American Horror Story Season 13 started as a return to the Coven season, but now it seems to be shaping up to be more of a mixtape of the greatest characters to ever form a coven, work in a circus, or survive a downtown Los Angeles hotel or the apocalypse. And with this greatest hits playlist of a season comes a flurry of fan-favorite characters that audiences can’t wait to see return.
Currently, the list of returning actors for Season 13 is both massive and fantastic, with returning favorites that include Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, John Carroll Lynch, Mat Fraser, Mena Suvari, Zach Villa, and Seth Gabel, as well as new AHS castmembers Ariana Grande (who was in Ryan Murphy‘s Scream Queens), Paul Anthony Kelly (from Murphy’s Love Story), John Waters (a.k.a.. the Pope of Trash), Berto Colón, Joey Pollari (Monster: The Ed Gein Story and The Beauty), Madelaine Petsch, and more.
Here is a look at a few of the returning players and who they are confirmed (and rumored) to play, as well as who they played in previous seasons. Check back for updates as more characters are confirmed.
American Horror Story, Season 13, September 2026, FX