The Axeman (American Horror Story)

'' American Horror Story: Coven'' is the third season of the FX horror anthology series ''American Horror Story''. The season focuses on the oppression of witches, who resides in present-day New Orleans, as they try to combat organized efforts to destroy them posed by shell corporations and a racially charged Voodoo tribe. But while the witches learn to harness their supernatural powers, they learn their biggest threat comes from within the coven in the form of a greedy Supreme Witch, who enlists the help of barbaric serial killers to locate the rising Supreme and kill her so she may remain in power forever.

Veteran cast members include Sarah Paulson, Taissa Farmiga, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Denis O'Hare, and Frances Conroy, while Emma Roberts and Kathy Bates made their debuts. Special guest stars who made appearances include Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett, Danny Huston, and Patti LuPone. Recurring appearances by veteran cast members were made by Jamie Brewer, Alexandra Breckenridge, and Robin Bartlett.

Cast members

Main cast

* Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode
* Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau
* Gabourey Sidibe as Queenie
* Jamie Brewer as Nan
* Taissa Farmiga as Zoe Benson
* Evan Peters as Kyle Spencer
* Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow
* Lily Rabe as Misty Day
* Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery
* Denis O'Hare as Spalding
* Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie
* Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode

Supporting cast

Characters

Main characters

Cordelia Goode

Cordelia Goode (previously Foxx) (portrayed by Sarah Paulson as adult Cordelia and Chloe Carmela as young Cordelia) is the "disappointing", infertile daughter of the current Supreme, Fiona Goode. She is the headmistress of Miss Robichaux's Academy. She is protective of her students, content with her role, and prefers to settle conflict in a peaceful manner, opposing her mother's beliefs. However, Cordelia never backs down from doing what is best for the Coven and her students, even when that means attempting to murder her own mother, or committing self-mutilation. In "Fearful Pranks Ensue", an unknown assailant throws sulphuric acid on her face when she is in a restaurant bathroom and Cordelia is blinded. As a result, Cordelia develops the gift of Second Sight, which enables her to receive visions of the past and future. This new power leads her to discover her husband Hank's infidelity, as well as the other dark secrets of Coven members. Growing in confidence from this ability and her mother's ever-weakening state, Cordelia begins to develop other powers and takes a more assertive leadership role when freed from her mother's shadow. Cordelia is talented at mixing potions due to her proficiency and knowledge of botany and magical plants. Cordelia's relationship with Fiona is complicated and contentious, and Cordelia considers Myrtle Snow, whom Cordelia calls "Auntie Myrtle", her substitute mother and role model. Her personal hell is pathetically begging for her mother's approval and being slapped for it on eternal loop. Cordelia assumes the title of Supreme after completing the Seven Wonders on the urging of Myrtle, the resulting surge of energy healing her wounded eyes.

Cordelia returns in ''Apocalypse'', now using her maiden name, Cordelia Goode. She, along with Madison and Myrtle arrives to the Outpost 3 to revive her "sisters": Mallory, Dinah Stevens, and Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt. Cordelia tells Mallory that she is special and that the witches need her to defeat Michael Langdon. As Langdon shows up, the witches are ready to confront Langdon once for all. In flashbacks, Cordelia, along with Zoe and Myrtle arrives to the Hawthorne School for Exceptional Young Men (the future Outpost 3) for an emergency council test. At the meeting, warlock teacher Ariel Augustus explains that they wish Langdon to challenge Cordelia for Supremacy. While the women scoff at the idea of a male Supreme, Ariel insists that Cordelia administer the Seven Wonders to test Langdon. Cordelia refuses, saying that it would surely condemn the boy to death, as it did to witch Misty Day. Behold Chablis chastises her for abandoning coven member Queenie after her disappearance in Los Angeles, but Cordelia responds that she found Queenie's ghost in the Hotel Cortez, playing cards with the ghost of the hotel's founder James Patrick March. She was unable to extract Queenie past the doors of the hotel as she realized that the haunted hotel was a demonic portal that she was unable to overcome. Ariel calls her a bigot for ignoring the possibility of an Alpha. While Cordelia and her fellow witches are about to leave and return to New Orleans, they meet Michael, along with Madison and Queenie. When she sees the dead witches now alive, Cordelia faints. She eventually lets Michael pass the Seven Wonders test while she sends Madison and Behold to the Murder House to learn Michael's origins. Once she is aware that he is the Antichrist, she arranges a meeting with Papa Legba with the help of Dinah Stevens in order to prevent Michael's plans. Legba reveals that he owns Nan's soul, and agrees to help entrap Langdon under the condition that Cordelia give him the souls of the remaining girls. Cordelia refuses, and Legba disappears. Zoe suspects Mallory to be the true next Supreme after she saves Coco from choking and confides in Cordelia. The coven then capture Ariel, Baldwin, and Mead, and burn them at the stake for their betrayals. Michael later finds the ashes and is confronted by Cordelia, who informs him that Mead's soul is hidden by a spell. She insists that he has capacity for kindness, but he dismisses her, threatening to kill every last witch. After Michael launches an attack on the academy that only Cordelia, Mallory, Coco, Madison, and Myrtle survive, Cordelia has Mallory and Coco infiltrate Outpost 3 under identity spells to prevent them from being detected as witches by Michael. In the battle that ultimately follows between the witches and Michael, Cordelia commits suicide by stabbing herself to allow Mallory to reach her full power as Supreme. Her sacrifice gives Mallory the power to go back in time and kill Michael when he was vulnerable, preventing the apocalypse. As a result of the timeline being altered, Cordelia is also brought back to life. She is reunited with Nan and Misty.

