#winston

Hannibal and Winston enter Will's life basically at the same moment, as he's starting to fall apart.

They both immediately show fierce loyalty and partiality to him - a predilection unmatched by other dogs or people in Will's life - stubbornly refusing to leave his side during his slow descent into the hell of illness.

No one in the entire series loves Will Graham more than these two. In the same episode, they're depicted pining for his absence while Will's in prison, looking for him in familiar places even if they know Will is not there.

Hannibal 2x01, Kaiseki

But what are Will's motivations? Hannibal and Winston are two strays, both wary and lonely, and Will welcomes them in his pack, in the family of strays he desperately craves to form. It makes sense for Winston, but Hannibal? Why has Will been so confident in trusting a complete stranger, if not because he's unconsciously recognised Hannibal as one of his?

Winston could obviously represent Will's desire towards good, while Hannibal reveals himself as the catalyst of his darker side. But in the end, Will chooses Hannibal, even if it means leaving Winston behind, because Hannibal's the one needing him the most.

The feral, rabid dog who tried to bite him every chance he's got. Hannibal, a man able to show love only through violence, deception and manipulation.