13 little-known facts about Edward Cullen that even die-hard 'Twilight' fans may not know

Edward first sees Bella in the cafeteria of Forks High School, but it isn't until she steps into their biology class that he experiences her strong scent.

"Midnight Sun" explains he was compelled to kill everyone else in the class and leave no witnesses in order to drink Bella's blood.

He makes it through the class without harming anyone, though his compulsion to kill over 20 people makes it clear that even as a "vegetarian" vampire, Edward is still deadly.

The Denali clan, another group of vampires that don't drink human blood, are friendly with the Cullens and are occasionally mentioned in the movies and books.

In "Eclipse," Edward explains that Denali was interested in him, but he rejected her multiple times.

Despite being around for hundreds of years, Carlisle didn't create another vampire until he turned Edward.

Carlisle made the decision to turn Edward after promising his human mother he would save her son.

In "Midnight Sun," Edward reflects on World War I, back when he was still a human teenager. He wanted to enlist but wasn't yet 18, and his mother didn't want him to become a soldier.

When Edward became sick, he was turned by Carlisle so he never had the chance to serve in the Army.

"Midnight Sun" offers an explanation for the Cullens' income, as they need to afford items that allow them to fit into human society.

Edward's wealth comes from his and Alice Cullen's abilities to predict stock market trends. He also has money from his human inheritance that he still owns, thanks to forged documents allowing him to inherit wealth from himself multiple times.

In "Breaking Dawn," Edward says that after forgoing human blood during his first few years as a vampire, he began to drink from people who he thought deserved to die in the 1920s.

His kills prove that he's not the Cullen with the most self-control, as Rosalie Hale killed only five others directly associated with her human death and has never tasted people's blood.

Edward's birthday as a human is June 20, 1901.

This makes him a Gemini, a sign known for intelligence and adaptability, traits that Edward shows throughout the books.

The books mention that Edward is a skilled piano player. He tells Bella that being immortal gives him time to perfect skills, though he may have learned to play while he was still human.

The books also explain that Edward came from a well-off family, so taking piano lessons as part of his education could have been part of his upbringing.

Each Cullen has a slightly different hunting method and a preferred animal to drink from.

Edward tells Bella he prefers to hunt mountain lions.

In order to appear as young as possible when they arrive in a new town, the Cullens have repeated high school multiple times.

Edward tells Bella he attended several high schools and colleges over the last century, and in "Midnight Sun," he says he has two graduate degrees in medicine.

Though Edward is able to get a general sense of how Bella's dad, Charlie, is feeling, he can't fully read his mind.

Edward can typically hear people's detailed thoughts, but in "Midnight Sun," he says Charlie's thoughts are always a bit shielded.

This might also explain where Bella gets her mind powers from and why Edward can't read her thoughts either.

Bella's human friends play a larger role in the books than in the movies. Though Edward strongly dislikes Mike Newton, he's fond of Weber.

In "Midnight Sun," he mentions Weber to Cheney to encourage the teenager to ask her out. Edward's plan works and Cheney and Weber are a couple for the rest of the series.

Throughout the series, Edward tries to convince Bella to stay human.

In "Eclipse," he believes Bella attending college with humans her age can convince her not to be a vampire. He even encourages Bella to go to college by filling out applications for her.

This story was originally published in August 2022 and most recently updated on November 15, 2024.