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| “ | Everybody pays, everybody suffers. | „ |
| ~ Papa Legba |
Papa Legba is a supporting antagonist in American Horror Story: Coven and American Horror Story: Apocalypse. He is the gatekeeper of the spirit world, as well as the god of travel, opportunity and luck.
He was portrayed by the late Lance Reddick, who also portrayed Jack Bernard in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Sylens in Horizon, and Thordak in The Legend of Vox Machina.
Role and Powers[]
Papa Legba's role in American Horror Story is mainly to acquire as many souls as he can. He is based off of the character from Haitian Voodoo, who is also called Papa Legba.
He shows several uses of powers in the show:
- He can detect whether or not a person has a soul, this is shown when he revokes the deal with Fiona Goode claiming she has no soul.
- He seems to be able to teleport wherever he wants, shown when he is summoned and in Queenie's hell when he appeared in the restaurant.
- He is show to control minds when Marie Laveau refuses to torture in Hell, yet she is apparently brainwashed into doing it anyway.
Personality[]
Being the gatekeeper of the spirit world, Papa Legba seems to be always interested in acquiring souls, regardless of who they're from. He was willing to make a deal with Fiona Goode for her soul despite her being vain and murderous, but revoked the deal when he found that she, 'had no soul'. Yet once he successfully makes a deal for someone's soul, Papa Legba delights in tormenting his victims into sacrificing innocent souls for him.
Despite his often antagonistic and somewhat sadistic personality; Papa Legba is an honest individual. He explained clearly and honestly his terms of granting immortality to Fiona when she asked for details. Furthermore he meticulously explained the dynamics of Marie and Delphine's immortality to Queenie while also praising her for her sharp mind and powerful magic in being able to enter and exit the spirit world successfully.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- This adaptation of Papa Legba seems to be roughly based on the crossroads demon from popular urban legends:
- Both request the souls of children.
- Both grant diabolical favors to the bargainer.
- Both request their souls in exchange.
- Both tales end with the bargainer being damned for eternity.
- Despite being named after the Voodoo Loa Papa Legba, this character has more in common with Baron Samedi, the Ghede of Death and Lust. However, Samedi has been used regularly as a character in fiction so the producers of the show likely wanted to use a different name.
- In real-life Voodoo liturgy, Papa Legba must be called upon before and after any ceremony to guide the spirits summoned in a ritual back and forth to the spirit world. Along with his role of Gatekeeper to the Spirit World, in Voodoo denominations, Papa Lebgba is also the patron of travel, opportunity, and luck.
External links[]
- Papa Legba at the American Horror Story Wiki
[]
 Villains
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Murder House Asylum Coven Freak Show Hotel Roanoke The Butcher | Roanoke Colonists (Ambrose White) | Polk Family | Lee Harris | Agnes Mary Winstead | Dominic Banks | Monet Tumusiime | Miranda and Bridget Jane | Edward Mott | Piggy Man | Chen Family | Scáthach Cult Apocalypse 1984 Double Feature Part 2: Death Valley NYC Delicate American Horror Stories | ||