Just going to highlight the characters who really stood out to me, I’ve rewatched these all numerous times before except Hotel, but it’s been a while and some of my opinions changed:

Top 5: 1. Sister Jude - I don’t know how Ryan Murphy pulled off such a complex character, but he did and Jude stands out amongst every other performance in AHS for me. Jessica Lange utterly destroys the role, and is one of very actors/actresses that could make a character who did such horrible things sympathetic. We see Sister Jude from every angle, and she goes through so much, with the perfect ending for her character. I think all 4 Lange characters are exceptional, but this one was transcendent.

1. Lana Winters - The best underdog in AHS ever, period. She even outdoes her later characters such as Ally, because even though she’s the protagonist, she still has some negative traits, but not to the point where they overlap her positive ones at all. Her escape from the asylum with the Candyman theme in the background is iconic, the scenes where she kills Thredson and her son are some of the best in the show. It’s just such an emotional journey to watch, and like Jude, deserved the happy ending.

2. Constance Langdon - I feel like it’s controversial to have Constance above Fiona, but Constance wraps the entire season 1 together so well. Amazing quotes throughout, a mix of vile actions and emotional scenes, make her a very developed character. She helped to save Apocalypse for me, as she was phenomenal in that season. I also really like that her and Larry are the only characters alive at the end of the season, since it does subvert expectations.

3. Liz Taylor - BY FAR, the best character of Hotel and she carries so many episodes. Her backstory was perfectly done, as well as the reunion with her son, Denis O’Hare knocked this role out of the park, and had one of the best death scenes in the series. Only slight negative is that they don’t introduce the relationship with Tristan until his death episode, which does undermine the impact of his death. Amazing interactions with the rest of the cast.

4. Fiona Goode - Yes, I’m going to be that person who has Jessica Lange three times in their top 5, and I don’t feel bad about it! She was the life of the show, and I think despite this being her most evil character, she’s perfected being likeable in spite of her character’s flaws. Great relationships with Cordelia, Myrtle Snow, and Marie. Another one of her characters with an incredible death scene, and her going to hell with axeman’s version of heaven is a satisfying conclusion.

Honourable mention: Vivien, Tate, Larry, Mary Eunice, Arthur Arden, Madison, Myrtle, Marie, Queenie, Cordelia, Elsa, Ethel, Dandy, Gloria, Dell, Iris, Sally, Ramona, James Marc, Hazel Evers. So many greats from early on.

Worst 5:

1. Hayden McClaine - My least favourite in the early seasons by far, I mean she only exists to be as annoying as possible, and she doesn’t fit the tone of S1 at all. Awful.

2. Will Drake - Talk about one of the least complex characters in AHS history. We didn’t get much insight at all into who he is, no flashbacks, no interesting scenes, just nothing. It was so stupid that he marries the Countess without even knowing her name, it didn't feel believable at all. After he dies he's just vaguely annoying and kills with Sally for whatever reason. Waste of the actor.

3. John Lowe, totally bland character considering he’s a serial killer, he would be worse but his scenes with James and Sally are fine enough. The reveal that he’s the killer was so predictable and nonsensical at the same time. It was very unsatisfying to see him kill the Countess, as he had basically never interacted with her.

4. Harrison Renard - Might not remember him but he was Hank’s dad in Coven. He was hunting the witches for reasons we never understand and dies as soon as he gets in conflict with the witches. Snooze.

5. Alex Lowe - I hate to have 3 Hotel characters in the bottom five, but it’s the worst season of the five so. Like John, the actress is wasted on being extremely boring and forgettable. She tries to gaslight her husband and abandon her daughter just because she loves Holden more? Rubbish, but not as bad as others.

I didn’t mention Freak Show at all, but it’s a pretty average season in every way so I’m not surprised.

2 > 3 > 1 > 4 > 5 but all are better than most of the seasons after.