her feel calm. In addition, he could also make people seem less significant so they wouldn’t be noticed. He did this with Bella, Alice, Esme, and himself in Twilight when James’ coven came to the clearing. 

No. 3  Alice: Precognition (See the future)

Alice’s power is to see the future. Based on decisions that are made, she can tell what is going to happen, though they are not set in stone completely. She was turned into a vampire so that James would stop tracking her. She did not remember her mortal life at all due to electroshock therapy. Later, Alice did some research and found out more about her past life. In Twilight, she learned that she would be great friends with Bella, and consistently bugs Edward about meeting her. Eventually, she does, and the two of them become best friends. Alice’s visions were the key to many important events, such as Bella meeting their family, Jasper becoming her mate, and when James’ coven came to meet them. 

No. 2 Edward: Telepathy 

Edward can hear everyone’s thoughts within a few miles, the exception being Bella. He has learned to tune many of them out, and he can focus specifically on one person and look through their eyes. This is how he was able to find Bella when she was lost in Port Angeles. He courteously blocks out the voices of his siblings, though usually he can still hear their thoughts. His power was discovered by Carlisle when he answered to his father’s thoughts, not his voice. Edward was given the chance to join the Volturi, a gift from Aro as the latter like ‘collecting’ vampires with special powers to join the guard, but he was refused. 

No. 1 Bella: Mental Shield 

I think Bella’s mental shield is the most powerful because using this, she could shield everyone from Jane’s pain illusion and Alec’s sensory deprivation during their final meeting with the Volturi. At first, she could only block herself from powers related to the mind, but after practicing with Zafrina and Kate, she could extend this and cover everyone with her shield. It seems that she inherited this skill from Charlie, her father, as Edward noted that he couldn’t read the Chief’s mind easily.