Most Powerful Vampires In Twilight, Ranked

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.

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.

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.

9 Jasper Hale Could Control And Influence Other People’s Emotions

Jasper Was One of the Few Survivors of the Southern Vampire Wars

• Jasper Hale was played by Jackson Rathbone.
• Jasper was born in 1844 and was turned into a vampire in 1863, at 19.

Before being turned in the mid-19th century, Jasper was a proud major in the Confederate Army who was known for his charisma and influence over others. These skills were amplified once he became a vampire and developed into Pathokinesis, the ability to sense and control the emotions of those around him.

After joining the Cullens, Jasper mainly used his gift to calm others and to protect his family from adversaries. He easily camouflaged Bella with his powers during the Cullens’ first encounter with James, Victoria, and Laurent, making her seem insignificant in the eyes of the nomads. This ability comes in handy on occasion, earning Jasper’s place among the Cullens. And Jasper’s knowledge and expertise of everything related to war and leading an army come in handy more than once.

8 Alice’s Power Of Precognition Was Powerful But Subjective

Alice is One of the Most Powerful and Beloved Members of the Cullen Family

• Alice Cullen was played by Ashley Greene.
• Alice was born in 1901 and was turned into a vampire in 1920.

Alice had the power of precognition even before becoming a vampire. When she was still human, this ability garnered a lot of negative attention from those around her, who thought she was practicing witchcraft or struggling with her mental health. Her father eventually sent her to a psychiatric hospital, where she remained until her human death.

Alice’s premonitions were highly subjective, as they were ever-changing and depended on the subject’s concrete decision. Even though her foresight was initially limited to humans and vampires, she eventually began seeing possible futures involving half-humans like Renesmee and the werewolves. While she may not be considered to be the most powerful member of her clan, Alice certainly is one of the strongest vampires in Twilight and earns her place in the Twilight hall of fame for her actions in Breaking Dawn Part 2.

7 Demetri Was Capable Of Tracking Anyone In the World

Demetri Was the Best Vampire Tracker

• Demetri was played by Charlie Bewley.
• There are many vampire trackers in Twilight, but Demetri was the most powerful.

Demetri was initially a member of the Egyptian coven before he was offered a post in the Volturi’s prized guard. He was a particularly valuable member, as he was a skilled tracker and could find anyone in the world after acquiring the ‘tenor’ of their thoughts for the first time. Demetri was even considered the best tracker in the world.

Since Demetri knew most of the Cullens, he was capable of tracking any of them, even if they managed to escape the Volturi’s attack. For this reason, he was considered one of their most dangerous enemies, keeping them on the ropes for quite some time.

6 Kate Could Channel Electricity All Over Her Bare Skin

Kate Had the Power of Psychic Electrokinesis

• Kate was played by Casey LeBow.
• Garrett becomes Kate’s mate by the end of Breaking Dawn.

Kate was a member of the only other family of ‘vegetarian’ vampires, the Denali coven. Alongside her sisters Tanya and Irina, she was turned into a vampire by a Slovakian vampire named Sasha who was killed by the Volturi for creating an immortal child. Centuries later, the Denali coven met the Cullens and formed a strong friendship and allyship.

One of two gifted vampires in her coven, Kate was able to channel electricity all over her body and shock whoever came in contact with her bare skin. However, as Kate’s skill doesn’t affect Bella, Kate’s electric shocks are mostly a mental illusion, making her powers easier to deflect. In Breaking Dawn, Kate used her power to help Bella develop her shielding ability, thereby helping her pupil become even more powerful than she was.

5 Aro Could Read Thoughts And Memories With One Touch

Aro Was the Leader of the Volturi

• Aro was played by Michael Sheen in the Twilight films.
• Aro was born around 1340 B.C.

Easily the most charismatic Volturi leader, Aro was born and turned into a vampire during the Mycenaean age of Ancient Greece. Driven by his ambition and hunger for power, he then began recruiting gifted vampires to establish an all-powerful coven that he eventually based in Volterra, Italy.

