The Twilight Saga is one of the most popular film series of all time, owing to its beautiful depiction of a human-vampire romance. As a matter of fact, the film series portrays vampires in an entirely different context, with them resisting the sunlight and most abstaining from killing humans for blood. While the characters Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) and Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) are the main selling points of the story, many viewers were equally fascinated by the whole Cullen family.
Beginning with Twilight in 2008, the franchise expanded to five movies by 2012, all while capturing the attention of the majority of its viewers, transforming them into devoted romantics of both films and books. With that said, aside from Edward, Bella, and Jacob, who all had considerable screen time, it is worth mentioning that the entire Cullen family has a certain appeal that keeps the viewers engaged. As the story progresses, you may have gotten interested in the family tree and other details, such as their ages, especially given how long they have lived.
The Cullen Family Tree
Carlisle Cullen
Founder and Patriarch — 365 Years Old
Carlisle Cullen, the founder of the Cullen clan, was born in London in 1640, but he was turned into a vampire by a mysterious person in 1663 (at the age of 23). After turning Esme Cullen into a vampire in 1921, he marries her, and they become adoptive parents to Edward, Emmett, Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper. Carlisle had been living alone for nearly 150 years, so it’s no surprise that he is quite compassionate and caring towards his family.
Esme Cullen
Matriarch — 110 Years Old
Esme, portrayed by Elizabeth Reaser, is Carlisle’s wife and acts as a mother to the younger Cullens. After Edward, she is the second member to join the Cullen family. She became the family’s matriarch after Carlisle turned her into a vampire in 1921. Even though she had met him ten years ago, Carlisle wouldn’t turn her into a vampire unless her life was at stake. She eventually walks into an abusive marriage, resulting in her daughter’s death just two days after giving birth.
After Esme attempts suicide, Carlisle turns her into a vampire on her deathbed, ultimately falling in love and starting a beautiful family. Consequently, Esme’s adoptive family considers her to be the ideal maternal figure, thanks to her strong affection for everyone around her.
Edward Cullen
Adoptive Son and Bella’s Husband — 104 Years Old
Edward Cullen is the first to join the Cullen family, having been turned into a vampire by Carlisle in 1921, when he was just 17 years old. Carlisle was already an esteemed physician when he met Edward, who was dying of influenza. In order to fulfill the dying wish of Edward’s mother, Carlisle transforms Edward into a vampire and adopts him as his own. Edward was born in 1901, making him 104 years old, as The Twilight Saga takes place in 2005.
Rosalie Hale
Adoptive Daughter and Emmett’s Wife — 90 Years Old
While Esme’s backstory sounds terrifying, Rosalie had the most painful past in the franchise. Rosalie Hale, played by Nikki Reed and born in 1915, is subjected to an unimaginable experience when she is assaulted and left for dead by her fiancé and his friends on the street. After Carlisle turns her into a vampire, she exacts her revenge on the culprits and moves on to spend her life with the new family. Although Carlisle’s hope was that Rosalie would be a romantic companion for Edward when she became the fourth member of the clan, she ended up marrying Emmett. Rosalie was 90 years old when she appeared in The Twilight Saga.
Emmett Cullen
Adoptive Son and Rosalie’s Husband — 90 Years Old
Emmett Cullen, played by Kellan Lutz, was the next to join the family. He is physically the strongest vampire in the Cullen family but was found near death after being mauled by a bear in 1935. He was then saved by Rosalie, who later asked Carlisle to transform him into a vampire. Thereafter, he will fall in love with Rosalie and marry her, intending to spend the rest of their lives together. Emmett and Rosalie are both 90 years old, having been born in 1915, but the latter had been turned into a vampire two years ago.
Alice Cullen
Adoptive Daughter, Jasper’s Wife — 104 Years Old
Unlike the other Cullen family members, Carlisle does not turn Alice (Ashley Greene) into a vampire, but instead, she seeks them out. Alice experiences visions as a human, and after discovering that her father was responsible for her mother’s murder, she is sent to an asylum before being bitten by an unknown vampire as a gesture of goodwill. Following a vision of Jasper Hale, the pair will subsequently join the tranquil family of Carlisle. Alice became a vampire in 1920 at the age of 19. Therefore, she was 104 years old when The Twilight Saga began.
