Per Wikipedia, American Horror Story (AHS) is an American horror anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for the cable network FX. The seasons of AHS are mostly conceived as self-contained miniseries, following a different set of characters in a new setting within the same fictional universe (which the show occasionally utilizes for crossovers between seasons, and shares with episodic spin-off American Horror Stories), and a storyline with its own beginning, middle, and end. Some plot elements of each season are loosely inspired by true events.
All seasons of the show are mainly set in a single time frame, but they also all feature storylines that spin out of that setting or depict events which are, in my opinion, better viewed out of chronological order – but watching everything in release order, like most things I watch, doesn’t really seem to be the best way either. So this is going to be my recommended viewing order for this fictional shared universe of stories.
The fourth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show, is mainly set in 1952 Jupiter, Florida, telling the story of one of the last remaining freak shows in the United States and their struggle for survival.
AHS S04 Freak Show E01 Monsters Among Us
AHS S04 Freak Show E02 Massacres and Matinees
AHS S04 Freak Show E03 Edward Mordrake (Part 1)
AHS S04 Freak Show E04 Edward Mordrake (Part 2)
AHS S04 Freak Show E05 Pink Cupcakes
AHS S04 Freak Show E06 Bullseye
AHS S04 Freak Show E07 Test of Strength
AHS S04 Freak Show E08 Blood Bath
AHS S04 Freak Show E09 Tupperware Party Massacre
AHS S04 Freak Show E10 Orphans
AHS S04 Freak Show E11 Magical Thinking
AHS S04 Freak Show E12 Show Stoppers
AHS S04 Freak Show E13 Curtain Call
Connections to future seasons:
Several characters introduced in this season will return, including Elsa Mars, Pepper, Twisty the Clown, Paul the Illustrated Seal, Hans Grüper & Sister Mary Eunice McKee. Briarcliff Manor will also be back.
The second season of American Horror Story, subtitled Asylum, is mainly set in the 1960s.
AHS S02 Asylum E01 Welcome to Briarcliff
AHS S02 Asylum E02 Tricks and Treats
AHS S02 Asylum E03 Nor-easter
AHS S02 Asylum E04 I Am Anne Frank (Part 1)
AHS S02 Asylum E05 I Am Anne Frank (Part 2)
AHS S02 Asylum E06 The Origins of Monstrosity
AHS S02 Asylum E07 Dark Cousin
AHS S02 Asylum E08 Unholy Night
AHS S02 Asylum E09 The Coat Hanger
AHS S02 Asylum E10 The Name Game
AHS S02 Asylum E11 Spilt Milk
AHS S02 Asylum E12 Continuum
AHS S02 Asylum E13 Madness Ends
Connections to the Previous Season:
There are several continuing elements and characters from AHS S04 Freak Show, specifically, the season sees the return of Naomi Grossman as Pepper, James Cromwell (father of John Cromwell) as Hans Grüper (the character that John played last season) & Lily Rabe as Sister Mary Eunice McKee. Additionally, Briarcliff Manor, which was briefly featured in AHS S04 Freak Show E10 “Orphans” returns as the main setting of this season.
Connections to Future Seasons:
A few characters introduced in this season are later revisited or referenced, including Shachath, The Angel of Death, Jessica Lange as Sister Jude Martin & Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters.
The eleventh season of American Horror Story, subtitled NYC, mainly takes place in 1981 but also features story threads between 1979 & 1987 New York City, and focuses on a string of killings involving gay men and the emergence of a new virus.
AHS S11 NYC E01 Something’s Coming
AHS S11 NYC E02 Thank You for Your Service
AHS S11 NYC E03 Smoke Signals
AHS S11 NYC E04 Black Out
AHS S11 NYC E05 Bad Fortune
AHS S11 NYC E06 The Body
AHS S11 NYC E07 The Sentinel
AHS S11 NYC E08 Fire Island
AHS S11 NYC E09 Requiem 1981 / 1987 Part 1
AHS S11 NYC E10 Requiem 1981 / 1987 Part 2
Connections to Previous Seasons:
Shachath, The Angel of Death appears in NYC E05 “Bad Fortune”, played by Hannah Jane McMurray. Frances Conroy played the same character in multiple episode of AHS Asylum.
