Over the years, American Horror Story [1] has provided some of the scariest episodes to ever grace television. From fantastical horror like demonic babies and murderous clown gangs to ultrarealistic scares like school shootings and rapes, AHS is never afraid to push the envelope and make its viewers as terrified as possible.
With season nine right around the corner — and get excited, 1980s slasher movie fans because 1984 looks amazing [2] — here is a look back at the scariest episodes so far.
And if you're wondering why there's no AHS: Apocalypse on the list . . . it's because that season wasn't very scary. It was a lot of fun, but not particularly terrifying. Sorry, Apocalypse fans.
Season 1, episode 6: "Piggy Piggy"
This episode might just be the scariest that American Horror Story [4] has ever done because it's the one the most grounded in reality. The show can be so fantastical that it's easy to distance yourself from the horror. But "Piggy Piggy" takes viewers inside Tate's (Evan Peters) high school massacre and it is absolutely stomach churning. It also leads to Violet's (Taissa Farmiga) suicide, though Tate appears to save her life. Plus, the ultrasound tech says that Vivien's (Connie Britton) baby is the Antichrist.
Season 1, episode 10: "Smoldering Children"
It turns out Tate didn't actually save Violet from her suicide attempt and she's been rotting in the crawl space under the house. This twist is revealed in a wonderfully creepy sequence where Violet tries to leave the house and can't — because her spirit is forever trapped there. We also find out that Larry's (Denis O'Hare) scars are because Tate set him on fire and that Tate is Rubber Man. It's a big episode of scary reveals.
Season 2, episode 8: "Unholy Night"
Asylum had its fair share of really scary episodes, but a murderous mental patient dressed as Santa is definitely one of the scariest things in the season, culminating in a terrifying confrontation between Leigh (Ian McShane) and Sister Jude (Jessica Lange).
Season 2, episode 9: "The Coat Hanger"
Abortion by coat hanger is right up there with the school shooting as some of AHS's most disturbing moments. Add to it that Leigh violently crucifies Monsignor Howard (Joseph Fiennes) and in 2012, Johnny (Dylan McDermott) confesses to liking to skin women and then kills his therapist and it is easy to see why this one makes the list.
Season 2, episode 1: "Bitchcraft"
This episode introduces us to Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates), one of the most odious characters in the AHS universe — made even more so because she's a real person who really did horrifically torture and kill slaves in New Orleans in the 1830s. This is also the episode where Madison (Emma Roberts) is gang-raped at a party, another horrifically realistic depiction on AHS's part.
Season 4, episode 1: "Monsters Among Us"
Many people thought Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch) was an incredibly scary character when he was introduced, though in his defense, he had a heartbreaking backstory. But before we learn about his tragic life, however, he goes on a killing spree that is the stuff of nightmares. Along those lines, the show introduces viewers to the "freaks," who are generally good people who have been outcast due to physical abnormalities. It's not so much scary as just very sad and upsetting. Freak Show quickly established it had a very different feel to it than most AHS seasons.
Season 5, episode 1: "Checking In"
A serial killer, abducted children, and a murderous demon who kills his victims with a drill-bit dildo? Yes, that's what Hotel starts with and the horror never lets up. It is one of the show's scariest seasons, though not the most tightly written one. But nothing (NOTHING) can erase Gabriel's (Max Greenfield) rape and murder by the Addiction Demon from our minds.
Season 5, episode 5: "Chapter 5"
This episode marks the culmination of the first half of Roanoke, where Matt and Shelby Miller (Andre Holland and Lily Rabe) face off with Thomasin's (Kathy Bates) mob and then end up kidnapped by the cannibalistic Polk family. It's a roller coaster ride that feels like a season finale — because it kind of is. It marks the end of My Roanoke Nightmare, the documentary within the show, and then the next episode kicks off Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell. It is a big turning point for the season and does not disappoint on the scares.
Season 7, episode 5: "Holes"
The gang of murderous clowns are some of the most terrifying villains AHS has employed and nothing is scarier than when they film themselves murdering news anchor Bob (Dermot Mulroney), having to also kill his chained-up gimp in the process. They then later kill cameraman RJ (James Morosini) by taking turns shooting him in the head with a nail gun. Plus, it turns out Kai (Evan Peters) keeps his parents' mummified corpses in their bedroom so he can go talk to them, so there's also that.