For her performance in ''Coven'', Paulson was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Zoe Benson

Zoe Benson (portrayed by Taissa Farmiga) is a shy, young girl who discovers she is a witch in "Bitchcraft", when she accidentally kills her boyfriend Charlie by causing him to have a severe brain aneurysm and subsequently dying when they have sex for the first time. She is then sent to Miss Robichaux's Academy by her mother, who knew of her family's genetic affliction and is afraid of Zoe's power. Zoe accompanies Madison Montgomery to a college party where she meets and falls in love at first sight with Kyle Spencer, a university student – however, Kyle is murdered by Madison that same night. Obsessed and depressed with Kyle's death, Zoe brings about his eventual resurrection. With Kyle's support, Zoe quickly becomes a more assertive witch and a strong contender for the next Supreme, growing from the nervous, innocent and frightened young witch into a woman willing to kill for her sister witches and the Coven. Zoe often acts as a leader and is an influence on the other students, encouraging them to act as a united team – though she frequently comes into conflict with Madison. Unlike the other students, she is also very proficient at casting spells. In "Burn, Witch. Burn!", she demonstrates her power when she breaks a strong curse placed on the undead by voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. She also develops undefined intuitive abilities and several other powers. Her strong-willed naiveté often leads her into trouble, such as when she unwittingly revives the Axeman. Her personal version of hell is Kyle continuously breaking up with her and saying he no longer loves her. Towards the end of coven, her and her fellow witches are forced to perform the test of the seven wonders. Zoe makes it quite far before accidentally teleporting herself onto the academy's spiked gates, causing her death. She is later brought back to life by Cordelia, and given a seat on the witches council for her growth and power.

Zoe returns in ''Apocalypse'' where she is seen teaching the other students in the academy. She also believes that student witch Mallory will be the next Supreme. She is later killed by Miriam Mead's android duplicate during Michael Langdon's assault on the academy, although her death is later undone when Mallory goes back in time to kill Michael before he becomes powerful.

Myrtle Snow

Myrtle Snow (portrayed by Frances Conroy as adult Myrtle, Michelle Page as teenage Myrtle, Ellie Grace Pomeroy as young Myrtle in ''American Horror Stories'') is the eccentric head of the Witches' Council with shocking orange hair. Though she adores Fiona's daughter Cordelia as her own, Myrtle holds a lifelong grudge against Fiona, whom she (correctly) believes murdered the previous Supreme while the two were together at school, and makes frequent attempts to denounce or overthrow her. Fiona, in turn, scape-goats, frames, and eventually burns Myrtle at the stake, although she is quickly resurrected by Misty. Myrtle is a graduate and former headmistress of Miss Robichaux's Academy. She is a Guardian of Veracity in the Vernacular, giving her the ability to know when the truth is being told and can detect lies. She can enchant others so they will utter nothing but the truth, and she is also seen using telekinesis, which is her favorite of the powers that she possesses. Myrtle also has the power of transmutation (teleportation) and uses it frequently, disappearing and reappearing throughout the Academy. Additionally, Myrtle is a traveled gourmand who adores exquisite food, haute couture, jewelry, romance, and associating with fashion designers. Fiercely loyal to the Coven as a whole (though this does not stop her from murdering the remaining members of the Witches' Council after they unjustly order her execution) and to Cordelia, Myrtle wants what is best for their future and believes Misty Day or Zoe to be the strongest candidates for future Supreme. After Cordelia becomes the next Supreme, Myrtle persuades Cordelia to have her executed for her murder of the Witches' Council as a show of authority and to offer the coven a fresh start.

Against her request, however, Myrtle is resurrected a second time by Cordelia in ''Apocalypse'' to provide Cordelia with advice. She later survives Michael Langdon's assault on the academy and takes part in the final battle against Michael. After Mallory alters the timeline by killing Michael before he becomes too powerful, Cordelia does not seek Myrtle's advice and thus does not resurrect her a second time.