The ninth season of the American Horror Story, subtitled 1984, focuses on the staff of a summer camp reopening in 1984 after a massacre in 1970. The bulk of the season is centered on the year of the title but like other seasons, branches out from the main setting, spanning from 1948 to 2019.
AHS S09 1984 E01 Camp Redwood
AHS S09 1984 E02 Mr. Jingles
AHS S09 1984 E03 Slashdance
AHS S09 1984 E04 True Killers
AHS S09 1984 E05 Red Dawn
AHS S09 1984 E06 Episode 100
AHS S09 1984 E07 The Lady in White
AHS S09 1984 E08 Rest in Pieces
AHS S09 1984 E09 Final Girl
Connection to Previous Seasons:
In S09E06 “Episode 100”, Briarcliff Manor is mentioned from “Freak Show” & “Asylum”.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Zach Villa portrays American serial killer, sex offender, and burglar Ricardo Leyva Muñoz “Richard Ramirez”, aka the Night Stalker, the Walk-In Killer, and the Valley Intruder – he’s also seen this season played by Cash Galvan as a 5 year old, and Mateo Gallegos at age 12. Anthony Michael Ruivivar later plays the ghost of this character in AHS Hotel, while Zach Villa returns to play him in AHS 13.
The sixth season of American Horror Story, subtitled Roanoke, follows supernatural experiences around a haunted house and its surroundings in North Carolina.
The first 5 episodes of the season are presented as the TV special series “My Roanoke Nightmare” (a show-within-a-show in the American Horror Story universe). The fictional in-universe series mainly depicts events which took place in 2014 but which are aired in 2015.
Roanoke Part 1: My Roanoke Nightmare
AHS S06 Roanoke E01 Chapter 1
AHS S06 Roanoke E02 Chapter 2
AHS S06 Roanoke E03 Chapter 3
AHS S06 Roanoke E04 Chapter 4
AHS S06 Roanoke E05 Chapter 5
This second half of Season 6 is presented as found footage and depicts the doomed production of the documentary’s sequel in 2016.
Roanoke Part 2: Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell
AHS S06 Roanoke E06 Chapter 6
AHS S06 Roanoke E07 Chapter 7
AHS S06 Roanoke E08 Chapter 8
AHS S06 Roanoke E09 Chapter 9
AHS S06 Roanoke E10 Chapter 10
Connections to Previous Seasons:
In Chapter 5, the final installment of “My Roanoke Nightmare”, the fate of the Mott family in 1952 (from “Freak Show”) is mentioned. “Chapter 10” features the return of Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters, her character from “Asylum”, with events from that story also being referenced.
Connections to Future Seasons:
The Piggy Man depicted in this season will be referenced in later seasons, as will the Lost Colony of Roanoke & the mystical use of the word Croatoan.
Lana Winters will return.
The first season of American Horror Story, retroactively subtitled Murder House, centers on the Harmon family, who, after dealing with a miscarriage and infidelity, move to a restored mansion in Los Angeles, unaware that the ghosts of its former residents and their victims haunt the residence. The season is mainly set in 2011.
AHS S01 Murder House E01 Pilot
AHS S01 Murder House E02 Home Invasion
AHS S01 Murder House E03 Murder House
AHS S01 Murder House E04 Halloween (Part 1)
AHS S01 Murder House E05 Halloween (Part 2)
AHS S01 Murder House E06 Piggy Piggy
AHS S01 Murder House E07 Open House
AHS S01 Murder House E08 Rubber Man
AHS S01 Murder House E09 Spooky Little Girl
AHS S01 Murder House E10 Smoldering Children
AHS S01 Murder House E11 Birth
AHS S01 Murder House E12 Afterbirth
Connections to Previous Seasons:
The Lady in White (from AHS 1984) is referenced in Murder House E06 “Piggy Piggy”. The Piggy Man, the Lost Colony of Roanoke & the mystical use of the word Croatoan (all featured in AHS Roanoke) are all referenced here as well.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Several characters introduced here later return in future seasons, including Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon, Dylan McDermott as Ben Harmon, Evan Peters as Tate Langdon, Taissa Farmiga as Violet Harmon, Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, Jamie Brewer as Adelaide Langdon, Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard, Cody Fern as Michael Langdon, Sam Kinsey as Beauregard Langdon and Christine Estabrook as Marcy.
Unlike American Horror Story, the spin-off and companion series, “American Horror Stories”, typically tells a different tale in each individual episode, apart from the two-part premiere.
