From the loss of Ma Petite’s innocence within the cabaret to Gino’s tragic life journey, here are 10 of the saddest deaths in American Horror Story.

For over 11 seasons and 123 episodes, the horror anthology series American Horror Story, created by Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy, has become one of the most prolific horror franchises in existence. With a plethora of awards and critical acclaim to its name, a companion and spinoff series developed from it, and an upcoming 12th season subtitled Delicatein production with Kim Kardashian in its cast, American Horror Story has proven to be a cultural staple in the landscape of horror.

While the series is known for its campy characters, brutal horrors, and sadistic villains, the show is full of emotional moments including its eccentric cast of characters. Every season is full of character deaths, but only some were remembered for their emotional beats. So, spoiler warnings ahead as we count down the ten saddest deaths from the American Horror Story series.

10Winter – AHS: Cult

The seventh season of American Horror Story stripped away the supernatural elements to focus on more realistic horrors in the suburbs of Michigan. The season features Evan Peters in one of his best roles in the series

9Misty Day – AHS: Coven

One of the most popular seasons of AHS is its third one, titled Coven. With an average viewership of 4 million, the show brought new fans into the world of anthological horror with a season full of witches, drama and despair. Of all the lovable and memorable characters this season, none were as enthralling and captivating as Lily Rabe’s Misty Day.

Unlike many of her fellow witches, Misty’s loving personality, Bohemian style, and love for Stevie Nicks set her apart. However, fans did not get to see this carefree witch get the happy ending she deserved. In a shocking twist during the Seven Wonders, Misty is unable to bring herself back from hell and is forced to relive her hell of continuously slicing open a live frog.

as Kai Anderson, a charismatic cult leader. Alongside Kai’s journey to his infamous status as the leader of Fear Is Truth was Winter Anderson (Billie Lourd), Kai’s babysitter sister.

Winter’s arc throughout the season focuses on her relationship with Kai and Oz, the son of Ally (Sarah Paulson) and Ivy Mayfair-Richards (Alison Pill). While she does manipulate Oz and helps lure Ally and Ivy into the cult, her rocky relationship with her brother takes center stage.

Winter notices the changes in Kai’s personality as his reputation grows. However, her positioning as a morally gray character as well as her eventual blame as the mole within the cult resulted in her death at the hands of her brother in the season’s penultimate episode. While she was technically a villain, Winter’s sudden death still felt emotional due to all the work she was doing within the season.

8Gino – AHS: NYC

While the 11th season of the series dubbed NYC was not well received, NYC tackles a compelling story about a serial killer targeting gay men and a mysterious virus (later revealed to be HIV/AIDS) that’s roaming the city. The love story of its two main characters, Patrick Read (Russell Tovey) and Gino Barelli (Joe Mantello), provides an emotional backdrop amidst the psychological horrors that surround them during the setting of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Once Patrick and then subsequently Gino succumbs to their illness, the show captures the touching moments of the couple’s last moments. However, it’s Gino’s death scene that is rather poignant as a montage plays as Gino recounts his life during his final moments.

7Twisty the Clown – AHS: Freak Show

Twisty the Clown is one of the series’ most memorable antagonists, even appearing in future seasons and the show’s spinoff. Underneath his terrifying costume, however, is a tragic backstory.

In a case fueled by jealousy, Twisty’s career was driven to an end after his fellow entertainers tell him that the children he performed for were telling the cops he was molesting them. Twisty was driven to the brink of suicide, but only managed to disfigure his face as he vows to save and protect children from their parents. Twisty’s appearance also frightens the children he interacts with. And his kidnapping of Bonnie to provide a babysitter for the children he is wanting to help does not boast well with everyone else.

Twisty meets his end at the hands of the ghost Edward Mordrake who kills Twisty and invites him to join his circus in the afterlife. While Twisty’s fame happens early into the season, seeing the tortured soul get a happier ending compared to most characters on the show made fans thrilled.

6Sister Jude – AHS: Asylum

Jessica Lange’s roles throughout AHS have proven that she has what it takes to give a powerful and moving performance, and her time as Briarcliff Manor’s administrator Sister Jude is no exception. Sister Jude had a troubled past and grew up in a family where alcoholism was common. After one drunk-driving accident injured a young girl and another led her to the front steps of the Catholic Church, Sister Jude knew it was time to change her life for the better, and she became a nun and the sadistic administrator of Briarcliff.

Despite her villainous ways near the beginning of the season, Sister Jude’s status in Briarcliff changes after a series of lies and framings of attacks gets wrongfully placed on her. The evil administrator eventually becomes one of the many patients at Briarcliff, and the once hardened leader becomes more compassionate to the patients at the manor and even becomes the “nana” to Kit Walker’s (Evan Peters) children.

