RuPaul’s Drag Race is a reality competition show that began in 2009. Hosted by iconic drag queen RuPaul, the show features a group of drag queens who compete in weekly challenges – with that week’s bottom two competing in a Lip Sync For Your Life to stay in the competition – in a race to be America’s Next Drag Superstar. It was – and still remains – groundbreaking for its depiction of queer individuals and culture.
Since its premiere, the show has grown enormously, with several international spin-offs all around the world. In 2012, the show launched the spin-off RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, which sees past competitors come back for another chance at the crown. The competition format for All Stars has changed through the seasons, but, like the main show, it remains a showcase for the amazing art form of drag, and a celebration of queer artists. Here’s our ranking of every season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars.
7 Season 1
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The debut of All Stars is undeniably rough. The first season features 12 past competitors, and, in a twist, they have to compete in teams. It results in a lot of unfairness, with both members of a team going out for one person’s bad performance. Additionally, with just six episodes, things feel rushed; there isn’t a lot of time to spend with these beloved returning performers, especially with little individual focus. Though the teams end for the finale, where Chad Michaels is crowned, it still dampens the season. While it launched All Stars as a whole, it’s a lackluster season that pales in comparison to later seasons.
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6 Season 3
Season three had a strong start, with many queens who would go on to other shows and movies. It has great lip syncs and strong challenges, including a beloved diva performance. It also has one of the most shocking moments ever on the show, as frontrunner Ben DeLaCreme decides to eliminate herself from the competition. The show truly fails in its finale, however. In an attempt at something new, the show brings back the eliminated queens from the season and has them vote on who should be in the final two, with Trixie Mattel eventually winning. This twist was seen as unnecessary and unfair, and it puts a bad light on the season overall.
5 Season 4
Season four is another season with a strong start that doesn’t quite stick the landing. It has a great cast with many fan favorites who excel in the various challenges. There’s also a lip sync smackdown episode that makes the current queens battle the eliminated queens to stay in the competition, with great performances. It has another shocking moment when frontrunner Manila Luzon is selected for elimination by Naomi Smalls. The final few episodes aren’t as good as the first ones, however. Finally, in crowning two winners – Monét X Change and Trinity the Tuck – the show uses a fractured, shoved-together cut of both queens winning. While it’s a small thing, it prevents the season from being as good as it could be.
4 Season 5
Season five introduces a new format to All Stars. While the previous three seasons had that week’s top two compete in a lip sync, with the winner sending one of the bottom performers home, season five picked just one winner each week, who then performed against a lip sync assassin – the show’s term for a great lip sync performer. In another twist, the other queens also voted on which bottom queen to eliminate, if needed. It shakes up the format and allows for many great performances from current and past competitors. The season does have a slow start, however, and spends a lot of time on drama involving voting. But strong challenges, memorable queens, and an amazing final three – plus a stellar winner in Shea Couleé – make this a great season.
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3 Season 6
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Continuing season five’s format, this season sees a wide array of queens return, including some from the show’s early seasons. Rather than small twists, it focuses on one big one that pays off: a great lip sync tournament where eliminated queens compete to earn re-entry into the competition, with outstanding performances – including an outrageous “Barbie Girl” lip sync from Silky Nutmeg Ganache. Though it can feel long at times, the charming cast really carries it through and makes it worth it. The top four is excellent, with Kylie Sonique Love walking away with a well-deserved win.
2 Season 7
The most recent season has an often-requested cast of former winners, fittingly called Legends. In another twist, no one is eliminated; the top queens instead earn stars each week, with the top overall star earners making it to the top four. With no eliminations, we get 12 episodes with eight amazing queens, including winner Jinkx Monsoon. Everyone brings new life to classic challenges like Snatch Game, and new ones like the social media dance challenge. It’s a stunning showcase of the greatest talent Drag Race has ever seen, along with an exploration of the artists behind it. The only hitches to the season are bad lip sync editing and the lack of any negativity, with the show featuring only positive critiques for its Legends. While it lacks the elements of Drag Race that fans are used to, it’s a strong celebration of the queens, the show, and the art of drag, that falls just short of the top spot.
1 Season 2
Coming after the unsuccessful first season, season two has a lot to prove. Luckily, it does. It introduces a new format of the week’s top two lip syncing to eliminate a bottom competitor, shaking up a traditional Lip Sync For Your Life. It has a largely beloved cast, leading to some heartbreaking and emotional eliminations, with Alaska emerging as the winner. It has memorable drama, alliances, and rivalries between queens, which heightens the competitiveness and gives everything a fleshed-out narrative. It also features the fan-favorite “Herstory of the World” musical challenge, and “Shut Up and Drive,” which is often considered the greatest Drag Race lip sync of all time. Its major success essentially rescued the All Stars format, and it remains the strongest season of the show.