A younger Myrtle appears in ''American Horror Stories'' in the episode "Dollhouse", played by Ellie Grace Pomeroy. She meets a young Spalding as they both enter at the Academy.

For her performance in ''Coven'', Conroy was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Kyle Spencer

Kyle Spencer (portrayed by Evan Peters) is a cheerful college student on a scholarship, and the leader of his fraternity. He falls in love with Zoe at first sight. The victim of extensive sexual abuse, Kyle worked hard to earn a scholarship and escape poverty for college, and Kyle's dream was to become a civil engineer and ensure a catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina would never happen again. He is killed at the beginning of the season, when Madison flips over a bus he is riding in. He is later revived in the morgue using a spell cast by Zoe and Madison, after his severed head is attached to various body parts from other victims of the crash. He suffers severe drawbacks after his resurrection – such as rarely being able to speak, suffering fits of murderous rage, and often being confused, as a child would be. Kyle enters into a menage-a-trois relationship with Zoe and Madison, and becomes the "guard dog" of the Coven. Kyle chooses Zoe exclusively once he fully regains his mental abilities. Eventually, Kyle becomes the new butler of the academy, taking over Spalding's role.

Misty Day

Misty Day (portrayed by Lily Rabe) is a young witch who is not associated with a Coven of her own. She was discovered as a witch after being ostracized and burned alive by her Pentecostal community for exhibiting the extremely rare "gift of resurgence" (the ability to fully resurrect the long dead, as opposed to the Seven Wonders' vitalum vitalis, which merely balances life forces between the healthy witch performing it, and the just dead receiver). Her death made the news and Misty was thought to be dead, but she mysteriously revived herself and spends her time alone walking through the swamps. She is a lonely woman who is obsessed with Stevie Nicks, believing her to be a kindred spirit and a white witch. Misty is kind, despises killing, and is desperate to find a self-described 'tribe'. She is reluctant at first to become the next Supreme, though everyone assumes she will be. She helps heal Kyle's body after Zoe and Madison revive him with a spell, and also ends up using her healing powers to revive Myrtle Snow after Myrtle is burned at the stake. Her powers seem limited based on the state of a corpse, as observed in "The Axeman Cometh", when she struggles to revive Madison, who had been dead for weeks. She has also shown minor abilities controlling animals, such as making the alligators attack the poachers and calling animals away from Myrtle's charred body. Misty has demonstrated telekinetic abilities and has also been observed manifesting in other areas at will, potentially demonstrating teleportation ability. Misty's personal hell is vivisecting and resurging a frog on loop. Misty perishes when she cannot escape her hell in time during the Seven Wonders, and her body reduces to ash in the physical world.

Misty reappears in ''Apocalypse'', as Cordelia requests Michael Langdon restore her as a part of his completion of the Seven Wonders. He agrees and travels to Hell to find Misty. As he reawakens in the living realm, Misty materializes beside him. While Cordelia recovers from her nosebleed, Misty tells her that she should have been left in her personal hell. She also tells Cordelia that, during her resurrection, "the evil within Hell" appeared to speak to Langdon, who apparently negotiated for her release. After the timeline is altered due to Mallory killing Langdon, Misty is returned from her personal Hell by Nan and Papa Legba as a favor to Mallory for causing Langdon's death.

Madison Montgomery

Madison Montgomery (portrayed by Emma Roberts) is a young Hollywood star who makes $7 million a picture. As a young girl her parents forced her into the movie industry and groomed her for money. She ultimately becomes a famous and trendy actor, popular in the gossip of hollywood. She finds out that she is a witch after using her unknown Telekinesis to murder her film director, who annoyed and mistreated her. She had been in and out of rehab for many years and was the sole support of her parasitic family from a very young age. In "Bitchcraft", after being drugged and gang raped by the frat boys who film the event, Madison uses her power to flip the frat boy bus in revenge, killing Kyle. She forges a bond with Zoe, who uses her power to kill the surviving ring leader. The two then revive Kyle amateurishly. Madison craves popularity and fashion and proves herself to be the next Supreme in "The Replacements", after setting the curtains on fire at the new neighbour's house, displaying a new power, causing Fiona to kill Madison in the exact spot where Fiona killed Anna-Lee Leighton back in 1971, so that Fiona's chances to stay the Supreme stay more likely, regardless of her battle with cancer. She communicates with the girls using a ouija board and is hidden inside Spalding's room. Misty revives her, but she cannot feel any pain or sensation after her resurrection due to the amount of time she was dead. She reflects on herself in that time giving us more information about her awful childhood. She begins a love triangle with Kyle and Zoe and becomes more desperate for the throne. In "The Seven Wonders", Madison refuses to revive a killed Zoe and fails to complete a challenge causing her to storm out, threatening to reveal the Coven's secrets to the rest of the world. While packing to leave, Madison is choked to death by Kyle, for refusing to resurrect Zoe. 668836129