Sister Jude’s arc in Asylum is a moving one, and her final interaction with the Angel of Death, Shachath, brings an emotional end to one of Jessica Lange’s best performances.

5Liz Taylor – AHS: Hotel

Through all the craziness of vampires and spirits wandering the halls of Hotel Cortez in Hotel lies a touching story of self-discovery and acceptance with Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare). Liz became the bartender of the hotel after The Countess (Lady Gaga) saw her for who she was, telling her “I’ve been watching you, love. You dress like a man, walk like a man, but you smell like a woman…not your skin, your blood.”

Liz’s journey throughout the season centers on her loyalty to the spirits and visiting patrons of the hotel, quest for true love, and struggles with gender dysphoria and acceptance. When Liz discovers she has prostate cancer, she makes her final wish to be killed in the hotel. She wants to be with her new family, the esteemed spirits and guests of the hotel whom she has grown fond of, and the love of her life, Tristan Duffy (Finn Wittrock).

Liz’s death scene is bittersweet as she is comforted by The Countess. The touching moment is fulfilled with the final scene between Liz and Tristan as they are able to live their lives together in the afterlife.

4Doris Gardner – AHS: Red Tide (Double Feature)

While not technically a death, the fate of Doris Gardner in the first half of the series’ rocky Double Feature season was one of the most heart-wrenching fates of any AHS character. Subtitled Red Tide, the season’s first half sees a wannabe screenwriter Harry Gardner (Finn Wittrock), his pregnant wife Doris (Lily Rabe) and their daughter Alma venturing to Provincetown, Massachusetts and encountering vampire-like creatures called Pales who are addicted to a drug called The Muse. The pill grants those with talent the gift of acclaim and high creative turnout, but those who are untalented become Pales.

Episode five of the season, titled Gaslight, sees the unfortunate demise of Doris after an entire episode is dedicated to Alma and Harry gaslighting her into believing they are not harming her baby. In addition, Alma knows Doris is not as talented as her and her father are, and that makes the eventual turning of Doris into a Pale even more heart-wrenching once it happens.

Gaslight is often regarded as one of the best episodes in the entire series, and its emotional pulls are what makes it so great. Fans wanted to see Doris fulfill her dreams as a successful interior designer with her family, but unfortunately, the show knows just how far it can go to make these moments meaningful.

3Violet Harmon – AHS: Murder House

Murder House was the first season of AHS and sparked the craze for the iconic anthology horror series across the world. The premiere season focused on the Harmon family after moving into a new home with a history of haunts and privy neighbors. One of the breakout stars of the Harmon family was Violet, portrayed by Taissa Farminga. The daughter of Ben (Dylan McDermott) and Vivian (Connie Britton) became entangled with her parent’s drama as well as a complicated relationship with the deranged Tate Langdon (Evan Peters).

In one of the season’s most memorable twists, Violet stumbles upon her decayed body after trying to escape from the house. The revelation came not only as a shock to Violet, but to fans as well. The twist cemented that AHS is not afraid to pull the emotional punches for one of the show’s roots or characters.

2Adelaide Langdon – AHS: Murder House

Like Violet, Adelaide Langdon (Jamie Brewer) became one of the breakout stars of the first season. She is the sister of Tate and the daughter of Jessica Lange’s Constance, who raised her to not believe she was pretty enough for the public. As a result, Adelaide destined to become a “pretty girl” in spite of her mother’s wishes.

During Halloween in 2011, Adelaide is gifted a costume by her mother, so she could finally become a “pretty girl.” However, she is struck and killed in a hit-and-run accident that same night while wearing the costume, coming as a shock to viewers and the characters. Despite her best attempts, Constance’s efforts to keep Adelaide’s spirit on the Murder House property were unsuccessful, and Adelaide’s lovable energy was gone from the show.

1Ma Petite – AHS: Freak Show

Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) was one of the most beloved characters in the fourth season of AHS, titled Freak Show. She was one of Elsa Mars’ (Jessica Lange) favorite performers and was known on the show for her innocence and friendly demeanor.

In order for Stanley (Denis O’Hare) to make a profit, he blackmailed the strongman Dell Toledo (Michael Chiklis) into killing Ma Petite by crushing her between his body. The scene was shocking for many fans and is widely remembered as one of the most gut-wrenching moments in all of AHS. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Michael Chiklis even went as far to say that the scene was “one of the most upsetting scenes, hands down I’ve ever done in my entire career.”