S01E01 Rubber(wo)Man Part One
S01E02 Rubber(wo)Man Part Two
S01E03 Drive In
S01E04 The Naughty List
S01E05 BA’AL
S01E06 Feral
S01E07 Game Over
S02E01 Dollhouse
S02E02 Aura
S02E03 Drive
S02E04 Milkmaids
S02E05 Bloody Mary
S02E06 Facelift
S02E07 Necro
S02E08 Lake
S03E01 Bestie
S03E02 Daphne
S03E03 Tapeworm
S03E04 Organ
S03E05 Backrooms
S03E06 Clone
S03E07 X
S03E08 Leprechaun
S03E09 The Thing Under the Bed
Connections to Previous Seasons:
Episodes one through two (“Rubber(wo)Man”) + episode seven (“Game Over”) are all sequels to “Murder House”.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Episode 1 of Season 2 (“Dollhouse”) is a prequel to “Coven”.
The third season of American Horror Story, subtitled Coven, is mainly set in 2013 New Orleans and follows a coven of witches descended from Salem as they fight for survival, featuring flashbacks to the Salem witch trials in 1692, as well as the 1830s, 1910s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1990s.
AHS S03 Coven E01 Bitchcraft
AHS S03 Coven E02 Boy Parts
AHS S03 Coven E03 The Replacements
AHS S03 Coven E04 Fearful Pranks Ensue
AHS S03 Coven E05 Burn, Witch, Burn!
AHS S03 Coven E06 The Axeman Cometh
AHS S03 Coven E07 The Dead
AHS S03 Coven E08 The Sacred Taking
AHS S03 Coven E09 Head
AHS S03 Coven E10 The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks
AHS S03 Coven E11 Protect the Coven
AHS S03 Coven E12 Go to Hell
AHS S03 Coven E13 The Seven Wonders
Connections to Previous Seasons:
Returning elements from past installments include Denis O’Hare as Otis Spalding Van Wirt & Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow, along with the setting of Miss Robichaux’s Academy.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Many characters introduced or featured here will return in later seasons, including Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode, Taissa Farmiga as Zoe Benson, Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow, Lily Rabe as Misty Day, Kathy Bates as Madame Delphine LaLaurie, Jessica Lang as Fiona Goode, Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie, Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, Jamie Brewer as Nan, Lance Reddick as Papa Legba, and Stevie Nicks as herself.
The fifth season of American Horror Story, subtitled Hotel, is centered around the mysterious Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, the scene of disturbing and paranormal events, overseen by its enigmatic staff. The season is mainly set in 2015.
AHS S05 Hotel E01 Checking In
AHS S05 Hotel E02 Chutes and Ladders
AHS S05 Hotel E03 Mommy
AHS S05 Hotel E04 Devil’s Night
AHS S05 Hotel E05 Room Service
AHS S05 Hotel E06 Room 33
AHS S05 Hotel E07 Flicker
AHS S05 Hotel E08 The Ten Commandments Killer
AHS S05 Hotel E09 She Wants Revenge
AHS S05 Hotel E10 She Gets Revenge
AHS S05 Hotel E11 Battle Royale
AHS S05 Hotel E12 Be Our Guest
Connections to Previous Seasons:
Returning elements from past seasons include Anthony Ruivivar as Richard Ramirez (from “1984”), Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard & Christine Estabrook as Marcy (from “Murder House”) & Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie (from “Coven”). Ramirez’s appearance would seem to contradict his fate in “1984” but this is later explained in “13”.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Characters introduced or featured in AHS Hotel return in later seasons, including Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard & Sally McKenna, Evan Peters as James March, Seth Gabel as Jeffrey Dahmer & Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie. The Hotel Cortez is itself featured in AHS Apocalypse.
The seventh season of American Horror Story, subtitled Cult, which does not present supernatural elements, takes place in the fictional suburb of Brookfield Heights, Michigan, during the year 2017, and centers on a cult terrorizing the residents in the aftermath of Donald Trump winning the 2016 U.S. presidential election. There are references to events from Freak Show.