Madison returns in the eighth season, ''Apocalypse'', where it is revealed that after her death, she was sent to her own personal hell of processing endless returns and complaints from a never-ending line of customers at a department store. She was later resurrected by Langdon alongside Queenie. After Michael passed the Seven Wonders test, Cordelia charged Madison and Behold Chablis to investigate Michael's origins at the Murder House, where they discover his real nature as the Antichrist. There, Madison also helps Violet reunite with Tate by explaining to her that he was merely a vessel used by the house to conceive Michael and tells Violet that Tate is not truly evil. After surviving Michael's assault on the academy she partakes in the final battle against Michael. She helps Cordelia get more time for Mallory. Sadly she is no match for the devil and her head is exploded. Following the timeline being altered as a result of Mallory killing Michael before his rise to power, Madison is returned to her personal hell, although Mallory states that she will eventually be resurrected.

Otis Spalding Wirt

Spalding (portrayed by Denis O'Hare, Houston Jax Towe as young Spalding in ''American Horror Stories'') is the butler of the Academy. He has been mute since 1971 when he cut off his own tongue to prevent the Witches' Council from finding out the truth about Anna-Lee's murder. He has been in unrequited love with Fiona for many years. Spalding is fond of tea parties and has an extensive doll collection that he plays with while dressing in a woman's nightgown. He adds Madison's body to his collection. He later is interrogated by Zoe, Nan and Queenie about Madison's murder, claiming he was responsible, though Zoe is skeptical. Later, Zoe recites an incantation, enchanting Spalding's tongue and returning it to his mouth. He admits that Fiona was responsible for murdering Madison, due to his tongue being enchanted to tell the truth, Zoe stabs Spalding in the chest, killing him. After his death, he remains in the Academy as a ghost, and, along with LaLaurie, is responsible for the death of Marie Laveau. He then acts as a mentor to Kyle as the new butler, saying that they are "the help".

A younger version of him appears in ''American Horror Stories'', played by Houston Jax Towe in the episode "Dollhouse". The episode, which is set in 1961, depicts him as the son of Van Wirt, a crazed dollmaker. His name is Otis Wirt, with Spalding as his middle name.

Delphine LaLaurie

Delphine LaLaurie (portrayed by Kathy Bates) is based on the true-life New Orleans socialite from the 1830s, infamous for killing and torturing her slaves. To punish Delphine for disfiguring the houseboy, and her lover, Bastien, the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau tricks Delphine into drinking a potion of eternal life and buries her alive. Delphine is re-discovered by Nan and a war rekindles between the voodoo tribe and the witches when Fiona digs Delphine up and houses her to use as a bargaining chip against Laveau. Delphine is immortal because of Marie Laveau's potion and cannot die. Delphine is a complex, dualistic character, at once pitiable and monstrous. Arrogant and proud, she's also practical and willing to get her hands dirty. She truly loves her family, but is willing to torture them to keep them from disobeying her. In the Academy, Delphine is required to be Queenie's slave and the two form a tentatively fond relationship. Queenie's betrayal smashes Delphine's trust and inclinations to attempt atonement for her racist ways, and Delphine again takes up her murderous hobbies when tempted. Delphine longs for death but when she was killed by Queenie after Laveau loses her immortality, her personal hell is being locked in a cage in her torture attic, just out of reach of her daughters, and forced to watch Marie Laveau torture her children in front of her without being able to help, albeit against Marie Laveau's will. She later makes an appearance in ''Apocalypse'', where Marie Laveau is shown continuing to torture her in hell.

For her performance in ''Coven'', Bates won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. In addition, she was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television and the Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

Fiona Goode

Fiona Goode (portrayed by Jessica Lange as adult Fiona, Riley Voelkel as teenage Fiona, and Kate Paige as child Fiona) is the Supreme witch of her generation, the leader of the Salem witch descendants. She lives a glamorous life of luxury in Los Angeles. She returns to Miss Robichaux's Academy after the murder of Misty Day with the intention of teaching the young witches to fight, and reconciling with her estranged daughter Cordelia. She yearns for eternal life and looks for any way to get it. Fiona, being the Supreme, embodies countless magical abilities. As the Supreme, Fiona has mastered the Seven Wonders, seven magical abilities that signify a witch as the Supreme. Fiona grows terribly ill and develops terminal cancer due to a new Supreme rising within the Coven. She tries at all costs to regain her youth. At first, she attempts to obtain immortality by seeking it from an immortal voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. After failing miserably, she believes the only way to stay alive is to kill the emerging Supreme. She murders several of the students, but still continues to grow weaker. Fiona conspires with the Axeman and fakes her own death by implanting a false vision inside him, revealing that he murdered her. Fiona returns to the Academy to kill the new Supreme – however, after realizing her daughter has taken the position, Fiona renounces her self-serving, murderous intentions and dies in Cordelia's arms. In her own personal hell, Fiona is bound to live in a shack with the Axeman for all eternity. Although Fiona does not appear in ''Apocalypse'', she is mentioned in the episodes "Boy Wonder", "Traitor", and "Fire and Reign" when Cordelia's own failing health due to a new Supreme rising causes her to fear she will become like her mother, but Myrtle reassures her that she will not.

