Carlisle Cullen
The Basics—
- Name: Carlisle Cullen
- Date of Birth: 1640’s (Twilight, pg. 331)
- Place of Birth: London (Twilight, pg. 331)
- Current Residence: Forks, Washington
- Status: Vampire
- Date of Transformation: 1660’s; he was 23 at the time (Twilight, pg. 332).
- Source of Transformation: While leading a mob whose intent was to destroy suspected vampires in London, he was bitten by an anonymous vampire and left for dead (Twilight, pg. 332).
Physical Appearance—
- Hair Color: Blonde
- Eye Color: Vampire Gold (gold, not red, due to his "vegetarian" lifestyle of not hunting humans).
- Height: 6'2"
- Other: Has the typical vampire pale skin, dark circles under his eyes, and is extremely good-looking. Bella describes him as being “handsomer than any movie star I’d ever seen,” (Twilight, pg. 61).
Associations—
- Family: His father was an Anglican pastor who led hunts for vampires, werewolves, and witches.
His mother died during childbirth. He had no siblings (Twilight, pg. 331). He considers Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett to be his adopted children, and Esme his wife.
- Significant Other: Married to Esme Cullen.
- Friends: Tanya and her coven in Denali, Alaska. Aro, of the Volturi, also counts Carlisle as a friend (New Moon, pg. 471).
- Occupation: Medical Doctor
Personality/Characteristics—
- Special Abilities/Talents: Unusually strong resistance to the smell of human blood. Has an intense compassion and respect for human life.
- Hobbies: Staying up to date on medical advances.
- Interests: Medicine, music
- Description: Carlisle is the father figure of the Cullen coven of vampires. He is portrayed as being
extremely kind and even-tempered. This was even apparent when he was a human, as he was described as being “not quick to accuse, to see demons where they did not exist,” (Twilight, pg. 331). Because of his compassion and aversion to taking human life, he has never drunk human blood. (This is implied in Eclipse, pg. 163, when Rosalie says, “…my record is almost as clean as Carlisle’s… I’ve never tasted human blood.”)
Miscellaneous—
- Car: A black Mercedes S55 AMG
- Actor to Portray Him in Film(s): Peter Facinelli
Personal History—
Carlisle Cullen was born in London, sometime just before the rule of Cromwell in the 1640’s. His father was an Anglican pastor who is described as intolerant. He fiercely persecuted Roman Catholics and other religions during the rise of Protestant power, and led hunts for witches, werewolves, and vampires. Carlisle was on his way to taking his fathers place in this capacity when he discovered a coven of vampires living in the sewers of London. During the attack on the vampire coven one of them turned and attacked Carlisle, leaving him bleeding in the street. Carlisle escaped and hid for three days while the transformation was completed (Twilight, pg. 331-332).
When Carlisle realized that he had become a vampire, he initially tried to destroy himself. He resisted his thirst for blood for so long, and strayed from the human population, that one night his thirst drove him to attack a herd of deer. When he realized that this returned some of his strength to him, he began his new vegetarian lifestyle. Eventually Carlisle swam to France, where he continued on to travel through Europe and study at the Universities. Eventually, he found his calling and his redemption in medicine and saving lives (Twilight, pg. 336-339).
Carlisle lived with the Volturi in Italy for a time, before moving to America. While working in Columbus, Ohio in 1911, he fixed the broken leg of a young girl (his future wife) named Esme Platt. Next, Carlisle moved to Chicago, and it was during the time of the Spanish influenza in 1918 when he found Edward. Both of Edward’s parents were dead, or on the verge of death, and just before dying, Edward’s mother begged Carlisle to save Edward. This was the first time Carlisle had changed someone, and says to Bella that he made the process a bit more painful than necessary because of his lack of expertise in the matter (New Moon, pg. 38-41).
Carlisle and Edward lived and travelled together for a time, until in 1921, Carlisle once again came across an injured Esme. This time her injuries were from a suicide attempt she had made after losing her baby. When Carlisle saw her brought into the hospital, he remembered Esme as the happy 16-year-old he had mended before, and did not want to let her die. They were married shortly after.
Next in line to join Carlisle’s coven was Rosalie. Carlisle changed her after finding her dying in the street, after being beaten by her fiancé and his friends (Eclipse, pg. 160). Carlisle had hoped that Rosalie would become a partner for Edward, but that never happened (Eclipse, pg. 165). Eventually Rosalie found Emmett being mauled by a bear and asked Carlisle to change him for her. Carlisle complied, and Rosalie and Emmett have been together since. Carlisle has not changed anyone since Emmett, but agreed to change Bella if Edward refused to do it (New Moon, pg. 537).
Classic Quotes—
“I look at my… son. His strength, his goodness, the brightness that shines out of him-- and it only fuels that hope, that faith, more than ever. How could there not be more for one such as Edward?” (New Moon, pg. 37, in reference to vampires having souls and whether they can go to heaven.)
“I think, in most other ways, that I’ve done the best I could with what I had to work with. But was it right to doom the others to this life? I can’t decide.” (New Moon, pg. 38)
“You’ve chosen not to live without her, and that doesn’t leave me a choice.” (New Moon, pg. 534)
“Bella is already a daughter to me. A beloved daughter.” (Breaking Dawn, pg. 234)
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