Alice Cullen

"And you ducked your head, like a good Southern gentleman, and said, 'I'm sorry, ma'am.'"

- Alice to Jasper

Alice Cullen, born in 1901 as Mary Alice Brandon, is a precognitive vampire, member of the Olympic Coven. She is the wife and soulmate of Jasper Hale and the adopted daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, the adoptive sister of Emmett and Edward Cullen, and of Rosalie Hale. Alice is also the adoptive sister-in-law of Bella Cullen and the adoptive aunt of Renesmee Cullen. She also has a biological sister, Cynthia Brandon, who remained human and has passed away by now, and a niece, Cynthia's daughter, still living in Biloxi.

In 1920, after having been institutionalized by her family, an unknown vampire turned her to save her from the relentless tracker, James. Later, she was led to the love of her life, Jasper, after receiving a vision of him, and the pair subsequently joined the peaceful coven of the Cullen family.

Early life
Alice Cullen's early history is very vague as she remembers nothing of her human life, except for that she was put in a mental asylum for some time for her uncanny ability to predict the future, and woke up alone as a vampire. It is eventually revealed that she was born around 1901 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and that her premonitions intensified after she became a vampire. She was confined to a dark cell, which explains why she remembers so little of her human life. Alice was turned by an unknown vampire who worked at the asylum, in order to protect her from James, a tracker vampire who was hunting her. She and Bella are the only two people to ever escape James. Unlike most of her adoptive family members, she developed a conscience on her own, which kept her from feeding on humans. In her early years, she had a vision of her and Jasper in the Cullen family, and in the followup of this vision, she found him at an empty diner in Philadelphia, and the two joined then into the Cullens' house. After doing some research (with help from Bella when James was torturing her), Alice found her grave and discovered that the date on her tombstone matched that of her admission to the asylum (she had stolen her file from their records). It is therefore possibly implied that she was "dead" to her family when they confined her there. Through her research she additionally discovered that she had a younger sister named Cynthia Brandon, and that Cynthia's daughter, Alice's niece, is still alive in Biloxi.



Twilight
At the beginning of Twilight, when Edward first states his attraction towards Bella, Alice is interested, since she had a vision about him and Bella becoming friends and knew that it could one day happen. Therefore, she is very supportive of the relationship between them. When Bella comes to visit the Cullens' house, Alice is polite and friendly, acting as if Bella is already a member of her family.

Later that day, the Cullens decide to play baseball, with Alice as the pitcher, and invite Bella along to watch. Three nomadic vampires, James, Laurent, and Victoria, arrive. Alice had a vision of them showing up later in the week, but after hearing the baseball game they had decided to investigate. With Laurent taking the lead, Bella assumes that he is the leader of the coven, but it is soon revealed that James is the leader, and they intentionally tried to fool the Cullens.

Laurent shows interest in their lifestyle, and Carlisle explains suggests they all go back to the house where he will then explain their diet of animal blood. It seems that Bella will be able to walk away unnoticed, when James suddenly catches her scent.

Laurent diffues the situation and the three vampires leave. Edward, having read James intentions, knows that James won't give up so easily and tries to leave town with Bella.

Because the decisions are made so quickly, Alice fails to see the coming events.

Bella, not wanting to leave her father unprotected, devises a plan for her to go into hiding in Phoenix, Arizona, brought by Alice and Jasper. The Cullen's work together while Bella is being hunted, with Esme and Rosalie chasing Victoria, and Carlisle, Emmett and Edward chasing after James, trying to lead him away from Bella with a false trail. After loosing Victoria's trail, Esme and Rosalie go back to Forks to protect Charlie, Bella's father.

After arriving in Phoenix, they stay in a hotel, and Alice receives a vision of a ballet studio, not understanding what it means. Alice then sees Bella's mother Renee's living room in Phoenix. They realize James has changed his plans and calls Edward. Just before Alice, Jasper and Bella reach the airport to meet Edward, she sees Bella in the ballet studio, and although what she sees is unclear, we know that it is something horrific. Alice does not inform Bella of it. When Alice, Jasper, and Bella wait for the rest of their family at the airport, Bella slips away from the girls room, causing Alice great worry.

