The singlet ground states and lowest triplet states of penta- and heptafulvene, their benzannulated derivatives, as well as the lowest quintet states of pentaheptafulvalenes, either the parent compound or compounds in which the two rings are intercepted by either an alkynyl or a phenyl segment, were investigated at the (U)OLYP/6-311G(d,p) density functional theory level. The influence of (anti)-aromaticity was analyzed by the structure-based aromaticity index HOMA, the harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity. The extent of (anti)aromatic character was also evaluated in terms of the pi-electron (de)localization as measured by the pi component of the electron localization function (ELF pi). The natural atomic orbital (NAO) occupancies were calculated in order to evaluate the degree of pi-electron shift caused by the opposing electron-counting rules for aromaticity in the electronic ground state (S-0; Hiickel's rule) and the first pi pi* excited triplet state (T-1; Baird's rule). Pentaheptafulvalene (5) shows a shift of 0.5 pi electrons from the 5-ring to the 7-ring when going from the S-0 state to the lowest quintet state (Qu(1)). The pentaheptafulvalene 5 and [5.6.7]quinarene 7 were also investigated in their 90 degrees twisted conformations. From our study it is apparent that excitation localization in fulvalenes, but not in fulvenes, to a substantial degree is determined by aromaticity localization to triplet biradical 4n pi-electron cycles. Isolated benzene rings in these compounds tend to remain as closed-shell 6 pi-electron cycles.