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OOC INFORMATION
Name: Blazko
Contact:

blazko
Other Characters: N/A

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Character Name: Hannibal Lecter.
Age: Forties.
Canon: Hannibal (TV).
Canon Point: Season 3, Episode 13 "Wrath of the Lamb" (series finale).
Character Information: Hannibal Lecter (TV).

Personality:

INTERACTION
I feel in attempting to quantify Hannibal's role in the show, which is entirely based on interaction, one must keep his moral alignment in mind, and frequently consider its implications. I have taken the liberty of classifying Lecter in this medium as Chaotic Neutral, and since this is not something explicitly stated in canon, I am only using it as an artistic lens to view him and highlight points of characterization, though, I think the canonical examples justify the classification in turn. In case the reader is less familiar with the alignment system, here is a quick description offered by an anonymous answer from the internet:

"A chaotic neutral character doesn't care what happens to other characters, and he almost always puts himself first. These characters don't believe there is any order to the universe and may spread chaos just for fun. Completely unreliable, such characters can wreak havoc on carefully planned campaigns, doing spontaneous actions just because they feel like it."
Now that we have donned the proper lens for observation, without any further ado - the actual analysis will commence.

"He wanted to see what would happen." This is, for most of the series, the clearest statement we get as to Hannibal's motives, as deduced by Will "This is My Design" Graham, criminal profiler. He is also likened numerous times to the Devil and the classical archetype of Lucifer (this was also an inspiration to work off of for his portraying actor, as stated in an interview). The only other perceptible motivation Hannibal ever seems to have for anything is a full-blown obsession with dear Will. Hannibal demonstrates, on regular occasion across the course of the series, an almost juvenile obsession with obtaining and commanding Will's attentions, preferring exclusivity. This is a flaw that simultaneously exhibits his flagrant ego and reckless assumption that he is uncatchable by the law.

In many ways, it helps to think of Hannibal as a puppet master. He is putting on a show for the same people he jerks around by strings. They are able to view the show while still being central to it, and for the most part, are oblivious to the nature of their role in the game. By the time they understand that they are being played, they still can't seem to trace the string back to who's pulling it. Even when they deduce it is all scripted by "the Chesapeake Ripper," no one seems to have the faintest idea who the killer is, even though he lives daily beneath their noses (or sleeps in their bed, if you are Alana Bloom by season two).

For Hannibal Lecter, other people are pawns and toys and a source of amusement, or observation if vaguely interesting. Sometimes they are merely tolerable background scenery. People also fulfill social needs I will cover in his personality section. What starts as a game to amuse himself as the Devil would in sheer immortal boredom, results in something fascinating and unexpected -- he ends up sucked into the play, and having to take on a role for himself.

Essentially, the show is three seasons of a Lawful Neutral and Chaotic Neutral character vying for control of the play, whilst using and abusing everyone else around them, trying to seem as innocent or uninformed as possible, and obfuscating all forms of personal accountability and dangerous levels of introspection. The roles reverse by the end of the series, and Hannibal is the one surprised at who ultimately dominated control of their interconnected roulette. Moral lines are completely and irrevocably blurred, and the audience is left uncertain which main character is more morally bereft; Will, or Hannibal?

Hannibal tries to create a new version of Will, based off of the professionally surmised "potential" of the "twitchy little man" (Will) and largely off of what traits Hannibal wants him to possess and awaken in order for them to be as compatible as possible. It is as if he is constructing his own living doll, or bride of Frankenstein, as the series' infamous reporter would likely title it. He sees an artistic masterpiece in the jagged marble Graham represents, and aims to create his magnus opus. "Ever seen blood in the moonlight, Will? It appears quite black."

This is, of course, selfish, and without regard to what Will wants. But as we see, Will Graham doesn't seem to know what he wants, even when his friends manage to "save" him (from the law and from being wrongly accused of Hannibal's crimes, though obviously no one can save him from himself) and by the end of the series, we still aren't sure where his desires and moralities stand.

Ethically speaking, this is still manipulation on Hannibal's part. Abuse is a triggering, central theme of their interaction, particularly in regard to Will's perceived mental health (though he bestows plenty of abuse towards others on his own, especially in the latter half of the series). During the period of time in which Hannibal had Will and most everyone else convinced Graham suffered from encephalitis, and might actually be the killer they sought, the abuse evolves to full-blown gas-lighting.

"I was rooting for you, Will. It's a shame. You came all this way, and didn't get to kill anybody." Will's sheer lack of fundamental self (though he repeatedly argues that his sense of self is not an issue, it is always in question) and overall malleability is the entire point of why Hannibal becomes so fixated on him; where one man does not seem know a reason to live rather than merely exist ("float in the stream"), Hannibal seeks to give him one, a role in the world, a place at his table, by building off of these obscure foundations which are also able to empathize with someone like himself -- something predictably uncommon, and a social relationship which Hannibal does not seem to have experienced before quite to this intensity.

