Since the character’s creation inThomas Harris' 1981 crime novel ‘Red Dragon’, Hannibal Lecter has become one of the most recognizable villains in all of pop culture. Notably appearing in acclaimed films likeManhunterandThe Silence of the Lambsas well as NBC’s excellentHannibaltelevision series, Hannibal Lecter is a highly intelligent and cultured psychiatrist whose true passion lies in his pursuits as a serial killer and cannibal. Complex and fascinating, the character has beenplayed by many excellent actorsand a bona fide horror media empire has been created around him (most recently, various Harris charactersappeared in CBS' short-lived showClarice, though Lecter did not due to complicated rights issues).
A cinematic and television screen universe featuring a vast array of compelling heroes and fearsome villains, all of whom contain deep moral ambiguities, there are so many different interpretations of the franchise’s strong characters to choose from. Highlighting stand-out performances of each character, these are the 10 greatest and most unforgettable characters in the Hannibal Lecter universe on the small and big screen.
10Freddy Lounds (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
‘Red Dragon’ (2002)
Freddy Lounds, portrayed inRed Dragonby thelegendaryPhilip Seymour Hoffman, is a journalist for a sensationalist tabloid paper called the ‘National Tattler’. Lounds is highly unethical in his work, willing to do anything for a good story whether it is the right thing to do or not. He is antagonistic towards protagonist Will Graham due to previously exploiting him for a story, and draws unwanted attention to Will’s involvement in the ‘Tooth Fairy’ serial murder case.
Lounds is highly naïve to the danger he is playing with in his salacious coverage of true-crime stories, leading to him going along with Will Graham’s idea to publish slanderous speculation about the killer in order to draw his ire. This decision leads to Freddy becoming a victim of the murderer, brutally having his lips bitten off and being set on fire, but not without attempting to bribe his killer with flattering media representation first. A great representation of immoral media personalities, Freddy Lounds is a stand-out character inRed Dragon’s film adaptation.
Red Dragon
9Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl)
‘Hannibal’ (2013-2015)
Played with great vulnerability byKacey Rohl, Abigail Hobbs is introduced inHannibalas the daughter of twisted serial killer Garret Jacob Hobbs (Vladimir Jon Cubrt), ‘the Minnesota Shrike’. Abigail is a tragic character who arguably never stood any chance at normalcy due to her upbringing. Taught by her father to kill and completely butcher animals, which Abigail found emotionally challenging, she was also used as bait for his victims. This distresses Abigail, making her feel as if she was responsible for his crimes.
“Abigail is a tragic character who arguably never stood any chance at normalcy due to her upbringing.”
Initially Alana’s patient but quickly being sucked into Lecter’s toxic orbit, Abigail’s primary relationship in the show is her father-daughterdynamic with Hannibal, who eventually kidnaps and brainwashes her to aid him.Abigail is a naïve and easily gaslit young woman due to her traumatic upbringing, but she also inherited a toughness and strong survival instinct as a result. One of the most pivotal characters in the entire series, Abigail is a great character.
8Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas)
Alana Bloom (Caroline Dhavernas) is a psychiatrist who assists at the FBI academy. Alana is smart and competent and usually highly perceptive in her assessments of others' character traits, but suffers a crucial blind-spot in her view of Hannibal. Throughout the series, she has several extremely important relationships and friendships, most notably with her former teacher and eventual partner Hannibal, with her friend and colleague Will, and with her eventual wife Margot Verger (Katharine Isabelle).
“Alana is brave, stubborn and strives to be ethical in her work.”
Alana is brave, stubborn and strives to be ethical in her work, frequently advocating for her beliefs even when they conflict with her colleagues and work superiors.She is kind yet tough, standing up for herself whenever necessary, and eventually grows much colder and more ruthless after discovering that Hannibal has betrayed her. The discovery of Lecter’s crimes horrifies Alana, being shocked that she could have been so wrong about him, and adds interesting narrative conflict to an already strong character.
7Reba McClane (Rutina Wesley)
‘Hannibal’ Season 3 (2015)
Reba McClane (Rutina Wesley) is a photo technician who is introduced to the dark world ofHannibalas the girlfriend of the ‘Tooth Fairy’ killer Francis Dolarhyde (Richard Armitage). Reba is a kind and gentle woman who truly cares for Francis and has absolutely no awareness of his crimes, instead seeing him as a troubled and good man. She is blind, having lost her sight due to illness as a child, and her disability makes her simultaneously perceptive and extremely vulnerable.
“Although a minor role, Reba is an essential and compelling part ofHannibal’s Red Dragon storyline.”
Reba is a unique and likable character, with her incredible strength coming from her good heart and her sense of self-belief.Her romance with Francis is tragic, as they both genuinely love and care for each other, but his fearsome Red Dragon persona forces him to attempt to murder her. One of her most memorable traits is her connection with tigers - the last thing she saw before going blind - symbolizing her love for and attempt at taming her dangerous partner. Although a minor role, Reba is an essential and compelling part ofHannibal’s Red Dragon storyline.
6Francis Dolarhyde (Tom Noonan)
‘Manhunter’ (1986)
Francis Dolarhyde, played by a highly imposingTom NoonaninManhunter, is the film’s principal antagonist. Nicknamed ‘the Tooth Fairy’ by the FBI, he leaves tooth marks of his distinctive bite on his victims' bodies as well as posing and mutilating them. Extremely disturbed, Dolarhyde becomes a serial killer due to being controlled by his evil alter ego ‘the Red Dragon’, who he believes he must become through murdering innocent families.
“Numerous actors have portrayed the character onscreen, but Noonan’s chilling performance inManhunteris by far the scariest interpretation of the character.”
