Twilight: Who Is The Oldest Vampire In The Saga?

In the small town of Forks, Washington, Bella Swan's (Kristen Stewart) exposure to vampires is through a specific lens. She lives and (literally) dies for her undead beau, so when she is confronted with vampires outside of the Cullen coven, it can be quite a shock. The oldest vampire she knows is Carlisle (Peter Facinelli), who turned in the 1600s. But he is not the canonically oldest vampire by a long shot.

That honor may seem as though it should belong to Aro (Michael Sheen) and the band of Volturi fascists who have been ruling the vampire community for centuries. But in reality, there is one vampire who has been around even longer. After the birth of Bella's terrifying CGI baby in "Breaking Dawn — Part 1," she meets a host of international vampires, including Amun (Omar Metwally). The secretive Egyptian leader has a firm grip on his little coven, which is why he has lived for so long. Being a member of the undead as early as 2500 B.C., he has learned a thing or two about survival, even if it means adhering to Aro's whims.

Amun's capacity for self-preservation is one of the main reasons he has lived for so long. No matter what his ideals are, he always sides with the winning side — typically Aro during his power grab. But Amun's long-standing life has fascinating roots not explicitly expressed on the page or on screen. Fans of "The Mummy" may notice that his name comes from Ancient Egyptian mythology, which is the first clue to his age.

Egyptians worshiped many gods, including a primordial being named Amun. First described as the god of air, the deity developed over the years and later became known as Amun-Ra. According to legend, Amun is the creator of all things, including himself. And Stephenie Meyer naming the oldest vampire in "Twilight" canon indicates just how long Amun has lived, but it also has curious implications for how vampires came to be. 

If Amun is as old as he claims, could he actually be the Amun of ancient lore? Perhaps in the time of Ancient Egypt, humans saw Amun and his powers and only worshiped him as a god. But if mythology dictates that Amun is the creator of everything, does that also mean that he is the first vampire? Meyer is scant on the details of how vampires came to be, but for a being over thousands of years old, this is as good a guess as any.