Some vampires have special abilities that they gain when they become a vampire. In The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Diego's mentions that he overheard Riley saying that one in about every fifty vampires is 'talented'. Talents are also shown to be genetic, as seen by Bella Swan who inherited her mental shield from her father.
Explanation[]
When a human transforms into a vampire, they bring their strongest human trait into their new life. If someone has a particularly intense skill, it heightens after their transformation and becomes a superpower. For example, Bella's shield originally only covered her, but after becoming a vampire she could project it to surround those around her.
A majority of vampiric gifts affect the mind, but there have been exceptions as some powers work on the physical world, like Benjamin's elemental control.
Eleazar explained that every gift is unique since gifts never work the same way because no one ever thinks exactly the same way. This is proven by the differences in similar gifts among vampires, for example Edward and Aro, Bella and Renata, Jane and Alec, or Maggie and Charles, Siobhan and Saemus, or Jane and Naomi. Vampires who had a similar personality as a human can also develop distinctly different powers, such as Bradley and Reece.
In some cases, a vampire may develop a gift based from their deepest and most repressed emotions rather than their strongest traits or characteristics.
For example, Caius developed the power of Vitakinesis, because in his human life, he was the son of a tyrannical landlord who regularly abused their servants; whenever Caius would stood up for them against his father, he would receive the same treatment. This lead to Caius obtaining the power to heal people, as well as his own, as a vampire.
Another case was Felix, who was an executioner in his mortal life, but deeply regretted his actions for being the one to end the lives of others. Because of this, he ended up with the gift of Physical Petrification, that enables him to render his victims into a state of suspended animation during which they cannot die, and therefore can be treated before revived back into full health.
This is also the case for Bree Tanner, who was abused by her father during mortal life and after she was turned into a vampire ended up with the gift of absorption. While she wasn't repulsed by physical contact, her need to protect herself caused her to receive that would make it almost impossible for anyone to touch without her consent.
A vampire's gift take decades, if not centuries, to improve.
Talent Categories[]
Certain powers can be grouped in specific categories, even though it is difficult at times to do so, because no two talents ever work the exact same way.
- An ability that protects any part of the bearer is called a "Shield".
- An ability that finds a target is called a "Tracker", which is one of the most common talents.
- Since Edward and certain other vampires possess abilities to "read" things, they can be considered "Readers".
- Vampires with the power to project a sort of illusion can be considered "Illusionists".
- Vampires who display powers that cause their targets to become addicted are considered "Addictionists".
- Vampires who create an influence around their target(s) are called "Influencers".
- Vampires who can instantly traverse from place to place are called "Teleporters" .
- Vampires who can send things or beings (But not themselves) away to a designated location are called "Traversers".
- Vampires who can stop things or events happening, or stop people doing something, or Vampires, are known as 'Stoppers'; this is one of the rarest (But probably not the most rare) categories.
- Vampires who can foresee future events are called "Watchers".
- Vampires who can move things physically are called "Movers".
- Vampires who are capable of establishing some form of link (mental or otherwise) between themselves and other beings, or linking other beings to each other, are called as "Linkers".
- Vampires who can repair others are called "Healers".
Some powers are the same but with a different twist to them. Marcus can see/sense the emotional ties between people, while Chelsea can manipulate emotional ties.
Talent Types[]
Vampiric gifts can be classified into three main types. They are:
- Mental — The most common classification. Abilities under this category are those that affect the recipient's mind. This results in influencing the target's psyche in one way or another. These are gifts can counter by either a mental shield or having a strong will.
- Physical — These are gifts that affect the physical realm rather than the mental plane. Because of that, countering them are less likely compared to the "Mental" powers
- Metaphysical — Abilities under this classification are those that fall to neither of the two preceding types. Either because they have neither of qualities to be identified as one of them, or they have both, and thus impossible to classify. The rarest type, at the hands of skillful master, Metaphysical gifts can prove to be quite powerful.
