Hannibal Lecter

Hannibal Lecter, made by author Thomas Harris in his long novel series, is considered by many as one of the best movie villains thanks to the superb acting skill of Anthony Hopkins, who took the role in the 1991 movie adaptation.

In essence, Hannibal Lecter is a dangerous serial killer that kills and then eats his unfortunate victims. Before the police captured him, Hannibal used to be a popular and well-respected forensic psychiatrist. After the man's incarceration, FBI agents Clarice Starling and Will Graham consulted him in order to capture other serious killers.

In fact, Hannibal Lecter in the novel itself did not have much role. The character only played a more important part in the 1988 and 1991 adaptations - the latter has won Anthony Hopkins the Oscar award for "Best Actor". Hopkins then resumed his role in the 2001 movie "Hannibal", adapting the 1999 book about Lecter's attempts to evade recapture. He also appeared again in "Red Dragon" (2002).

Hannibal Lecter has been portrayed by many actors since then, but Anthony's shining performance is still the most iconic. The character was regarded as the best villain in American history by American Movie Institutes in 2003. Seven years later, Entertainment Weekly also listed him as among the 100 best characters over the past 20 years.

Movies: Silence of The Lambs (1991), Hannibal (2001), Red Dragon (2002)

Actor: Anthony Hopkins