Summary

  • Twisty The Clown met a fittingly disturbing demise in American Horror Story: Freak Show, stabbed by Edward Mordrake and becoming a ghost.
  • The scariest AHS villain, Twisty once a popular clown turned killer, kidnapped children to "save" them from cruel parents.
  • With the potential for future appearances, Twisty's legacy could inspire copycat killers or even be resurrected through cultic rituals.

Twisty The Clown is one of the most terrifying villains in American Horror Story, and his death was fittingly disturbing. Ryan Murphy the anthology horror series, which focuses on a new story and theme each season - though certain characters from previous seasons can recur. The show began with a twisted haunted house tale in 2011, while other seasons were heavily inspired by classic slasher movies like Friday The 13th. Over the years, the series has produced some truly haunting images and killers, including Bloody Face and Lady Gaga's The Countess.

However, the scariest American Horror Story villain, and possibly the most iconic, is Twisty The Clown from the fourth season of the series, American Horror Story: Freak Show. Played by John Carroll Lynch, Twisty was once a popular clown whose reputation was destroyed when he was falsely accused of being a child molester. His despair eventually led Twisty to attempt suicide, but even that went wrong and resulted in him accidentally blowing off his lower jaw with a shotgun. Eventually, however, the sadistic villain got his fittingly twisted American Horror Story death.

Related
American Horror Story: 1984 Cast & Character Guide
American Horror Story is paying tribute to the slasher genre with its ninth season, 1984. Here's a guide to the season's cast and characters.

How Twisty The Clown Died In American Horror Story

He Is Stabbed To Death By Edward Mordrake & Becomes A Ghost

American Horror Story: Freak Show finds Twisty the Clown running around, killing people, and kidnapping children, to "save" them from their cruel parents who insist on them obeying the rules. To cover his ruined face, he wears a mask with a horrifying, wide grin, which just serves to make him look even more disturbing. In Twisty's mind, he's doing the right thing since all he wants to do is entertain the children.

Twisty the Clown meets his end in episode 4 of American Horror Story: Freak Show. He's confronted by the ghost of Edward Mordrake (Wes Bentley, Mission: Impossible - Fallout), who learns of Twisty the Clown's tragic origins. He takes pity on the clown and stabs him to death, so Twisty the Clown's spirit can join Mordrake's ghostly trope. He later reappears as a ghost in the season finale, while Twisty the Clown later makes a brief but surprising return re-appearance in American Horror Story: Cult.

Related
American Horror Story Season 13: Confirmation & Everything We Know
American Horror Story season 13 is confirmed, and there's already speculation about what's next for the Ryan Murphy anthology horror show.

Can Twisty The Clown Return In A Future American Horror Story Season?

Copycat Killers & Time Travel Are Just Two Ways The Killer Clown Can Make A Comeback

Twisty the Clown looking gravely in a still from American Horror Story

Given the American Horror Story anthology's penchant for intertwining characters and themes across different seasons, the possibility of Twisty the Clown's return in a future installment is intriguingly high. The series has already laid the groundwork for such a comeback through creative narrative elements like the "Twisty: The Clown Chronicles" comic book and his impactful presence in Ozzy's nightmare in season 7, Cult. These references not only keep Twisty's menacing aura alive within the AHS universe but also suggest potential avenues for his return.

"Twisty: The Clown Chronicles" could serve as a fascinating narrative device for reintroducing Twisty. This fictional publication has immortalized Twisty's terror, suggesting that his legacy could inspire copycat killers or perhaps even lead to his resurrection through cultic rituals or fanatical followers seeking to emulate or revive the iconic character. The nightmare sequence in Cult demonstrates the psychological imprint Twisty has left, suggesting that he could reappear in the collective unconscious of future characters, manifesting as a shared symbol of fear.

Moreover, American Horror Story season 8, Apocalypse, introduced the concept of time travel into the series' universe, adding another layer of possibility for Twisty's return. This element of time travel could allow for a direct intervention in the timeline, potentially altering Twisty's fate or bringing him into the present from a point before his death. The implications of this are vast, offering a canvas for the writers to creatively explore various scenarios in which Twisty could reemerge, perhaps even more powerful and terrifying than before.

American Horror Story Season 12 Poster
American Horror Story
Horror
Anthology
Thriller
Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Mystery
Where to Watch

*Availability in US

  • stream
  • rent
  • buy

Not available

Cast
Denis O'Hare , Emma Roberts , Dylan McDermott , Joseph Fiennes , Gabourey Sidibe , Taissa Farmiga , James Cromwell , Angela Bassett , Zachary Quinto , Sarah Paulson , Jamie Brewer , Evan Peters , Lizzie Brochere , Kathy Bates , Jessica Lange , Michael Chiklis , Connie Britton , Lily Rabe , Franches Conroy
Release Date
October 17, 2012
Seasons
12