American Horror Story 13: Everyone Returning For The All-Star Season — And Who They're Playing

Soccer fans have the World Cup, and "American Horror Story" fans have Season 13. Ryan Murphy has assembled an all-star cast of returning favorites for the FX horror anthology's next installment, appropriately (and eerily) titled "13," but which beloved characters will they be playing when the new season premieres on Thursday, Sept. 24 (9/8c)?

When Murphy first announced the returning cast of "AHS: 13" — Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, and Jessica Lange — viewers immediately assumed that it would be revisiting the witches of Season 3 ("Coven") and Season 8 ("Apocalypse"). 

And they weren't wrong. Murphy followed his initial announcement with first looks at Paulson and Roberts, both of whom were fully decked out in their "Coven" finery. Murphy even confirmed that the show rebuilt the sets for Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, the coven's home base in New Orleans. And on July 9, paparazzi caught several of the "Coven" ladies filming on the streets of New York City.

But "Coven" and "Apocalypse" aren't the only seasons we'll be revisiting this time around. Casting for "13," which appears to be changing by the day (Ariana Grande recently dropped out), suggests that we'll also see characters from Season 1 ("Murder House"), Season 4 ("Freak Show"), and possibly even Season 5 ("Hotel").

Read on for a breakdown of which fan-favorite characters are returning for "AHS: 13," then drop a comment with your thoughts below. Who are you most excited to see again?

The OG queen of "American Horror Story" is back to reclaim her throne: Jessica Lange, who has not held a series-regular role on "AHS" since "Freak Show," is making a triumphant return in "13." But which of her memorable characters will she be portraying this time around?

Ryan Murphy marked the first day of filming "13" by Instagramming an on-set photo of Lange on April 6. Though the picture was taken with Lange's back to the camera, fans noted that she appeared to be dressed as Constance Langdon, her character from "Murder House," who later made a guest-appearance in an episode of "Apocalypse." Given the witch-centric nature of "13," fans are hoping that we'll also get to see Lange portraying former Supreme Fiona Goode — even if it has to be through a flashback.

All of Lange's previous characters have been memorable, so we wouldn't be surprised if "13" also decided to revisit Sister Jude from Season 2 ("Asylum"), or even Elsa Mars from "Freak Show" in some capacity.

At this point, it would feel unnatural to have a season of "American Horror Story" without Sarah Paulson in it, so we're extra-thrilled to have her back as the bewitching Cordelia Goode. First introduced in "Coven," Cordelia has always been a force to be reckoned with, eventually succeeding her mother Fiona (Jessica Lange) as the coven's new Supreme. Like most of the other witches, Cordelia returned in "Apocalypse," where she reawakened her coven and led them in the fight against the Antichrist, aka Michael Langdon (Cody Fern).

"13" will mark Paulson's 10th season of "AHS," tying her with Evan Peters. She was only absent from Season 9 ("1984"), Season 11 ("NYC"), and Season 12 ("Delicate").

Paulson was seen filming an episode of "13" as Cordelia in New York City on Thursday, July 9.

When it comes to "American Horror Story," there's no shortage of potential characters for Evan Peters to reprise. And while the actor has not officially confirmed which of his personas will return for "13," the assumption among fans is that it will be James Patrick March, first introduced in "Hotel." The eccentric serial killer is known to host lavish dinner parties, inviting other deceased ne'er do wells as his guests, so it would certainly be an excuse to squeeze in a few extra cameos. The catch? James' spirit is technically tethered to the Hotel Cortez in Los Angeles, so "Horror Story" would have to get... creative.

Peters has been with "American Horror Story" from the very beginning, playing school shooter Tate Langdon in "Murder House." Including "13," Peters has appeared in a total of 10 seasons, and has played even more characters. Some of his most memorable personas include Briarcliff Manor survivor Kit Walker in "Asylum," zombie frat boy Kyle Spencer in "Coven," lobster-handed Jimmy Darling in "Freak Show," and blue-haired extremist Kai Anderson in Season 7 ("Cult").

We have only one thing to say about this next return: "Balenciagaaaaaa!" Yes, Frances Conroy is once again donning Myrtle Snow's iconic wig for "13." Like the other witches, Myrtle was introduced in "Coven," taking on a motherly role to the famously under-mothered Cordelia (Sarah Paulson). And not even getting burned at the stake could keep Myrtle from returning in "Apocalypse," offering crucial support in the coven's battle against Michael Langdon (Cody Fern).

Myrtle is also a rare example of a character who made a special appearance on the "American Horror Story" spin-off series "American Horror Stories." The second season premiere told the story of a young boy named Otis... who turned out to be Otis Spalding, a character eventually played by Denis O'Hare in "Coven." And who was the first person to befriend Otis upon his arrival at Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies? Why, none other than a child-aged version of Myrtle, this time played by young actress Ellie Grace Pomeroy.

Conroy was seen filming an episode of "13" as Myrtle in New York City on Thursday, July 9.

We knew we hadn't seen the last of her! Emma Roberts, who most recently portrayed desperate actress Anna Victoria Alcott in "Delicate," will return to "American Horror Story" as her popular "Coven" character Madison Montgomery in Season 13. Roberts' return as Madison was officially confirmed by Ryan Murphy in an Instagram post on April 9. The video featured Roberts seated at a beautiful piano, before turning around and spouting her character's now-infamous line to the camera: "Surprise, b*tch! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me."

