‘American Horror Story’ Season 13 Episode 6 Ending Explained: Is [spoiler] really dead? Here’s what happened
Before Cordelia Goode (Sarah Paulson) became the Supreme of Miss Robichaux’s Academy, the New Orleans coven belonged to her mother, Fiona (Jessica Lange). In Season 13 of ‘American Horror Story,’ Cordelia returns to the school, and the ending of Episode 6 sees her on the floor with a scythe in the back of her head. The episode, ‘The Return of Devil’s Night,’ aired on October 1, 2026, and now viewers wonder if the Supreme is truly dead.
Going into Episode 6, Cordelia is haunted by her lack of foresight about the coming apocalypse involving Mr. Nas. She feels that her innate goodness is impeding her efforts and finally seeks the guidance of the dark and ruthless wisdom of her mother, Fiona. With the help of Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts) and the coven, which now consists of exactly 13 witches, Cordelia attempts to seek the guidance of her mother via absinthe and a Ouija board. This plan backfires spectacularly, as the Ouija board declares “Mother” and the front door opens to reveal not Fiona but James Patrick March (Evan Peters), the murdering 'Cortez Devil' from ‘Hotel’ and a member of the ‘Cortez Devils,’ a group which includes Jeffrey Dahmer (Seth Gabel) and Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa).
Initially, Cordelia seems to be winning, as she tosses March’s scythe back into his skull with her telekinesis, but as March is revealed to be a ghost, the wound fails to stay. The tide turns when the serial killers focus their attack on Ophelia (Avantika), a new witch who completely ignores her orders to stay upstairs. Cordelia is distracted trying to get to Ophelia, and March uses this opportunity to throw his scythe into the back of Cordelia’s skull, apparently killing her. The episode closes with the 'Cortez Devils' staring down the remaining 12 witches of the coven, who are now leaderless, as the camera pans over Cordelia’s body on the floor of Miss Robichaux’s Academy.
While the episode does not confirm that Cordelia is dead, the circumstances of her death make it unlikely that this will be her permanent end. With respect to ‘American Horror Story,’ a single death is seldom the end of the road for a major character. There are three particularly convincing possibilities for Cordelia’s resurrection, all of which rely on previously established elements of the series. 1) Spiritual Limbo and the Fiona Reunion: 'AHS' has a long history of sending deceased characters through a personalized “spiritual limbo.” So this “death” would be the perfect opportunity for Cordelia to explore her spiritual limbo and finally come to terms with her complicated relationship with her mother, Fiona. In doing so, Cordelia could confront the ghost of Fiona. Once she has completed this introspection, Cordelia will be able to return to the physical world.
2) Morwenna’s Unprecedented Magical Power Surge: In the same episode, a new witch named Morwenna (Alex Consani) appears on the scene with unprecedented magical power. In particular, she demonstrates a powerful resurgence magic that has not been seen in the coven in many years. This is a clear “Chekhov’s Gun,” as this type of magic is the most obvious candidate for reviving the dead Cordelia. 3) The Sacrificial Supreme “Loophole”: If Cordelia is truly dead, there is another possibility that she will return, and this relies on the established rules of the Coven universe itself. According to Episode 6’s closing moments and the title of Episode 7, ‘The Baddest Witch of Them All,’ the death of the Supreme is not the end. If a new Supreme appears, they will have all the immeasurable power required to cast a big revival spell for Cordelia, allowing her to fight off Mr. Nas.
The likelihood of Cordelia remaining dead appears low. This is especially true since she is the linchpin of the Coven faction, and she will undoubtedly be needed to help the witches survive the upcoming confrontation with an ancient and powerful evil at the Napoleon building. Although Episode 7 may find her in the afterlife or her personal hell, Cordelia should be back with a vengeance for her girls.
