8 'American Horror Story' Characters Based on Real-Life Maniacs and Victims

One of American Horror Story's undoubted advantages is its huge number of historical references and characters with real-life counterparts. From bloodthirsty maniacs to mysterious figures of the past, the creators masterfully mix fact and fiction, enhancing the sinister effect.

1. Dr. Oliver Thredson/Ed Gein – Season 2 "Asylum"

Ed Gein, one of the most famous serial killers, partially served as a prototype for the madman nicknamed Bloody Face. An outwardly quiet man who took care of his sick mother for many years, Gein began digging up corpses and making various articles of clothing from their skin.

Gein confessed to the murders and was placed in a mental hospital. Elements of his biography inspired the creators of movies such as Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Dr. Oliver Thredson, played by Zachary Quinto in the second season of American Horror Story, has many similarities with Ed Gein's biography.

2. Dr. Arthur Arden/Josef Mengele – Season 2 "Asylum"

Josef Mengele, a German doctor who conducted medical experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz during World War II, was nicknamed the Angel of Death by the prisoners. He personally selected people upon their arrival at the camp and conducted terrible experiments on them.

The character of Dr. Arthur Arden in the second season of AHS was based on the personality of Josef Mengele.

The stories of Mengele and Dr. Arden have much in common. Both conducted inhumane medical experiments and managed to escape responsibility for their crimes, and both died in the 1970s.

3. Marie Laveau – Season 3 "Coven"

Marie Laveau is one of the most famous figures in New Orleans history. She was the practitioner of Louisiana voodoo in 19th-century New Orleans and one of its most influential residents. Even during her lifetime, she was called the Voodoo Queen.

In the third season of American Horror Story Marie Laveau was played by Angela Bassett.

4. Elizabeth Short/Black Dahlia – Season 1 "Murder House"

Elizabeth Short, also known as Black Dahlia, was the victim of an unsolved crime that occurred in Los Angeles in 1947.

On January 15, her body was found in an abandoned lot near the city limits. The police never found Elizabeth Short's killer, and the Black Dahlia case remains unsolved to this day.

In the episode "Spooky Little Girl" of the first season, the creators introduced a character whose story exactly repeats the Elizabeth Short case.

5. Lana Winters/Nellie Bly – Season 2 "Asylum"

Nellie Bly was a 19th-century journalist. She is remembered for faking insanity to expose a mental hospital with cruel conditions for patients. Her article became a sensation and led to increased subsidies for healthcare in this area.

Lana Winters, one of the main characters in the second season played by Sarah Paulson, also works as a journalist. Because of her persistence, she ends up in a mental hospital.

6. Madame Delphine LaLaurie – Season 3 "Coven"

Madame Delphine LaLaurie was a member of the upper class in New Orleans. She was known for her cruel treatment of slaves, though she appeared quite kind to them in public.

One day, a fire broke out in her house. When rescuers opened the attic door, they found seven horribly mutilated slaves inside. She soon left New Orleans, and no one knew anything more about her fate.

According to one legend depicted in the series, Madame LaLaurie used her slaves' blood for rejuvenation. In American Horror Story, LaLaurie was played by Kathy Bates.

7. Twisty/John Wayne Gacy – Season 4 "Freak Show"

Twisty's prototype was John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer. He liked dressing up as the clown Pogo and performing at children's parties, where he would look for his next victim.

For more than seven years, this killer kidnapped and killed boys of various ages. On March 22, 1978, he was caught. On March 13, 1980, the jury found John Wayne Gacy guilty of the premeditated murder of 33 people and sentenced him to 21 consecutive life sentences and 12 consecutive death sentences.

8. James Patrick March/Henry Howard Holmes – Season 5 "Hotel"

Season 5 was one of the best in the history of AHS, and it wouldn't have been possible without the Hotel Cortez's crazy owner. He enjoyed killing and turned the hotel into a torture chamber filled with secret passages, traps, and basements.

March was based on Henry Howard Holmes, believed to be the first serial killer in the US. There is evidence of at least 20 people whom this maniac tortured and killed in his hotel, The Murder Castle.