The well-known horror anthology series American Story Horror has been running since 2011 and just wrapped up its 11th season. Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, every season of American Horror Story is standalone, though there have been some connections from season to season where certain characters reappear. American Horror Story has seen great seasons like Murder House, Asylum, 1984, Coven and Cult, but the real standout from the series is its impressive cast and characters. Most actors cast in American Horror Story — like Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, and Angela Bassett — appear in multiple seasons, taking on new characters each time.
Over the show’s 11 seasons, there have been several great characters, from Kathy Bates's murderous Butcher character in Roanoke to Evan Peters’ zombie boy Kyle in Coven. While the list of great characters can go on and on, these are seven of the best characters in the series.
7 The Countess
The Countess appeared in Hotel and was portrayed by Lady Gaga. The Countess is a vampire who owns and lives in the sinister Hotel Cortez, the focal point of the season. She's a gorgeous, high fashion, lust and blood-driven, mysterious woman who lures hotel guests into her clutches to feast on them. On the outside, she comes off as a cold, murderous creature, but throughout the season it's revealed that her character is a lot more layered and complex than that. A lot of her actions are harsh and hard to forgive, but at her core she's just a heartbroken woman cursed to live for eternity.
From her looks to her demeanor, The Countess is a major stand-out character and Lady Gaga's portrayal of her is a large part of why. She's fierce and unpredictable, and you can't help but keep your eyes glued to her each time she comes on screen. Lady Gaga went on to make another appearance in American Horror Story during the Roanoke season, but The Countess is certainly her best character and one of the show's most intriguing.
6 Misty Day
Coven is one of the most beloved seasons of AHS to date, and Misty Day is the season's fan favorite. The whimsical, Stevie Nicks-adjacent swamp witch with the power to bring souls back from the dead was portrayed by Lily Rabe, a series regular in the AHS universe. Misty has a strong connection with nature, loves Fleetwood Mac, and spends the majority of her time in the woods being called upon by her fellow witches when they need someone brought back to life. She's ethereal and sweet and adds a much-needed touch of whimsy to the otherwise macabre and seriousness of the other witches.
Unfortunately, when attempting a test of the Seven Wonders, Misty gets stuck in a type of purgatory, forced to relive a childhood memory of a frog dissection over and over again. However, she returns to the world of the living when the warlock Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) retrieves her from the Netherworld during his own Seven Wonders test during Apocalypse. Misty is such a fun, lovable character, and to top it all off, her time in the series came with two Stevie Nicks appearances — what more could you ask for?
5 Liz Taylor
Liz Taylor — portrayed by series regular Denis O'Hare — is a trans woman who works as a bartender at the Hotel Cortez. She acts as the hotel's keeper of secrets, often working with the front desk manager Iris (Kathy Bates). Both Liz and Iris know the truth about The Countess being a vampire, the murderous nature of all the ghosts trapped in the building, and every other sinister tale in the hotel's history.
There really aren't many genuinely good characters that you can feel empathy for in the AHS universe, but Liz Taylor is certainly one of them — even if she is the only one. Before coming to the Hotel Cortez, she spent her entire life pretending to be someone she wasn't until she was essentially reborn upon her hotel visit. She's also full of compassion and loyalty, even for the ghosts haunting the halls of the hotel. She's often seen looking out for them and showing them care and sympathy rather than the terror others react to them with.
4 Kai Anderson
Kai Anderson makes the list because his character is one of the most believable and that makes him extra scary. Portrayed by AHS alum Evan Peters, Kai appears in the Cult season. He starts out as your typical internet troll but becomes emboldened following Trump's win during the 2016 election and starts leading a cult of his own. He's very charming, charismatic and a master manipulator, making it easy for him to gain new recruits and grow his cult. He's racist, sexist, has a massive ego, and simply wants to spread chaos and take over the world, pushing his ideals to anyone and everyone.
Kai's blend of toxic masculinity and delusions of grandeur make him a dangerous character, as well as his obsession with the concept of fear, which he uses to manipulate people. Cult premiered the year after the 2016 election and from then to now, Kai's character is one that feels eerily believable and maybe even similar to someone you know from real life — which is a scary thought. Peters' portrayal — as per usual — is spot on, and while Kai is scary and may make you feel uneasy, it's hard to deny just how well-conceived his character is.
3 Marie Laveau
Angela Bassett has appeared in several AHS seasons like Freak Show and Roanoke, but her best character is the former voodoo queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau in Coven and Apocalypse. Laveau is a powerful force in the voodoo world, and her knack for revenge and punishment makes her someone you certainly wouldn't want to cross. Laveau and the other voodooists she surrounds herself with have an aversion to witches, that is until Laveau agrees to a protective alliance with Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), the head of Miss Robichaux's Academy.
The Marie Laveau character in Coven and Apocalypse is actually based on the real life person of the same name who was known to practice voodoo in New Orleans from the mid to late 19th century. Marie Laveau is such a great character because she's powerful and dangerous — which is always interesting to watch — but she's also based on a real life historical figure and her character brings a lot of culture to Coven, especially with it taking place in New Orleans. Bassett's portrayal was so great, in fact, that she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.
2 Lana Winters
When you think of AHS alumni, Sarah Paulson is likely one of the first names to come to mind as she's had a role in almost every season. She's portrayed a lot of great characters, one of her best being Lana Winters from Asylum. Lana is a journalist investigating the happenings at Briarcliff Manor but ends up getting committed to the asylum when she gets too close to uncovering its secrets. Lana is inspired by the American journalist Nellie Bly, who worked to expose a corrupt mental institution by getting herself committed. Bly is often credited as the pioneer of investigative journalism.
Lana is a tough, strong, ambitious woman, and while her character is great and memorable, she's not without her flaws. You could argue that on one hand she's driven to do good and undercover the corrupt, evil nature of Briarcliff, but she also comes off as cold and self-serving at times. Part of what makes her character so great is how dynamic and layered she is. You don't really love or hate her, but you can understand where she's coming from the majority of the time. Everytime Paulson steps on screen, it's a treat and her role during Asylum is no different. In fact, she won a Critics' Choice for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her portrayal.
1 Fiona Goode
Jessica Lange is another AHS powerhouse, though she hasn't held a role in a season since her brief appearance in Apocalypse, when she revived her Murder House character Constance Langdon. One of her best roles, though, was that of Fiona Goode in Coven. Fiona was the former Supreme, or head witch, of a coven of Salem descendants and the mother to Cordeila (Paulson), who would become the new Supreme. As Supreme, Fiona lived a glamorous life, but has since returned to Miss Robichaux's Academy where Cordelia is working to educate the new group of young witches. Fiona is very vain and obsessed with eternal youth and encourages her witchy disciples to ignore Cordelia's teachings about controlling their magic and instead harness their true power.
Fiona is such an interestingly well-rounded character. She's charismatic and witty, yet also ruthless and cold, but then she also has moments of kindness — no matter how fleeting they may be. She keeps Coven interesting and unpredictable, and who better to take on the role than Lange. In terms of the characters Lange brought to life for AHS, Fiona is likely her best, with her Freak Show persona Elsa Mars in a close second.