Scripted series · STARZ
American Gods
Believe.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Ricky Whittle
Shadow Moon
26 eps
Ian McShane
Mr. Wednesday / God Odin
26 eps
Emily Browning
Laura Moon
26 eps
Pablo Schreiber
Mad Sweeney
11 eps
Yetide Badaki
Bilquis
26 eps
Crispin Glover
Mr. World
9 eps
Bruce Langley
Technical Boy
26 eps
Omid Abtahi
Salim
7 eps
Ashley Reyes
Cordelia
3 eps
Kenzie Delo
Herman
8 eps
Chris Obi
Mr. Jacquel/Anubis
1 eps
Jacqueline Antaramian
Mrs. Fadil
1 eps
Jonathan Tucker
'Low Key' Lyesmith
1 eps
Betty Gilpin
Audrey
2 eps
Beth Grant
Jack
1 eps
Joel Murray
Paunch
1 eps
Dane Cook
Robbie
1 eps
Keller Viaene
Young Essie Macgowan
1 eps
Jake Manley
Bartholomew
1 eps
Orlando Jones
Mr. Nancy
2 eps
Gillian Anderson
Media
2 eps
Kristin Chenoweth
Easter
2 eps
Mousa Kraish
The Jinn
3 eps
Cloris Leachman
Zorya Vechernyaya
3 eps
Mouna Traoré
Ruby Goodchild
2 eps
Sakina Jaffrey
Mama-Ji
3 eps
Eric Peterson
The Caretaker
3 eps
Kahyun Kim
New Media
5 eps
Hani Furstenberg
Maman Brigitte
2 eps
Graham Greene
Whiskey Jack (voice)
2 eps
Marilyn Manson
Johan
2 eps
Erika Kaar
Zorya Polunochnaya
2 eps
Martha Kelly
Zorya Utrennyaya
3 eps
Andi Hubick
Alison McGovern
2 eps
Gil Bellows
Bill Sanders
3 eps
Dominique Jackson
Ms. World
2 eps
Denis O'Hare
Tyr
4 eps
Andrew Gillies
Woody
2 eps
Blythe Danner
Demeter / Caroline Wells
3 eps
Spencer MacPherson
Derek
3 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How American Gods actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
American Gods reads strongest on Character Depth, Bingeability and World Building.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
An ex-con becomes the traveling partner of a conman who turns out to be one of the older gods trying to recruit troops to battle the upstart deities. Based on Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel.
The run
Seasons
3 seasons · 26 episodes.
Season 0 · Complete
Specials
201928 episodes
Season 1 · Complete
Season 1
20178 episodes
7.1IMDbBest episode · S01E08 Come to Jesus
Season 2 · Complete
Season 2
20198 episodes
6.1IMDbIn Season 2, the battle moves towards crisis point. While Mr. World plots revenge, Shadow throws in his lot with Wednesday's attempt to convince the Old Gods of the case for full-out war, with Laura and Mad Sweeney in tow.
Best episode · S02E01 House on the Rock
Season 3 · Complete
Season 3
202110 episodes
6.3IMDbIn Season 3 Shadow angrily pushes this apparent destiny away, and settles in the idyllic snowy town of Lakeside, Wisconsin — to make his own path, guided by the gods of his black ancestors, the Orishas. But he’ll soon discover that this town's still waters run deep, and dark, and bloody, and that you don’t get to simply reject being a god. The only choice — and a choice you have to make — is what kind of god you’re going to be.
Best episode · S03E09 The Lake Effect
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E08
Come to Jesus
On the eve of war, Mr. Wednesday must recruit one more Old God: Ostara, ne Easter, Goddess of the Dawn, but winning her over will require making a good impression, and that is where Mr. Nancy comes in.
- Directed by Floria Sigismondi
S01E07
A Prayer for Mad Sweeney
Her brief reunion with Shadow over far too quickly, Laura turns to an unlikely travel companion to find her way back to life, and back to Shadow. Mad Sweeney's long, winding, and often tragic past is explored.
- Directed by Adam Kane
S01E05
Lemon Scented You
Trying to work things out with his dead and unfaithful wife, Shadow's emotional reunion is interrupted when he and Mr. Wednesday are kidnapped by the New Gods.
- Directed by Vincenzo Natali
S01E01
The Bone Orchard
When Shadow Moon is released from prison early after the death of his wife, he meets Mr. Wednesday and is recruited as his bodyguard. Shadow discovers that this may be more than he bargained for.
- Directed by David Slade
- Written by Bryan Fuller, Michael Green
S01E06
A Murder of Gods
On the run after the New Gods' show of force, Shadow and Mr. Wednesday seek safe haven with one of Mr. Wednesday's oldest friends, Vulcan, God of the Fire and the Forge.
- Directed by Adam Kane
S01E04
Git Gone
Alternating between the past and the present, Laura’s life and death are explored—how she met Shadow, how she died, and how exactly she came to be sitting on the edge of his motel room bed.
- Directed by Craig Zobel
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S03E10
Tears of the Wrath-Bearing Tree
- Directed by Russell Lee Fine
- Written by Laura Pusey
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
Bryan Fuller
Showrunner
Michael Green
Creator
- Photo unavailable
Craig Cegielski
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Stefanie Berk
Executive producer
Christopher J. Byrne
Executive producer
David Slade
Executive producer
Neil Gaiman
Executive producer
Adam Kane
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Tyler Dinucci
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Aditi Brennan Kapil
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Laura Pusey
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Rodney Barnes
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Adria Lang
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Heather Bellson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jesse Alexander
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Andres Fischer-Centeno
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Peter Calloway
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Craig CegielskiExecutive Producer
- Dauri ChaseProducer
- Stefanie BerkExecutive Producer
- Bryan FullerExecutive Producer
- Michael GreenExecutive Producer
- Christopher J. ByrneExecutive Producer
Writing
- Tyler DinucciWriter
- Aditi Brennan KapilWriter
- Laura PuseyWriter
- Rodney BarnesWriter
- Adria LangWriter
- Bryan FullerWriter
Direction
- Stacie PassonDirector
- Rachel GoldbergDirector
- Julian HolmesDirector
- Craig ZobelDirector
- Mark TinkerDirector
- Nick CopusDirector
Cinematography
- Tico PoulakakisDirector of Photography
Music
- Brian ReitzellOriginal Music Composer
- Saunder JurriaansOriginal Music Composer
- Andrew LockingtonOriginal Music Composer
- Danny BensiOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Apple TV StoreBuy
- Google Play MoviesBuy
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