15 Greatest American Horror Story Characters

12. Twisty

American Horror Story Dandy Mott
FX

American Horror Story is loaded with the macabre, the creepy, and the downright weird, from settings, stories, and of course, characters. There are none so creepy however, as one of the greatest aspects from Freak Show, Twisty the Clown.

After spending the first few episodes killing people, kidnapping children and tormenting them in a dilapidated caravan, the audience has no reason to think Twisty is anything more than a demented murderer. Soon after however, we're shown that there is so much more to the character than that.

Yes, he is a ridiculously creepy murderous clown, but his is a story filled with tragedy. Left mentally disabled from being dropped on his head as a baby, he became a clown to put smiles on children's faces. When some other freaks in the circus became jealous, they spread the rumour that Twisty was a child molester. Unable to continue being a clown, he began a spiral into depression and further mental health issues.

After trying to take his own life, Twisty ended up surviving a shotgun blast to the face, but lost his entire jaw. Genuinely not seeing that he was doing anything wrong, he wanted to 'save' the children from their parents and make them love him again.

There are few characters in the show as iconic as Twisty, and John Carroll Lynch should receive any and all praise for bringing him to life.

Contributor

This standard nerd combines the looks of Shaggy with the brains of Scooby, has an unhealthy obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is a firm believer that Alter Bridge are the greatest band in the world.