Summary

• Hannibal Lecter's quotes showcase his chilling, yet charming, personality as one of the most fascinating villains in pop culture.
• Hannibal's ability to maintain a sense of decorum and etiquette while displaying extreme insanity and cruelty draws audiences in.
• Hannibal's love for wordplay and his twisted sense of humor add an extra layer of creepiness to his already terrifying character.

Hannibal Lecter quotes have helped to establish the character as one of the most fascinating villains in pop culture. Hannibal is, without a doubt, one of the most famous and frightening monsters ever committed to film. His insanity and cruelty are matched only by his sense of decorum and etiquette, which makes him far more charming than he should be. This leads to many Hannibal Lecter quotes that make it hard not to be drawn in by this menace.

Hannibal Lecter is a character who has been fascinating and horrifying audiences ever since The Silence of the Lambs came out in 1991. Both in the Hannibal movies as well as the NBC television show have given fans insight into this cruel, intelligent serial killer. Both Anthony Hopkins and Mads Mikkelsen brought Hannibal to life in distinct, memorable, and frightening ways, and both versions of the character have been beloved by fans with many memorable quotes shared between them.

20 "Ready When You Are, Sergeant Pembry."

Hannibal Prepares For His Escape

The prison escape sequence in The Silence of the Lambs is unforgettable partially because it is the first time the audience sees the brutality of Hannibal. He begins by keeping up his typically polite manner giving this line to the guards as they bring him his dinner. However, after launching his vicious attack, he repeats the line as he approaches one of the dying guards with a knife. It shows that the calm and sophisticated appearance Hannibal had throughout the movie was the same cadence he had when brutally murdering someone.

19 "Do You Dream Much, Will? I Think Of You Often."

Hannibal Writes To Will

While Anthony Hopkins regrets returning for Hannibal and Red Dragon, he falls back into the sinister role effortlessly. Red Dragon is the most effective of the later movies with it understanding that Hannibal doesn’t need to be the protagonist. Still, the movie ends with the narration of Hannibal still in prison writing a letter to Will Graham. His final line that he thinks of him often is a sinister and almost threatening idea that presents Hannibal as this ominous force that is always lurking in the shadows.

18 "When The Fox Hears The Rabbit Scream, He Comes A-Runnin', But Not To Help!"

Hannibal Strikes

Hannibal Lecter was a more refined and elegant kind of predator, but a predator no less. He understood the nature of stalking and murder better than anyone, for he'd be doing it for years until he was finally outwitted by Will Graham. Still, Lecter understood the mind of a serial killer better than anyone, as evidenced by this quote. Lecter's ability to boil down his actions to simple facts of nature is in itself a chilling revelation. Rather than admit his own psychosis, Lecter's mind was so distorted by it that he believed he wasn't committing any crimes whatsoever. He merely saw himself as a thing of nature.

17 "All Good Things To Those Who Wait!"

Hannibal Is Patient

It's difficult to imagine what's worse: being on the receiving end of Hannibal Lecter's murderous intent, or being subjected to his mind games and manipulation. Clarice Starling learned that Lecter enjoyed playing the long game, and he drew it out for as long as possible as she tried desperately to solve the riddle of Buffalo Bill. Lecter, on the other hand, was more than happy to have someone to play with. After eight years in an insane asylum, he finally had a nut he could crack for the sake of passing the time. As he manipulated Starling with half-truths and false intel about Buffalo Bill, she fell right into his trap.

16 "Have You Ever Seen Blood In The Moonlight, Will? It Appears Quite Black."

Hannibal Observes Blood

Hannibal uttered this quote in Red Dragon as a reference to a murder scene inspected by FBI agent Will Graham. Hannibal's killing spree had been in full swing by that point, which is one of the reasons he was caught and incarcerated in the first place. To have such an intimate knowledge of death would be enough to send chills up anyone's back. Lecter's experience with murder gave him a multitude of memories to cherish that would cause normal people to reject outright. Describing the color of blood in the moonlight is one such example.

15 "Love Your Suit."

