10 best American Horror Story characters ever, ranked

Over a decennary ago, FX discovered that they had a monolithic deed connected their hands erstwhile American Horror Story premiered connected a Wednesday nighttime — thing astir of Gen Z vividly retrieve arsenic being 1 of their archetypal large watches. 

While the creators, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, had been processing the series’ conception earlier Glee debuted, pursuing up the amusement choir improvement with a shifted absorption into fearfulness inactive came arsenic a surprise. In the archetypal season, present known arsenic Murder House, astir 3 cardinal radical tuned successful to spot the twists and turns the Harmon household would encounter. 

Read more: 10 astir disturbing Black Mirror episodes ever, ranked

Since then, the bid has ballooned into a afloat franchise, spanning 11 seasons (with No. 12 connected the way) and a spin-off titled American Horror Stories. Its stars, including Sarah Paulson and Finn Wittrock, person go mainstays successful Hollywood. Others similar Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett utilized the bid to spark a caller section successful their already-illustrious careers. 

With season 12 coming soon (pending the WGA onslaught successful Hollywood), this quality ranking pays tribute to some those who created and embodied each impactful infinitesimal that made AHS what it is.

10. Liz Taylor 

Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare) was portion of the flamboyant lifeblood that kept the Hotel Cortez country of AHS: Hotel moving — successful some beingness and death. (The different ghosts travel Taylor’s privation and crook her into 1 of the hotel’s haunts successful the last episode.) It’s nary wonderment there’s a implicit YouTube video making a lawsuit for Taylor arsenic the champion of the AHS franchise. I mean, travel on, Lady Gaga’s quality adjacent handled Taylor’s archetypal makeover, starring to bejeweled caput scarfs and connection earrings. 

9. Tate Langdon 

It wouldn’t beryllium an American Horror Story database if Tate Langdon wasn’t connected it. Evan Peters’ quality during the show’s debut season, Murder House, propelled its popularity, chiefly done societal media edits tied to him. Although he’s acold and distant the villain of the story, astir characters connected this database aren’t wholly guiltless either. And Langdon’s scariness rested successful the information that helium appeared to beryllium an mean kid, with a acold much twisted mindset and backstory lurking within. 

8. Misty Day

It’s hard to find thing to dislike astir Misty Day (Lily Rabe) passim her tally connected AHS: Coven. Her bohemian benignant and emotion for Stevie Nicks are cleanable associations for a witch. The philharmonic fable thought truthful too, popping up aboriginal successful the play to springiness Misty her blessings. Although she initially died portion attempting to implicit the Seven Wonders to go the Coven’s Supreme, Misty’s fans got the accidental to spot her resurrected successful AHS: Apocalypse, and she gets her privation of joining Nicks connected the road.

7. Lana Winters

Lana, Lana Banana. The character, played by Sarah Paulson, archetypal pops up during AHS: Asylum arsenic a writer chasing down the serial killer, Bloody Face. However, erstwhile she arrives astatine the infirmary to interrogation a suspect, she becomes a patient. After a distressing crook of events, she thankfully manages to flight and becomes a bestselling author. Paulson reappears arsenic Winters for 2 much seasons, conducting interviews successful AHS: Roanoke and AHS: Cult — and becoming a leader for managing to enactment her troubling ordeal down her. 

6. Montana Duke

Billie Lourd’s Montana from AHS: 1984 is 1 of my idiosyncratic favorites connected this list, purely due to the fact that I deliberation not lone is she 1 of the champion nepo babies, but she is astatine her champion with a chaotic character. (See, Gigi successful Booksmart.) When viewers conscionable Montana, she is simply a platinum blonde with colorful constitution and a no-holds-back Valley Girl attitude. Her cheetah-printed manner kills, and truthful bash her bold moments: introducing herself to Brooke (Emma Roberts) by telling her she has a “rad bod, similar that miss connected Cheers.”) However, not everything successful her arc turns retired to beryllium arsenic it seems. 

5. Fiona Goode

Jessica Lange is among the fan-favorites of recurring actors from the anthology series. Yet, she shines the astir arsenic Fiona Goode, the guiding witch for the schoolhouse of girls successful AHS: Coven. As Goode reigns arsenic the Supreme, she besides does everything successful her powerfulness to support herself astatine the apical — including seeking immortality to forestall her from yet succumbing to a crab diagnosis. She adjacent tried sidesplitting different witch and making deals with the Voodoo spirits, lone to beryllium told that those with souls are allowed to unrecorded forever. After all, it’s American Horror Story, and sometimes the champion characters are the ones who are the worst. 

4. Twisty

Does anyone bask clowns? When the quality of Twisty (John Caroll Lynch) stepped onto the country successful Freak Show, it seemed the John Wayne Gacy inspiration was turned up to ten. His soiled suit and mouthpiece covered up a troubling backstory that could marque anyone consciousness uneasy from a mile away. So, of course, it was adapted into a fashionable Halloween costume. Kidnapping oregon murdering anyone who crosses his path, the clown would spell connected to conscionable a akin fate. Still, helium lived connected successful AHS: Cult, arsenic Twisty was turned into the rubric quality of a comic publication series, sparking much nightmares successful the process. 

3. Marie Laveau 

Angela Bassett’s portrayal of the Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau successful Coven, acceptable her isolated from the different witches — including her half-enemy, half-ally astatine No. 5. Named aft the humanities Louisiana practitioner, she brought karma for those who had wronged her and her loved ones. While she doesn’t get to support her immortality owed to a failed woody with Papa Legba, Laveau inactive lives connected successful the hearts of fans. 

2. The Countess

The infinitesimal Lady Gaga walked done the doors of AHS: Hotel arsenic the mythical Countess, fans already knew she would beryllium the star. Her casting prime was spot-on, arsenic she embodies the glamorous vampire — managing to marque adjacent a murderous foursome iconic alternatively than horrific. She would besides acceptable the code for different out-there personage additions. Throughout the span of the season, she goes from vampire to a shade aft already surviving respective execution attempts until the last blow. Despite this, her cold, bloodthirsty nature, the high-fashion fits, and each of Countess Elizabeth’s relationships cement her arsenic the standout of the Hotel Cortez. 

1. Madison Montgomery

Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts) deserves the fig 1 spot, nary contest. She’s a telekinetic witch. She’s a celebrity. She dies. She comes backmost to beingness to service 1 of the astir iconic lines: “Surprise bitch, I stake you’d thought you’d seen the past of me,” cementing it successful GIF history. Dies again. And past returns arsenic a shade during different play for AHS: Apocalypse. Who other has done it similar her?