WARNING: Contestants are listed in order of elimination and there are unmarked spoilers on this page, potentially including spoilers for previous seasons.
Main (RuPaul, hosts and judges)
RuPaul's Drag Race (USA) seasons:
Drag Race around the world:
All Stars & Vs. the World
All names, ages, and locations stated are at the time of filming.
Derrick Barry (10th)
Original Appearance: Season 8 (5th)
"Ooh, I did it again!"
- Bad Impressionists: In an attempt to prove she's more than just a Britney Spears impersonator, she attempts to impersonate fifteen celebrities at once. The end result was bizzare, awkward, unfunny and it overall landed her in the bottom, where she was eliminated.
- Be Yourself: This is Derrick's greatest struggle in the competition, and something she failed at prior to her elimination; giving the audience "Derrick" and not "Britney". When she returns for the finale and wears a beautiful gown, Ongina and the other queens all praise Derrick for finally giving a look that is quintessential "Derrick Barry", and not feeling like a "Britney Spears" look at all.
- Celebrity Impersonator: Derrick attempts to play with this to showcase that she's more than just a Britney impersonator, and in her talent show she attempts to do fifteen impersonations in a minute. It's more bewildering and awkward than funny, and she winds up going home first.
- Genre Savvy: Is the first eliminated, but as she leaves she outright tells the other queens not to miss her because she already knows she's going to be brought back for another episode for a chance to return to the competition, just like they do every All-Stars season. Ironically for Derrick, her season of All Stars was the only one since the first to not have a returning queen re-enter the competition, but she did come back as a guest in the finale.
- Morton's Fork: Points out after being read that her Talent Show look was serving too much Britney Spears when she claimed she wanted to prove she could do more than Britney, that no matter what she wore (even going down the line and directly referencing the other queen's outfits) that she would just be told she was referencing a different Britney look.
- The Rival: With India Ferrah, Derrick's version of the story is that India got fired from the Piranha Nightclub, and when Nebraska (Derrick's throuple boyfriend) was hired to take her place, India bashed Nebraska online calling her a "pig in a wig".
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Derrick returned hoping to show everyone she could do more than just Britney Spears … unfortunately all she had the opportunity to show was a Britney-style entrance, and fifteen other lackluster celebrity impersonations on stage before being eliminated.
Ongina (9th)
Original Appearance: Season 1 (5th)
"So y'all thought I'd never get here? Sorry, I was stuck in traffique."
- Call-Back: Her entrance line is a reference to her guest appearance in All Stars 1, where she (and Delta Work) drove the top four queens around LA.
- Heroic BSoD: After Miz Cracker tells her she should have been in the bottom 2 for the first challenge, she loses whatever confidence she has left when she hits the bottom 3 in the next challenge. She outright tells the girls to send her home because it wouldn't be fair to keep her there over India or Mariah.
- Honor Before Reason: After hitting the bottom two weeks in a row, she tells the other queens that she should be the one to be sent home, that keeping her over queens who have statistically done better would be unfair, and even chooses her own lipstick for the group vote.
- Shrinking Violet: After so many years trying to get onto All Stars, actually making it onto the show rattles her nerves pretty badly. In the first episode she completely fails the Reading Mini-challenge, and then lands in the bottom three during the Talent Show Maxi-challenge due to getting too nervous and in her own head. Some of the queens (especially Miz Cracker) even claim she should have been up for elimination for the poor showing.
Mariah Balenciaga (8th)
Original Appearance: Season 3 (9th)
"In a room full of tens, I'm always grand prize."
- An Aesop: For her Talent Show performance, Mariah delivers a powerful spoken word piece about gay rights and racial segregation, and the "stains on the walls" left behind by those who have fought and died for those causes. Even though she was only Safe for the challenge, guest judge Ricky Martin personally commended her on delivering such as important and beautiful message.
- Call-Back: After her elimination, she acts exasperated in her talking head and grabs her fanny pack so she can storm out. This mirrors her reaction to Manila's iconic pineapple dress in Season 3 when she also grabs her purse before storming out in disbelief.
- Crippling Overspecialization: Says this was her downfall in Season 3, as at that time she was only a Ballroom Queen who had never performed in a club or bar before, but since being on Drag Race she has become a well-rounded queen.
Mayhem Miller (7th)
Original Appearance: Season 10 (10th)
"I didn't come to crash the party, I came to end it."
- Ascended Meme: At the start of her Talent Show number, she spends the intro of her song doing Eye Take to the beat, referencing the #ChallengeMayhem meme.
- Can't Take Criticism: When she's critiqued for her Camo Runway being uninspired, she decides after playing it nice for so long she's going to snap back at the judges. She brushes it off onstage saying she was "just kiki-ing", but admits after her elimination she was angry about being in the bottom and wanted the judges to know it.
- Honor Before Reason: Chooses herself for elimination because she felt her challenge partner, India, was just as strong as she was. India, however, did not share the same sense of fairness and picked Mayhem's lipstick for the group vote.
- Something Something Leonard Bernstein: Mayhem isn't lip syncing in her dance number in the Talent Show; it's all live. As a result, some of her lyrics come out garbled and mushmouthed. It puts her in the bottom.
- What the Hell, Hero?: The other queens were upset to learn that Mayhem had chose her own lipstick for elimination, and begrudge her for even agreeing to join the season if she was just going to tap out. Interestingly, they did not have the same guttural reaction to Ongina doing the same, but that may have been because Ongina already announced she was ready to go before voting, where with Miller there was really no indication she was going to vote for herself.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: Considers it a no-brainer that the other girls will vote for Shea when she lands in the bottom, such that she doesn't even consult with them and ends up with egg on her face when the votes are counted. While eliminating the strongest competitor is absolutely a valid strategy on pretty much any other competitive reality show, All Stars has its own house rules, and the majority of the girls elect to "play fair" and vote based on critiques and track record. One wonders what Mayhem was thinking, especially because just last season, when Naomi sent Manila home and openly admitted it was because she was her biggest competition, she faced a lot of criticism for it.
