7 Characters Who Could Be American Horror Story: Cult's True Leader

The blue-haired Donald Trump enthusiast remains the most likely candidate. His ability to tap into the darkest impulses of people like Harrison and Beverly suggests his powers of persuasion are potent. Add in his chaos rhetoric and talk of giving people something to believe in, and Kai has all the makings of a true cult leader. He feeds off of people's weaknesses, and he excels at making them do his bidding. That doesn't mean Kai is automatically at the top of the food chain. There's an excellent chance that AHS: Cult is setting him up to be the second in command to someone who is far more dangerous.

Kai's sister is a wildcard character. By all accounts, she seems smarter and more calculated than her brother. Winter easily sways Ivy over to her side in "11/9," proving she's been playing Ivy and Ally against one another from the start. She's also coolly driven to reshape the world, but is she truly doing it at Kai's bidding? Winter has stated that she's happy to be the person working behind the scenes, but that could also make her the ultimate puppet master.

In the premiere, Kai pauses outside of a locked door in his home to smell a flower. There's almost definitely someone behind that door, and that person might just be the leader Kai is convincing everyone to follow. If Ryan Murphy hadn't promised there would be no supernatural elements this year, Twisty would be the perfect candidate. Since the AHS: Freak Show clown is dead, it seems unlikely that he's lurking beyond the door — but there has to be some reason the cult uses so much clown imagery, aside from taunting Ally.

Jack was suspiciously missing from the recruitment scenes in "11/9." But we know he has a relationship with Harrison and Meadow since he was seen at their home. He also appears to be covering up murders for the cult while at the same time suggesting Ally may be unstable. All of this could mean he's another follower, but given his position of power, Jack could just as easily be a leader.

Ally's wife is no innocent. She met Winter long before she showed up on her doorstep looking for a babysitting job. Even though Kai was deep in his recruitment phase by the time Winter and Ivy met, Ivy is still a suspect. Her connection to Ally, who seems to be at the center of the conspiracy, makes Ivy complicit in her wife's torment. It also means she may be the person around which Kai wants his group of followers to rally.

OK, Oz is just a kid, and he's clearly not ordering Kai to do his bidding. However, that doesn't mean he's not being molded to lead the cult or being used as inspiration for its followers. Remember, the first time Winter meets Oz, she asks him which one of his mother's carried him and who his father is. These pointed questions allude to the idea that Oz may be Kai's son, via sperm donation (hey, he is a Mensa member, which would make him a viable candidate).

Then there's his name: Ozymandias, from the poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. A key line in the poem reads, "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!" It's the perfect name for a future god of chaos, and the members of the cult — including Winter, Harrison, and Meadow — treat little Oz as if he has a special role to play in their plan.

There's definitely something up with Dr. Vincent. Between the smiley face pins on his desk and the calculated murder of one of his patients that conveniently played on her deepest fear, all signs point to this man being up to no good. He knows about Ally's fear of clowns and tiny holes, and that information has been used against her on multiple occasions since the show began. Vincent is also self-possessed in a way that even Kai isn't. He's excellent at putting on a performative facade of caring, but there's something darker lurking underneath.

If Kai's not the cult's true leader, then Vincent almost certainly is.