The Cullens realize immediately that Bella has gone to the studio, and they rush there. They arrive in time to help fight off James and kill him. When it becomes clear that James' bites have very badly injured Bella, Edward quickly sucks the venom out of her blood. Alice doesn't leave the site, assisting Carlisle and Edward with Bella's treatment, although the blood tempts her to kill Bella. After being informed that Bella is recovering, she presumably returns to Forks.

After the accident, Edward mentions to Bella that Alice went a little too far fabricating evidence to cover up vampire attack on Bella.

A few weeks later, Alice attends the high school prom with the rest of her family, helping Bella get ready. Bella described that Alice was 'treating her like a guinea pig barbie'. Alice insisted that Bella should behave while playing with her as she has no memories of being human. There, Alice is one of the people in the center of attention, captivating everyone with her looks, dress, and dancing.

New Moon
Alice arranges a party for Bella's 18th birthday in New Moon, but things get out of hand when Bella gets a paper cut and her blood causes Jasper to lose control. Edward tries to protect her, but accidentally shoves her into a pile of glass, worsening her injuries. When the Cullens leave, Edward requests that Alice not say goodbye to Bella partly because it would make it harder, and partly to make a clean break. During her absence, Alice takes time researching her human family and that she has a sister and a niece, the latter of whom is still alive in Biloxi. She later comes back to Forks because she accidentally has a vision of Bella jumping off a cliff. It is discovered later that Alice cannot see the Quileute shapeshifters, so she cannot see Jacob Black rescuing Bella. Thinking that Bella has committed suicide, she travels to Forks as soon as she can, driving Carlisle's car. Bella missed Alice the most (Edward aside) and cried with joy. She sees Bella alive and is confused. After some explanation about the cliff diving episode, she is more relaxed and goes hunting because Bella had asked her to stay for a while. She tells Bella what the Cullens have been up to and finds out how hard it was for Bella when they all left her. Rosalie soon tells Edward over a phone call (because he does not live with the Cullens at the current time) why Alice has gone to Forks. When Jacob Black tells Edward (thinking that he was Carlisle talking to him on the phone) that Charlie is "at the funeral", Edward thinks he meant Bella's funeral, though he was actually referring to Harry Clearwater's. Alice sees this and helps Bella get to Volterra, Italy to stop Edward from exposing himself to the world and being killed by the Volturi. While there, Alice steals a yellow Porsche 911 Turbo to make it in time and, thanks to her newfound love of the car, later asks Edward for one as a gift. She convinces Aro that Bella will become a vampire in the future. After Bella's return to Forks, Alice is one of the Cullens voting in favor of Bella being turned into a vampire.

Eclipse
Alice mainly plays a supporting role in Eclipse. Edward bribes her with a canary yellow Porsche 911 Turbo (like the one she stole in New Moon) to kidnap Bella so she won't go to La Push to visit Jacob. Eventually Bella escapes with Jacob while they are at school, but Alice still gets to keep the Porsche. She doesn't seem to think badly of a treaty with the La Push werewolves. Victoria creates an army of newborn vampires and manages to evade Alice's vision, but Bella manages to figure out her plan and tells Alice this on graduation day. That night, she receives a vision of the army's coming and the family prepares a battle strategy led by Jasper, while forming allegiance with the wolves. It is revealed she can use her power to predict the movements of her opponent in battle. She fights the newborn army with the majority of the Cullens and the werewolves, although Jasper doesn't let her do anything out of fear for her safety. You can see her relationships with Bella and Edward grow throughout this book. Alice is one of Bella's best friends and thinks of her as a sister. Being liked by Charlie, she, unlike Edward has unlimited visitation rights during Bella's punishment for leaving for Italy.

Alice is highly upset when she has a vision of Bella and Edward getting married in Las Vegas and confronts Bella about this, trying to convince her to let her arrange an ordinary wedding for them. After a while, Bella decides to have an official wedding, and Alice is visibly thrilled to be her maid of honor and to be getting to arrange everything for the wedding.