For her performance, Lange was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, the Satellite Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film, the Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film. She won the Dorian Award for Best TV Performance of the Year – Actress and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Supporting characters

* Marie Laveau (portrayed by Angela Bassett) is the mighty high priestess of voodoo magic. The voodoo practitioners are one of the main adversaries of the Salem witches. She is unforgiving to those who wish to hurt her people. Marie is centuries old and alive in the present, owning a hairdressing salon called Cornrow City in the 9th Ward. She claims that the American Salem witches and their descendants were given their powers as a gift from the slave woman, Tituba, before the Salem Witch Trials. She previously signed a truce with then-Supreme Anna-Lee Leighton in the 1970s, but considers Fiona Goode to be her sworn enemy. She later considers the truce to have been broken upon the killing of her lover, Bastien. She sends Bastien to attack the Academy and after his death, her undead army. It is revealed in the fifth episode that she had broken the truce many years ago, hiring the witch hunter Hank to rid the world of Salem descendants. Marie is a powerful voodoo queen, adept at performing rituals of fertility, creating potions granting eternal life and mind control, using the power of transmutation, levitation, and necromancy. Marie is also the only voodooienne to survive Hank's massacre and subsequently seeks sanctuary amongst the witches of the Coven. She later reveals her longevity is the result of selling her soul to Papa Legba, a spiritual entity who serves as a gatekeeper of sorts between worlds. In exchange for her eternal life, she must offer him a yearly sacrifice: the soul of an innocent child. After forming an unlikely alliance with Fiona Goode, the two launch a devastating attack on the witch hunter organization, ridding themselves of the threat once and for all. Marie is later attacked and dismembered by Delphine LaLaurie and her body parts are scattered across New Orleans. Unable to fulfil her repayments to Papa Legba, their contract is rendered void and the centuries-old voodoo priestess finally dies. She comes to her senses in a hellish afterlife, where she is instructed to torment the recently deceased Madame LaLaurie for all of eternity. At first she relishes the position, but when forced to torture the innocent LaLaurie daughters while their mother looks on, she finds herself no better than her cruel nemesis.
As a result of being disengaged in torturing Madame LaLaurie, Marie is later freed from hell in ''Apocalypse'' by Papa Legba in exchange for the soul of Dinah Stevens, her successor as voodoo queen who betrayed the witches, as the new torturer. After killing Dinah, she partakes in the final battle against Michael and is killed when Michael rips out her heart. After the timeline is altered as a result to Mallory killing Michael, Marie has returned to her personal hell.
For her performance in ''Coven'', Bassett was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special, and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.
* Queenie (portrayed by Gabourey Sidibe) is a young inner-city witch who grew up in the foster system in Detroit, where she worked at a fast food restaurant. She is a descendant of Tituba, the first witch accused of practicing witchcraft during the Salem witch trials. She is a student at the Academy and is described as a human voodoo doll thanks to her ability to transfer pain and injuries inflicted on herself onto anyone else. Queenie proves a special case as it is speculated that she has voodoo and Salem blood running through her, and she is as much a Salem witch as well as a voodoo priestess. In the third episode, she is attacked by Bastien, and dies from her internal injuries but Fiona revives her. After Fiona forces Madame LaLaurie to be Queenie's personal slave, they form an unlikely friendship despite Delphine's racist tendencies. Queenie puts in a large effort to help Delphine overcome her bigotry and atone for her crimes. However, after LaLaurie tells Queenie that the other witches do not truly see her as their friend, she turns on the Coven, and turns over LaLaurie to Marie Laveau. Then, having left the Academy, she works at Cornrow City as a receptionist and voodoo assistant, helping Marie with various rituals. She is shot by Hank during the voodoo massacre, however, she survives and manages to kill Hank by shooting herself in the mouth. It is later revealed that Queenie survived her wounds, demonstrating a complete resilience to the witch hunter's silver bullets. Her powers have subsequently flourished, and she demonstrates the ability to descend spiritually into the afterlife and return again. She also deploys potent telekinetic abilities while saving Misty Day from her entombment and later again during the Axeman's assault on the Coven. In the season finale, Queenie, along with Zoe, is appointed the position of Council member by the new Supreme, Cordelia.
