The characters in American Horror Story: Hotel are among the franchise's most devious. Indeed, Hotel has an array of cruel and murderous figures, more so than any other season except perhaps Cult. The Cortez' inhabitants look after only themselves, leaving little to no room for chivalry.
Not everything is terrible, though, and a few of them do stand out because of their bravery in the most unexpected of situations. Some fight for their loved ones and others stand up for what they believe in. At the end of the day, they all express their courage in different ways, proving that not everything is as it seems in this haunted hotel.
James Patrick March
Mr. March may be one of the most intelligent characters in American Horror Story: Hotel, but he's far from the bravest. In fact, he may be the most cowardly. March does everything from the shadows, refusing to own up to his mistakes. He manipulates others to do his will and discards them when they stop being of use.
March also refuses to face his enemies. He imprisons Valentino so that he won't be an obstacle in his relationship with the Countess and chooses to kill himself rather than face the consequences of his murders. Overall, bravery is a foreign concept to this serial killer.
John Lowe
John is not only a terrible police detective but also a terrible human being and coward. A serial killer, John commits all his crimes from the shadows, betraying everyone close to him, from his wife to his partner. He also indulges his wife's descent into vampirism, providing blood from her rather than helping her own up to her mistakes.
Most of the time, John chooses the way out. He evades his problems through alcohol and murder and spends his life running away from the consequences of his actions. John receives his punishment in the end, dying when the police gun him down after he kills a man in an alley.
Sally McKenna
Like March, Sally lied and cheated her way through life and death. She tricks and manipulates other addicts, taking them to the Cortez and then delivering them to the terrifying Addiction Demon. She also "shares" John with March in exchange for the latter's protection from the Demon.
Sally does show a certain degree of bravery, mainly by dealing with dangerous figures like March and his troupe of killers. She also has enough courage to let go of her old ways and show her true self, beginning a new life as a social media influencer. Sally may not be Sarah Paulson's most likable character in American Horror Story, but she isn't irredeemable.
Will Drake
Will's lack of common sense could easily pass for bravery. He refuses to leave the Cortez,despite the myriad of questionable and outright dangerous things that go on. However, his actions come from stubbornness and a false sense of security rather than courage.
Furthermore, Will reacts with fear and disgust when March introduces him to the Countess' deformed son, Bartholomew. Will does show impressive bravado when he decides to repair his tarnished reputation, despite his ghostly state. The fact he actually manages to recover his success is proof enough of his hidden courage.
Donovan
A man in love is capable of everything, and Donovan is the perfect example. His devotion to the Countess leads him down dangerous paths, some of them very cowardly. He allies with Ramona to kill the Countess, only to betray her after he reunites with Elizabeth.
However, Donovan isn't a complete coward. For example, after he kills Valentino, he admits his crime to the Countess immediately. He is also the only character brave enough to accept death, refusing to remain a ghost forever haunting the Cortez.
Hazel Evers
Poor Miss Evers. Her life was full of tragedies. Her son was a victim of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, leaving her with severe psychological wounds. She then becomes blindly loyal to Mr. March, cleaning up after his murders.
Miss Evers' bravery comes to light after Mr. March banishes her from his service. After spending so many years devoted to him, she could've given up entirely. Instead, she chooses to start again and finds a new purpose in her afterlife as a ghost. Not everyone can recover from such a devastating loss, but Miss Evers does, proving that courage can come from the most unexpected places.
Iris
Iris perfectly exemplifies a mother's courage, staying in the Cortez only because her son lives there. She literally risks her life every day, considering she has a mortal enemy in the hotel. There is also a multitude of other dangers at the Cortez, including vengeful ghosts and vampires.
Even before Donovan's transformation, Iris followed him everywhere to keep him out of trouble. She didn't care how dangerous the place or the people were. All she cared about was her son's well-being. Iris' methods may be questionable, but she always had his best interest in mind, making her one of Kathy Bates' most likable characters in American Horror Story.
The Countess
It takes real courage to live a life of reckless abandonment. The Countess was not a good person at all, but she was never a coward. She faced her problems head-on and never hid who she was. She even told March that "if I wanted you dead, I would've killed you myself."
The Countess never pretended to be anything else than what she was, and that takes bravery. Still, she did resort to devious methods to get her way, including lying and cheating. But for the most part, she was audacious enough to stand out above all the others.
Tristan
Finn Wittrock has played some memorable roles in American Horror Story. Tristan is one of his most complex portrayals, a narcissistic model who suffers a considerable change after finding true love. He shows his bravery when confessing his love for Liz to the Countess, risking everything for his newfound lover.
Not many people are willing to sacrifice a life of comfort and reckless adventure. Furthermore, Tristan is brave enough to avoid contacting Liz after his death, choosing to let her live a whole life rather than spend it pining for him. Once Liz dies, the two reunite, ready to spend the afterlife together.
Liz Taylor
Liz Taylor was the bravest character in Hotel, by far. After living a life of secrecy, she abandons all fear and shows her true self to the world, demonstrating her courage in the process. Liz then begins an open life at the Cortez, finding love in Tristan and going against the Countess to pursue it.
After Tristan's death, Liz openly defies the Countess, once again showing her bravado. Although her life was never easy, Liz didn't run away from the difficulties. She was an inspiration for many of the hotel's guests, dead and alive, becoming a mother figure to them all. Without a doubt, Liz is one of the best female characters in American Horror Story, a brave woman who forged her own path in life.