Abel Gideon has been diagnosed variously as a sociopath, a psychopath and a pathological narcissist with psychotic episodes;however, none of these definitions seem to fit his personality. As Hannibal observes, psychopaths and narcissists seldom doubt who they are, but Gideon was constantly in doubt as to his identity. Merely being asked if he was the Chesapeake Ripper by Frederick Chilton convinced him that he was, whilst being asked if he wasn't by Alana Bloom caused him to doubt his identity
