Spanning nine seasons, American Horror Story is filled to the brim with vicious killers, villains, and primordial forces of evil. Feeding the collective fears, historical facts, and pop culture of contemporary society, Ryan Murphy's hit show has captured the morbid fascination of fans across the world.
From the more mundane psychopaths and serial killers to the Antichrist himself, here is a list of the 10 best villains to appear in the American Horror Story series.
10 The Ten Commandments Killer
A hard-to-find villain, The Ten Commandments Killer was on the run throughout season 5 after being tailed by detective Jown Lowe. The killer went on a murder spree, specifically targeting those that had broken one of the Ten Commandments and brutally murdering his victims in often gruesome and bloody ways. During this cat and mouse chase, Lowe is also contending with his mysterious blackouts that leave him disoriented and confused.
As one of the most disturbing and fascinating string of murders in American Horror Story, many fans found it an interesting turn of fate when Lowe inevitably found out his backouts were linked to the murders themselves.
9 Margaret Booth
A complex and misunderstood character, the outwardly saint-like Margaret Booth just so happens to be the sole survivor of a brutal massacre during her visit to summer camp in 1970. Season 9 kicks off with a slew of murders pinned on a man by the name of Benjamin Richter, who is also known as Mr. Jingles.
Despite this, it is revealed Margaret herself is commiting the murders, secretly hiding a personality belonging to a sociopathic murderer with a killing streak. She is shown as a ruthless villain who will do anything to cover up her crimes and secure a future for herself.
8 Dr. Arthur Arden
As the main physician at Briarcliff Manor, Dr. Athur Arden has seen countless atrocities and damage throughout his tenure at the sanitarium. Despite the need for gentle hands when dealing with the mentally ill, Arden completes plays his role of crazed ex-Nazi war criminal a little too well. Torturing patients and causing havoc, even performing procedures without anesthetic as made his villain one to be feared.
However, his plan to further and systematically speed up human evolution only resulted in failed experiments and monstrous zombie-like abominations. Arden was based on the "Angel of Death" Josef Mengele, a Nazi doctor and scientist who performed similar experiments in concentration camps throughout Eurpoe during World War II.
7 The Axeman
Throughout the madness of Season 3 Coven, this killer may seem like a flung-in background character who has a grotesc style of finishing off victims. After his moniker, the Axeman loved both his axe and surprisingly, jazz music.
Even though he seemed content wreaking havoc on the city of New Orleans in 1919, his reign of terror comes to an end once he is lured by the girls at Miss Robichaux's Academy and murdered by the coven. His pattern included murdering anyone who refused to play jazz music for him.
6 "The Rubber Man" Tate Langdon
Tate Langdon became arguably the most relevant and long-running villains of the show for not only his presence alone but the lasting effects that his actions had on the world. Hiding behind a charming and likable visage, this killer hides violent and obsessive tendencies and holds a dark past. While dressing in black, Tate "The Rubber Man" killed 15 innocent people during a mass shooting at a high school.
The character is rooted in many present fears surrounding dangerous teens and the risk of school shootings. While his bloodline will go on to cause even more damage, Tate was a pivotal message within the plot of American Horror Story.
5 Twisty The Clown
While not considered the most apocalyptic on American Horror Story, Twisty is one of the most well-known faces for the average passerby unfamiliar with the show. He doesn't attempt to hide his darker intentions and opts for a mortifying outward appearance to match.
Between the dirty and overused clown costume, and the haphazardly attached clown mask full of uncharacteristically large teeth, Twisty cuts no corners in terrifying the general public. In an odd twist of fate, this entertainer believes he sympathizes with children, kidnapping them against their will to 'save' them from abusive or neglectful parents.
4 The Countess
As the beautiful and bewitching proprietor of Hotel Cortez, Elizabeth, also known as The Countess is a force to be reckoned with. With a complex history, this seductive vampire has to constantly find new sources of sustenance for her ever-present appetite for human blood.
Besides keeping children as cattle to feed on within the hotel itself, The Countess lures would-be guests into her hotel to feast on their life source to sustain herself and her power. Despite having this dynamic personality one could sympathize with, Elizabeth is still a human-eating cold monster that would sacrifice anything just to feed her appetite.
3 Bloody Face
In many circumstances, the most dangerous villains are those that appear completely put together, trustworthy, and sane on the surface. Competing in a series full of supernatural and biblical monsters from antiquity, Bloody Face does well for himself in terms of downright horrifying acts committed during his appearances. While it is first assumed that Kit is Bloody Face, the show later reveals that the hospital psychiatrist, Oliver Thredson is actually the killer all along.
Thredson also compares himself to famous serial killers like Ted Bundy and regularly skinned and decapitated his victims. He proved himself to be a truly terrifying monster during his run on the show, leaving a lasting impact on viewers.
2 Sister Mary Eunice
Throughout the series, viewers have seen all kinds of evil beings flood the screen; from deranged psychopaths to downright supernatural creatures, but almost none can beat the Devil. In a shocking turn of events, one of the most sanctified and holy members on the show becomes host to the darkest power in the world. Using this once shy and pure-of-heart woman, the Devil has unparalleled plans for the end of the world, even including overthrowing the Vatican from within, using the Monsignor as Pope.
Among the list of horrid acts that Sister Eunice commits, her true power comes from the gentle facade she uses to manipulate those around her, as well as consorting with known psychopaths like Oliver Thredson.
1 Michael Langdon
As one of the greatest build-ups of the series, it is hard not to admire the accomplishments of the Antichrist himself. Coming in all the way from Season 1, Murder House, as the son of Tate Langdon and Vivien. Becoming a murderer at the ripe age of 4 when Michael killed his babysitter, the young boy was discovered by his grandmother.
During Season 8, Apocalypse, he intends to bring about the end of the world, as is his birthright. Even though he clearly has the qualifications for the job, Michael is no match for the fan-favorite coven of witches from Season 3 who defeat him and his world-ending bid for power.