Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Dexter Morgan are two of the most celebrated serial killer characters in film and/or television. Each character is strong, skilled, and intelligent, with specific skillsets, and unique professions in forensics: Hannibal a former psychologist, and Dexter a blood spatter expert. A showdown between both professional killers would be the ultimate match-up. Who would come out on top?
Despite their horrific addictions to killing, both Hannibal and Dexter are, to a certain extent, nice and approachable people on the outside. Of course, on the inside, there are hidden secrets concerning their histories of gruesome crimes, and their personal pasts involving family tragedy. Both killers are also skilled in disguising themselves or changing their identities in order to be mysterious to their prey.
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The key difference between both serial killers is that Dexter only goes after and kills bad people, such as murderers, rapists, criminals, and other serial killers who are responsible for taking the lives of the innocent. Hannibal kills both good and bad people. However, Hannibal kills mostly when necessary, especially those who pose a major threat towards him (police officers), or enemies who seek vengeance towards him for past misdeeds (Mason Verger).
No matter what code or rules they follow, each killer causes pain towards everyone around them, especially people they care for or love. Dexter had intimate relationships with a number of women, including his beautiful wife Rita, who was unfortunately murdered by the Trinity killer (one of John Lithgow's greatest villain roles). He was also intimate with a few female killers (one of which mistakenly tried to kill him and Rita's children).
In NBC's Hannibal, the cannibal had a brief relationship with Dr. Alana Bloom, another intelligent psychologist, but was more invested in his bond with FBI agent Will Graham. While not intimate, Hannibal loved his aunt, a Japanese woman named Lady Murasaki, who helped him get back on his feet after his family (including his baby sister Mischa) was murdered by Soviets, as shown in the 2007 film, Hannibal Rising.
It was through Lady Murasaki that Hannibal, at a young age, learned how to do martial arts and fight with a sword. Hannibal's hand-to-hand fighting skills are also heavily displayed in the NBC TV series with Mads Mikkelsen, in which he takes down numerous serial killers being pursued by Graham and the FBI (led by Jack Crawford). When Crawford discovers that Hannibal is a serial killer, both men have an intense fight sequence, with Crawford almost coming out on top.
Hannibal and Dexter are both very skilled with knives, sharp objects, and other common objects like pens. Dexter is also efficient in martial arts and hand-to-hand fights, thanks in large part to his father, Harry Morgan, who taught Dexter how to defend himself but didn't expect him to become a serial killer. While Dexter is usually careful about keeping his secret identity hidden, there have been a few who've exposed him, including the muscular and foul-mouthed Sergeant James Doakes, who clearly recognized that Dexter was more than a blood spatter expert, and discovered his killer side behind the friendly persona. Doakes gives Dexter some tough fights, but Dex, like Hannibal, always defends himself and beats his opponents.
Both serial killers also have quite the appetite when it comes to eating delicious, protein-filled recipes, of course mostly involving meat since they're carnivores. Hannibal enjoys meals such as lamb chops with wine and is always fancy with his food, whether he's serving it at his home to other guests, or in prison. One of Hannibal's more grotesque meals was cooking pieces of police officer Paul Krendler's brain and serving it to him and FBI agent Clarice Starling in the 2001 film sequel, Hannibal, with Anthony Hopkins in the title role.
Dexter has more of a rugged and traditional American style involving meals. He usually has juicy steak with beer, which his sister (Miami Metro PD officer Debra Morgan) also enjoyed as they spent quality time together, discussing their love lives and their occupations.
Each killer also has a signature trademark. Hannibal likes to eat and cut off people's flesh, including biting the cheek bones off his enemies, as seen in Hannibal Rising when a young Lecter hunted down the Soviets who ate his baby sister. Hannibal occasionally tends to go for the face, like during his infamous prison break in 1991's The Silence Of The Lambs, in which he bit one police officer's face, and then severely disfigured another officer with a police baton.
In 2001's Hannibal, the cannibal chloroformed a corrupt police officer before hanging him outside a window and cutting off his bowels. Lecter also stabbed and slashed his enemies' throats as he was being hunted by men working for Mason Verger, a victim of Lecter's who was left heavily disfigured and paralyzed, and wanted retribution.
When Dexter takes down bad people, he would put them to sleep by injecting a sedative or knocking them out with a stranglehold. He would then tape his victims down on a flat surface, with pictures of their innocent victims facing them. After conversing with them about their sins, Dexter stabs his enemies with a knife or sharp object across the chest, and then chops up each body after they die.
When it comes to more personal enemies, or enemies that are actively being pursued by the police, Dexter would kill them in other ways, like drugging and stabbing them, slashing their throats, or by strangulation. Sometimes he would make his victims appear as if they committed suicide. Dexter would also keep blood slides of the bad people he's killed, and dump their body parts in a river. However, when his body bags and blood slides were encountered, he had to improvise and find other ways to get rid of his evidence.
It's clear that both Hannibal and Dexter are skilled fighters and professional killers who know how to plan and improvise. However, when it comes down to who is superior, or who would win if both men fought each other, it's really close, but Hannibal is the winner. The problem with Dexter is that he has more of a conscience by only killing bad people to protect and defend the innocent. There were also moments in his series in which he hesitates or feels guilty, but it does show his humanity.
Nonetheless, Hannibal, for the most part, kills for pleasure and when he's threatened, but if the moment arrives to take down someone, regardless of that person being good or bad, Hannibal never hesitates. He is also slightly more efficient in escaping from authorities, sneakily stalking his prey, and disguising himself as a distinguished gentleman. However it's sliced and diced, fans can't go wrong with the menu because these are two of the best.
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