Queenie makes a return appearance in the fifth season of the series, ''Hotel'', and checks into the Hotel Cortez while staying in Los Angeles to attend a taping of ''The Price Is Right''. Queenie finds herself attacked by vampire Ramona Royale and overwhelms her before being mortally wounded by James Patrick March, whose incorporeal existence is unaffected by her voodoo powers. This allowed Ramona Royale to drink her blood.
She returns again in ''Apocalypse'', and, similar to the dead residents in the Hotel Cortez, she turns into a ghost residing in her room playing cards with March. Cordelia tries to extract Queenie's ghost from the doors of the hotel, but she was unable to leave. However, Michael Langdon travels into the Cortez and is able to emerge with her. She is then killed for a third time by Miriam Mead's android duplicate during an assault on the coven. After Mallory alters the timeline by killing Michael before he gains power, she convinces Queenie to not check into the Hotel Cortez, thus preventing her death.
For her performance in ''Coven'', Sidibe was nominated for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special.
* Nan (portrayed by Jamie Brewer) is a young witch who is a student at the Academy and is sometimes underestimated and dismissed by her peers as she is perceived to be less socially sophisticated than they are – though in fact, she often picks up on things quicker than the other students, and people sometimes warm to her more quickly than the others. She has the ability of clairvoyance. She found, or "heard" Delphine's thoughts from underneath her old estate. She assists in Zoe's interrogation with Spalding, since she is the only one who can hear him since his tongue has been cut off. Nan is a telepathic witch. She can read the minds of others and also see various details of their lives, and is hinted to possess precognitive and retrocognitive abilities. She refers to her mindreading as "hearing", as when the undead army invaded she couldn't "hear them". She gives details that she is quite promiscuous and has had a lot of sexual relations with many boys. Nan falls for the new neighbor, Luke Ramsey, but her chances of happiness are routinely dashed by the interferences of Luke's mentally unstable mother, Joan – though Luke himself is quite charmed by her, clearly preferring her to Madison. When Luke is near-fatally shot in an attack by Hank, Nan uses her telepathic abilities to allow Luke and his mother to communicate, but at the same time uncovers that Joan murdered her husband when he demanded a divorce. Joan later smothers a comatose Luke to keep her secrets buried and cremates his remains. When Nan finds out that there is no chance of resurrection, she demonstrates previously unseen telekinetic and mind control abilities, forcing Joan to consume a fatal quantity of bleach as revenge for killing Luke, and leaves her dead on her own kitchen floor. Nan later confronts Marie Laveau after finding a planned child sacrifice crying in a cupboard and exchanges heated words with both the voodoo priestess and Fiona Goode. Later that evening, Nan is drowned by Marie and Fiona in a bathtub as an offering for Papa Legba. The sacrifice is grudgingly accepted and Nan's spirit happily goes into the afterlife with Legba, having had enough of the mortal coil.
She later makes an appearance in ''Apocalypse'' as Legba's minion. Due to enjoying her time in hell, she chooses not to return to the mortal world when given the opportunity to do so.
* Joan Ramsey (portrayed by Patti LuPone) is a fundamentalist Christian, who moves in next door to the Academy with her son, Luke. In "The Replacements", Madison and Nan visit her home in an attempt to seduce Luke. Joan then forces them to leave after Madison uses her telekinesis to send a knife flying at her, after which Madison sets her curtains on fire. Later that night, Joan confronts and warns Fiona of the consequences if the girls ever set foot on her property again. She is shot multiple times by witch hunters, but is revived by necromancer Misty Day. It is later revealed that she murdered her husband after he cheated on her and demanded a divorce. Joan is later killed by Nan, who uses the power of concilium to make Joan drink bleach as revenge for killing Luke.
* Luke Ramsey (portrayed by Alexander Dreymon) is the son of Joan, who moves next door to the Academy. He quickly attracts the young witches and is conflicted due to his religious background. In "Burn, Witch. Burn!", he comes to the Academy to gift Nan with some cookies in return for the cake she baked him earlier, but is later locked in when Marie Laveau's undead attack. He thinks it's a prank and goes outside to coerce them to leave, but one manages to stab him in the back with a pickaxe and Nan comes outside to help him. The next day, it is mentioned that he is in Nan's room recovering. He is shot in the head by witch hunters, but survives and is hospitalized in a coma. During his coma, he is able to talk to both God and Nan. Joan later suffocates him with a pillow after he discovers she murdered his father.
