There are hundreds of horrifying characters in American Horror Story, but some personalities are truly unforgettable.
It is interesting to contemplate the results that someone as guarded as Constance Langdon or a villain as brutal as The Butcher would receive on a Myers-Briggs® personality test. Sometimes, even the most sinister characters within the show have a touch of humanity in them, and that is certainly worth exploring.
Updated on April 25th, 2022 by Gabby Etzel: With a new season on the rise, it is fun to look back at the complex personalities that AHS has gifted its audiences so far. The most recent season lives up to its name of Double Feature with its inclusion of two killer seasons in one. This yields twice the compelling characters, all of which can be characterized by Myers-Briggs® personality types.
Constance Langdon - ENFJ
Jessica Lange's first role in AHS is Constance Langdon, the cunning southern belle from season one that everyone loves to hate and hates to love. As an ENJF, Constance comes off as warm, gracious, and concerned with the people around her.
Unfortunately, Constance's interest in peoples' desires and motives is 100% self-serving and an attempt to manipulate them into doing whatever it is she wants. As an ENFJ, Constance is driven almost entirely by emotion instead of logic, and will often impulsively act out in the face of criticism or rejection.
Lana Winters - ENTJ
Lana Winters is a gritty, ambitious journalist who finds herself locked in a mental asylum in her attempt to expose its secrets in Asylum. As an ENTJ, Lana is verbal, people-oriented, idealistic, and intensely curious.
ENTJs desire to change the world. They are sensitive to people dismissing how they feel, which is inevitably what happens once Lana finds herself locked in Briarcliff. Despite Lana being institutionalized and impregnated by Bloody Face, she is able to detach herself from her past and follow her own path to success, like a classic determined ENTJ.
Sister Jude - ESTJ
Sister Jude is hard to type because of her change of heart over the course of Asylum. Sister Jude starts as the stern and cunning head nun of Briarcliff who is single-handedly responsible for locking up Lana Winters under false pretenses.
Judging by her work ethic, efficiency, and systematic handling of the residents in Briarcliff, Sister Jude is an ESTJ, or "Efficient Organizer." After Sister Jude's fall from grace, her ESTJ-inspired ability to foresee potential problems turns into a full-fledged paranoia, and Sister Jude remains in Briarcliff as a resident until Kit takes her home. Her arc is part of what makes Asylum the best season of American Horror Story.
Fiona Goode - ENTP
In Coven, Fiona Goode is the glamorous, narcissistic Supreme Witch of the coven of the Salem descendants. Like most ENTPs, Fiona is a self-confident, power hungry, and charismatic quick-thinker.
One of the primary characteristics of ENTPs is their tendency to get so wrapped up in their goals that they begin to prioritize them over their personal relationships. This comes through in Fiona's mission to remain the Supreme of the coven, even jeopardizing her relationship with her own daughter to do so.
Bette & Dot Tattler - ENFP & ISTJ
Bette and Dot Tattler from Freak Show are technically two separate people, but like their characters, these two different personality types need to stick together. Bette is an ENFP, a personality type that is characterized by a zest for life and a curious, supportive nature.
Bette is open to love and relationships in a way that her sister isn't. Dot, on the other hand, is a classic ISTJ: naturally guarded, values her privacy, and, unfortunately for her, prefers working alone.
Elsa Mars - ENFJ
Elsa Mars is the German collector of human oddities and "freak show manager" in Freak Show. She comes with a traumatic backstory and a dangerous obsession with fame.
ENFJs are sociable and imaginative, as is Elsa Mars. ENFJs come across as trustworthy, explaining why people from all different walks of life follow Elsa and join her show. However, Elsa is hellbent on accomplishing her own dreams, so their blind trust in her is completely misguided.
The Countess - ESTP
As the 112-year-old live-in vampire of the Hotel Cortez, The Countess is clearly an ESTP. This type is characterized by showboating, alertness, and quick thinking, which is perfect for the Hotel star.
The Countess enjoys the finer things and isn't afraid to ask for what she wants. Unfortunately for those around her, she also doesn't respond well to rejection or isolation and will keep her emotions very close to her chest. This is fortunate, however, for developing a good story, and it is what makes American Horror Story one of the best FX original shows.
The Butcher - INTJ
Before Thomasin White became "The Butcher" in Roanoke, she was a colonist who was chained and abandoned in the woods by her fellow colonists in Roanoke, including her own son. It is hard to say what her personality type was before Scáthach took hold of her, but the Butcher is certainly an INTJ.
INTJs are demanding visionaries, and unfortunately for everyone who meets her, The Butcher's vision involves human sacrifices. She is ruthless, vengeful, and very task-focused. Anyone who's on her radar is in danger, making her one of the best villains in American Horror Story.
Kai Anderson - INFJ
Kai Anderson is the cult leader in Cult, and besides being a sociopath and a megalomaniac, he can also be typed as an INFJ, or "insightful visionary." INFJs are private, holistic visionaries who are forever seeking meaning and enjoy motivating others.
Kai suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a condition characterized by grandiosity, a lack of empathy, and a need for admiration. This does not always happen with INFJs, but Kai is just as feeling-oriented as the rest of them--The feelings are just his delusional ones.
Michael Langdon - INTJ
Michael Langdon is first introduced to viewers as a baby and young boy on the first episode of Murder House but then reappears as the Antichrist in Apocalypse. Because Michael is half-demon and half-human, he is extremely hard to type.
Given that Michael's fate is predetermined by the Devil. As a result, Michael is a task-oriented pawn. INTJs are a personality type known for their insight, efficiency, and determination to get the job done. This is the perfect recipe to make Michael Langdon the best villain in American Horror Story.
Mr. Jingles - INTP
In 1984, Margaret Booth frames Mr. Jingles for murdering a cabin full of kids. The lie that imprisons him even convinces him that he was the slasher, so he has no problem fulfilling his fate once again in 1984.
INTPs are known to doubt themselves. Mr. Jingles certainly has the capacity for self-doubt considering that he doubts that he did not kill several teenagers. He also fits the bill for an INTP by being quiet, reserved, and thoughtful in his personal relationships, which is shown when he settles down and has a child.
Harry Gardner - ISFP
Harry Gardner is the passionate screenwriter in Red Tide that finds himself drinking human blood to sustain his success. Like ISFPs, his personal concerns take precedent over logical routes. ISFPs are also very tuned in to the world around them, which leads many of them, Harry included, to gravitate toward fine arts.
ISFPs create their own value systems that fit in with what they believe to be right, which is what Harry does when he takes the black pill that turns him into a bloodthirsty monster. At least he's a bloodthirsty monster who writes for Quentin Tarantino.
Valiant Thor - ISTP
In Death Valley, Valiant Thor is an alien that plans to wipe out the human race after briefly pacifying human governments. Valiant Thor fits the bill for the strong and silent type, which is why he is an ISTP.
ISTPs value objective information over personal beliefs and are known for being able to keep a cool temperament under high-pressure situations. This makes sense for Valiant Thor as an otherworldly being who takes an analytical and very level-headed approach to taking over human life.