Re-re-rewatching Silence of The Lambs (1991), of course I love Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal. And of course everything reminds me of.. him... (draw Wesker in jail onesie prying Chris about his most traumatic childhood memory, and saying "thank you" after Chris starrts crying 💖)
I just love cute little fucked up dudes with naughty cheeky smiles, childhood trauma that informs their bleak view on humanity, who love to yap wayyyyy too much with wayyyy too much flamboyant bisexuality, and dubiously offer partnership to the protagonist. Also balding. and cannibalism if you count the resident evil movies where wesker has to eat people.
Perhaps Will/Hannibal is more obvious as the Chris/Wesker dynamic, rather than Clarice/Hannibal, cuz they're both dudes. But Hannibal is that obsessed corrupting influence on Will AND Clarice's life, just as Wesker is to Chris. Leaving little hints for them to pursue, being proud when they can solve his puzzles and play his game, pushing their little piggy to join him in his black hole of morality. "Chris, why can't you understand?"
Will is Hannibal's intellectual equal in their chess game. While Wesker belittles Chris's intellect("so slow to catch on"), but Wesker still sees Chris as a worthy adversary in his tenacity and physical/mental fortitude. Eventually, both Chris and Will are mentally beaten down by the constant torment they're put through. Got that PTSD and depression, man.
I'm Chrisker brained, but I can see the Clarice/Hannibal dynamic reflected on the other lady STARS members. Especially because Silence of The Lambs's overarching theme is how horrible it is to be the only woman in an all-male workforce.
Jill/Wesker because Wesker calls Jill a "smart girl" after she solves all the mansion's traps. And Hannibal does the same to Clarice while she attempts to solve the Buffalo Bill case. And Jill's an action girl, she evolves from an investigator for the RPD to a on-the-ground doing assaults on problem areas in the BSAA, much as we see Clarice graduating within the FBI. Clarice is 22-25 years old, and Jill is 23. About the right age!
In Hannibal (2001), Hannibal bridal carries Clarice to safety (to be brainwashed and injected with drugs). And in RE5, there's the unseen story beat of Wesker carrying Jill to safety (to be brainwashed and injected with drugs). A long standing connection between the heroine and the villain that won't let him just kill her. He has to use her for something. Also mirrors the end of NBC Hannibal with the mysterious tumble together.
Rebecca/Wesker, because Rebecca is the young nervous prodigy, never certain whether she's advancing because of her skill or because her much older male superiors may have a different interest in her. Weird villain twice her age takes an interest because he never had a mommy (sister complex seasoning).
I think the parallel I see is Hannibal's RPF fanart of Clarice holding the lamb, after he forces her to reveal her emotional trauma, vs the Rising Rookie Rebecca photo. They're both just symbols of "she's on his mind", and I don't necessarily think either are necessarily simply 100% perverted. Just something about, well, as captain of STARS Wesker probably read Rebecca's resume before hiring her. And as a spy for Umbrella, he probably snooped around her childhood too, to figure out what he could use against her. Like Rebecca's love of basketball LMAO.
What about Clarice fascinates Hannibal? Something changes between him reading her to filth for being white trash under Crawford's thumb , and Miggs tossing sperm at her. Whatever that fascination is, I see that weird "softness" from Wesker towards his favorite STARS. Goes easy on them, but will do horrible things to them given the chance.
I love comparing and contrasting different pairings to figure out the similarities and differences. Very good meal, very tasty to figure out what you like about them, and what subtle things you could change to make a new meal.