Madison was among the "Coven" witches who returned in "Apocalypse," making this Madison's third appearance in the "AHS" franchise. "13" will mark Roberts' seventh season overall.

Roberts was seen filming an episode of "13" as Madison in New York City on Thursday, July 9.

All hail the Queenie! The human pin cushion is back for her third season of "American Horror Story," having originally debuted in "Coven." Like her fellow students at Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies, Queenie faced her fair share of challenges early on, but it was nothing compared to what she later endured during a guest appearance in "Hotel." With an enchanted ticket to "The Price is Right," courtesy of Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), Queenie flew to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, she made the fateful decision to stay at the Hotel Cortez, where she was ultimately murdered by deranged serial killer James Patrick March (Evan Peters).

So, how is Gabourey Sidibe's character back among the living for "13"? As you may recall, Queenie was one of several witches resurrected by Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) in "Apocalypse." And unlike Michael, Queenie actually managed to survive that season.

Sidibe was seen filming an episode of "13" as Queenie in New York City on Thursday, July 9.

Billie Lourd may not have been seen filming with her fellow "Coven" witches in New York City on July 9, but considering the way "Apocalypse" ended for her character — Mallory became the coven's Supreme, traveled back in time, and killed Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) — we have to assume that "13" will find a way to incorporate Mallory.

Come on, which of Lourd's other characters would even make sense to have in this season? Winter Anderson was strangled to death by her brother Kai (Evan Peters) by the end of "Cult," and "1984" ghost Montana Duke is eternally trapped on the grounds of Camp Redwood.

It could make sense for Lourd to bring back her "Delicate" character, an ancient witch disguised as a Hollywood publicist, but we don't think "Delicate" needs to reenter the conversation. Ditto to Lourd's characters from "Double Feature" and "NYC." Some things are best left in the past.

If you're looking to find out what's really in your food (a wise woman once said that the FDA in this country is a "f***ing fraud!"), you'll be happy to know that Leslie Grossman is returning in "13" as socialite-turned-sorcercess Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt. Originally introduced in "Apocalypse" as a vapid Beverly Hills heiress, she was revealed to be a skilled diviner, albeit in an extremely specific arena. She played a supportive role in her fellow witches' battle against Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) and ended the season living at Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies in New Orleans.

Grossman was seen filming an episode of "13" as Coco in New York City on Thursday, July 9.

No matter where the coven goes, can Marie Laveau ever be far behind? Angela Bassett will once again embody the historical "Voodoo Queen" of New Orleans, marking the character's third appearance in "American Horror Story." We first met her during "Coven" at the height of her power, and we were thrilled to see her return in "Apocalypse," even if it meant watching Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) literally rip her heart out in front of us. ... Don't worry, she's fine now. Time travel heals all wounds!

"It was thrilling to get that call to bring back Marie Laveau," Bassett told TVLine on the 2026 Disney Upfront red carpet in May. "It truly is one of the most iconic figures in US history. Also, just to play that role was one of the highlights of my career." She hadn't started shooting at the time, but she was excited "just to have scripts to read." (Hey, any chance we can take a peek?)

Kathy Bates has not confirmed which of her previous "American Horror Story" characters she'll be revisiting in "13," but with so many familiar faces from "Coven" returning to the fold, it only makes sense for her to once again play Madame Delphine LaLaurie — a role for which she earned the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie in 2014.

During a June interview with Deadline, Bates casually mentioned having to "go back to New York to do one day" of filming for "13," implying that fans may not be getting as generous a serving of Bates as they would have liked. And is there even such a thing as too much Bates? We think not.

In addition to playing Delphine on "Coven," Bates' previous "Horror Story" roles include bearded lady Ethel Darling in "Freak Show," hotel manager Iris Holloway in "Hotel," reenactment actress Agnes Mary Winstead in Seasn 6 ("Roanoke"), and Satanist-turned-robot Miriam Mead in "Apocalypse."

Direct from Jupiter, Florida, two characters who originated in "Freak Show" are confirmed to be returning for "13," one of whom has already reappeared twice.

First up is John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown, one of the most iconic villains in the "American Horror Story" catalogue. Twisty was murdered by Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley) during "Freak Show," but fans couldn't get enough of his signature smile, so the show brought him back three seasons later for "Cult." There, he was featured in a series of comic books inspired by his real-life crimes. Twisty made his third appearance the first season finale of "American Horror Stories" as part of a video game set in the "Murder House."

Also on board from "Freak Show" is Mat Fraser as tattoo enthusiast Paul the Illustrated Seal. Like Twisty, however, Paul was also killed off that same season, shot in the head by Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock). How will these dead characters appear in "13"? Honestly, your ghost — sorry, guess — is as good as ours.

* Charlie Carver, who debuted as Adam Carpenter in "NYC," was photographed on the New York City set of "13" on July 9. Because Carver is writing several episodes this season, however, it's possible that he was simply there in that capacity, not as an actor.

* Cara Delevingne, who played centuries-old witch Ivy Ehrenreich in "Delicate," was also seen filming in New York on July 9. It's unclear whether she'll be reprising that role or playing someone new.

* Seth Gabel, who played real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in two episodes of "Hotel," will reportedly bring the character back for an episode of "13."

* Mena Suvari is confirmed to be appearing in "13," reportedly reprising a role she has played before. Considering she has only portrayed real-life murder victim Elizabeth Short (in both "Murder House" and "Apocalypse"), it's safe to assume we'll see Elizabeth again.