Kathy Bates has played several characters in American Horror Story. Not only have they all been killed, but her characters suffered similar injuries.

Kathy Bates is a recurring face of American Horror Story, but her various characters have a habit of getting killed off in very brutal ways. The actress first joined the FX anthology in 2013 for season 3's Coven. In total, Bates appeared in five seasons of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's show thus far, and several times, she played more than one character. After skipping out on season 9, Bates will make her series return for the show's upcoming season 10.

As one of the American Horror Story veterans, Bates is accustomed to the show's emphasis on death and despair. That said, the actress probably didn't expect to play characters who never make it out alive in their respective seasons. Some of her characters were based on historical figures, while others were created solely for the TV show. Either way, the characters portrayed by Bates were unable to escape gruesome deaths.

Related:American Horror Story: What Happened To Kyle After Coven

Throughout her series run to this point, Bates played six characters. On a few occasions, she portrayed more than one figure, or reprised a role from a previous season. Interestingly enough, Bates' characters died in similar ways, with an emphasis being on head or neck injuries. Even though the cast nor the crew have confirmed why this is, it seems like more than just a coincidence. Let's take a look at all of the ways that characters played by Bates have met their ends in American Horror Story.

Bates first played Madame Marie Delphine LaLaurie in Coven. The wealthy socialite from the 1800s was granted immortality, but buried alive for torturing and killing slaves before she was discovered by coven members. After trying to make up for her past, she was granted a real death at the hands of Queenie. Before that, however, Delphine was decapitated by voodoo priestess Marie Laveau. Bates' next American Horror Story appearance came in the season 4, Freak Show. She played Ethel Darling, the bearded woman atFrulein Elsa's Cabinet of Curiosities. Ethel also suffered severe injuries to her head after a knife was thrown into her eye by Elsa Mars. To cover upEthel's death, Elsa cut off her head and made it look like she was decapitated in a car accident.

Next, Bates portrayed Iris, the manager of the Hotel Cortez, in season 5. Upon losing her son, Iris attempted suicide, and when overdosing didn't work, a fellow ghost assisted by suffocating her with a plastic bag. Iris was then revived by her son with the dangerous blood virus. In Roanoke, Bates playedAgnes Mary Winstead, the woman who portrayedThomasin White (aka "The Butcher") in the in-universe documentary,My Roanoke Nightmare. Not only was Thomasin's throat slit in the series, but Agnes fell victim to the real version of her character when the ghost of The Butcher swung a cleaver into her head.

Bates reprised her Coven role in Apocalypse, but she also introduced a new American Horror Story character through her portrayal ofMiriam Mead. As a human, Miriam was burned at the stake by the coven, but after being resurrected in the form of an android, Cordelia killed her a second time. When she was destroyed, her robotic head fell off. Of course, Bates' Apocalypse deaths were erased after the time travel retconned the series of events.

Next:What American Horror Story's Spin-Off Needs To Learn From Black Mirror

Aang Is The Villain Of The Cabbage Mans Story In Last Airbender Alt Intro

Kara Hedash is a features writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world's most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara's not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty. Kara can be found on Twitter @thekaraverse.

Here is the original post:

American Horror Story: Every Way Kathy Bates Has Died (& How They're Linked) - Screen Rant