American Horror Story: Cult Introduces the Most Terrifying Villain in Years

American Horror Story: Cult has Evan Peters traversing back over to the dark side and he's turning out to be the show's scariest villain in years. That's not to say the reemergence of Twisty during that grotesque comic book sequence in the premiere didn't have us reaching for the covers (and a puke bucket).

However, Peters brings a different kind of dread in the form of Kai Anderson, a cheesy puff mask-wearing cult leader who eventually finds himself on a meteoric rise up the political ranks. This season will see him terrorizing Michigan mom Ally (Sarah Paulson) by preying upon her intense fear of clowns which has resurfaced following the November 2016 election. But in Tuesday's episode, he's just an emboldened Trump supporter preaching chaos as a way of restoring order to the people.

Despite being dismissed as some "empowered 4chan guy" residing in his parents' basement, Kai is actually a much bigger threat. He's a master manipulator with a false sense of victimhood who utilizes fear as a means to control people (but, like, in a fun way because this is satire). "There is nothing more dangerous in the world than a humiliated man," he says.

Those words rang true in a disturbing scene -- which is saying something considering the entire episode was disturbing -- in which he goads a group of immigrant workers into attacking him by hurling a condom filled with urine at them while spewing racist rhetoric. And since that beatdown was conveniently recorded by a mysterious figure, you just know it will be used later on to paint him as a victim while furthering his agenda.

Real-Life Clowns Are Offended by Their Portrayal in American Horror Story: Cult

Then, there's the fact that he warped Winter's (Billie Lourd) mind enough for her to abandon her liberal-learning views and do his bidding as Ally and Ivy's (Alison Pill) new babysitter even though she's terrified of kids.

But that's what makes Kai so scary. He doesn't have any magical powers (there are no supernatural elements in this installment). He's just a guy who knows how to exploit peoples' fears to his advantage. With Twisty long dead, is there anyone more terrifying? (Spoiler alert: Nope. )

American Horror Story: Cult airs Tuesdays at 10/9c on FX.