Release Order Recommended
0 / 7 watchedHow the films and series actually came out. Best for a first watch.
Chronological Order
0 / 7 watchedBy in story date. Better as a rewatch, since the three Red Dragon versions overlap.
About Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter is Thomas Harris's psychiatrist and killer, played by Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, Gaspard Ulliel and Mads Mikkelsen across five films and two series. Manhunter from 1986 adapts Red Dragon first, then The Silence of the Lambs from 1991 introduces Clarice Starling and won the top five Academy Awards. Hannibal from 2001 continues her story ten years later.
Red Dragon from 2002 remakes Manhunter with Hopkins, and Hannibal Rising from 2007 shows Lecter's youth in wartime Lithuania. The NBC series Hannibal ran three seasons from 2013 to 2015 as an alternate retelling of the Red Dragon period, and Clarice ran one season in 2021 after the events of Silence.
Good to know
Release order is the safest first watch, since each film was made assuming you saw Silence first. Story order is trickier because Manhunter, Red Dragon and the NBC series all cover the same Tooth Fairy case in different continuities, so treat them as alternate versions rather than chapters. Start with Silence, then Clarice or Hannibal (2001), then circle back to the early years versions once you know the character.
