15 Best American Horror Story Deaths

Since its debut way back in 2011, American Horror Story has created a legacy for itself as one of the most unique shows on TV. The anthology style allows each new season to bring back largely the same excellent cast, with a few new additions each year, while telling a completely different story.

Though they may be a far cry from everything that came before it in terms of narrative and setting, each season still shares the unmistakable American Horror Story style. This all but guarantees fans watching will be shocked, creeped out, and will be subjected to things that make them far less than comfortable.

One such aspect that is synonymous with this style is death. It is a horror story after all, and so every season is filled with characters that simply won't live to see the end.

Whether it's because they are satisfying, shocking, or horrifically gory, there are some death scenes that live longer in the memory than others.

Over ten years, American Horror Story has killed off countless characters, with some of these deaths ultimately becoming iconic moments in the series, and some of the best scenes any horror TV show can offer.

In the first season of American Horror Story, the narrative wasn't exactly filled with good people. Aside from Vivien and Violet, most other main characters were either cheaters, murderers, or attempted baby thieves. Kate Mara's Hayden McClaine certainly falls within the latter category after scheming with Nora to try and take Vivien's twins.

While she was still alive, she entered into an affair with Ben Harmon knowing full well that he was married, and tried to extort him into supporting her and the child she originally told him she wasn't going to keep.

In a strange twist of fortune for Ben, Hayden wasn't the only one trying to manipulate him. As part of Larry's larger plan to ultimately get the Harmons out of the house, he killed Hayden, forcing Ben to bury the body in his back yard. It was the sheer surprise element of this death that makes it stick in the memory even after all these years.

As she and Ben left the titular house, there was no build up, no suspenseful music, and absolutely no clue as to what was about to happen, just a barrage of shovel hits to the head. One second she was standing, and the next she wasn't.