Breaking Dawn
At the beginning of Breaking Dawn, Alice helps Bella get ready for her wedding to Edward by helping her with her dress and make up, and giving her her garter, since she's her bridesmaid. Bella is not yet informed about the honeymoon's destination; so Alice packs her bag for her. When Bella first looks in her suitcase she is surprised to find that Alice packed a lot of lingerie. It is Alice's tampons which makes Bella realize that she is pregnant. In Book Two, Alice has a minor part mainly because she cannot see Bella's future while she is pregnant with Renesmee, whom she also cannot see. It gives her migraines to try, and she can only see a few minutes into Bella's future. She is greatly relieved when the shape-shifters (Jacob's new pack) come, because then she can't see anything, and it numbs the pain. Alice becomes very close to Jacob, since he numbs the pain. After Bella has turned into a vampire, Alice presents her gift for her nineteenth birthday (even though Bella started her change when she was eighteen) - a cottage from all the Cullens. There is also a great wardrobe area in the small cottage that Alice convinced Esme to add in. Later, when she has a vision of the Volturi coming to end her family, she leaves the Cullens with Jasper, making them think they have abandoned them when the truth is they are on a secret mission to save them all. She leaves Bella clues about what to do in case she doesn't come back in time: a piece of paper from Bella's book with the name J. Jenks. He goes on to prepare fake birth certificates, passports, and driver's licenses for Renesmee and Jacob to escape. While looking for the hybrid, she sends any vampires she can find to the Cullen house. Right before a fight starts between the Cullens and the Volturi, Alice arrives with a hybrid named Nahuel, his aunt, Huilen, and Kachiri, an Amazonian vampire. After the Volturi leave, the Cullens welcome Alice back and question her about why she left them without a goodbye, but she just smiles and explains she had to find Nahuel without Aro's knowledge of it or Aro would never have committed to withdrawing.

Physical description
Alice is a very friendly person, petite (the shortest of the Cullens at 4'10", "thin in the extreme", with small, "pixie-like" features. She is also described to have large eyes and long, delicate eyebrows. Her hair is cropped short, spiky, and inky black. She moves gracefully, continually cited as dancing, with a carriage that would "break any ballerina's heart", as described by Bella in Twilight. Also in Twilight, James states that, when they were human, Alice's blood smelled much better than Bella's. This could indicate that Alice was James's singer.

Personality
Alice is portrayed as being optimistic, and she loves and cares for Bella like a sister. She often ignores other people's advice and does things her own way, which usually results in the outcome being better than predicted. She loves to sing with music three octaves higher than the song really is with her silvery bell-like voice. She has vicarious fun dressing up Bella "like a three-dimensional paper doll" and decorating for and throwing parties. She also loves shopping at expensive shops in large malls as well as makeovers. Alice seems to think that Bella should do everything a normal teenager should do (i.e. love to shop, party whenever possible, etc.). Alice is also described as being a very fashionable person, going on massive shopping sprees with the money she helps her family make by predicting the stock markets. Alice enjoys buying clothes for Bella. In Twilight, Bella complains to Edward that Alice was treating her like 'guinea pig barbie'. In Breaking Dawn, Esme furnishes a cottage for Edward and Bella, and Alice stocks the closet with an overflowing amount of clothing. Alice is often disappointed when Bella doesn't dress as she wishes. When Bella turns up wearing jeans and a t-shirt Alice says "Look at you, you need me to show you how to use your closet!" Her adoptive sister, Rosalie Hale, shares her intense love for fashion. Although Alice and Edward are very close, Edward often playfully calls her annoying, as he says in Eclipse when she is telling Bella about the graduation party. Edward and Alice have learned how to have a sort of mental conversation, and the family rarely notices. However, when they do notice, they will often complain about not knowing what the information is.

Powers and abilities
Alice is known as the most agile vampire in the family, supported with her clairvoyant powers.

Clairvoyance
"She sees things - things that might happen, things that are coming. But it's very subjective. The future isn't set in stone. Things change."

