Unveiling the Endless Chills: American Horror Story's Unforgettable Haunting Themes

Trigger Warning: mentions of murder and suicide.

Summary

American Horror Story has delved into the eerie concept of haunted locations, where different places are plagued by the lingering spirits of the deceased. The series has presented a multitude of ghostly manifestations across its seasons, ranging from tormented souls to vengeful apparitions.

American Horror Story incorporates a variety of horror elements, including aliens, witches, vampires, and real-life serial killers, throughout its episodes. The show explores different fears, horror themes, and creatures in each season, with stand-alone stories that have created a connected AHS universe over time. As a result, some themes are repeated, but with changes, leading to plot holes and contradictions within the series.

American Horror Story first delved into the chilling world of haunted houses and spirits in its initial season, now acknowledged as Murder House. Since then, the series has fearlessly explored a myriad of horror themes, although there are still some popular ones yet to be included. Drawing inspiration from various horror films, American Horror Story has skillfully incorporated recurring themes across different seasons. As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming twelfth season, titled Delicate and based on a book, it is intriguing to note that it will revisit a previously explored theme. Let us now delve into some of the other terrifying motifs that American Horror Story has fearlessly revisited thus far.

8 Haunted Places

In the universe of American Horror Story, there exists multiple eerie locations. To begin, Murder House is introduced as a dwelling where the spirits of those who perished there are trapped, causing harm to anyone who resides there. This theme of haunted places persists in Hotel, where Hotel Cortez ensnares the souls of its deceased inhabitants. Similarly, Roanoke showcases a haunted house, while Camp Redwood in American Horror Story: 1984 also turns out to be a site plagued by supernatural presence. Despite their disparate narratives, these locations share a common thread - they have all been the backdrop for horrific crimes.

7 Ghosts

Haunted places in the American Horror Story universe are accompanied by ghosts. Ghosts can be found in various seasons, such as Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Apocalypse, 1984, and NYC. For example, Coven introduced the Axeman and Freak Show featured the ghosts of Edward Mordrake and Twisty the Clown. Hotel Cortez in Hotel season housed numerous tortured ghosts, including Hypodermic Sally. In Roanoke, the vengeful spirits of the Roanoke Colony were featured. The crossover season Apocalypse also included ghosts from previous seasons, such as Coven and Hotel. The counselors in 1984 were haunted by their murdered counterparts. Lastly, American Horror Story: NYC depicted the main characters being haunted by a notorious ghost known as Big Daddy.

6 Aliens

American Horror Story: Asylum is widely regarded as the standout season of the series, blending two unlikely horror themes - asylums and aliens. In this season, these extraterrestrial beings abducted various individuals for experimental purposes. Surprisingly, the aliens reappeared in the second part of season 10, known as Death Valley. However, Death Valley introduced some modifications to the aliens and their experiments, creating a perplexing plot hole that may remain unresolved. This inconsistency could potentially complicate matters further if the aliens make a comeback in a future season of American Horror Story.

5 Witches

American Horror Story: Coven presented a group of formidable witches along with the influential Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, delving into various branches of witchcraft and sorcery. While Coven provided satisfying conclusions for its primary characters and witnessed the emergence of a new Supreme thanks to Cordelia Foxx, the witches made a comeback in the crossover season Apocalypse. United in their efforts, they joined forces to vanquish the Antichrist, thereby unveiling the most dominant witch within the realm of American Horror Story. Consequently, with each new season, speculations abound regarding the potential resurgence of Cordelia's coven or the formation of a fresh one.

4 Vampires

American Horror Story has previously featured vampires, but in different variations. The first appearance of vampires was in Hotel, where the notable resident, Elizabeth "the Countess" Johnson, carried a mysterious blood virus that transformed her into a vampire. She remained forever young, immune to human weaknesses and ailments, and relied on consuming blood for survival. In the first part of American Horror Story: Double Feature, Red Tide, vampires known as "Pale People" were introduced. These vampires were created when individuals ingested black pills developed by The Chemist, which granted them immense artistic inspiration but also an insatiable thirst for blood. However, those who lacked natural talent and took the pill became pale creatures devoid of speech and normal cognitive functions, yet still dependent on blood consumption.

3 Real-Life Serial Killers

American Horror Story has drawn inspiration from various sources, including books, movies, legends, and real-life horrors. It is not surprising, then, that the show has depicted fictionalized versions of real-life serial killers. In Coven, the character of the Axeman was based on the unidentified New Orleans serial killer bearing the same name. Hotel introduced James March, who hosted an annual Devil's Night gathering before Halloween at Hotel Cortez. This event brought together some of the most infamous American serial killers, including the likes of the Zodiac Killer, Richard Ramirez, Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy. Richard Ramirez returned in American Horror Story: 1984, but this created a plot inconsistency.

Furthermore, in season 7, Cult, Evan Peters portrayed different cult leaders, some of whom are considered serial killers, while others' categorization remains debatable. Cult featured Marshall Applewhite, who orchestrated the mass suicide of the Heaven's Gate cult, David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Davidians, Jim Jones, responsible for the "revolutionary suicide" of his Peoples Temple commune, and Charles Manson.

2 Cursed Children

American Horror Story has also showcased cursed children, each with distinct backgrounds and conditions. Murder House housed the Infantata, the dismembered son of Dr. Montgomery. Despite Dr. Montgomery's attempts to sew him back together using a patient's heart, he unintentionally created a horrifying creature. Additionally, Murder House witnessed the birth of Michael Langdon, who eventually grew into the Antichrist during the Apocalypse season. In Hotel, the Countess abducted children whom she transformed into vampires due to her inability to conceive. The trailers and posters for the upcoming American Horror Story: Delicate also suggest that season 12 will explore the theme of a cursed child.

1 Cursed Pregnancies

Cursed pregnancies often accompany cursed children. In the American Horror Story series, the first instance of a cursed pregnancy occurred in Murder House when Vivien Harmon conceived the future Antichrist. Asylum also depicted peculiar pregnancies, although the debate of whether they can be classified as "cursed" remains. Alma Walker and Grace Bertrand were impregnated by aliens in this season. Additionally, Hotel introduced the vampire children of the Countess, who also fall into this category. Moreover, Anna's child in American Horror Story: Delicate is expected to join their ranks.