10 Best American Horror Story Characters

While Paulson’s Cordelia Foxx was crucial to Coven’s enduring popularity, it would have been nothing without Jesica Lange’s Fiona Goode to bounce off. Playing Foxx’s predecessor as Supreme (and supremely unmotherly mother), Fiona was a grounded villain, one who came across as ruthless, yet quietly vulnerable. The role was arguably Lange’s finest hour.

Like many great villains before her, Fiona is impossible to truly dislike; she’s too intelligent, charismatic and graceful for that. She’s not a completely evil entity, providing much-needed realism to ground a season full of witchcraft and wonder. There’s a fatal flaw there too, one which worms its way through her like she were a decaying apple: vanity.

It’s this vanity which elevates her. Some villains start off strong and then unravel as they begin to lose, causing them to act more and more desperate. While Fiona’s veneer of cool does slip away as Cordelia ascends (causing Fiona’s own powers to wane), no actions feel out of character.

Ultimately, Fiona is such a great character because she genuinely cares for the witches under her, but is not above using and abusing them for her own gain. Where Kai Anderson is a deliberate caricature, Fiona is the somber reality.