* Hank Foxx (né Henry Renard) (portrayed by Josh Hamilton) is Cordelia's supporting husband. He is a contractor and has opposing beliefs to Fiona on his wife's best interests. In reality, he is a witch hunter hired by Marie Laveau, who has killed over nine Salem descendants in the last 3 years, including the pyrokinetic witch, Kaylee. Marie later threatens to kill Hank as he hasn't managed to clear the Academy of all its students and staff. He works under a witch hunting company known as the Delphi Trust, with his father being the CEO, though he has a constrained relationship with his father and is only delegated the task of gathering intelligence. He turns on the voodoo witches and conducts a shooting at Cornrow City. However, he is killed when Queenie shoots herself in the mouth, transferring her injuries onto him.
* The Axeman (Joe) (portrayed by Danny Huston) is a serial killer. He was given the moniker due to his weapon of choice. In 1919, he was lured into Miss Robichaux's Academy and killed by the Coven to stop his reign of terror. His spirit is discovered and brought between worlds by Zoe in the present day when she uses a ouija board to locate Madison. After threatening Cordelia, his spirit is released from the Academy by Zoe, and he locates Fiona in a bar. Fiona conspires to fake her own death with the Axeman by implanting him with a vision that he killed her. The Axeman is later killed by Zoe, Queenie, Madison and Misty who all continuously stab him to death, in the same manner that he died in 1919. He appears in Fiona's personal Hell for all eternity.
For his performance, Huston was nominated for the Saturn Award for Best Guest Star in a Television Series.
* Papa Legba (portrayed by Lance Reddick) is a god of lore from the Haitian and New Orleans voodoo traditions. He is the gatekeeper of the spirit world as well as the god of travel, opportunity and luck. In "The Magical Delights of Stevie Nicks", Marie Laveau reveals the source of her immortality to Fiona Goode: "She sold her soul to Papa Legba, an ancient voodoo spirit, and must obey his commands no matter what once a year." In Marie's case, this is to present to him the life of an innocent, which started with her own baby centuries ago. He is later summoned by Fiona, who offers her soul in exchange for eternal youth, willing to do anything for it. Papa Legba turns down the offer as he claims she has "no soul to give." Afterwards, Marie and Fiona decide to get rid of Nan and offer her as sacrifice to Papa Legba, after drowning her in the bathtub. He reluctantly accepts the substitute for the newborn baby and warns Marie and Fiona of being "trouble" together. In "Go to Hell", Delphine LaLaurie hacks up Marie's body so that Marie can no longer honor her agreement with Legba. Queenie, after returning from her personal Hell, convinces Papa Legba to take away Marie Laveau and, as a result, LaLaurie's immortality.
Papa Legba reappears in ''Apocalypse'', as Cordelia and Dinah Stevens summon his spirit accompanied by Nan. Cordelia tells Legba about a plan of preparing a trap for Michael Langdon to banish him to Hell forever. Legba demands the souls of the witches in return but the witch supreme refuses, making him disappear again.
* Cecily Pembroke (portrayed by Robin Bartlett) is the secretary of the Witches' Council. She is seen as very reserved and old fashioned, using a typewriter. Quentin mentions she has no charisma. It is unknown what Salem abilities she possesses as a witch. She and Quentin agree on burning Myrtle at the stake for the alleged blinding of Cordelia. After being resurrected, Myrtle murders her as revenge, claiming Pembroke had merely used the blinding as an excuse and had always wanted her gone in order to take control of the Council, and uses one of her eyes to give Cordelia her sight back.
* Quentin Fleming (portrayed by Leslie Jordan) is a member of the Witches' Council, Fiona helped make him a best-selling author. He is very flamboyant and sassy, making him a polar opposite of his fellow Council member Cecily Pembroke. He is also revealed to be an alcoholic with a penchant for rent boys. Myrtle murders him, along with Cecily, as revenge. One of his eyes is then used to give Cordelia her sight back.
* Chantal (portrayed by Dana Gourrier) is a young salon stylist for Marie at Cornrow City and a voodoo practitioner, assisting Marie in her various voodoo rituals and spells. She attempts to stop Marie from reigniting the conflict between the voodoo witches and Salem witches, but ultimately agrees on helping her. Marie mentions that she's quite young, saying that she wasn't even born when the voodoo practitioners and Salem witches were at war. She is shown working as a receptionist and hair stylist for the salon. Chantal's voodoo capability is unknown, but she is shown overseeing and helping in the rituals such as the voodoo fertility spell and assisting in Marie's necromancy spell to raise her undead army. She is the second member of Marie's tribe to be shot to death in Hank's massacre.