So it is that he becomes obsessed with facilitating Will Graham's "becoming" and simultaneously fulfilling his own personal need, it would seem, for what Freddie Lounds ends up titling his "murder husband". As far as Will goes, we feel we have a clear idea of his presumably good and well-intended motives until about half way through the last episode. "You'd only do that if I rejected you."

In other words, Will breaks (or does he merely "become?")and reforms into something that is arguably more of a Hannibal doppler than the dog-obsessed, reclusive fisherman we thought we knew, and Hannibal becomes transparently emotional, with (presumably, based on what is presented) a very authentic desire to be closer to Will, and the clear ability to feel empathy towards certain people on seemingly random occasion. Saving Abigail, before (from Hannibal's perspective) Will ruined what he was trying to do for her -- for all of them. Will, with whatever verb one would prescribe his actions towards the agent. Even Alana, as he tried to warn and spare the headstrong woman on numerous occasions. "Extreme acts of cruelty require a high level of empathy."

"This is all I ever wanted for you, Will. For both of us." We spent every episode to the last wondering if anything that seemed like genuine emotion was just another façade to manipulate the actions of others on Hannibal's part, and it turned out that this was actually a trait to be applied to Will. "It's beautiful."

The roles are important to explain in excruciating detail because of how completely they appear to have flipped.

Meanwhile, everyone else is ultimately expendable, both from the viewpoint of Will and Hannibal, and obviously, the writers of the show. Like it or not, it is what it is, and with the series finale, there isn't a lot more room for speculation. "Killing must feel good to God, too. He does it all the time. And are we not all created in His image?"

ANALYSIS
I will be taking canon Lecter from the end of the tv series, however; in describing his personality, I find it useful, informative and relevant to often reference his book and movie adaptations, in order to highlight differences or support various points beyond what is established by defining his role in the series, and in doing so, the nature of his interpersonal relationships. That said:

One of the major variations between the literary and television adaptations is in Lecter's social face. Book Lecter (and subsequently, movie Lecter, though to a less solid and obvious degree of interpretation) are officially labeled as the personality type INTJ. They are introverts. Our show version is, however, (despite being, more or less -- if selectively so -- a sociopath, psychopathic tendencies, ambiguous empathy - feigned or authentic is admittedly debatable) unmistakably extroverted. This manifests as both a social preference as well as regards to how an individual processes information, which is where this gets tricky.

In previous incarnations, Lecter prefers solitude. He thinks, analyzes, and processes life on his own, preferring to live entirely in an internal world, and seems to extract himself from it only when forced, for one reason or another. He resides and even draws to view in his physical world, aspects saved within the confines of his self-titled "memory palace." This extreme introversion was displayed in childhood, exacerbated by trauma in his young adult life, leading to antisocial outbursts, as well as countless other notable behaviors and illnesses.

In the show, not confined in two hours of film, We have more time to ponder his ease, charm, and preference for lavish dinner parties, whereas in the book, most pre-incarceration events were mentioned in past tense. Even in the movie, where he is still a classifiable introvert, we see a brief show of an occasion in which he visits an orchestra, and hosts an after-party. We wonder how this man could possibly be an introvert.

It is sufficient to state that Hannibal wears a mask for public appearance during outings (usually erudite settings or epicurean banquets) which allow him to indulge in art, what is divine to his sensibilities, and which contribute to his intellectual interests, general appreciation for beauty, and the elite construction of his inner world.

Moreover, the parties he hosts serve two needs related to his psychopathy (this part is true for all incarnations of Lecter). He can establish an alibi as well as an appearance to make him appear to others however he has constructed his "person suit" (as Bedelia refers to it in the show). It stops people from seeing or suspecting his true nature, and deters unwanted attention. More intrinsically, it feeds his narcissism. (All versions of Lecter display clear narcissistic personality traits).

In other words, none of these events and habits make him an extrovert, as they serve needs unrelated to personality type, and very much based off his private needs and inner world, largely acting as a coping mechanism or manipulative strategy for cover-up, so the shared behaviors may exist within the film and book version without making him anything other than an introvert.

The television version is subtly different in a few regards to personality and behavior. Most are not for the best. Most are also a result of suddenly taking this monster and making him an extrovert. To be passively murdering and fulfilling some need of (albeit, apparently impossible to dissect and diagnose) illness as demonstrated by the original variations is one thing. To do it for fun, for show, for attention, out of childish curiosity all the while needing the reaction and inserted interaction with others is both charming and disturbing in a way that is remarkably fiendish and unforgettable.

