The Most Epic Character Introductions Of All Time

In Jonathan Demme's 1991 thriller The Silence of the Lambs, the viewer hears quite a bit about Hannibal Lecter before meeting him. He's a cannibalistic serial killer who's in custody at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He's highly intelligent, and FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is being sent to interview him in the hopes he can provide insight into a new case. He's also extraordinarily brutal dangerous, and on her way to meet him Clarice is warned not to go near him, even though he'll be behind unbreakable glass. He's discussed as more of a monster than a man. 

When Clarice enters the dungeon-like hallway that leads to Lecter's cell, she sees a succession of horrifying men in the cells along the way, including Miggs, who climbs on his bars like a monkey while making obscene comments. After all this setup, it's something of a surprise when Lecter finally comes into view. His cell is clean and has art hanging on the walls. Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) is standing up straight right in the middle of it, arms at his sides, with a pleasant look on his face. He says, "Good morning," and begins an entirely civil interaction. But even as he's being friendly to Clarice, there's always something unnerving about him. He's being polite, but he's also testing her in every moment. It's not that Hannibal Lecter isn't a monster, we soon realize, it's just that he's an extraordinarily civilized one.