Just Who Is Lady Gaga Playing In ‘American Horror Story: Roanoke’?

Episode 3 of FX’s American Horror Story: Roanoke introduced Lady Gaga’s character for Season 6. However, little is known about this character with not even her name being revealed yet. Let’s have a look at some theories as to who this new character really is.

Spoiler alert: This article discusses Season 6 of FX’s American Horror Story: Roanoke. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

The latest episode of FX’s American Horror Story: Roanoke saw the introduction of Lady Gaga’s character, Sure, viewers had seen her previously, but, it was just in brief snippets. However, Episode 3 introduced Gaga’s character as a pivotal character who helped establish one of the main ghosts haunting Matt (Andre Holland/Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and Shelby’s (Lily Rabe/Sarah Paulson) new house.

However, Lady Gaga’s character doesn’t even have a name yet. Even IMDb has her name listed beside a blank space. So, who is this new character Lady Gaga is playing? The internet quickly dubbed Gaga’s character the “forest witch,” which makes a lot of sense considering she has only been seen in the forest and seems to be involved with the supernatural thanks to her claiming Thomasin’s (Kathy Bates) soul in Episode 3 of AHS: Roanoke.

Lady Gaga’s appearance in Episode 3 of AHS: Roanoke also helps back up that theory that every episode of Season 6 will relate back to the corresponding season of AHS if her character is a witch. For example, as Vanity Fair explains, Episode 1 was very much like Season 1 of AHS with Matt and Shelby purchasing a haunted house, just like what happened in Murder House. Episode 2 could be linked back to Season 2’s theme, Asylum, albeit tentatively, with the linking of the two nurses running a care facility. If Episode 3 of American Horror Story: Roanoke reveals Lady Gaga as a witch, it would link her to Season 3 which is titled Coven.

But who else could Lady Gaga’s character be?

Thrillist suggests Lady Gaga could be playing Satan. Their theory involves the fact that Gaga had Thomasin, essentially, sell her soul to Gaga. They also point out the fact that the number 6 has played heavily through all aspects of the promotion of American Horror Story: Roanoke. For example, every trailer for Season 6 has featured the number 6 and what appears to be an upside-down 6 representing a question mark. All that is needed is an extra 6 and you have Satan’s favorite number. And, as Thrillist points out, if you consider just how much Ryan Murphy has been telling everyone that Episode 6 of Season 6 will be a real game-changer, you just might have the unholy number already.

However, considering Lady Gaga has only been seen out in nature, does this give a clue to who she really is?

Many ancient cultures from around the world seem to have some form of a deity that lives in the forest. Many of their deities are also involved with hunting rituals. Considering Lady Gaga’s character is wearing a crown that appears to be made from antlers, her character could be narrowed down to include gods or goddesses that are associated with being horned, such as Cernunnos. Another deity she might be associated with is Artemis, the well-known Greek goddess of the hunt.

While Season 6 of American Horror Story is based on the lost colony of Roanoke, there is the suggestion this colony was somehow involved with the Native American tribe that lived in the area, the Croatoan, thanks to that word appearing at the site. The Croatoan’s belief system, as white Americans know it, however, does not seem to fit in with the mythology already surrounding Lady Gaga’s character.

Considering this is American Horror Story, it is just as likely the show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, has invented his own mythology for Lady Gaga’s character in order to tie this season together, rather than drawing from other sources.

What do you think of Lady Gaga’s character in American Horror Story: Roanoke? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below.

American Horror Story: Roanoke returns to FX with Season 6 Episode 4 on Wednesday, October 5, at 10 p.m. ET.

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