Every Season Of ‘American Horror Story’, Ranked

Next to HBO’s The White Lotus or Netflix’s Black Mirror, few anthology series have attracted the attention of mainstream viewers quite like American Horror Story.

Airing at the start of the 2010s, Ryan Murphy’s hit horror series helped revitalize the anthology format for modern TV, achieving a lasting place in modern pop culture comparable to The Twilight Zone in the 1960s and Tales from the Crypt in the 1990s. 

With many viewers wondering what new surprises await in the upcoming season of American Horror Story, we decided to take a look back at every season of AHS we’ve seen so far, ranking them in order from worst to best.

12. Hotel

Freak Show may have been something of a step down from the critical heights of Coven – but it’s nothing compared to the lesser qualities of Hotel. Though Lady Gaga commands the screen as a garish vampiric child abductor, Hotel’s fragmented storyline lacks the inherent cohesion of AHS’s earliest installments, ushering in the series’ most forgettable season yet.

11. Cult

AHS has never shied away from difficult or controversial subject matter, be it organized religion, female representation, or contemporary politics in American culture. The most politically-charged of AHS’s many seasons, Cult’s heavy-handed tone can nevertheless prove grating to some viewers, with the season struggling to balance out its timely social satire with its underlying basis in horror. Because of this, Cult falls flat when just when it seems like it’s set to soar, with not even Evan Peters’ masterful portrayal of several historical personages (including Andy Warhol, David Koresh, Charles Manson, and Jesus Christ) enough to redeem its muddled narrative weaknesses.

10. Delicate

The most recent addition to AHS, Delicate also marks the first time the series has looked to a pre-existing source material for its main premise. Based on Danielle Valentine’s novel Delicate Condition, Delicate offers up a tantalizing tale of pregnancy, anxiety, and the burdens of celebrity, all of which is wrapped around a story that borrows clear inspiration from Rosemary’s Baby. It may not have the same buoyant scares as its earlier AHS counterparts, but Delicate’s straightforward eeriness allows for an otherwise mesmerizing horror story: one that will leave you covered in goosebumps from head to toe.

9. NYC

Possessing almost none of the original cast AHS utilized in its earliest seasons, NYC almost comes across as an entirely different horror series, one that also happens to be a far cry from AHS’s influential opening installments. But between its sultry tone and its ominous air of suspense, NYC unquestionably retains the signature elements of American Horror Story, even if the finished season struggles to embrace its identity as a self-contained horror narrative.

8. Roanoke

You have to give credit where credit is due: for better or for worse, Roanoke did try to break the formulaic standard AHS had fallen into by the time Hotel aired in 2015. While its high-concept show-within-a-within aesthetic leads to some interesting results, the finished product appears almost too conceptually clever for its own good, sacrificing meatier substance for its distinctly true-crime presentation.

7. Double Feature

Delivering two stories for the price of one, Double Feature sees Ryan Murphy toy with the overall presentation of his famed anthology series. Split between the Lovecraftian Red Tide and the alien-populated Death Valley, Double Feature’s novel premise helps the season achieve its own lasting place in AHS’s growing canon. With each act in its two-part season boasting a remarkable number of strengths, Double Feature offers two refreshingly haunting horror stories we simply can’t recommend enough.

6. Apocalypse

AHS has always had underlying elements present from one season to the next, but Apocalypse marked the first time the series included a full-fledged crossover between its pre-existing seasons and various crossover characters. Tossing together heroes and villains from Season 3’s Coven and Season 1’s Murder House, Apocalypse expands the scope of the AHS universe in new and exciting ways, succeeding as a loving addition to the series’ overarching narrative. 

5. Freak Show

Compared to the supernatural undercurrent of its earlier seasons, Freak Show might prove a tad underwhelming for anyone looking for the same paranormal scares of Murder House, Asylum, or Coven. Yet even then, Freak Show’s pulpier presentation leads to plenty of unique possibilities, allowing the season to truly strike out on its own as a creative homage to Freaks, Nightmare Alley, and Carny, among many other classic horror tales.

4. Murder House

The very first entry in American Horror Story, Murder House laid the groundwork for a one-of-a-kind anthology series unlike any other. Relying on a traditional haunted house premise reminiscent of The Shining, The Haunting of Hill House, and Poltergeist, Murder House conjures up a ceaselessly intriguing storyline throughout its fast-moving 12-episode season. It may not pack the same punch as its immediate successors Asylum and Coven, but it remains a thoroughly entertaining story of murder, revenge, sexual tension, and romantic infidelity all the same.

3. 1984

Prior to 1984’s release, viewers had spent years wondering what AHS’s take on a campy ‘80s slasher might look like. Fortunately, 1984 more than lived up to these perilously high expectations, delivering a season filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and unending nods to its kitschy slasher precursors. Rather than mercilessly mocking its central genre, however, 1984 draws on a surprising number of fresh innovations in its main storyline, upending the traditional slasher vehicle and outfitting it with unexpected twists and turns throughout.

2. Asylum

Certain settings seem almost tailor-made for American Horror Story, be it a ‘50s traveling carnival, an ‘80s sleepaway camp, or an unorthodox mental asylum in 1960s New England. With the latter, Asylum takes viewers on what might very well be the darkest journey in the series yet, complete with mad scientists, fugitive war criminals, sadistic secret killers, demonic nuns, and corrupt Catholic priests. While a tad overstuffed with conflicting storylines and half-baked horror tropes that sadly go nowhere (like Arden’s zombies and Kit’s aliens), Asylum continues to rank as one of the most memorable outings for AHS to date.

1. Coven

It’s hard to pinpoint any one thing that sets Coven apart as the definitive entry in American Horror Story. Maybe it’s the splendid performances of its main cast, including a deliciously evil Jessica Lange, a thoughtfully narcissistic Emma Roberts, or a captivatingly charismatic Angela Bassett. Maybe it’s the overarching battle between a coven of Southern witches, New Orleans voodoo practitioners, and a shadowy order of witch hunters hoping to eliminate any semblance of magic in the world. More than likely, though, it’s a combination of all these things and more that make Coven so thoroughly engrossing to watch, maintaining our avid interest from its opening episode all the way to its bittersweet final chapter.