Hannibal Meets With Senator Martin

Anthony Hopkins's role as Hannibal remains so iconic partially because of the humor he brings to the role. The audience is too afraid of him to really find Hannibal funny but there is no denying he has some witty lines that still seem threatening and ghoulish coming from him. When he volunteers to give information on the killer to Senator Martin whose daughter was taken by Buffalo Bill, Hannibal makes a game of it. The fact that he concludes the meeting about a serial killer by commenting on the senator’s fashion is just his twisted sense of humor.

14 "I Must Confess To You, I'm Giving Very Serious Thought ... To Eating Your Wife!"

Hannibal Confronts Pazzi

When Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi began digging too deep into Lecter's affairs in Italy, he ended up painting a rather unenviable target on his own back. Rather than turn him in to the FBI, Pazzi decided to collect on a bounty put out by the millionaire Mason Verger, a man horrifically scarred by Lecter who now sought revenge. Lecter began picking up on Pazzi's scheme and decided to confront him. He uttered this quote before knocking him out, tying him to a gurney, disemboweling him, and tossing him out a window to the horror of the Florence residents below.

13 "If I Tell You, I'm Afraid You Won't Even Try It."

Hannibal Feeds His Guests

This quote comes courtesy of the Silence sequel Red Dragon. In the first act, audiences learn that Lecter has murdered an orchestral musician because of his incompetence which seems to have gone unnoticed by the board of directors. He invites them over for dinner in what they think is a lovely night out at his place. One of them asks what Hannibal put into the amuse-bouche, prompting Hannibal to reply back with this quote which is both darkly comedic and bone-chilling at the same time. As they sat there oblivious to the fact that they were eating their own musician, Hannibal relished the moment.

12 “I Never Feel Guilty Eating Anything.”

Hannibal Embraces His Cravings

Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal Lecter provided a new take on the foundation that Anthony Hopkins had built. This Hannibal is one we see before he has been imprisoned, so we get to see him in a more refined state. Mikkelsen also took a more “fallen angel” approach to the character and made him more elegant and charming. Mikkelsen’s version of Hannibal is definitely one who doesn’t live a life of regrets and who delights in decadence, and this charmed audiences because of Mikkelsen’s strange good looks.

11 “Well Clarice, Have The Lambs Stopped Screaming?”

Hannibal Checks In On Clarice

When The Silence of the Lambs came out, it definitely surprised audiences. Hopkins brought to life both the elegant side of Hannibal as well as the dark, creepy side. His dialogue with Clarice in the movie is often chilling and filled with tension. He speaks in metaphors often and leaves Clarice with riddles to answer. Even when he is in hiding after escaping prison, he still calls her to further probe those old wounds. His ability to read her and analyze her also makes him extremely scary.

10 “Cruelty Is A Gift Humanity Has Given Itself.”

Hannibal Sees Purpose In Cruelty

Hannibal on the television show is also just as prone to speaking in riddles and metaphors. Some of the dialogue from the show is so riddled with clues and metaphors that it can be hard to understand. Hannibal is clearly an extremely intelligent person, and his conversations with Will Graham allow him to display all of his intellect, as he’s found an equal. In this quote, Hannibal is talking about how our animal ancestors gave us emotions, but it’s humans who have learned the art of cruelty. Clearly, Hannibal is fascinated by the idea of cruelty and the things human beings do to each other, and this is quite a chilling moment.

9 “Discourtesy Is Unspeakably Ugly To Me.”

Hannibal Is A Man Of Manners

While Hannibal Lecter might be a serial killer and cannibal, he has a certain code of conduct that he lives by. He hates rudeness and discourtesy, and people who show these traits are put on his chopping block. When Clarice visits Hannibal in the Baltimore State Hospital and a man throws his bodily fluids on her, Hannibal is incensed. The fact that Hannibal does have a strange code of ethics makes him that much scarier because even though he is so polite, in a sense, he is also so evil.

8 “Without Death, We'd Be At A Loss. It's The Prospect Of Death That Drives Us To Greatness.”

Hannibal's Thoughts On Death

In Hannibal, one topic that comes up often in discussions with Will Graham is that of death. Lecter is intrigued by the concept of death in many forms, both in reality and in philosophy. While this quote could seem benign coming from someone else, from Lecter’s lips it takes on a sinister note. Death obviously drives Hannibal in some type of way, and his view of what makes him great is a twisted one. One thing that makes Hannibal so cruel is that at times he can seem to feel empathy but is a vicious killer anyway.

7 "I'll Call You If I Think Of Anything Else, Would You Perhaps Like To Leave Me Your Home Phone Number?"

Hannibal Offers His Help To Will

The way Hannibal plays with people is one of the most entertaining parts of his character and makes for some of his best lines. This is especially true when speaking to Will in Red Dragon. There is no flirtation as with Clarice and there is an understanding between them that Hannibal would kill Will if given the chance. Yet Hannibal plays with the idea that they are still friends, asking for his home number. However, this is even more disturbing as Hannibal tries to kill Will later after discovering his home address.

6 “Remarkable Boy. I Do Admire Your Courage. I Think I'll Eat Your Heart!”

Hannibal Admires Will

This quote comes from Red Dragon, a movie that inspired much of the television show, too. In this quote, Lecter shows the two sides of his character. On the one hand, he can respect and admire the intellect and bravery of others, especially when their abilities nearly match Hannibal’s. But he is also still just as cruel to these people. Threatening here to eat Will Graham’s heart is a bone-chilling moment, but the way it is said has a certain beauty. The dichotomy of Lecter is that he can appreciate beauty so thoroughly and still participate in the ugliest acts.

5 “I Do Wish We Could Chat Longer, But I'm Having An Old Friend For Dinner.”

Hannibal Has Plans For Dr. Chilton

This line is one that was first said at the end of The Silence of the Lambs, but it is also said nearly the same way in the television series. Hannibal says this to Clarice over the phone as he stalks Dr. Chilton, making it clear the grisly fate that awaits him. It’s easy to see why as it’s such an iconic line. Hannibal uses this commonly said phrase but it's clearly a gross play on words, as Hannibal literally wants to eat human flesh. This gives this phrase double meaning. Hannibal loves good wordplay, and his wit makes for some memorable lines.

4 “Killing Must Feel Good To God, Too. He Does It All The Time.”

Hannibal Plays God

In the NBC series, Hannibal often talks about God and death. He notes all of the cruel things that God does and clearly sees himself as some sort of godlike figure as well. This quote illustrates Hannibal’s narcissism and pride. He compares his own murders to that of God killing innocent people. Hannibal is definitely a devil/demon-like character in this series, so this quote is particularly fascinating.

3 "People Will Say We’re In Love."

Hannibal Meets With Clarice

The more Hannibal gets to know Clarice, the more he becomes fascinated by her. His draw to her is hard to place as it can sometimes seem like a sexual attraction and sometimes it feels threatening. However, he enjoys playing with the idea of their relationship, pretending that there is not a steel cage between them. His creepy line when she comes to question him is perhaps a bit of his own wishing. However, it could also be his wry sense of humor knowing how much she sees him as a monster.

2 “A Census Taker Once Tried To Test Me. I Ate His Liver With Some Fava Beans, And A Nice Chianti.”

Hannibal Warns Clarice

This quote is one of the most well-known and quoted from The Silence of the Lambs. It has definitely made its way into pop culture for the last couple of decades. The way Hannibal says this line is so calm, but he clearly recognizes the humor in it. This is another instance that shows Hannibal’s love of fancy things and fine dining and how he mixes this elegance with his love of murder.

1 “Whenever Feasible, One Should Always Try To Eat The Rude.”

Hannibal's Food Preference

This is another iconic quote that is said in both The Silence of the Lambs and then requoted in Hannibal. This line is easy to remember and is one that fans of the character have attached to. It’s a slightly funny quote, even as it is deeply disturbing. Everyone has moments where they feel angry towards rude people, so on a small level, the quote is relatable, even as it repulses the audience. Yet Hannibal is not an anti-hero punishing those who deserve it, and his rational, indicates that it is more of a personal preference than an attempt to help the world.