Hannibal genuinely seems to enjoy his experience interacting with others (provided he has selected them from the pool of whoever is interesting enough by his judgments and standards). Furthermore, he seems to need the results of these interactions to fuel his egotistical narcissism -- a trait which was not prescribed the book or film Lecter. Previously, it was collectively agreed that Lecter was immensely condescending, and egotistical. But this seemed to carry strictly into the field of "intellectual vanity." Everything else was mostly clear. This new addition to Lecter's personality traits, with less focus on intellectual vanity and the related condescension, opens up his interpersonal relations to a new level of compatibility. When dealing with the "person suit" it is even possible one might observe Hannibal's behaviors as compassionate and patient, as well as amiable and charming. He certainly seems to view himself this way.

The last difference from the evolution of book to film to television series, has nothing in particular to do with personality type. The only alteration is sliding Hannibal slightly more along the spectrum of "psychopath" over "sociopath", doubly so if one considers what we are left to believe was occasions of genuine and intensely overbearing emotions towards select others. Previously, Hannibal only killed the rude. There were few occasions -- literally one or two (as in the police guard when he escapes prison, and the paramedic in the same scene) -- in which Lecter kills anyone other than the intolerably rude, or those deemed defective in some manner which deeply offended his sensibilities (such as the perceptibly disheveled and talentless violinist in Red Dragon). In the show, Hannibal kills countless more individuals than almost all the other media combined, a good number of which were more in the way than rude, or those whom he appears to have no real reason for having killed other than the convenience of them being on his hunting grounds (contributing again to his reckless tease at making himself easy to track, luring capture, as well as supporting his less human and more animal-like persona as the Wendigo of his favored forest).

It is artistically allured to, more frequently than not, that it is easier for both characters in the show, and those watching it outside the screen, to view Hannibal as a sort of recovering demon than a human with cannibalistic inconveniences and sporty murderous hobbies.

OVERVIEW:
Lecter is sociable. He enjoys the time he spends with others, often developing a cheerful, unperturbed air, appearing indifferent to the horrors that surround the lives of those he choses to interact with. He is even playful, on occasion - those these positive traits seem to only apply towards those he views as an audience and whom he favors with his "better side."

He eats the rude, kills those who seem inconvenient or don't adhere to his personal standards in some regard, and seems to tolerate but consider every one else a banal necessity. An example of the later is his former patient Franklyn, who actually has a similar taste in art and music (if only to try and impress Dr. Lecter) but who doesn't live up to Lecter's personal demands for acquaintance material. He tolerates the man in his therapy sessions, and otherwise seems wholly uninterested and eager to get rid of him.

This contrasts with the presence of Alana Bloom, earlier in the series, whom he can laugh and joke around with and even cook with. (Even going so far as to develop an intimate relationship with her, if only physically, as the social aspect is yet another manipulative ruse). Also his own former therapist, whom he seems to intellectually admire, and whose council and opinion he goes out of his way to schedule visits and seek out. Later, she and Lecter are in Italy together, and he establishes a similar relationship towards her as what he had with Alana, though more open since she 'knows what he really is' and more controlling as he has to keep her drugged to ensure she doesn't try running off or doing anything that might get him captured sooner. (Though he is luring the FBI to him, it is all calculated and on his terms).

Relating to others, he is a mix of characteristics depending on the individual, his mood, the setting, and if the person in question knows about his killer appetite and choice extra-curricular activities.

In therapy sessions - or any event where introspection, theoretical conversation or philosophical debate comes up, his demeanor becomes shrewd, analytical, invasive. More often then not, he speaks in broad allegories and metaphors that hardly anyone follows. This is a mix of pedantic patterns centered around his intellectual vanity and narcissism as well as a general desire to keep many topics obscure. It is acknowledged by Bedelia that Will Graham "obfuscates," but this is very true of Hannibal as well. He wants to lead people to ideas, even risk being too clear about his references, often to his own crimes, but he must remain confusing and subtle enough that only the cleverest will earn the truth.

Related to obscurity, his own psychology - from categorization upon being found out, to his intentions and motivations, "Seem to defy categorization," as his latter ward, former friend, and fellow psychiatrist Alana Bloom points out. He is, except when he puts on a front or the rare occasion when he wants to be, indecipherable. Even Frederick Chilton cannot seem to settle on what to label Lecter, besides monstrous and general bad news.

If he sees you as a friend or good company, he can be teasing. If he dislikes you, or finds you have taken the conversation to a distasteful direction, he becomes mocking. Sociable and playful, in unwanted company, becomes cold - often condescending, and devious. He manipulates everyone, every act he involves himself seems centered around self-interest and desire.

In contrast, he is undeniably fashionable, fastidious, and polite. There is no hesitation in correcting others or mentally judging those who do not comply with the height of the aforementioned status quo. He will defer before arguing, and remain neutral or give the benefit of the doubt while observing the unfamiliar.

5-10 Key Character Traits:

Would you prefer a monster that FITS your character’s personality, CONFLICTS with it, or EITHER? Fits. ~~uses jedi mind trick for wendigo~~
Opt-Outs: Arachne, Faerie, Troll, Werebear, Kelpie.

Roleplay Sample:
Mask or Menace TDM.
Ryslig TDM.