Every Season From Worst to Best Ranked

Fans love all RuPaul's Drag Race seasons and spinoffs, but some are better than others. We're ranking them all, from the least appealing to the best.

There have been thirteen regular RuPaul's Drag Race seasons in America, and we're ready to rank all of the seasons and spinoffs. The franchise has expanded with five All Stars seasons, plus spin-offs in Canada, Thailand, Holland, Spain, Australia/New Zealand, and the UK. Fans often compare the many different incarnations of Drag Race, so we're going to rank the shows from worst to best.

This list is different than others from other publications because it includes Drag Race Thailand, Drag Race Holland, and Canada's Drag Race. As Drag Race Down Under and Drag Race España are still airing, we aren't ranking them. Bear in mind that this is not a ranking of queens; all drag queens are incredible. Furthermore, there are no bad seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race and spinoffs. However, some seasons showcased more charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent than others. To properly rank them, we took into consideration how many gags there were, the entertainment value of each challenge, the excitement of the runways, and how memorable the lip-syncs were. We also considered how watchable a season was in general, and how well it holds up today.

Season 11

At number 24, we have the worst show. Season 11 did bring us the "Sorry, Not Sorry" lip-sync, which is one of the best of all time. Nina West was also very endearing and Vanjie was funny, but this season struggled from a lack of chemistry among the cast. The plotline between Vanjie and Brooke Lynn was tiresome and the runways and challenges were consistently disappointing. Remember the Snatch Game or the thirty underwhelming looks we saw in the ball challenge?

Season 7

This season is at number twenty-three. During the season, Violet Chachki changed the game with her sickening looks, Ginger Minj brought so much comedy and we were introduced to Trixie and Katya. The problem with this season was... everything else. We're talking about The Shakesqueer challenge, the many bad lip-syncs, and the way that Pearl was kept until the end, despite acting like she didn't want to be there. The Snatch Game for this season ranks very high against the rest, but the season really struggled from a strange mix of personalities. There were gorgeous "look queens" with bland talking heads and comedy queens who were still at the beginning stages of their Pokemon evolutions.

All Stars 5

At number 22, we have All Stars 5. This season needed to happen so Shea Couleè could get her rightful crown, and it was a joy to have Jujubee back on screen. However, so much of this series was painful. The performance challenges were really hard to watch. When more than one queen eliminates themselves, it is not exactly riveting television.

All Stars 1

This season ranks at number twenty-one. Many fans dog on All Stars 1, and other publications have placed it at dead last on their "best to worst" lists. However, the Untucked for this season is the best of all time and the cast of characters is unparalleled. The pairing of queens into teams was the obvious blunder of this season. There is something strangely off-putting about seeing two runway looks at once. The eye doesn't know how to process it because part of the fun is breaking down the fashion aesthetic in detail. The bottom line is that the Raven and Jujubee lip-sync is legendary. We would rather watch most of these episodes than ever revisit that TMZ challenge from AS5.

Drag Race Thailand Season One

At number twenty, we have this season, which is solid overall but never quite found its footing. It was the very first spinoff from American Drag Race. While the looks were amazing, it took a while for production to figure out the format. Drag Race Thailand season 2 is mind-blowingly good, so this season was working through some growing pains that led to something great down the line.

Drag Race Holland Season One

At number nineteen, this season had some of the best runway lewks in franchise herstory and the queens were super fun to watch. Unfortunately, the subtitles made a lot of the humor hard to pick up on. It is a great season, but nothing particularly iconic happened.

Season One

At number eighteen, we have RuPaul's Drag Race season one. This season had a wildly low budget, but so much heart. It started the entire journey. The combination of Ongina's beautiful confession and Shannel's delusion make this season worth re-watching. Also, who could forget Tammie Brown?

All Stars 3

At number seventeen is All Stars 3. Moments of this season were spectacular. BenDeLaCreme delivers some of the most incredible drag performances of all time, and Shangela slays like RuPaul always knew she could. The issues with this season were the production shenanigans. The way the finale went down with a group vote will always have fans in a tizzy, and the challenges were really rough. At one point, these queens walked down the runway as literal soup cans.

Season 2

At number sixteen is this season. The second season of the show changed everything. It gave us the first Snatch Game and a much higher production value. Also, Untucked was introduced. Season 2 brought so many dramatic fights and wild characters to the screen, including Morgan McMichaels, Raven, Tatianna, and Mystique Summers. Plus, the reunion episode is spectacular. Many credit Season 4 for the show's sudden success, but this season really laid the groundwork.

All Stars 4

This All Stars incarnation is at number fifteen and it had several ups and downs. It was a brilliant mix of reality TV characters (such as Valentina and Gia Gunn) and featured excellent runways and performances (Manila Luzon and Trinity the Tuck were standouts) and very likable and funny personalities (such as Monique Heart and Monet X Change). The lip-sync battle episode was a stroke of genius, but the last few episodes really hurt this season's credibility with fans. None of us will ever forget that Sex and the City sketch, nor the early Manila elimination.

