What Order to Watch American Horror Story?
American Horror Story is a horror anthology series that has been captivating audiences since its debut in 2011. Each season has a different storyline, setting, and characters, giving fans a fresh and exciting experience every time. However, with so many seasons and episodes, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this article, we will guide you through the recommended order to watch American Horror Story to get the most out of the series.
Season 1: Murder House

The first season of American Horror Story, titled “Murder House,” premiered in 2011. The season takes place in a haunted house in Los Angeles, where the Harmon family moves after a miscarriage and an affair. The house has a dark history of murder and violence, and the family soon discovers that they are not alone in their new home.
Plot Summary
“Murder House” follows the Harmon family, consisting of psychiatrist Ben, his wife Vivien, and their teenage daughter Violet, as they move into a haunted mansion. The house is host to a variety of ghosts, including the former residents who died there. As the family settles in, they uncover the house’s dark past and the spirits that reside there.
Key Characters
- Ben Harmon (Dylan McDermott): A psychiatrist who moves his family to the haunted mansion to repair their fractured relationships.
- Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton): Ben’s wife, who has suffered a miscarriage and is trying to move on from his affair.
- Violet Harmon (Taissa Farmiga): The teenage daughter of Ben and Vivien, who is struggling to fit in at her new school and finds solace in the house’s ghosts.
- Tate Langdon (Evan Peters): A troubled teenager who becomes close to Violet and has a mysterious connection to the house.
- Moira O’Hara (Frances Conroy/Alexandra Breckenridge): A maid who appears differently to men and women and has a tragic history with the house.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Pilot”
- Episode 2: “Home Invasion”
- Episode 3: “Murder House”
- Episode 4: “Halloween (Part 1)”
- Episode 5: “Halloween (Part 2)”
- Episode 6: “Piggy Piggy”
- Episode 7: “Open House”
- Episode 8: “Rubber Man”
- Episode 9: “Spooky Little Girl”
- Episode 10: “Smoldering Children”
- Episode 11: “Birth”
- Episode 12: “Afterbirth”
Season 2: Asylum

The second season of American Horror Story, titled “Asylum,” takes place in an insane asylum in Massachusetts in 1964. The season explores themes of sanity, religion, science, and the supernatural, and features a talented ensemble cast, including Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Sarah Paulson.
Plot Summary
“Asylum” takes place in Briarcliff Manor, a mental institution run by the Catholic Church. The season follows a variety of characters, including the patients, staff, and visitors, as they navigate the horrors of the asylum. The storylines include possession, exorcism, serial killers, and extraterrestrial life.
Key Characters
- Sister Jude Martin (Jessica Lange): The strict and sadistic head of the institution.
- Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell): The physician who performs unethical experiments on the patients.
- Kit Walker (Evan Peters): A man accused of being the notorious killer “Bloody Face.”
- Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson): A journalist who is committed to Briarcliff after attempting to expose its secrets.
- Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto): A psychiatrist who becomes romantically involved with Lana, but has a dark secret.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Welcome to Briarcliff”
- Episode 2: “Tricks and Treats”
- Episode 3: “Nor’easter”
- Episode 4: “I Am Anne Frank (Part 1)”
- Episode 5: “I Am Anne Frank (Part 2)”
- Episode 6: “The Origins of Monstrosity”
- Episode 7: “Dark Cousin”
- Episode 8: “Unholy Night”
- Episode 9: “The Coat Hanger”
- Episode 10: “The Name Game”
- Episode 11: “Spilt Milk”
- Episode 12: “Continuum”
- Episode 13: “Madness Ends”
Season 2: Asylum
“Asylum” is widely regarded as one of the best seasons of American Horror Story, thanks to its intricate plot, compelling characters, and thought-provoking themes. The season features a range of horror sub-genres, including psychological, supernatural, and body horror, and explores the limits of human sanity and morality.
Plot Summary
The season takes place in 1964 at Briarcliff Manor, a mental institution run by the Catholic Church. The story follows journalist Lana Winters, who is committed to the asylum after attempting to expose its dark secrets. She encounters a range of characters, including the strict and sadistic Sister Jude, the unethical physician Dr. Arden, and the accused serial killer Kit Walker. As the season progresses, the characters are plagued by supernatural and extraterrestrial phenomena, leading to a shocking conclusion.
Key Characters
- Sister Jude Martin (Jessica Lange): The strict and sadistic head of the institution.
- Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell): The physician who performs unethical experiments on the patients.
- Kit Walker (Evan Peters): A man accused of being the notorious killer “Bloody Face.”
- Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson): A journalist who is committed to Briarcliff after attempting to expose its secrets.
- Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto): A psychiatrist who becomes romantically involved with Lana, but has a dark secret.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Welcome to Briarcliff”
- Episode 2: “Tricks and Treats”
- Episode 3: “Nor’easter”
- Episode 4: “I Am Anne Frank (Part 1)”
- Episode 5: “I Am Anne Frank (Part 2)”
- Episode 6: “The Origins of Monstrosity”
- Episode 7: “Dark Cousin”
- Episode 8: “Unholy Night”
- Episode 9: “The Coat Hanger”
- Episode 10: “The Name Game”
- Episode 11: “Spilt Milk”
- Episode 12: “Continuum”
- Episode 13: “Madness Ends”
Season 3: Coven
The third season of American Horror Story, titled “Coven,” premiered in 2013. The season takes place in New Orleans and features a cast of powerful witches, voodoo practitioners, and immortal beings. “Coven” explores themes of feminism, race, power, and mortality, and features an all-star cast that includes Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Angela Bassett.
Plot Summary
The season follows a group of witches who are descended from the survivors of the Salem witch trials. They attend a special school in New Orleans, where they learn how to control their powers and defend themselves against supernatural threats. The story revolves around the rivalry between the witches and voodoo practitioners, as well as the search for the next Supreme, the most powerful witch of the coven.
Key Characters
- Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange): The current Supreme and head of the coven, who is struggling with mortality and power.
- Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett): The powerful voodoo queen who has a long-standing feud with the witches.
- Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates): A sadistic slave owner from the 1800s who is brought back to life by the witches.
- Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts): A young witch with a rebellious streak who becomes entangled in a love triangle.
- Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe): A young witch who is also a human voodoo doll.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Bitchcraft”
- Episode 2: “Boy Parts”
- Episode 3: “The Replacements”
- Episode 4: “Fearful Pranks Ensue”
- Episode 5: “Burn, Witch, Burn!”
- Episode 6: “The Axeman Cometh”
- Episode 7: “The Dead”
- Episode 8: “The Sacred Taking”
- Episode 9: “Head”
- Episode 10: “The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks”
- Episode 11: “Protect the Coven”
- Episode 12: “Go to Hell”
- Episode 13: “The Seven Wonders”
Season 4: Freak Show
The fourth season of American Horror Story, titled “Freak Show,” takes place in Jupiter, Florida, in 1952. The season follows a traveling freak show and explores the themes of identity, prejudice, and exploitation. “Freak Show” features an array of unique characters, including conjoined twins, a bearded lady, and a killer clown.
Plot Summary
“Freak Show” centers around Elsa Mars’s Cabinet of Curiosities, a struggling traveling freak show in Jupiter, Florida. The season explores the lives of the performers and their struggles with discrimination and acceptance in a society that rejects them. The storylines include murder, romance, and a dangerous clown named Twisty.
Key Characters
- Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange): The glamorous and manipulative leader of the freak show.
- Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters): A performer with lobster-like hands who becomes romantically involved with a married woman.
- Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson): Conjoined twins who are featured in the freak show and develop a complicated relationship with Jimmy.
- Dell Toledo (Michael Chiklis): A strongman with a dark secret who is married to a bearded lady.
- Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch): A former clown who becomes a serial killer and terrorizes the freak show.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Monsters Among Us”
- Episode 2: “Massacres and Matinees”
- Episode 3: “Edward Mordrake (Part 1)”
- Episode 4: “Edward Mordrake (Part 2)”
- Episode 5: “Pink Cupcakes”
- Episode 6: “Bullseye”
- Episode 7: “Test of Strength”
- Episode 8: “Blood Bath”
- Episode 9: “Tupperware Party Massacre”
- Episode 10: “Orphans”
- Episode 11: “Magical Thinking”
- Episode 12: “Show Stoppers”
- Episode 13: “Curtain Call”
Season 5: Hotel
The fifth season of American Horror Story, titled “Hotel,” takes place in Los Angeles and centers around the mysterious Hotel Cortez. The season explores themes of addiction, revenge, and the supernatural and features an impressive cast, including Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, and Matt Bomer.
Plot Summary
“Hotel” follows the guests and staff of the Hotel Cortez, a haunted hotel in Los Angeles with a dark past. The season explores the lives of the hotel’s inhabitants, including a drug-addicted detective, a fashion icon, and a vampire-like creature. The storylines include murder, sex, and the search for eternal life.
Key Characters
- The Countess (Lady Gaga): The beautiful and deadly owner of the Hotel Cortez.
- John Lowe (Wes Bentley): A detective investigating a series of murders linked to the hotel.
- Iris (Kathy Bates): The hotel’s front desk clerk and mother of a drug addict.
- Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare): A transgender bartender who becomes a confidante of The Countess.
- Donovan (Matt Bomer): The Countess’s former lover and a recovering drug addict.
Episode Guide
- Episode 1: “Checking In”
- Episode 2: “Chutes and Ladders”
- Episode 3: “Mommy”
- Episode 4: “Devil’s Night”
- Episode 5: “Room Service”
- Episode 6: “Room 33”
- Episode 7: “Flicker”
- Episode 8: “The Ten Commandments Killer”
- Episode 9: “She Wants Revenge”
- Episode 10: “She Gets Revenge”
- Episode 11: “Battle Royale”
- Episode 12: “Be Our Guest”