- Edward explaining Alice's power to Bella

Alice has the power to see into the future. The premonitions she experienced as a human are intensified in her vampire life, and she uses them to her advantage in order to keep her family safe. However, Alice's sight is limited: she can only see the outcome of a decision once it is made - meaning it can change all too quickly. It mainly works by focusing on a certain object or person and keep track of its decision. She can also focus on several objects at the same time, up to the limit her mind allows. Also, the future is subjective and Alice cannot see it if shapeshifters are involved. This is a mystery that Carlisle has theorized is due to the unpredictability of the shapeshifters, who, in the split second it takes for them to phase, don't technically "exist". She also cannot "see" Renesmee, Bella and Edward's hybrid daughter in Breaking Dawn. Carlisle also believes that there may be a link with the shapeshifters and Renesmee having 24 chromosome pairs (see Breaking Dawn.) Alice theorized that she cannot see Renesmee and the "shapeshifters" or anything connected to them because she has no experience as being one of them; she sees vampires best because she is one, and can see humans "okay" because she used to be one. Alice, while talking about her talent, describes herself as being "far from infallible". Alice also has the ability to draw a scene that she sees in her visions without looking, and also rather quickly, as seen in the Twilight movie. Edward's power of mind reading allows him to know what Alice sees at the time.

Alice's gift makes her greatly prized by the leader of the Volturi, Aro, who wishes her to join his guard, thinking she would be very useful. Aro wants Edward too, though with less intensity. However, her bond to her family keeps her from joining the Volturi, despite Chelsea's ability to manipulate relationships.

Family
Alice is the wife of Jasper Hale, the sister of Cynthia Brandon, and the aunt of Cynthia's daughter (who is alive and lives in Biloxi), as well as the adoptive daughter of Carlisle and Esme Cullen. She is the adoptive sister of Emmett and Edward Cullen, as well as the adoptive sister of Rosalie Hale. Alice is the adoptive sister-in-law of Bella Cullen and the aunt of Renesmee Cullen, Edward and Bella's daughter.



Jasper Hale
"You kept me waiting long enough."

- Alice Cullen to Jasper Hale

Jasper Hale is Alice's husband. Alice foresaw Jasper finding her in a vision before he even knew he was looking for her. They met face-to-face in a diner located in Philadelphia, when Jasper was not a "vegetarian" vampire, where she told him that she had been waiting a long time for his arrival. A little bewildered but intrigued with her knowing him, Jasper "bowed his head like a good southern gentleman" and answered, "I'm sorry, ma'am." She offered him her hand, a non-verbal question of whether or not he would like to go with her. He did indeed take her hand, as the sight of it brought him hope "for the first time in almost a century". During their companionship and travels, Alice and Jasper fell in love. By 1950, they found Carlisle with more assistance from her visions and have been part of his coven ever since.

Alice and Jasper have been together since the 1950s, but are not as flamboyant about their relationship as Rosalie and Emmett are. They are stated to be soul mates and have been married legally once. Their distinctly understanding love is what separates them from other couples, and they are both very protective of each other.

Jasper is a new 'vegetarian' and Alice helps him through it. Alice has to constantly keep him calm when he is around humans, as said in New Moon.



Carlisle Cullen
Carlisle Cullen is Alice's adoptive father. She foresaw meeting Carlisle and his "family" long before their encounter. Together with Jasper, Alice sought them out through her visions and eventually found them in the 1950s. Carlisle welcomed them into their family. Ever since then, they formed a true family bond. She respects Carlisle's compassion and ties to the family, loving him as a father.



Esme Cullen
"Bella, I think that Esme was rather fond of that table."

- Alice to Bella

Esme Cullen is Alice's adoptive mother. Esme and Alice treat each other as mother and daughter. Not much is known about their relationship, but it is known that they care for each other deeply. In Eclipse, when Alice is informed that she can be Bella's maid of honor, the first person to whom she rushes is Esme. In Breaking Dawn Esme tearlessly sobs when she finds out that Alice had abandoned her and the Cullens.



Edward Cullen
"You know, Edward, as a brother, you are sometimes a disappointment."

- Alice Cullen to Edward Cullen

Edward Cullen is Alice's oldest adoptive brother. Edward shares the closest bond to Alice as siblings, as she has an understanding attitude, although Edward sometimes finds her somewhat annoying. Alice is continually referenced as Edward's favorite sister. In Midnight Sun it is shown that Alice and Edward have worked out a way for a secret conversation using Edward's mind-reading gift. They would also work together to keep Jasper, Alice's husband, in control. While Bella and Alice become closer to each other, Alice and Edward also become closer. They enjoy each other's company and treat each other like blood siblings. Alice would sometimes communicate with Edward through his telepathy to keep their conversation a secret from the others. When Edward is in range, he is able to experience Alice's visions.

