Top 10 Scariest American Horror Story Moments

Well, "American Horror Story" definitely did not waste any time in living up to its name. The pilot's opening scene contains one of the most hair-raising moments of the entire series, as two twins vandalize the wrong house and pay a hefty price. Now, to be honest, this scene is not going to win any awards for originality, but it does a fantastic job of establishing "American Horror Story's" tone while also just being an all-around intense moment. Thaddeus appears a few more times throughout the first season, but the Infantata arguably peaks in the opening scene.

"Freak Show's" main storylines tend to be rather polarizing among fans, with the season's highlights generally revolving around Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities. Unlike most of the other troupe's members, Penny's transformation from hospital volunteer to Astonishing Lizard Girl was artificially induced by the girl's hateful father. In "Freak Show," the supposedly "normal" people – who constantly ridicule or hurt members of Elsa's troupe – are the real monsters, and no scene better encapsulates this theme than Penny's undesired mutation at the hands of a tattoo artist and the worst parent of all time.

In the aptly titled “Devil's Night” episode, the ghosts of infamous criminals convene at the Hotel Cortez for an annual feast that mostly consists of the other patrons. With the likes of Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the Zodiac Killer on the guest list, this dinner is unsurprisingly packed with rousing conversations and unforgettable entertainment. "American Horror Story" loves to blend fact and fiction, and "Devil's Night" took this one step further by creating the definitive terrifying banquet featuring some of the vilest people to ever walk the face of the planet.

"Orphans" is not only one of the strongest stand-alone episodes of Season 4 but the entire series. One of the episode's highlights sees Maggie taking Desiree to the American Morbidity Museum, more popularly and accurately known as the Museum of Horrors. During a tour provided by the unnervingly sprightly curator, Desiree is shown some of the museum's attractions, including Ma Petite's remains, poor Salty's recently acquired head, and – to Maggie's surprise – Jimmy "Lobster Boy" Darling's hands. What makes this scene extra creepy is how it’s presented as just any other museum.

When journalist Lana Winters decides to investigate the insane asylum Briarcliff Manor, she finds herself an unwilling “patient” instead. Left in the charge of psychiatrist Dr. Thredson, whose compassionate and reasonable facade hides a sinister truth, Lana is forced to undergo so-called conversion therapy. Everything related to this storyline is hard to watch, but what pushes Lana's therapy over the edge is that it has a basis in fact. "American Horror Story" definitely has plenty of more graphic scenes, but this is one of those instances when the show's knack for psychological horror shines true.

In the competition to determine "American Horror Story's" most unfortunate character, Shelley floats to the top after being put through a series of truly horrifying trials at Briarcliff. Abandoned in the woods, with her legs amputated, she clings to life just enough to crawl to a schoolyard nearby. But the children and their teacher react with horror at the sight of her, leaving her not only physically but mentally devastated. Seeing someone who has been through so much desperately fighting to survive could have been uplifting, if not for the fact that "American Horror Story" hates happy endings.

Pig men seem to be a recurring theme on “American Horror Story”, and they creep us out every time. In the second episode of "Roanoke," Shelby and Matt are haunted by strange visions after moving into their new house. Although the ghostly woman standing outside the house is quite unsettling, the apparition has nothing on the disgusting pig thing that stops by to say a quick hello to Shelby. The costume is just the right mix of cheesy and gross, while the scene comes so out of nowhere that it almost doesn't feel real.

For the first few chapters of “Asylum”, the seemingly well-meaning Dr. Thredson is the one beacon of hope at Briarcliff. Then, episode 5 happens and twist: the good doctor is Bloody Face. After escaping from the asylum and taking refuge at Thredson's home, Lana notices the doctor's unique hand-crafted furniture and begins to wonder whether maybe something is not right. Along with being a genuine surprise for not only Lana but everyone watching, this reveal is expertly paced so that the secret is pieced together just seconds before Thredson abandons the facade.

With this moment, "American Horror Story" covers its bases when it comes to phobias. Surprisingly exempt of gore, this Season 7 scene sees a young couple being buried alive inside coffins by a group of demented clowns. The moment is preceded by Rosie, one of the victims, talking about how therapy helped her overcome a childhood fear of being buried alive. Combine that with the eerie music, and the bone-chilling sound of the coffins being screwed shut, and you’ve got pure nightmare fuel. If nothing else, the clowns sure have a great sense of ironic timing.

Violet is the living personification of teenage angst, as the young girl tries to deal with living in a less-than-ideal household while also having feelings for the resident ghost. At one point, Violet tries to take her own life but is seemingly saved by Tate, the guy at least partly responsible for driving her over the edge. Or, at least, she seems to have been rescued, until later on Violet discovers her own body in the house's crawl space. This reveal represents everything awesome and haunting about "American Horror Story," a moment that is both shocking and tragic.