twilight fact file

stefan

Stefan

Stefan is a founding member of the Romanian coven, as well as one of the only two survivors from the coven's destruction.

Stefan and his fellow Romanian vampire Vladimir once ruled the vampire world thousands of years ago with their coven, along with ten other Romanian vampires, one of which Stefan's mate. The Romanians were formed in a way similar to the Volturi: a group of ambitious vampires calling a truce to the usual squabbling between small covens and then joining forces for the purpose of gaining power. This prevailing desire to rule allowed them to overcome their competitive drives and cooperate. Not even bothering to keep the secret, they let the Romanian people in their city know that they were vampires, instead of acting under the pretense of being Christian saints (referring to St. Marcus Day in Volterra).

The eventual downfall of the Romanians was their focus on brute strength. They created a guard-like entity - a pattern later copied by the Volturi - composed entirely of vampires like Felix and Emmett. Perhaps because none of the ruling members of the coven possessed other supernatural abilities themselves, they underestimated the advantage such abilities could give them in battle. They ignored talented vampires in favor of strength. This blind spot was understandable, as no one had ever used talents the way the Volturi eventually did. Talents have also grown stronger over the centuries; the talents exhibited by vampires during the Romanian rule were not as potent as the talents that developed in modern times. Much of that is due to vampires learning to seek out talented humans to transform, and also understanding how to focus and improve their talents after the transformation. Aro's innovative focus on talent over strength was the reason the Volturi were able to defeat the Romanians, though it took them more than a century, and they never wiped them out completely.

The eventual downfall of the Romanians was their focus on brute strength. They created a guard-like entity - a pattern later copied by the Volturi - composed entirely of vampires like Felix and Emmett. Perhaps because none of the ruling members of the coven possessed other supernatural abilities themselves, they underestimated the advantage such abilities could give them in battle. They ignored talented vampires in favor of strength. This blind spot was understandable, as no one had ever used talents the way the Volturi eventually did. Talents have also grown stronger over the centuries; the talents exhibited by vampires during the Romanian rule were not as potent as the talents that developed in modern times. Much of that is due to vampires learning to seek out talented humans to transform, and also understanding how to focus and improve their talents after the transformation. Aro's innovative focus on talent over strength was the reason the Volturi were able to defeat the Romanians, though it took them more than a century, and they never wiped them out completely.

They are particularly bitter toward Jane and Alec, because even though they were not involved in the initial fight, they had provided much more power to the Volturi, to the point of invincibility.

Every few decades, the Volturi would send Demetri and others after the remaining Romanians, so Stefan and Vladimir are constantly on the move and always on their guard. If the Volturi focused their efforts, they would be able to wipe out the survivors, but since these two pose little threat, the Volturi have never committed their assets to a drawn-out chase.

Stefan and Vladimir show up uninvited to the Cullen territory in Breaking Dawn hoping that the controversy caused by Renesmee Cullen will finally present them with the opportunity to destroy the Volturi once and for all. However, their hopes don't falter throughout the book.

During the month that the Romanian coven "witnesses" Renesmee, Bella has a certain aversion to having Renesmee being around the Romanians, for fear that they, too, are just like the Volturi, with their pasty-white skin and red eyes. However, Bella notices that Stefan's and Vladimir's eyes are not filmed over as the Volturi's, but she does not inquire about it, fearing that it would be rude. It is Renesmee who eventually asks, and the vampires reply that once their castle was burned they had to move, as opposed to the Volturi elders who sit still decade after decade.

Renesmee is said to have enjoyed the Romanians' company, but Bella limits her time with them after they describe how they would like to rip out the eyes of the Volturi. They only seek revenge towards the Volturi, and will do anything to harm them. Jacob nicknames Stefan "Dracula Two".

In the big climax with the Volturi, the "royal vampire family" is entirely astonished to see their bitter enemies on Carlisle's side, and immediately want to take action. Aro, however, with his eternal enthusiasm, seeks the truth from Carlisle, and Stefan's and Vladimir's hope of having a battle with the Volturi is vanquished. They were happy, however, to see the Volturi run away like cowards after the confrontation.