Sarah Paulson has become a beloved member of the American Horror Story through playing memorable characters like Lana Winters and Bette and Dot Tattler.

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Paulson's characters on American Horror Story have largely been forces for good, compared to many of her fellow castmates' characters. While relatively unknown as an actress in the mainstream before American Horror Story, she has certainly left a mark on the series and gained tons of new fans.

The actress played psychic Billie Dean Howard in Murder House, reporter Lana Winters in Asylum, witch/headmistress Cordelia Goode in Coven and conjoined twins Dot and Bette Tattler in Freak Show. While she has excelled with each character, which one is her absolute best?

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Billie Dean Howard

Murder House (Season 1)

Her least prominent character, Paulson's performance as psychic Billie Dean Howard was memorable enough for her to get a huge promotion in season 2. She is hired by Constance (Jessica Lange) to contact Addy (Jamie Brewer) and eventually predicts the birth of the Antichrist, which occurs at the end of the season. Billie Dean is also very opportunistic and self-interested, adding shades of evil to her personality.

Lana Winters

Asylum (Season 2)

Paulson became the star of Asylum through her performance as the very complicated journalist Lana Winters. Like Billie Dean, Lana is ambitious and attempts to expose the atrocities at the Briarcliff asylum to her own peril. She gets put through the wringer throughout the season, as she goes through conversion therapy to "cure her homosexuality," gets raped by Dr. Thredson (Zachary Quinto) and goes up against Sister Jude (Lange) on several occasions. Despite some flaws, this is one of her most purely heroic characters.

Cordelia Goode

Coven (Season 3)

Compared to her huge role in Asylum, Paulson's role as Cordelia in Coven was a bit less dynamic in terms of screen time. Playing the headmistress in a school for witches, she also gets some meaty storylines involving her mother Fiona (Lange), the Supreme witch. In one particularly memorable portion of the season, Cordelia even blinds herself for the good of the coven. By the end of the season it is revealed that she is the next Supreme to lead the witches in the modern world.

Bette and Dot Tattler

Freak Show (Season 4)

Paulson's roles in Freak Show are by far her most challenging to date. She plays Bette and Dot Tattler, conjoined twins who join the failing freak show in Jupiter, Fla. Acting with both heads, Paulson's characters are often at odds with each other, with Bette falling in love with Dandy (Finn Wittrock) and Dot falling for Jimmy (Evan Peters). They also get to be heroes in the end, wooing Dandy into a false sense of security before orchestrating his death.

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It is currently unknown if Paulson will return for season 5 of American Horror Story, subtitled Hotel, though fans would surely miss her presence, particularly with Lange gone as well.

American Horror Story: Hotel is expected to begin in October on FX.

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American Horror Story, Television, Fx