The ninth season of American Horror Story is currently airing, and fans of the macabre and morbid show are being treated to another impressive installment in the anthology series. The current season, subtitled 1984, takes place in the famed era of slasher flicks and has already set up several twists and turns to unravel gradually.
American Horror Story is synonymous with its cast, many of whom are famed for playing a variety of chic, signature characters. Here are the top ten who have made such a memorable impression that they have become iconic.
Misty Day
Misty Day first appeared in season three’s Coven installment. A sweet-natured witch with an iconic wardrobe and love for Stevie Nicks, she is actress Lily Rabe’s third character in the series after Murder House’s Nora Montgomery and Asylum’s Sister Mary Eunice.
Misty’s character returned in the eighth season Apocalypse, a crossover installment that saw the witches from Coven and the spirits from Murder House interact. Stevie Nicks also made another guest appearance, serenading her shawl-wearing superfan with a rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s 1982 song “Gypsy.”
Twisty
This gruesome clown is one of American Horror Story’s most terrifying characters. The clown with the twisted grin first appeared in season four’s Freak Show and had a guest appearance in season seven’s Cult.
The disgraced clown has a nightmarish face that is truly the thing of nightmares. He is easily one of the series’ most recognized characters, if only for his monstrous appeal.
Tate Langdon
Evan Peter’s first character in a long list of many, Tate Langdon was an angel-faced serial killer revealed to have been responsible for several grisly murders before his death at the hands of the police inside the Murder House.
Tate’s character is known most for his complicated relationship with fellow edgy teen spirit Violet Harmon (Taissa Farmiga). The pair inspired a generation of Tumblr posts as well as providing Halloween couples’ costume inspiration for many fans.
The Countess
Lady Gaga’s arrival in American Horror Story was a welcome addition that soothed the absence of fan-favorite Jessica Lange. Gaga proved herself as a capable and credible actress with the sleek and sinister character of The Countess.
The Countess, real-name Elizabeth Johnson, was the first character to be introduced with the vampire virus in season five’s Hotel. A glamorous figure, the character became instantly iconic for her dramatic wardrobe and stylistic choices.
Liz Taylor
Another iconic character from Hotel, Liz Taylor was the heart and soul of the entire fifth season. She was the most vibrant soul in a damned hotel full of spirits, and her death in the series finale “Be Our Guest” was the most emotional, poignant moment of the season.
Liz’s transformation scene with the help of The Countess in episode five “Room Service” as well as her relationship with Tristan Duffy (Finn Wittrock) are highlights of the season, touching moments in an installment otherwise dripping with horror.
Dr. Oliver Thredson aka Bloody Face
Oliver Thredson was the most chilling character of season two’s Asylum. The seemingly calm and trustworthy doctor was initially presented as one of the few good people working at Briarcliff, though it was soon revealed to be the true identity of serial killer Bloody Face.
Thredson was a detestable villain with an intricately gruesome back story. In a series full of twisted killers, he remains one of the worst.
Lana Winters
Sarah Paulson’s second character after Murder House medium Billie Dean Howard was the ultimate heroine of season two’s Asylum. The determined journalist was wrongfully imprisoned in Briarcliff before being subjected to unspeakable horrors at the hands of Bloody Face. She ultimately prevailed by exposing him to the police before killing him herself.
Lana’s infamous scene in which she drives to safety in the back of the taxi whilst giving Thredson the middle finger is one of the most iconic and memorable scenes in the series.
Marie Laveau
Angela Bassett gave a stand-out performance in season three’s Coven, an anthology installment that introduced witches into the American Horror Story narrative. The character was based on a real-life figure known in New Orleans for being a practitioner of voodoo.
Bassett’s bold and passionate performance was a highlight of the season. Her character’s scenes with Jessica Lange’s Fiona Goode were some of the best-acted scenes in the series.
Constance Langdon
Jessica Lange’s first appearance in American Horror Story’s first season, dubbed Murder House, remains one of the best performances in the series. Constance was a fierce and ruthless matriarch who made her presence in the damned house well-known.
Constance reappeared in season eight’s “Return To Murder House,” much to the delight of fans. She had memorable clashes with Moira O’Hara (Frances Conroy) as well as her children, including murderous teenage ghost Tate Langdon. She exited the murder house with Vivien Harmon’s (Connie Britton) demonic offspring, returning in Apocalypse to tell the witches of Michael Langdon’s bloody childhood and her suicide.
Michael Langdon
Originally thought to be the ghoulish, otherworldly offspring of Vivien Harmon and Tate Langdon, Michael (Cody Fern) was revealed to be Antichrist himself in season eight’s Apocalypse. A sadistic demon as well as a bratty young boy, Michael spent his accelerated childhood raised by a series of mother figures, including his ‘grandmother’ Constance Langdon and Satanic cult member Ms. Mead (Kathy Bates).
Michael’s war with the witches of New Orleans was unraveled on the screen slowly, culminating with a showdown with Supreme witch Cordelia Goode (Sarah Paulson) and the rest of her revived coven battling the son of the Devil in an apocalyptic underground bunker. Michael’s final scene, in which he dies in the arms of his grandmother after Mallory (Billie Lourd) travels back through time to thwart him, is a chilling send-off to an evil character as Constance tells her grandson to “go to hell.”
