5 Best American Horror Story Characters (& 5 Worst)

American Horror Story is one of the most popular television shows of the 2000s. This anthology series showcases horror, both real and supernatural. There have been nine seasons so far, and the tenth season is set to premiere later this fall. While fans will have to wait to get to know the theme of season ten and its characters, there are plenty of iconic American Horror Story characters to revisit.

From twisted nuns to ghostly serial killers to the Antichrist, fans of horror have many characters to get to know. Though most of the characters are well-written and memorable, there are a few characters that barely added anything to the season’s story.

10 Worst: Audrey Tindall

American Horror Story: Roanoke is considered by some fans to be one of the horror juggernaut’s weaker seasons. While the season boasted some scares, its convoluted plot made for a season that many fans and reviewers found to be boring. Equally weak were the season’s characters, which included Audrey Tindall, played by series veteran Sarah Paulson. In the show, Tindall is the actress who plays Shelby Miller in the reenactment of the Miller family’s experience in their haunted house. Paulson plays Tindall with a less than stellar British accent, and the character itself was written without much backstory. She is constantly ruminating over her age and her relationship with her husband played briefly by Evan Peters. Her intense disbelief of the Miller’s story and her dislike of Shelby adds to the character’s unlikeability.

9 Best: Donna Chambers

Played by the history-making Angelica Ross, Donna Chambers was a highlight of American Horror Story: 1984. Typically, the role of the calculating doctor who wants to see their experiment play out in real-time is played by a man. That showrunner Ryan Murphy decided to feature Ross in this role is refreshing, as is the character’s redemption arc. Ross tackles Donna’s yearning to understand serial killers and desire to not become another victim in stride. She is one of the only survivors of the season thanks to her clever nature and her bond with Brooke Thompson, played by Emma Roberts.

8 Worst: Monsignor Timothy Howard

The second season of American Horror Story is considered to be the series’ best. Many credit this to the writing and to Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson’s portrayal of the tough as nails Sister Jude and the ambitious reporter Lana Winters, respectively. Though the season boasted other strong characters like Evan Peters’ Kit Walker and James Cromwell’s Dr. Arther Arden, there is one character whose presence added little to the season.

Monsignor Timothy Howard, played by Joseph Fiennes, is perhaps the most forgettable character in Asylum. He is the director of Briarcliff Asylum and his ambition leads him to gaslight Sister Jude when she raises concerns about Dr. Arden as well as lie and cheat his way into more power. Though he represents the power-hungry man who will do anything to get ahead, Fiennes’ portrayal of the Monsignor meant the character flew under the radar, even though there was so much potential for more.

7 Best: Kai Anderson

What makes Kai Anderson a good character is that he was emblematic of the time. With the rise of internet trolls and groups that were willing to watch the world burn, having Anderson start a cult and serve as the main villain in season seven was a smart move on Murphy’s part. Peters is a staple of the American Horror Story universe and his nuanced portrayal of the troll-turned-cult leader was outstanding. Fans of the show got to see how power corrupts in real-time, as the show reveals in flashbacks how Kai went from a relatively normal college student to someone obsessed with chaos after experiencing the death of his parents.

6 Worst: Violet Harmon

The inaugural season of American Horror Story followed the Harmon family as they dealt with their haunted Los Angeles mansion. This is the first time viewers got to see the series favorites Evan Peters and Jessica Lange shine. It is also the first season that featured Taissa Farmiga as the dour teenager, Violet Harmon. Though the character is supposed to be edgy and emo, Farmiga plays her as a whiny, self-absorbed girl who realizes too late that the boy she likes is a psychopath. Though there are many American Horror Story fans who love Violet and her relationship with Tate, there are just as many fans who feel that the show improperly propped these lovers, and Violet specifically, up.

5 Best: Fiona Goode

The third season of American Horror Story saw the anthology series get witchy. In Coven, Lange plays Fiona Goode, the Supreme witch. She fought her way to become the Supreme, and she’s fearful of losing her title. Lange plays Goode with a lot of nuances — she’s narcissistic and power-hungry but she loves her daughter and wants to stop any violence from happening to the young witches she oversees. Though Fiona isn’t above using those around her to get what she wants, she fights for them and even saves them on several occasions.

4 Worst: Dell Toledo

Freak Show is widely considered to be one of the series’ weakest. The series did have a few standout characters, including Dandy Mott, Bette and Dott Tattler, and Edward Mordrake. Freak Show also had a few forgettable characters, including Dell Toledo.

Played by Michael Chiklis, the Strong Man of the freakshow frequently lands on worst character lists of the show. Dell is an abusive hothead and though he is the one who murders Ma Petite, setting up a lot of the tension for the rest of the season, removing him would have worked just as well for the season.

3 Best: Michael Langdon

Since the ending of season one, fans have wondered what happened to the spawn of Vivienne Harmon and Tate Langdon. In season 8, Apocalypse, the audience learns about Michael’s life from child to adult — and discover that he was, in fact, the anti-christ. Actor Cody Fern plays Michael with such swagger that he at times manages to outshine veteran actors Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson. Fern does an excellent job of playing the evil, chaos-loving anti-christ and the human version of Michael, who is basically good and doesn’t want to become what people have told him he should be.

2 Worst: Hayden McLain

One of the main plot points of season one was Ben Harmon’s repeated infidelity. He frequently cheats on Vivien with a younger woman named Hayden. In the first episode, Vivien walks in on them having sex, which is the catalyst for the family moving to Los Angeles. Though the role of the other woman was necessary for the story to move forward, Hayden’s character rubbed many a fan the wrong way. Played by Kate Mara, Hayden is a vindictive, bratty woman who keeps reminding the other characters and the audience that she matters. However, her frequent decision to go after Vivien instead of the source of her anger, Ben, made for unpleasant viewing.

1 Best: Liz Taylor

Hotel is a season that got mixed reviews. Some fans loved it, while others didn’t. Despite the mixed feelings, there is one part of the season that most people enjoyed — Liz Taylor. Played brilliantly by Dennis O’Hare, Liz is a woman with style, class, and a ton of grit. Her story is one that many can relate to — the feeling of something not quite being right with the mold one is in, and finally finding the courage to be true to oneself. Not only does this character have some of the best costumes of the entire series, but she has some of the best lines of the whole series. The scene where she tells the ghosts of the hotel that she’s dying and they all react with dismay and sadness is a touching moment and a testament to how brilliant Liz as a character is.