‘American Horror Story 13’ Finale Recap: Who Won, the Witches or the Devil?

The final episode of "American Horror Story: 13" concluded the season-long battle between the witches and the devil, ultimately revealing that the devil himself was the greatest obstacle to their victory. The season reunited many beloved characters from previous seasons, including all of Jessica Lange's roles from Seasons 1-4. The season's central conflict revolved around Satan's plan to rule the world through his son Ben, and the witches, led by Cordelia Goode (Sarah Paulson) and Queenie (Billie Lourd), sought to stop him.

The season featured several twists and turns, including a change of plans after the penultimate episode ended with the death of Cordelia and Queenie. The finale opened with a gathering of villains at the devil's penthouse in New York City, where Mr. Phibes (John Waters) and the Rubber Man had gathered them to be the final sacrifices to seal Earth's fate. However, Satan intervened and spared one of the men's lives, preventing the devil from fulfilling the bet with only one kill left to go.

Cordelia suffered through an endless shift at a kill shelter with assistant Nan (Jamie Brewer) before Satan offered her a chance to help her. He revealed that giving up Earth meant giving up what he loved about his job, and she decided to stay with him. The season then explored themes of light, dark, and the baby, with Satan ultimately choosing to give up Earth, crediting Cordelia's latest resurrection to his benevolence.

Despite this, Cordelia remained determined to stop Satan and pledged to find a way to end his life. The witches reunited with Queenie, who had saved Ben from hell, and Cordelia shared the resolution of the battle, assuring Queenie that the immediate threat was over. Meanwhile, Mallory attempted to stop the devil once and for all through a time travel spell, disappearing before Cordelia could stop her.

Back in New Orleans, Ben and Madison (Emma Roberts) enjoyed time together before realizing the condom had broken, leading to the revelation that Madison was pregnant. The baby was delivered unconscious, and Satan appeared to breathe life back into the infant, commending Ben and Cordelia for bringing forth the beautiful baby girl. The finale concluded with the witches summoning Ben to reveal that he was the 13th Antichrist, necessary for trapping his father's soul and sealing Satan's fate.