Despite his instability, Dolarhyde begins a relationship with the kind and gentle Reba McClane (Joan Allen) who has the potential of being a genuinely positive influence on him. However, Dolarhyde’s love for Reba is eventually overpowered by his lust for blood as he sets his sights on murdering her, leading to the film’s exhilarating climax. Numerous actors have portrayed the character onscreen, but Noonan’schilling performance inManhunterisby far the scariest interpretation of the character.
5Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine)
‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)
Jame Gumb (Ted Levine), known to the FBI as ‘Buffalo Bill’, is a serial killer who serves as one of the main antagonists inThe Silence of the Lambs. Inspired by killers likeTed BundyandEd Gein, Buffalo Bill’s M.O. as a killer is to kidnap plus-sized women by feigning injury and then to take parts of their skin to craft a ‘woman-suit’ from them. Although the film and its source material make substantial efforts to separate the character from negative stereotypes (the distinction is very clearly spelled out in the text of both Harris' book and Tally’s screenplay), the character has been understandably controversial with some LGBT audiences.
Buffalo Bill is a sadistic killer who lacks all empathy for his victims, most notably dehumanizinghis victim Catherine (Brooke Smith)by referring to her as “it”, and his sole companion is his (admittedly very cute) pet dog Precious. Brought to life through a very strong performance from Ted Levine, who was unfortunately overlooked in pop culture due to Anthony Hopkins' star-turn as Hannibal Lecter,Buffalo Bill is a formidable villain and a great character.
The Silence of the Lambs
4Jack Crawford (Laurence Fishburne)
Jack Crawford, portrayed on television by a perfectly-castLaurence Fishburne, is an FBI agent and the head of the Behavioral Science Unit. Jack is a smart and no-nonsense man who cares deeply about the vital work he and his team do. This leads to him frequently exploiting Will Graham’s empathetic abilities in order to more effectively catch killers, showing little care for the immense strain that this places on Will, which creates a complex moral ambiguity to Jack’s character.
“Jack is characterized by his dry, sarcastic wit, which is emphasized wonderfully by Fishburne’s acting choices.”
Hot-headed and passionate, some of the best line deliveries in the show come from Fishburne exploding at his subordinates for relatively minor infractions. Additionally,Jack is characterized by his dry, sarcastic wit, which is emphasized wonderfully byFishburne’s acting choicessuch as pitch-perfect eyebrow raises and side-eye glances. Although Jack appears in mostHannibalmedia properties, he is given by far the most depth in the TV series, in which he is one of the best characters.
3Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster)
Clarice Starling is the protagonist ofThe Silence of the Lambs, in which she is portrayed byJodie Foster. Clarice is a trainee FBI agent, set apart from her colleagues due to being a young woman, which makes her vulnerable to inappropriate advances both from fellow FBI agents and from criminals. However, Clarice’s gender also ingratiates her to the incarcerated Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), with whom she begins a tense but mutually-beneficial dynamic after being tasked with interviewing him for criminal profiling reasons.
“Clarice is highly intelligent, personable and brave, considered by many to be one of the greatest heroines in film.”
Clarice is highly intelligent, personable and brave, considered by many to beone of the greatest heroines in film.Forher phenomenal performance in the role, Jodie Foster won Best Actress at the Oscars due to the commitment and incredible personality she brought to the role, holding her own against Anthony Hopkins the way that Clarice holds her own against Lecter. Overcoming her self-doubt and the disadvantages forced upon her due to her gender, Clarice is a relatable and aspirational character and one of the very best inHannibalmedia.
2Will Graham (Hugh Dancy)
Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) is a criminal profiler specializing in serial killers, who serves as the protagonist of theHannibaltelevision series.Will is a complicated and compelling protagonist whose primary gift is his hyper-empathetic naturewhich gives him an uncanny ability to put himself in the shoes of killers. As the series progresses, Will’s deep connection to cases begins to torture him psychologically.
“The lens through which we come to understand Lecter and his motivations, Will Graham is a fantastic protagonist and one of the best characters in theHannibaluniverse.”
Played with deep complexity by English actor Hugh Dancy(Graham was also played very well on film byWilliam PetersenandEdward Norton), Will is a loyal friend who has a strong connection to and fondness for animals, but also has a dark side that is slowly drawn out of him throughout the series. The main hook of the series is therelationship between Will and Hannibal, which is fascinating, layered and tumultuous, with the two operating as foils for one another. Their dynamic alternates throughout the series between love and antagonism, but always fundamentally hinges on obsession. The lens through which we come to understand Lecter and his motivations, Will Graham is a fantastic protagonist and one of the best characters in theHannibaluniverse.
1Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen)
Most notablyportrayed in film immaculatelybyAnthony HopkinsandBrian Cox, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is afforded the greatest depth in NBC’s series, where he is portrayed byMads Mikkelsen. Hannibal is a genius forensic psychiatrist and secretly a cannibalistic serial killer, who is recruited to aid the FBI due to his important skill set, although he often deliberately misleads them. He enjoys toying with others psychologically, especially those whom he respects, such as Will Graham - constantly using people to further his own agendas.
“Most notably portrayed in film immaculately by Anthony Hopkins and Brian Cox, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is afforded the greatest depth in NBC’s series, where he is portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen.”
Inspired by several real life serial killers, Lecter’s characterization is unique due to his high intelligence and his sophisticated taste in art and food. Although he is a cannibal, the human meat he prepares in the TV series always looks disturbingly delicious and classy, creating a fascinating cognitive dissonance for the audience. Hannibal Lecter is one of cinema and television’s greatest antagonists, being highly dangerous, unpredictable and always using his intellect and charm to manipulate and outsmart others.
NEXT:20 Best Thriller Series of All Time, Ranked According to IMDb
