20 Most Iconic Villain Introductions In Movie History

5. Hannibal Lecter - The Silence Of The Lambs

On the subject of cinematic serial killers perhaps none are as iconic and memorable as the one and only Hannibal Lecter, as played by Anthony Hopkins in Jonathan Demme's Academy Award-winning The Silence Of The Lambs. While Lecter wasn't the principle bad guy in the movie (that honour goes to Buffalo Bill) he's certainly the one everyone remembers the most. Lecter had previously been played by Brian Cox in the underrated Manhunter, but Hopkins delivered the defining performances in The Silence Of The Lambs. The first time we meet him is when FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) visits him to try and gather information on Buffalo Bill's killing habits - it's an iconic scene which has been parodied and imitated countless times since. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU8jKn7sMwU