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For 11 seasons on FX, American Horror Story has been full of horrifying characters tangled up in terrifying tales of haunted houses, creepy covens, fearful freak shows and so many more. While typically played by a recognizable ensemble each season, each and every character plays an intricate piece of the petrifying puzzle.
From Evan Peters' most mad and memorable to a clown scarier than Pennywise to some Freak Show performers so loved they appeared in more than one season, some characters on AHS will never be forgotten.
Pepper ('Asylum,' 'Freak Show')
Pepper became a fan favorite in American Horror Story: Asylum when she was introduced as a patient at Briarcliff Manor after being framed for the murder of an infant, but that wasn't where Pepper's story began.
When the show flashed back in American Horror Story: Freak Show the following season, Pepper's earlier life was revealed to be one of a performer in a traveling carnival after being taken under Elsa Mars' wing and meeting her love, Salty.
Moira O'Hara ('Murder House,' 'Asylum')
Plenty of memorable characters came out of American Horror Story during its first season titled Murder House, and a favorite was Moira O'Hara, the housekeeper with an unexpectedly tragic past.
Moira O'Hara was an innocent, young housekeeper who had an affair with the homeowner, landing her with a gunshot through the eye at the hands of his wife and then as a ghost trapped in the Murder House.
Elsa Mars ('Freak Show')
Elsa Mars remains both a beautiful and intriguing character from American Horror Story: Freak Show, who leads her group of "monsters" as their carnival travels to perform their freak show.
Elsa's most memorable moment of the season teeters between her gorgeous rendition of "Life on Mars" by David Bowie during her show, and the moment it's revealed that Elsa has two amputated legs, making her a "freak" like everyone else.
Kai Anderson ('Cult')
Kai Anderson remains one of the scariest characters of AHS, simply for how close-to-home American Horror Story: Cult felt when it aired in 2017. Kai leads the season as a cult leader involved with bad politics who is openly a Trump supporter.
Kai terrifies in a season focused on the political chaos caused by the 2016 presidential election, with his simultaneously most memorable and most cringy moment being when he crushed Cheetos and spread the orange dust all over his face in support of his presidential pick.
Madison Montgomery ('Coven,' 'Apocalypse')
Emma Roberts has played four different characters over five seasons of American Horror Story, but her best remembered was her AHS debut as Madison Montgomery in the season titled Coven.
Madison Montgomery is a telekinetic teen witch with a lot of blood on her hands, but also some romance in her heart when she helps reconcile Murder House OTP Tate and Violet in American Horror Story: Apocalypse after visiting the infamous Murder House.
Twisty ('Freak Show,' 'Cult')
For anyone who thinks Pennywise or Art is the scariest clowns in existence, you've clearly never seen Twisty from American Horror Story: Freak Show, with his dark eyes, blood-stained forehead and creepy, grinning mask that covers his lower face.
Like many other killer clowns, Twisty is a kidnapper and murderer whose crimes became so famous, they spawned a comic book series and action figures that later appeared in American Horror Story: Cult.
The Countess ('Hotel')
American Horror Story: Hotel was a memorable fifth season thanks to Lady GaGa's debut as The Countess, an old but glamorous woman who owns the hotel and feasts on guests' blood to keep herself alive.
When this vampiress wasn't devouring her victims, she was infecting people with her blood virus in order to keep them as lovers, offering them eternal life in exchange for them committing to her and only her.
Sister Jude Martin ('Asylum')
There's arguably not an unfavorable character played by Jessica Lange, but of all the actress' AHS characters, it's Sister Jude Martin from American Horror Story: Asylum that takes the number one spot.
Who starts out as the head of power at Briarcliff Manor slowly transforms into the story of an abusive nun who gets the tables turned on her for every unjust punishment she performed on patients at the asylum.
Lana Winters ('Asylum,' 'Roanoke,' 'Cult')
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It's impossible not to love every AHS character portrayed by Sarah Paulson, but the fan favorite since American Horror Story: Asylum has been journalist and LGBTQ icon Lana Winters.
Lana's story of reporting on Briarcliff manor's serial killer patient takes a twisted turn when she's committed as a patient to treat her homosexuality, and after coming out on top, comes out of retirement in Roanoke to interview that season's victim Lee Harris.
Tate Langdon ('Murder House,' 'Apocalypse')
Tate Langdon will always be the GOAT of American Horror Story for being Evan Peters' first creepy character of the series in the season of the horror show that started it all, Murder House.
This character, despite being a mass murderer, is a beloved ghost trapped in the Murder House and is most remembered for his not-so-meet cute with Violet and his notable painted face that resembled a skeleton.