Outside of being featured in the notoriously chilling 1991 Oscar winner The Silence of the Lambs, the character of Hannibal Lecter actually drew inspiration from a terrifying real-life killer. The name Hannibal Lecter is so well-known that it may be surprising to learn that the infamous character is not directly based on a real-life cannibalistic monster of the same name. Most popularized by Anthony Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance in The Silence of the Lambs, which won 5 total Academy Awards, Hannibal Lecter has been featured in several different films and television series.

https://screenrant.com/hannibal-lecter-real-inspiration-explained/