Minor characters

*Alicia Spencer (portrayed by Mare Winningham) is Kyle's "9th ward white-trash" mother. Raising Kyle as a single mom, the flaky and abased Alicia became unhealthily dependent on her son for support by needing him to assume all of the "man of the house" responsibilities and take care of her, as well as sexually abusing him. Kyle kills her after his resurrection when she attempts seduction on him.
*Anna-Lee Leighton (portrayed by Christine Ebersole) is the previous generation's Supreme witch. She is portrayed as a competent, strong, and fair Supreme. As Supreme, she was vital in forging the truce with Marie Laveau, ending a decades-long war between the two. Anna-Lee felt Fiona would be a selfish Supreme, and vowed not to allow Fiona to assume the position. Fiona kills her in 1971 in order to rise to the Supremacy, and her death is blamed on the Voodoo Practitioners.
* Archibald "Archie" Brener (portrayed by Grey Damon) is one of Kyle's frat brothers. He, along with some of his other friends, drug and gang rape Madison. He is then severely injured when she flips their bus. Zoe goes to the hospital to see if Kyle is still alive, but sees it is Brener who has survived instead. Zoe rapes and kills him with her abilities to inflict a brain aneurysm.
* Bastien/Minotaur (portrayed by Miguel Capo Viu) is one of Madame LaLaurie's slaves. He was tortured in 1834 for allegedly attempting to seduce LaLaurie's daughter, and had a bull's head put onto his body. He was also Marie Laveau's lover. He has survived to the present day and was sent by Laveau to attack the Academy, injuring Queenie. In return, Fiona sends his head back to Laveau in a box.
* Harrison Renard (portrayed by Michael Cristofer) is Hank's father and head of the Delphi Trust, a brotherhood organization created centuries ago to rid the world of witchcraft and voodoo. He is fond of his son, but treats him as incompetent. Harrison is a greedy man, willing to ally with the witches to save his lucrative business and to use his son as a pawn for information. He and the other witch hunters are killed by Fiona, Marie and the Axeman.
* Cora (portrayed by Tonea Stewart) is a salon hairdresser who works at Cornrow City. Although she was optimistic about the civil rights movement, her son was unfortunately lynched for being registered to an integrated white school in 1961. In the present, she is seen being pampered by Marie Laveau for the Mayor's Annual Halloween Ball. It is unknown if she was killed during the voodoo massacre.
* Kaylee (portrayed by Alexandra Breckenridge) is a young witch who previously rejected Cordelia's offer to stay at the Academy. She had the ability of pyrokinesis, as she is shown setting fire to her former fiancé. After Hank seduces her in a hotel room, he coldly shoots her in the head, killing her.
* Marie-Louise Pauline "Pauline" LaLaurie (portrayed by Ashlynn Ross) is Delphine's youngest daughter. She had sexual relations with Bastien, which caused her to be severely punished by her mother. She is lynched, along with her father and two sisters, by Marie Laveau's mob.
* Marie-Louise Jeanne "Jeanne" LaLaurie (portrayed by Raeden Greer) is Delphine's middle-daughter. She is lynched, along with her father and two sisters, by Marie Laveau's mob.
* Marie-Delphine Lopez "Borquita" LaLaurie (portrayed by Jennifer Lynn Warren) is Delphine's eldest and most favored daughter. After her mother causes one of her suitors to run away in fear, she rounds up her sisters and they plot to kill her. Unfortunately, their mother overhears and locks them up in the attic with the other tortured slaves. She is lynched, along with her father and two sisters, by Marie Laveau's mob.
* Louis LaLaurie (portrayed by Scott Jefferson) is Madame Delphine LaLaurie's husband. He is aware and complicit in his wife's mistreatment of their slaves and children. His constant affairs are a few of the reasons for Delphine's obsession with making beauty salves from human pancreases. His wife's desire to end Louis' philandering is what lead her to drink Marie Laveau's potion of immortality. He is lynched, along with his daughters, by Marie Laveau's mob.
* Stevie Nicks portrays a fictionalized version of herself. She is Misty's idol and has been nicknamed the "White Witch". Nicks performs two songs on the piano: "Rhiannon" and "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?". She opens the season finale with the Fleetwood Mac song "Seven Wonders", after which she wishes the girls good luck before they perform the Seven Wonders test.
She reprises her role in ''Apocalypse'' for a special performance for Misty.
* Millie (portrayed by Grace Gummer) is a witch who attended the Academy in 1919. She is observed as the leader of the girls. She has the power of teleportation and, with the use of Tarot cards, stabs the Axeman with her fellow sisters, ending his reign of terror on New Orleans.
* Mr. Kingery (portrayed by Wayne Pére) is a high school science class teacher in Misty's hell. He forces Misty to dissect a frog for all eternity.
He later appears in ''Apocalypse'', back in the classroom, he is killed by Michael Langdon, who rips his stomach open.

References

{{American Horror Story episodes, 3

Coven