

Of course, there’s one man who knew the answer, but Thomas Harris preferred to keep his mouth shut, letting readers fight it out among themselves.Īll that changed in 2013. Was the character of Hannibal Lecter inspired by a real-life murderer? And if so, who? Plenty of names have been tossed around over the years, including Jeffrey Dahmer and Albert Fish. However, there’s one question that’s haunted fans for a very long time. Three more novels, five movies, and one TV show later, and the world is still obsessed with the charming cannibal killer. In 1981, Thomas Harris published his second novel, Red Dragon, introducing the world to Hannibal Lecter. Alfredo Balli Trevino was a Mexican doctor who met Thomas Harris in the 1960s and left a very strong impression on the young writer. However, what’s even scarier is the fact that the liver-eating cannibal was based on a real killer. One of the all-time scariest fictional villains, Hannibal Lecter has terrified moviegoers and book lovers for over 30 years. Hannibal Lecter, Red Dragon (2002) In A Nutshell
