The horror anthology series American Horror Story has had some truly gruesome deaths throughout its 11-year run, but one season has racked up the biggest body count of them all. Under the helm of creator Ryan Murphy, American Horror Story has dished out a variety of kills. Deaths by wood chipper, magician's saw, and ritualistic sacrifice are all par for the course when it comes to this eerie series. While it may seem like each American Horror Story season is dripping with its own fair share of death, there is one that manages to outdo them all.
Starting in 2011, American Horror Story has featured various haunting stories told by a cast of rotating regulars and powerful guest stars. While the seasons seemed mostly independent in the beginning, characters began to weave through various installments, revealing an intricately woven plot of murder and horror. When it comes to American Horror Story's deadliest season, there are some serious runners-up in contention. Roanoke and Cult both racked up more than 40 deaths each, featuring their fair shares of true-crime-based serial killings. American Horror Story: Freak Show 's body count also broke the threshold of 40 deaths — factoring in its serial killers as well as its heartbreaking finale, which killed off a large portion of the main cast in a gruesome carnage.
Ultimately, the season that wears the crown for the highest body count is American Horror Story season 10, Double Feature. Broken into two parts — Red Tide and Death Valley — this extraterrestrial season managed to kill off at least 60 characters, including real-life historical figures like Neil Armstrong (Bryce Johnson), Dwight Eisenhower (Neal McDonough), and Richard Nixon (Craig Sheffer), along with many background characters. Series regulars also met their demise throughout Double Feature, including Tuberculosis Karen (Sarah Paulson), Austin Sommers (Evan Peters), and Belle Noir (Frances Conroy). Though Double Feature is close to being the shortest season of American Horror Story at only 10 episodes, the bloodbath didn't waste any time. If Red Tide and Death Valley were to be counted as two separate entities, however, it would be American Horror Story season 9, 1984, that holds the record for the highest death count, with over 50 deaths in the span of nine episodes.
Why AHS Apocalypse Doesn't Have The Biggest Body Count
In discussing American Horror Story body counts, season 8, Apocalypse, can't be ignored — after all, the season did manage to wipe out the entire population of planet Earth, pushing its toll up to seven billion lives. No other season of American Horror Story even approaches this number, which means it could technically be considered the winner. However, Mallory's actions with the power of Tempus Infinituum altered history to not only revive those who were killed in the nuclear blasts but also resurrect characters who'd died in American Horror Story's previous seasons, including Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), Misty Day (Lily Rabe), and Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts). With these resurrections in mind, American Horror Story: Apocalypse ends with an almost net-zero loss of life; combined with the fact that the population wipe happened mostly off-screen, the season feels like a disingenuous winner of the record for highest body count.
As the series goes on, the deaths in American Horror Story only get bigger and better. Now that the series has been greenlit through season 13, fans can be assured that even bloodier carnage and unfathomable horrors are on their way. While the theme of season 11, which is set to release in Fall 2022, has yet to be announced, several familiar faces have been confirmed to be returning. No matter what the theme of American Horror Story season 11 turns out to be, it's possible Double Feature may not hold the body count record for long.