AHS S07 Cult 01 Election Night
AHS S07 Cult 02 Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
AHS S07 Cult 03 Neighbors from Hell
AHS S07 Cult 04 11/9
AHS S07 Cult 05 Holes
AHS S07 Cult 06 Mid-Western Assassin
AHS S07 Cult 07 Valerie Solanas Died for Your Sins Scumbag
AHS S07 Cult 08 Winter of Our Discontent
AHS S07 Cult 09 Drink the Kool-Aid
Connections to Previous Seasons:
Twisty the Clown (from AHS Freak Show) has a cameo and a comic book based on his exploits, “Twisty: The Clown Chronicles” features an illustration of Twisty and other Freak Show characters: Pepper, Jimmy Darling & Meep. Pepper also appeared in AHS Asylum, while fellow Asylum character, Lana Winters, is referenced.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Characters featured or referenced in this season will later return, including Evan Peters as Kai Anderson, Billie Lourd as Winter Anderson, John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown & Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters.
Double Feature Part 1: Red Tide / Part 2: Death Valley
The tenth season of American Horror Story, subtitled Double Feature (stylised in the opening credits with the alternate subtitle Chapter 10), is composed of two stories. The 6 episode first story, Red Tide, focuses on a family in 2021 Provincetown, Massachusetts, who meet the town’s mysterious true inhabitants. The 4 episode second story, Death Valley, follows a group of camping students who find themselves in the midst of a long running conspiracy (from 1954 – 2021) involving extraterrestrials.
Double Feature Part 1: Red Tide
AHS S10 Double Feature E01 Cape Fear
AHS S10 Double Feature E02 Pale
AHS S10 Double Feature E03 Thirst
AHS S10 Double Feature E04 Blood Buffet
AHS S10 Double Feature E05 Gaslight
AHS S10 Double Feature E06 Winter Kills
Double Feature Part 2: Death Valley
AHS S10 Double Feature E07 Take Me to Your Leader
AHS S10 Double Feature E08 Inside
AHS S10 Double Feature E09 Blue Moon
AHS S10 Double Feature E10 The Future Perfect
Connections to Previous Seasons:
While not necessarily exactly the same, extraterrestrials were previously featured as an element in AHS Asylum.
Connections to Future Seasons:
Characters featured in both halves of this season will later return, including Sarah Paulson as Tuberculosis Karen & Mamie Eisenhower.
The twelfth season of the American horror anthology television series American Horror Story, subtitled Delicate, is based on Danielle Valentine’s book Delicate Condition. It is the first season of the series to be based on a novel instead of having an original storyline, and the first season where series creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk did not serve as showrunners. The season is mainly set in late 2023 / early 2024 but like previous seasons, features elements in various times and settings, including late 42 AD, 1555 & 1988.
Delicate Part 1:
AHS S12E01 Multiply Thy Pain
AHS S12E02 Rockabye
AHS S12E03 When the Bough Breaks
AHS S12E04 Vanishing Twin
AHS S12E05 Preech
Delicate Part 2:
AHS S12E06 Opening Night
AHS S12E07 Ave Hestia
AHS S12E08 Little Gold Man
AHS S12E09 The Auteur
The eighth season of American Horror Story, subtitled Apocalypse, features the witches from the New Orleans coven as they battle the Antichrist and attempt to prevent the world from ending. The season is presented as a massive crossover between Murder House, Coven, and Hotel with over 20 returning characters & storylines from these 3 seasons. The season ends in the year 2020.
List of Returning Characters in AHS 08 Apocalypse:
From Murder House:
Dylan McDermott as Dr. Ben Harmon
Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon
Taissa Farmiga as Violet Harmon
Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon
Evan Peters as Tate Langdon
Sam Kinsey as Beauregard Langdon
Cody Fern as Michael Langdon
Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard
Frances Conroy as Moira O’Hara
Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Short / Black Dahlia &
Riley Schmidt as Rubber Man
From Coven:
Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode
Taissa Farmiga as Zoe Benson
Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie
Jamie Brewer as Nan
Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau
Lance Reddick as Papa Legba
Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie
Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow
Lily Rabe as Misty Day
with Stevie Nicks as herself
From Hotel:
Evan Peters as James Patrick March &
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie.
AHS S08 Apocalypse E01 The End
AHS S08 Apocalypse E02 The Morning After
AHS S08 Apocalypse E03 Forbidden Fruit
AHS S08 Apocalypse E04 Could It Be…Satan?