Edward Cullen |
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Alice Cullen |
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Jasper Hale |
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Bella Swan |
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Renesmee Cullen |
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Afton |
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Corin |
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Demetri |
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Heidi |
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Eleazar |
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Maggie |
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Kyran |
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Jayde Hale |
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Power replication |
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Joshua |
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Eleanor |
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Royal | Ability suppression |
Name | Ability | Examples |
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Edward Cullen |
Speed Edward's gift is advanced speed, running faster than any other member of the Cullens and other vampires. |
During the game of vampire baseball in Twilight, Edward runs through the forest to retrieve the ball. InEclipse, Bella compares Edward's speed to Victoria's, saying 'she wheeled and flew like an arrow from a bow. But Edward was faster - a bullet from a gun.' |
Rosalie Hale |
Beauty Rosalie's gift is incredible beauty, which even surpasses a regular vampire. She is said to be the most attractive vampire in the world. |
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Heidi |
Beauty Heidi's incredible beauty is comparable to Rosalie's, supported by her gift to attract people, human or vampire. Because of this, she would often go out to find and attract "food" for the Volturi. |
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Emmett Cullen |
Strength Emmett's gift is extreme strength that surpasses a regular vampire. He is the strongest member of the Cullens, if not the entire world. But his strength can be easily conquered by a newborn vampire, such as Bella when she challenged him into arm wrestling. |
During the game of vampire baseball inTwilight, Esme informs Bella that Emmett hits the hardest, while Edward runs the fastest. |
Carlisle Cullen |
Compassion Carlisle's gift is an elevated sense of compassion that allows him to resist human blood. |
He is able to bite (in order to turn them) people without succumbing to the frenzy and killing them. |
Esme Cullen |
Love Esme's gift is to love those around her passionately. |
She is able to welcome Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper into her home with open and caring arms; as well as Bella, a human girl her son Edward fell in love with. |
Felix |
Fighting and strength Meyer has said that Felix's talent is his fighting and strength. No matter how good anyone else is in physical combat, Felix will always remain one, or most likely, several steps ahead of them. His physical strength is pretty much comparable to Emmett's. |
In the New Moon film, when Edward tried to defend Bella, Felix quickly subdues him, throwing him to the ground, cracking the floor. |
Bella Swan |
Self-control Bella has great concentration as a newborn vampire, something that most newborn vampires aren't able to do. |
In Breaking Dawn, when she caught the scent of human hikers while hunting, she manages to retain control of herself and run away from the scent while holding her breath. When Charlie comes to visit after she changed, she finds her father's smell more attractive than the hikers and yet manages to remain in control. |
Self-control Cecil has shown to have a tremendous amount of self-control when it comes to human blood, having never even tasted it. |
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Raoul |
Strength Raoul had strength that surpassed that of regular vampires. He was one of the strongest newborns in Victoria's army, and the other newborns were usually frightened by this. |
Raoul was able to win over and kill countless newborn members in the army |
Gabriel |
Strength Gabriel has strength that surpasses that of normal vampires |
Gabriel has used his strength to kill many vampires, including Crisanto, a volturi guard, and a coven of english vampires |
Deveaux |
Strength Deveaux has strength that is greater than that of normal vampires |
This strength helped him survive from being killed by his coven mates, who were affected with his ability |
Cova |
Strength Cova possesses strength that outmaches regular vampires |
Cova has used this strength to protect his family against a few vampires around the years |
Cova |
Self-control Cova can control his thirst better than most vampires, this is due to his extreme awareness and maturity as a human |
Cova is a protector of a biological family of humans, and takes care of the younger family members |
Enhanced Smell Kate has an enhanced sense of smell, which is a little unusual, but helps her hunt more accurately and identify what something is from a lot further away than a normal Vampire. |
Kate uses this to hunt very well, and as such is hardly ever thirsty. This is good, as her constantly changing diet means that she needs a lot of blood to keep her satisfied. | |
Remorse Kate has an enhanced sense of remorse, regretting everything she does and feeling guilty for every single person she kills. This not particularly a good ability, as the feeling of remorse can go as far as making her suicidal, depressed and very, very, guilty. |
When Kate hunts, she will go for a human, kill, drink, feel remorse, then switch to an animal. But the blood lust is then so strong that she kills a human, drinks, then feels guilty and switches once more. |