Francis Dolarhyde, AKA "The Tooth Fairy" and "The Great Red Dragon" is the main antagonist of Manhunter. He was played by Tom Noonan.
Biography[]
Francis Dolarhyde was a serial killler born with a cleft lip and palate, who earned the nickname of "the Tooth Fairy" from the press due to his tendencies to leave bite marks on his victims with a set of false teeth. As revealed in the Red Dragon novel and its 2002 film adaptation, Francis was abused by his mother, stepfather and grandmother for most of his childhood, driving him to murder and torture animals and pets as a way to vent his anger. After serving some time in the US army, Dolarhyde got plastic surgery for his cleft palate and learned how to develop film in Japan. He grew up and earned a job as the production manager of the home movies division of Gateway Corp, a film lab in St. Louis.
Francis became a serial killer after discovering the William Blake painting "The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun", which gave voice to an alternate personality, which Dolarhyde believed was a deity called the Red Dragon which wants him to murder so he can become the Dragon. He thus went on a trip to Hong Kong, where he got a large dragon tatto on his back and had two sets of false teeth made for him; one for his public life and the other for killing. Prior to the events of the film, Dolarhyde had already killed at least two families, determining his victims and planning out the killings by studying the home movies that he edits as part of his job at Gateway Corp.
When killing a family, Dolarhyde usually commits the murders on or around the night of a full moon. After breaking into the house, he first kills the parents, then kills the children (either using a gun or a knife). After killing the whole family, he smashes the mirrors and puts the shards into the eyes of the corpses, then proceeds to sexually assault the corpse of the mother and sexually bites them, leaving marks behind. This is what causes him to gain the nickname of "the Tooth Fairy" by the press, although Dolarhyde clearly despises it.
After reading an insulting article about him in the National Tattler, Dolarhyde kidnaps journalist Freddie Lounds and threatens him into recording a message in which he "praises" the Red Dragon, denounces the article, and warns FBI profiler Will Graham that Dolarhyde is coming for him. However, Graham found out about Lecktor and the Tooth Fairy's plans and was able to successfully move his family to a safe home before Dolarhyde can kill them.
Meanwhile, Dolarhyde develops romantic feelings with a blind co-worker named Reba McClane. He became comfortable in her company as she could not see his face. Late one night, Dolarhyde arrived at Reba's home late at night for a surprise visit. However, he noticed Reba standing outside the front door with his co-worker Ralph Dandridge. Dolarhyde hallucinated the two making out, which infuriated him to the point where he killed Ralph and then kidnapped Reba.
Death[]
Dollarhyde's death
After taking her to his house, Dolarhyde prepares to kill Reba with a piece of glass, only for Graham to bust in through a window. Graham is subdued by Dolarhyde, who retrieves a shotgun and shoots two police officers and injures Crawford. Wounded in the firefight, Dolarhyde returns to the kitchen, where Graham regains his strength and successfully shoots Dolarhyde to death.
Victims[]
- Jacobi's Cat - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Mr. Jacobi - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Mrs. Jacobi - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Dyle Jacobi - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Two Unnamed Boys - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Unnamed Girl - Killed by Francis Dolarhyde
- Charles Victor Leeds - Stabbed / Shot / Strangled offscreen
- Valerie Leeds - Stabbed / Shot / Strangled offscreen
- Three Leeds Children - Stabbed / Shot / Strangled offscreen
- Freddie Lounds - Lit ablaze by the Tooth Fairy - 1 hr 1 mins in
- Ralph - Shot 3x by Dolarhyde - 1 hr 32 mins in
- Police Officer #1 - Shot by Dolarhyde w/ shotgun - 1 hr 50 mins in
- Police Officer #2 - Shot by Dolarhyde w/ shotgun - 1 hr 50 mins in