When Alice and Jasper left in Breaking Dawn after they found out the Volturi are coming for them, Edward is one of the most devastated. Others include Esme and Bella.



Rosalie Hale
Rosalie Hale is Alice's adoptive sister. Alice and Rosalie are extremely close as sisters as they share a love of fashion and of shopping. In Midnight Sun, Edward mentions that they often discuss how to decorate Rosalie's closet. In Eclipse, when Alice holds Bella hostage, Rosalie accompanies them at the slumber party. In Breaking Dawn, Alice and Rosalie are the ones who dress and take pictures of Renesmee as she quickly develops to make a baby album.



Emmett Cullen
Emmett Cullen is Alice's older adoptive brother. Not much is known about their relationship, but it is known that Alice and Emmett like each other very much as siblings.

Emmett enjoys playing chess with Jasper and Rosalie more than Alice, because of her ability to see his future, which allows her to keep track of his moves. He also dislikes playing chess with Edward, because he can read his thoughts. He also finds her closeness to Edward annoying now and then.



Bella Swan
"I already consider you my sister."

- Alice to Bella

Bella Swan is Alice's adoptive sister-in-law. Alice foresaw Bella's arrival since before she came into their lives. She comes to love Bella as a sister before Bella married Edward and became part of their family. Aside from Jasper and Edward, Alice is closest to Bella, though she tends to annoy her with her sense of fashion, spirit, and love for celebrations and gifts. When Bella decides to marry Edward, Alice continuously pleads her to let her arrange a perfect wedding, until she finally gets her wish.

During a family meeting, Alice is the first to vote in Bella's favor to join their family as a vampire.

When she saw the Volturi coming to end the Cullen family, Alice takes off with Jasper to find witnesses, but not before leaving a few clues for Bella to forge passports and IDs for Renesmee to escape.

Renesmee Cullen
Renesmee Cullen is Alice's adoptive niece, the biological daughter of Bella and Edward. Being the child of Edward and Bella, Alice grows to love Renesmee after she was born, though she is annoyed over her inability to see any visions that involve her. Renesmee is also known to love Alice as her aunt.

When Irina reports Renesmee to the Volturi, Alice catches a vision of their coming and departs with Jasper to look for more of hybrids in South America.



Jacob Black
Jacob Black is the Alpha of his wolf pack that protects Forks and a close friend to the family. They did not have a good start in their relationship, mostly because Jacob is a "werewolf" (later revealed to be a "shapeshifter"), the natural enemy of vampires. Also, Alice dislikes the smell of them and her inability to see them in her vision. However, when the vampire Victoria prepares an army to kill Bella, they decide to destroy it together. Since then, they began to form a weak friendship, which improves when Jacob gives protection to them from Sam's wolf pack.

Although Alice dislikes "werewolves", she doesn't think a treaty with them is necessarily a bad thing.

Before Renesmee was born, Alice feels disgruntled about her inability to see Bella's future because she was "blocked", and is relieved when Jacob spends more time at their place, because she can't see him as well. She and Jacob slowly get closer thanks to their initial disliking of Renesmee, then because he manages to numb her headache. Their friendship continues to the point where she prefers to have him around than his pack mates.

When she and Jasper first left their family without as much as a goodbye, Jacob resents her decision, unaware that she was on a secret mission to save them. When she comes back with an eye witness to help them testify against the Volturi, he learns to understand her idea and his resentment dissipates.



Film portrayal
On February 12, 2008 it was announced that Ashley Greene would be playing the role of Alice Cullen in the Twilight film. She reprised her role in New Moon and Eclipse. Greene wears a wig when playing the role, as her hair is longer than the character's is said to be. Author Stephenie Meyer said that Ashley Greene was the actress who came closest to her vision for their character. Meyer said, "I saw a picture of her and just thought, 'You found Alice! Oh my gosh!"

It has been confirmed that Greene will be returning for the upcoming 2011-2012 Breaking Dawn.

Appearances

 * Twilight (First appearance)
 * Twilight (film)
 * New Moon
 * New Moon (film)
 * Eclipse
 * Eclipse (film)
 * Breaking Dawn
 * Breaking Dawn - Part I
 * Breaking Dawn - Part II
 * Midnight Sun
 * The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner