Hannibal season 3 episode 13 "The Wrath Of The Lamb" ends with a post-credit scene that essentially confirms the character's survival. The character of Hannibal was first played by Brian Cox in 1986 thriller Manhunter, which was director Michael Mann's adaptation of Red Dragon. While the movie was a box-office disappointment, its since been reappraised as a great thriller, with particular praise given to Cox's eerie, understated turn as Hannibal.
It was Anthony Hopkins' performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs that made the character iconic, with Hopkins' turn earning him an Academy Award. It took a decade for him to return in 2001's Hannibal, which received mixed reviews but was an enormous success. He later returned for Red Dragon, a lukewarm take on the novel and Hopkins retired from the role following its release. Gaspard Ulliel later inherited the part for the poorly received Hannibal Rising, which failed to kick off a series of films focusing on the character's younger years.
NBC's Hannibal was a glorious - and gory-rious - reinvention, which centered the story on the relationship between the title cannibal and troubled FBI profiler Will Graham (Hugh Dancy). The show ran for three seasons and was praised for its baroque tone, great performances and it's now considered one of the best horror shows ever created. Hannibal season 3 episode 13 "The Wrath Of The Lamb" is the final episode of the show - for now - which saw Will spring Hannibal (Mad Mikkelsen) to lure killer Francis Dolarhyde out of hiding.
Will's sub-objective is to kill Hannibal too, and Hannibal season 3 episode 13 ends with an apocalyptic battle where the three men - Will, Dolarhyde and Hannibal - fight to the death. It ends with the badly wounded Will and Hannibal slaying the dragon, and the blood-splattered men embracing. While Will has tried to suppress the darkside of his soul, killing somebody with Hannibal seems to have flipped a switch, though the final scene ends with Will plunging himself and Hannibal over the edge of a cliff.
For some fans, this ending feels weirdly perfect, as Will and Hannibal's destructive romance seemed destined to end badly - though many more are still clamoring for Hannibal season 4. A post-credit scene for Hannibal season 3 episode 13 sees Hannibal's therapist Bedelia (Gillian Anderson) sitting at a table seated for three, looking at a beautiful dish that just happens to be made out of her own leg.
Just who cut off her leg is left ambiguous, though of course, the heavy implication is that it was the title character himself, who somehow survived Hannibal season 3 episode 13's cliff plunge. Creator Bryan Fuller played coy on this detail in the past, including giving one interview implying it could be Hannibal's uncle Count Robert, a role once lined up for David Bowie. In a 2015 interview with Fuller for ScreenCrush, however, he confirmed it definitely Hannibal was the cook, stating "Oh yeah, yeah. But the fun of it is, people have interpreted it the other way that she cut off her own leg and cooked it herself." It was established at the start of season 3 Hannibal had been feeding Bedelia on a certain diet to prepare her for being eaten someday, and it appears dinner time has come. Given the three places set at the table, it's possible Will is the other guest and really has switched to the dark side, but only season 4 will have the answers.