01-05-2025
Hannibal tops the list as greatest villains of all time named
With his penchant for eating human flesh and his sinister leather restraining mask, he chilled horror fans around the world.
And now, crazed Silence Of The Lambs serial killer Hannibal Lecter has been voted the greatest literary villain of all time in a new poll.
Lecter, the brainchild of American author Thomas Harris before the cannibal featured in the hit movie, was crowned top scoundrel in a survey of book fans, winning 33% of the vote. Anthony Hopkins as Dr Hannibal Lecter and Julianne Moore as FBI agent Clarice Starling in Hannibal. Pic: Phil Bray/MGM Pictures/Universal Pictures/Dino DeLaurentiis
Count Dracula (26%) from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula came second, followed by Captain Hook (20%) from JM Barrie's Peter Pan and William Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth (18%).
The survey of 2,000 book lovers was commissioned by the Kindle Storyteller Award, a prize celebrating self-published stories, with the winning author receiving €23,500.
Jen Barrett, UK Kindle direct publishing manager, said that devoted readers 'clearly love a good villain just as much as their beloved heroes'.
And the survey also revealed that 94% think that books are the most moving art form and have the power to elicit emotion, with 23% wanting a book to evoke strong emotions in them.
Our love of strong, emotive books is so powerful that 82% have reread a book they love an average of seven times.
Three-quarters (76%) describe themselves as avid reader, with a third (33%) admitting that reading is their passion and 86% saying it is one of life's greatest pleasures.
