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The 9 'American Horror Story' Characters That Are Still Giving Us the Creeps

'American Horror Story' has countless bone-chilling characters, like these 9, who still send shivers up my spine.

By Maggie StancuPublished 6 years ago 6 min read
Top Story - December 2017
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The writers over at FX's American Horror Story are constantly pushing themselves, which makes for both great and terrifying content. As one of the best and darkest shows on television, they write characters who we love to love as well as who keep us up at night. Viewers want characters who will scare them. It's easier to love and relate to a hero when there's a common villain that we can loathe and fear. Here are 10 characters from American Horror Story who still send shivers up my spine.

1. Charles Montgomery (Matt Ross) is the American Frankenstein.

This is the character we can thank for bringing us Murder House. As the builder and first resident in the spooky mansion, he was a popular and successful surgeon. Through the years, Charles Montgomery became addicted to Ether, a drug, and later developed what is known as Frankenstein complex. He would literally stitch different animal limbs together. And as if that wasn't off putting enough he started performing illegal abortions on women too. His work was indescribably creepy but the fact that he is responsible for the Murder House definitely earns him a spot in the top 10 creepiest American Horror Story characters.

2. Thaddeus/Infantata (Ben Woolf) had the scariest appearance.

Granted, we (thankfully) only saw this character for a very short amount of time back in Season 1 but he made a great impression. Thaddeus was the infant son of Charles and Nora Montgomery. After one of Charles' abortions went horribly wrong, the women's boyfriend stole their son, Thaddeus, and dismembered him. Charles, having gone completely insane, attempts to put him back together. To his wife's horror, he succeeds. This is one of those cases where it isn't the psychological aspect that terrifies the audience, but solely the appearance. Just looking at that picture is going to give me nightmares tonight.

3. Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) is unpredictable and manipulative.

Like the majority of Lange's characters, Constance is manipulative to the bone. She may try to appear good-natured and innocent but the facade doesn't hold up. Firstly, she murders her husband and her maid. She frequently locks her daughter in a closet filled with mirrors when she's "being bad" and that scares me. She had no conscience and for most of the season didn't have an agenda. Those are the creepiest characters, because there's no rhyme or reason for what they do. She was totally unpredictable, almost doing things just for the sake of chaos. She may not have the look of a monster, but she was without a doubt one of the most despicable characters on the show.

4. Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) stole our hearts despite his monstrosities.

It runs in the family; Tate makes the list as well. He's introduced to us as a little messed up, but he seems to have a good heart. His love for Violet is both sweet and adorable. In many ways people couldn't help but think he would make a pretty great boyfriend. That is until we found out about his dark side. He did a whole range of horrible things, from killing his classmates to residents of the Murder House. The creepiest and worst of it all, however, was donning the rubber suit and raping Violet's mother. What makes Tate so terrifying is that he has two distinct personalities. He can be the loving and fun boyfriend one moment, the one that would die to protect you, and the next he's a murderous rapist. He makes the list both for his disgusting acts, and for still managing to have a place in our hearts. That's a new level of messed up.

5. Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) is the opposite of the demon that possesses her.

I think what makes this character so creepy is that, naturally, she is a very sweet person! Shy, naive, and desperate to get everything right, Sister Mary Eunice was adorable. However that quickly changes once she is possessed by a demon. The sweetness is replaced with cruelty. Instead of naivety, she is now cunning and manipulative. She's a great villain because every evil act she commits makes the audience feel worse for her. It seems that the demon commits every sin just to attack the real Sister Mary, and that is horrible to watch. That doesn't change the fact that none of us wanted to go near that demon.

6. Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto) takes "mommy issues" to a whole new level.

Thredson, better known as Bloody Face, was the most terrifying American Horror Story villain. A man with serious mommy issues, he would kidnap women in hope to find his 'mommy.' He would then murder them and cut off their skin sewing it together to make a mask. He would wear the mask, hence the name Bloody Face. The mask was horrifying but it was far from the most disturbing thing about this psychopath. When he kidnaps Lana and is convinced that she could be his mother figure and he rapes her, which reaches a whole new level of wrong. Thredson seemed like a hero we could root for, along with Lana's ticket out of Briarcliff, which only made his true nature more horrific.

7. Twisty The Clown (John Carroll Lynch) sums up fear of clowns perfectly.

We all knew that Freak Show was going to include at least one creepy clown but never did we expect one that was this terrifying. He would murder some and kidnap others in hopes of entertaining them. His story may be sad and unfair but that isn't a good excuse for brutal murder. His mask is genuinely terrifying, his face even more so. I have a phobia of clowns so this one really hit home. The idea of being kidnapped and 'entertained' by this guy is enough to get my heart pounding. I could not have been more relieved when Edward Mordrake took him away. Good riddance!

8. Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock) is Twisty's privileged sidekick.

Rich, spoiled, and the very definition of white male privilege, Dandy was hated from his first second on screen. He is so obsessed with being "a freak" and being different that he becomes Twisty's apprentice. Again, murderous clowns were a popular concept in Season 4, which made it near impossible for me to sit through. Murder becomes a daily activity for Dandy. Among his victims is his own mother! He takes after Delphine LaLaurie in his use of blood. If his pretentious speech and angry outbursts don't freak you out, his bathing in the blood of his victims should definitely do the trick.

9. James March (Evan Peters) is ingenious and exciting.

Hotel is filled with fantastic characters and while The Countess is one of the best, she isn't the creepiest. Her late husband, however, certainly makes the list. He's sophisticated and rather ingenious when it comes to architecture, but his hotel is filled with hallways that lead nowhere, torture chambers, and a shoot to throw his victims down. I applaud his creativity and vision, but that makes it no less awful. Peters brings a natural allure every time he's on screen which, like Tate, makes him even more creepier. There is no one that enjoys taking a life as much as Mr. March and that makes him so entertaining to watch. He's one of my favorite characters even though I wouldn't go near him with a ten foot pole.

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About the Creator

Maggie Stancu

(she/they/he) writer of sad, spooky, and supernatural things.

Twitter: maggiestancu

Instagram: maggiestancu

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