AHS S08 Apocalypse E05 Boy Wonder
AHS S08 Apocalypse E06 Return to Murder House
AHS S08 Apocalypse E07 Traitor
AHS S08 Apocalypse E08 Sojourn
AHS S08 Apocalypse E09 Fire and Reign
AHS S08 Apocalypse E10 Apocalypse Then
The thirteenth season of American Horror Story, subtitled “13”, will begin on September 24, 2026 & the 13 episode season has been described as a crossover between all the previous seasons, with characters confirmed to be returning from “Freak Show”, “Asylum”, “1984”, “Roanoke”, “Murder House”, “Coven”, “Hotel”, “Cult”, “Double Feature” & “Apocalypse”. Actors who featured in the other 2 seasons, “NYC” & “Delicate” will also be appearing this season, but their specific characters haven’t been announced yet.
AHS 13 – Returning Characters:
From Freak Show:
Jessica Lange as Elsa Mars
John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown
Mat Fraser as Paul the Illustrated Seal
From Asylum:
Jessica Lange as Sister Jude Martin
From 1984:
Zach Villa as Richard Ramirez
From Murder House:
Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon
Evan Peters as Tate Langdon / Rubber Man
Jamie Brewer as Adelaide Langdon
Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Short / Black Dahlia
From Coven:
Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode
Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode
Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie
Angela Basset as Marie Laveau
Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow
Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie
Lance Reddick as Papa Legba
From Hotel:
Evan Peters as James Patrick March
Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna / Hypodermic Sally
Seth Gabel as Jeffrey Dahmer
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie
Richard Ramirez
From Cult:
Evan Peters as Kai Anderson
Billie Lourd as Winter Anderson
John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown
From Double Feature:
Sarah Paulson as Tuberculosis Karen
Sarah Paulson as Mamie Eisenhower
From Apocalypse:
Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon
Evan Peters as Tate Langdon / Rubber Man
Mena Suvari as Elizabeth Short / Black Dahlia
Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode
Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery
Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie
Angela Basset as Marie Laveau
Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow
Orlando Jones as Papa Legba
Evan Peters as James Patrick March
Billie Lourd as Mallory
Leslie Grossman as Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt
Sarah Paulson as Ms. Wilhelmina Venable
AHS S13 13 E01 13
AHS S13 13 E02 1:13 AM
AHS S13 13 E03 Rauhnacht
AHS S13 13 E04 Is That All There Is?
AHS S13 13 E05 Date Night
AHS S13 13 E06 The Return of Devil’s Night
AHS S13 13 E07 The Baddest Witch Of Them All
AHS S13 13 E08 Hell No
AHS S13 13 E09 The Devil Is In the Details
AHS S13 13 E10 The Prodigal Son
AHS S13 13 E11 Madison’s Happy Ending
AHS S13 13 E12 Sisters in Arms
AHS S13 13 E13 Devil of a Good Time
There are many other connections to previous seasons.
Naomi Grossman’s Pepper, who is featured in “Freak Show” & “Asylum” is revealed to having helped Sister Jude Martin give birth to twin daughters, Constance Langdon and Fiona Goode, whose father is revealed to be Satan. Following their birth, the twins are separated. Constance is sold to a couple in Virginia, while Fiona initially remains at Briarcliff. Pepper subsequently arranges for Fiona to be taken to Miss Robichaux’s Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies in New Orleans.
The events of Roanoke related to Piggy Man are referenced by Ashley (Elle Chapman) as her kin also had a runin with the murderous family.
Gino Barelli (Joe Mantello) is given a Tarot reading in and draws the death card in AHS S11 NYC E05 “Bad Fortune”. The same exact death card, is left on one of Twisty’s clown-school massacre victims, in AHS S13 13 E02 “1:13 AM”. Also, during the airport scenes, the background includes official travel posters referencing Fire Island, a major location for NYC – in fact, all the posters depict locations used in American Horror Story up to this point.
AHS:13 bridges the gap back to AHS: Delicate through clever visual cues. Fans spotted a specific magazine prop inside the Apollyon apartment building. The magazine explicitly mentions “New York’s Riverside Clinic. Also, a portrait of Siobhan Corbyn (Kim Kardashian‘s character from Delicate) is shown inside Mr. Nas’ (Fedor Steer and Paul Anthony Kelly) penthouse, connecting her satanic coven to the forces residing within the building.
The fourteenth season of American Horror Story is currently being written.