The 10 Scariest Scenes From American Horror Story: Asylum

American Horror Story has played an important part in redefining the horror genre on television. Each season is a nod to a particular sub-genre within horror, both showcasing the best tropes while subverting them in the many interesting ways.

The most critically acclaimed season of American Horror Story is its second run, titled Asylum. Set in a questionable asylum populated by some of the most deranged patients and residents possible, AHS: Asylum had some of the creepiest, most terrifying imagery of any of the show’s many seasons. Because of this, there were many extremely scary scenes throughout its 13 episode run. Here are the 10 scariest scenes from American Horror Story: Asylum.

10 The Schoolyard

Obsessed with sex, a nymphomaniac named Shelly was admitted to the asylum to help cure her unrestrained lust. Later, it’s revealed that Shelly’s husband had actually been cheating on her with several women. It was only after having revenge sex that her husband admitted her to the horrible hospital, claiming she was mentally ill.

The vile Dr. Arden experiments on Shelly, first amputating both her legs and then slowly turning  her into a grotesque monster. Hoping to keep anyone from finding Arden’s horrible experiments, the possessed Mary Eunice dumps Shelly on a school playground. The following scene of children discovering Shelly’s body is truly disturbing.

9 Failed Abortion

In the Asylum episode titled The Coat Hanger, Lana discovers that she is pregnant with the child of a serial killer. Frantic and desperate to get rid of the baby by any means necessary, she gets hold of a coat hanger and tries to perform her own abortion. The following scene is extremely shocking, gross and quite scary.

Unfortunately for Lana, the baby actually survives the attempted abortion. By abandoning the child, he grows up to become a killer just like his father, obviously suffering from the neglect of his mother. And so the cycle continued.

8 Driver Suicide

It turns out the driver’s wife had recently left him, and the emotional pain was so great that he was going mad. Brandishing a gun, it appeared that he was going to murder Lana simply for reminding him of his wife. In the last second, he instead turns the gun on himself, crashing the car.

7 Aliens Arrive

In the first episode of Asylum, we are introduced to many of the horror themes that will pop up over the course of the season. One horror trope that most audiences were likely not expecting was alien abductions.

In a scary scene towards the middle of the episode, a bright light appears outside Kit’s home. Upon investigating, a series of strange occurrences take place, ending with Kit being abducted and then seemingly experimented on.

6 Christmas Night

In the episode titled Unholy Night, Ian McShane makes one of the best guest appearances in the show’s entire history. A serial killer who had gone on a murderous spree dressed as Santa Claus, Leigh Emerson was perfectly portrayed by the seasoned actor.

In the episode’s opening, Emerson breaks into a house about a week before Christmas. After an unsettling scene with Emerson talking to a little girl and pretending to be Santa, he goes upstairs and brings the parents down at gunpoint. He then murders both of them with gunshots to the head.

5 Bloody Face In Modern Day

In the opening of Asylum, fans are treated to a surprising cameo by nonother than Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine. Playing a man named Leo enjoying a honeymoon with his recently married wife Teresa, Levine’s character is one of the first to be killed in this extremely bloody season.

A duo of horror-fanatics, the newlyweds decided to visit the abandoned asylum Briarcliff. Upon looking around, they happen to run into Bloody Face himself, a murderer thought to have been long dead. In a terrifying scene, Bloody Face tears off Leo’s arm in brutal fashion.

4 Exorcism

When a local teenager named Jed begins to show increased signs of violent aggression, Sister Jude admits him to Briarcliff. Upon his arrival, it becomes clear to Monsignor Howard and Father Malachi that the boy is possessed and in need of an exorcism.

The scene of the exorcism is one of the most horrific of the whole season, with the demon continually trying to manipulate everyone in the room by using their secrets against them. Although he is eventually freed of the demon, Jed dies shortly after.

3 Raspers Revealed

When Grace, Kit, and Lana make their grand escape in the third episode Nor’easter, they encounter several monsters in the woods outside Briarcliff. The monsters had been eating a dead body, and when they saw the three escapees the monsters quickly took chase, forcing them back into the asylum.

Dr. Arden had been experimenting on the patients at Briarcliff. These monsters, called the Raspers, are what was left of his many test subjects.

2 Opening Presents

Towards the end of Unholy Nights, Leigh Emerson, dressed in a Santa Claus costume once again, is given access to Sister Judes’ office. The following scene is nothing short of horrific. Emerson starts by playing with Sister Jude and telling her all the horrible things he’s going to do to her as revenge for throwing him in solitary.

After some torture, Emerson throws sister Jude on a bed and is about to rape her. Through a quick flashback, it’s shown that Sister Jude was able to grab a letter opener. Then, when there was an opening, Jude struck. Stabbing Emerson in the neck, the serial killer slowly died as his blood poured onto the floor.

1 Dr. Thredson’s Reveal

This may be the scariest scene not just in American Horror Story: Asylum, but in all of the series’ seasons. After Dr. Thredson helped Lana escape Briarcliff, he brought her to his home where, unfortunately for her, even worse horrors resided.

After discovering a room full of Thredson’s “trophies,” Lana falls through a trapdoor into his basement. There, lying on the floor is Lana’s girlfriend Wendy. Every part of this reveal is truly terrifying, and that’s why it makes the top of this list.

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Michael Austin
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Michael is a professional journalist, author and writer. He graduated from Iowa State University in 2019 and has written at Screen Rant for over a year.

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