“American Horror Story” gives us the chance to watch a cast of actors reinvent themselves each season with some of the most terrifying, ass-kicking and cunning characters on television. But free of good and evil, or amount of screen time, who were the most well-written characters in the “AHS” universe? The ones who kept us on the edge of our seats, continually surprised us, and brought some of the most unnerving, charismatic and powerful storylines to life onscreen?
HuffPost Entertainment editors Erin Whitney and Ryan Kristobak ranked the top 25 characters, and no, not everyone is included, only the best of the best. (Obviously, spoilers lie ahead for the entire series.)
25. Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) — “Coven”
24. Derek (Eric Stonestreet) — “Murder House”
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23. Chester Creb (Neil Patrick Harris) — “Freak Show”
22. Paul the Illustrated Seal (Mat Fraser) — “Freak Show”
21. Nan (Jamie Brewer) — “Coven”
20. Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley) — “Freak Show”
19. Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett) — “Coven”
18. Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange) — “Coven”
17. Johnny Morgan (Dylan McDermott) — “Asylum”
16. Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) — “Freak Show”
15. Stevie Nicks (Stevie Nicks) — “Coven”
Image via Giphy
Shawls on shawls on shawls. –Ryan Kristobak
14. Sister Jude (Lange) — “Asylum”
Jessica Lange’s Sister Jude is the merciless foundation of Briarcliff Manor, the intolerable do-gooder who we find out is only torturing others to atone for her own past sins. While Lange’s other “AHS” characters have an unwavering strength and confidence about them, Judy Martin is her most human, a woman who is cracked at her core only to be broken down entirely. While Lange’s fierce, insult spewing is a trademark to her characters, it’s the ultimate innocence of Sister Jude that makes her Lange’s most lovable by the end of “Asylum.” –Erin Whitney
13. Charlotte Brown/Anne Frank (Franka Potente) — “Asylum”
Charlotte Brown’s time in “Asylum” was brief, but her fleeting presence was one the first jolts that let us know that this season was going to be exceptional. Through both of her episodes, the struggle to determine whether she really “is” Anne Frank is a tough tug-of-war, ending with a clue that propels the ultimate truth behind Dr. Arden. –RK
12. Moira O’Hara (Alexandra Breckenridge/Frances Conroy) — “Murder House”
Existing in a dual-dual state — she is young and old, she is with the living and with the deceased — Moira is like the glue that holds the Murder House together. While she shows compassion to Vivien, she also bites off Joe Escandarian’s penis, and that’s just crazy. –RK
11. Dr. Arden/Hans Gruper (James Cromwell) — “Asylum”
Dr. Arthur Arden, what a sicko. The former Nazi war criminal, formerly known as Hans Gruper, had a nasty past in Auschwitz (if you believe the Charlotte Brown story), but he became even more horrible when “Freak Show” revealed he was…