Season 9

At number fourteen is this season. No fan can deny that the most iconic moment in Drag Race herstory occurred in the show's finale. Sasha Velour's rose petals rocked the world and became a queer cultural phenomenon. The top four (Sasha, Shea Couleé, Peppermint, and Trinity the Tuck) were one of the strongest groups ever. Plus, the last six episodes are a full slay. This season does not rank higher because it took a long time to rev up. It was mostly a snooze until Valentina didn't know the words.

Season 13

This season is at number thirteen and had an unbelievably talented cast. These queens gave us so much joy during the pandemic. The race between Gottmik and Symone was thrilling. The reason this season is not in the top ten is that it seemed like there were endless episodes. It was stellar when it was grooving, but fatiguing when it was slow.

Season 10

Season 10 is at number twelve and it changed the way that audiences thought about "Instagram queens." Until this season, we had mostly only seen social media-famous queens like Miss Fame, who had never performed live before. This season brought us the Aquaria and Kameron Michaels type of drag, which was popular online and sickening on the stage.

Canada's Drag Race

This season is at number eleven. The looks were self-made and the personalities were popping. This season had a sensational cast of queens. Jimbo, Lemon, and Priyanka had amazing talking heads and the challenges were so much fun. The judges were often bland and mean, but that is the only thing keeping this very fun version of the show from the top ten of all time.

Season 4

At number ten, we have this season. Sharon Needles and Phi Phi O'Hara changed it all. Every season has a formidable hero, but without a nemesis, this show suffers. These queens knew exactly how to deliver great TV. Latrice Royale was charming, Willam's elimination was shocking and Dida Ritz served one of the best lip syncs ever. It is not ranked higher on this list because, upon rewatch, some of the less-iconic episodes were surprisingly slow!

Season 3

This season is at number nine. Other publications would put this season lower on the list, and rate season 4 higher. However, the show has taught the general public a lot about drag over the years. Raja's drag alone is worth rewatching this season for! Manila Luzon also brought out a campy aesthetic that was so unique and fun to watch. The real reason this season is excellent is that the queens were asked to make so many outfits for the runway. Plus, Yara Sofia and Shangela were hysterical throughout.

UK Season 2

This season is at number eight and these queens were so much fun to watch. Similar to Season 5, there was no clear frontrunner and that made it thrilling to consume every week! Bimini and Tayce brought us the fashion and Lawrence Chaney brought the comedy. We will never stop singing Bing Bang Bong Ding Dang Dong.

Season 8

Now, we have the number seven season with Bob the Drag Queen. This season started the great debate in the gay community: do you prefer a runway queen or a comedy queen? Kim Chi served some of the most incredible art pieces the show has ever seen, and Bob really ate up every moment of the confessionals, challenges, and Werk Room chatter. This cast was so dynamic, from Chi Chi Devayne to Thorgy Thor to Naomi Smalls. It was a slay.

Season 12

Now, we have the number six season. Season 11 was extremely slow. Afterward, many fans were feeling Drag Race fatigue. Then, Heidi N Closet walked in! One of the funniest and most adorable queens was sandwiched between the originality of Crystal Methyd and the groundedness of Jackie Cox. There was also the fashion of Gigi Goode and Jaida Essence Hall. The cast really made this season such a joy to watch.

Drag Race Thailand Season 2

Our number five pick had the looks. No season can match the sheer number of gag-worthy runway looks this season provided. Every single runway was more shocking than the last. When more than one contestant lights themselves on fire during a season, we have to give it up! This season also gave us the first transgender winner of the show. Their final lip sync was riveting.

UK Season 1

This season is at number four. Baga Chipz is stunning. Baga Chipz is class. Davina Dicampo, The Vivienne, and Baga were so strong and so entertaining all season long. The vast majority of these queens were super fun and extremely dynamic. Their love for each other shined through in such a joyous way. When Blu Hydrangea hugged Cheryl Hole in their lip sync, our hearts melted. This season became an instant favorite.

Season 5

This season is at number 3. Season 5 was the ultimate race. It was so unclear who would win the crown. Having approximately six competitors who seemed to have a shot at the top prize was a thrill. Jinkx, Alaska, Roxxxy, Detox, Alyssa, and Coco all had such unique styles of drag and such a deep drive to win. This season felt like anyone's game, and every single episode was exciting.

Season 6

At number two, we have this season. It was an Adore Delano charisma platter. Bianca Del Rio's talking heads, BenDeLaCreme's snatch game, and Courtney Act's runways. This season really had it all. No regular season of Drag Race has even come close.

All Stars 2

Here is the number one pick and the best season. Any true fan of the show knows that this is an unbeatable season of TV. So many fan favorites were able to return to the competition, and we saw them all at their A-game. Alaska's absolute expert drag performances were riveting, Detox stomped the runway in a fierce look every week and Katya was inspirational and hilarious. This season also has the greatest lip sync of all time: Tatianna versus Alyssa. The level of drag and the incredible personalities make this the all-time greatest season of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Next: RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Recap: Down Underwhelming Runways