Carmen

"May I hold you, bebé linda?"

- Carmen to Renesmee.

Carmen is a member of the Denali coven. Carmen and her mate, Eleazar, joined the Denali "sisters" after Eleazar left the Volturi. She is a "vegetarian" and lives a very peaceful lifestyle. At the end of Breaking Dawn, her coven is joined by Garrett.

Early life
Carmen was changed sometime during the 1700s, but the exact date is unknown. She eventually met Eleazar while he was still serving the Volturi and the two of them fell in love. Eleazar and Carmen lived together for a while as Eleazar continued to work for the Volturi, but Eleazar's struggle between his two worlds deeply troubled Carmen. Due to this, and his own dislike for some of the Volturi's methods, Eleazar left with Carmen to find a new and more compassionate life together.

Carmen and her mate Eleazar are both originally from Spain. Eventually, they found the Denali coven and decided they liked their style of life better. They have been mated ever since. Edward described her as a very compassionate soul and explained that if Carmen and Eleazar had not found Tanya's family they would have eventually found some other way to forgo human blood. In this respect, Carmen's and Eleazar's canon greatly resemble Alice's and Jasper's, since both couples had a sense of morality before they joined their respective families.

Carmen and Eleazar are "both well suited to the 'vegetarian' lifestyle.

Eclipse
When the Cullens call upon the Denali Coven to aid in their fight against the newborn army plaguing Seattle, the Denalis refuse at Irina's insistence, motivated by a grudge against the shape-shifters for killing Laurent, her mate, much to the regret of the remainder of the coven.

Breaking Dawn
Carmen makes her first appearance in the series when she attends Edward and Bella's wedding, along with the rest of the Denali coven except Irina, as a way to apologize to the Cullens for abandoning them in their time of need and to make peace with the "werewolves." At the wedding, Carmen is very pleased to meet Bella after hearing much about her.

A few months later, Carlisle contacts Carmen and her family and asks them to come to Forks to help, but does not give full details. When Edward and Bella first introduce her and her family to their daughter, Renesmee, Carmen is the first to believe and accept their explanation, despite her family's outrage. She then helps convince her mate and adoptive sisters to believe the Cullens' story. Since then, Renesmee and Carmen have become very close friends.

The Volturi confrontation ends peacefully with only one casualty ― that of Carmen's sister, Irina ― leaving Carmen and the rest of her family devastated by the loss. With Kate's new mate, Garrett, they return to Alaska shortly after the confrontation ends.

Physical appearance
Carmen has dark brown hair, and a hint of an olive tone to her chalky complexion. She is 5'5" tall. It is assumed she has the same gold/black eyes of all "vegetarian" vampires.

In the books, she speaks flawless English, even though Spanish is her native language. In the movies, she speaks with a Spanish accent.

She is described as a "woman" in the books, so it is assumed that she was changed at an age older than twenty years old.

Personality
Carmen is a “vegetarian” and lives a very peaceful lifestyle. She is less concerned with the law than the other members of the Denali coven. This is proven when she is first shown Renesmee; unlike the other members of the coven, she comes forward to see the child without worrying.

Carmen appears to be a very gentle, kind, and maternal person, well suited to the "vegetarian" lifestyle and compassionate for a vampire.

Relationships
Carmen is the mate of Eleazar, as well as the coven mate of Tanya, Kate and Garrett and the now deceased Irina and Laurent.

Eleazar
"Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you."

- Carmen to Eleazar on Renesmee Cullen's hybrid status

Eleazar is Carmen's mate. They met in Spain, when he was still working for the Volturi, though he found their lifestyle revolting. After they fell in love, he left the coven to find a more peaceful life with Carmen. Eventually, they relocated to Denali where they became members of the Denali coven.

Eleazar is very protective of Carmen; this is proven when they first met Renesmee when he threw himself in front of Carmen in a "protective crouch", in the hopes of protecting her from Renesmee, whom he mistakenly assumed to be a highly dangerous immortal child. He also has faith in Carmen's opinions and judgments; for example, when she convinces him to listen to Renesmee's story, he relents and believes her.

Tanya, Kate, and Irina
Tanya is the leader of the Denali coven, while Kate and Irina, along with Carmen, are her younger adoptive sisters. Despite Carmen hadn't been with the Denali sisters as long as they had with each other, they seem to think of each other as equals.

Though it is not determined how close they really are, it seems they have a fairly strong connection, as Eleazar points out that abstaining from human blood allows them to form true family bonds.

In movie, Carmen comforts Tanya and Kate after Irina's death.

Garrett
Garrett is the newest member of the Denali coven, who joined them as Kate's new mate after their confrontation with the Volturi resulted peacefully, after the fall of Irina.

Because he finds their diet on animal blood intriguing in more than one way, it doesn't take long before he shifts his diet to match theirs. However, he does admit that vegetarian diet is more difficult for him.

Renesmee Cullen
"May I hold you, bebé linda?"

- Carmen to Renesmee Cullen

Renesmee Cullen is the youngest member of the Olympic coven, the only other vampire coven that lives on animal blood. When they first met, Eleazar, Kate and Tanya mistook her for an immortal child and refused to listen to their story, but Carmen listened and showed a little belief to it. After she found out that Renesmee is a human/vampire hybrid, she helps convince her "family". Ever since then, Carmen has become very attached to the little girl and declares her will to protect her.

Film portrayal
Carmen is portrayed by Mia Maestro in both Breaking Dawn movies. Her character has been given the surname "Denali" in the films.

Appearances

 * Twilight (mentioned)
 * New Moon (mentioned)
 * Eclipse (mentioned)
 * Breaking Dawn
 * Breaking Dawn - Part 1
 * Breaking Dawn - Part 2