Aro had the power of tactile telepathy, meaning he could read someone’s thoughts and memories with a simple touch. He used this ability to see Edward and Bella’s history through Edward’s eyes in New Moon and to learn the truth about Renesmee in Breaking Dawn. He proves to be one of the longest-lasting, and clearly among the strongest, vampires and the many antagonists in the Twilight Saga.

4 Edward Could Read Other People’s Thoughts In Real Time

Edward Cullen Was Also One of the Fastest of the Cullen Family

• Edward was played by Robert Pattinson.
• Edward was born in 1901, and was turned in 1918.

A founding member of the Olympic coven, Edward was dying of Spanish influenza when he was bitten by Carlisle Cullen and turned into a vampire. After his transformation, Edward discovered he could read other people’s thoughts in real time from a distance. This made him particularly valuable to Aro, who envied Edward’s skill since Aro needed physical contact to access someone’s mind.

Edward’s telepathy seemed to lack any weaknesses until he met Bella, as she was immune to his powers. His inability to read her mind led him to develop a particular interest in Bella, which later turned romantic when he learned more about her through other people’s thoughts. And, despite an awkward start to Edward and Bella’s relationship, the two ended up settling down together. However, while often thought of as a romantic lead, Edward is also a highly dangerous creature, killing several of the most powerful vampires in the Twilight movies. Edward’s skill allowed him to anticipate his opponent’s next movements, and his enhanced speed gave him the advantage in a fight.

3 Jane and Alec Were The Volturi’s Strongest Offensive Weapons

Jane and Alec Were High-Ranking Members of the Volturi Guard

• Jane was played by Dakota Fanning, while Alec was played by Cameron Bright.
• Jane and Alec were born in 800 A.D.

Jane and Alec were two of the strongest members of the Volturi’s guard. Born in England during the Middle Ages, the two exhibited powerful psychic abilities that made them villains in their village and caught the attention of the Volturi. When they were thirteen, Aro saved them from being burned at the stake and turned them into vampires.

Once reborn, Jane and Alec acquired the ability to induce illusory pain and sensory deprivation, respectively. Their gifts made them extremely formidable foes, as they used their mental powers to disarm the Volturi’s enemies. Their powers can only be nullified by a mental shield, making them particularly dangerous to any vampire unfortunate enough to come against them, including the strongest members of the Cullen clan.

2 Bella’s Mental Shield Made Her Immune To Most Vampire Powers

Bella’s Mental Protection Was Enhanced Once She Became a Vampire

• Bella Swan was played by Kristen Stewart in the Twilight films.
• Bella never fed off humans and was even able to stop herself from harming a human while hunting as a newborn.

After Bella was turned during Renesmee’s traumatic birth, she believed for months that her firm self-control, which was unusual for a newborn vampire, was her gift. Eleazar, a friend of the Cullens and a member of the Denali coven, reveals that Bella was a mental shield.

Since her time as a human, Bella has been immune to mental invasions and attacks, which sparked the curiosity and rage of many gifted vampires. After learning of her power, she trained to expand her shield to protect her family and allies from the Volturi during the final showdown, proving she was one of the most powerful vampires in the Twilight series.

1 Benjamin Could Easily Manipulate The Four Elements

Benjamin Wanted to Help the Cullen Family Despite the Risk

• Benjamin was played by Rami Malek.
• Benjamin grew up in Cairo, and was only 15 when he was turned into a vampire.

The most prized member of the Egyptian coven, Benjamin was the strongest vampire and had the power of elemental manipulation. As he was capable of controlling the four elements (water, air, fire, and earth), Benjamin was kept a secret from the Volturi by his creator, Amun, who had left Aro and the others to create his own talented vampires.

Unlike most of the gifted vampires in Twilight, Benjamin’s ability was purely physical and he could not attack the mind. When he stayed at the Cullens’ house, Benjamin practiced using his abilities by raising geysers from the river and creating gusts of wind in order to confront the Volturi, if necessary. His unique and devastating abilities make him the clear standout as the strongest vampire introduced in the Twilight films.