India Ferrah (6th)
Original Appearance: Season 3 (10th)
"India 2.0 here. Remodeled, remastered, and ready for action!"
- Always Someone Better: India's dancing and intense hair-flipping in the Talent Show blows the judges away, and she wins the challenge in a comeback few could've anticipated. Before she can get too big a head about it, the first lip sync assassin is revealed - Yvie Oddly. Not for lack of trying, but India simply cannot compete with Yvie's sheer level of spectacle.
- Deathbed Confession: When she realizes she is most likely going to be eliminated for her poor Snatch Game, India decides she has to relieve her guilt over the fact Alexis and Mayhem had tried to conspire with her to vote Shea off the show. India claims she just wanted to be able to leave the show without this weighing on her, although other queens think she was just trying to throw Alexis under the bus to save herself from elimination for another week.
- Flippant Forgiveness: When she returns in the finale and Mayhem and Alexis are able to both confirm they did not campaign with India against Shea, India decides to apologize for hurting Alexis "even though she wasn't lying" about her accusations. Alexis is quick to call India out in the confessionals that she doesn't feel India is offering a genuine apology, but decides to accept it anyway because she understands the competition can bring the worst out in people.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Discussed on the main stage how she quit drag for a time after Season 3 because the show had, in her opinion, "taken the fun out of drag".
- Dresses the Same: Hilariously for the second time in a row India enters the workroom wearing an outfit noticeably similar to another queen, this time both her and Miz Cracker wearing mint green. This after, in Season 3, India and Phoenix both entered the show wearing black leather and a black and blond razor-cut wig.
- Graceful Loser: After her elimination she goes at length about how proud she is about her substantial growth from Season 3, and how happy she is that she has finally been able to show the audience so many more facets about her characters asides from being 'that bitch Mimi Imfurst picked up'.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: Discusses how after Season 3 the only thing she is known for is being picked up by Mimi Imfurst.
- Recursive Crossdressing: Plays Jeffree Star for the Snatch Game of Love, but it overall fails due to her mediocre jokes and flat characterization. It ultimately puts her in the bottom where she was eliminated.
- The Rival: With Derrick Barry. India's version of the story is that she quit the Piranha Nightclub and Derrick's throuple boyfriend, Nebraska, was hired and performed a derogatory routine on stage mocking India's drag career.
Alexis Mateo (5th)
Original Appearances: Season 3 (3rd), All Stars 1 (6th=)
"Boricua in the house to take the crown! Sickening, no?"
- Appearance Angst: Is very aware of the fact it has been nearly ten years since Season 3, and she is a lot older and heavier than she was in her prime. She outright admits the younger, hungrier queens scare her a little bit.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": She's beyond excited to meet Ricky Martin, a fellow gay Puerto Rican, and she's proud to present her salsa talent show number on stage in front of him.
- Manipulative Bitch: Seems to be getting the edit for this season; she is quick to shut down Cracker who feels bad for telling Ongina she should have in the bottom for the talent show, and then attacks Cracker again by eavesdropping into her conversation and twisting her words around to make it seem like Cracker did not respect her, some of the queens noting it seems Alexis is trying to put her competition on edge. Later when Shea was up for elimination, Alexis picked her lipstick even though Shea had a better track record than both India and Mariah, and continued to be playfully snide to Shea during the next challenge. Shea and Blair both discuss how they don't know if Alexis is being genuine, or trying to use strategy. This ends up coming back to haunt her in Episode 5 when, after realizing she was probably going to be eliminated, India reveals Alexis and Mayhem had campaigned to team up and vote out Shea. While no one is certain who is telling the truth, specifically because Alexis has acted manipulative in the past most of the cast are at least willing to accept it as a possibility.
- Recursive Crossdressing: Portrays Walter Mercado in the Snatch Game of Love.
- Spicy Latina: While in Season 3 she claimed to want to try and distance herself as being seen as a Latina stereotype, come All-Stars she fully embraces her heritage. She enters the workroom in a Puerto Rican flag bodysuit, performs a spicy salsa lip-sync for the Talent Show, and is outspoken about wanting to be All-Star's first Latina winner.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Hilariously enough, both Alexis and Widow Von'Du coined the term "apolo-lie", despite their respective seasons being filmed months apart and neither of them interacting with each other at all.
- Wearing a Flag on Your Head: Her entrance look includes a Puerto Rican flag leotard.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Is understandably upset when India threw her under the bus for conspiring to get rid of Shea, something Alexis denies doing. She says the competition brings out the worst in queens, and that she saw India's inner demons from her thinly-veiled attempt to avoid elimination for another week.
Blair St. Clair (4th)
Original Appearance: Season 10 (9th)
"Well, I do declare... Blair St. Clair's all grown up now, bitches."
- The Baby of the Bunch: At 24, she is the youngest queen this season, and also the only one this season who isn't in their 30s.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: More like Borrowed Phrase Catch: she re-purposes Ru's "Blair St. Clair, I do declare!" for her intro.
- Epic Fail: Bombs the stand-up challenge fairly badly, being the only challenge Blair really tripped up so much with. Unfortunately being the second-to-last challenge, it ended up with her elimination.
- Hotter and Sexier: On Season 10, Blair's style of drag was very cutesy and sweet. This time around, she makes an effort to show a bolder, sexier side of her.
- She's All Grown Up: She uses this trope by name in her entrance line.
- Took a Level in Badass: Back in Season 10 Blair was unceremoniously eliminated fairly early in the competition, come All Stars 5, she makes it to the top four and shows growth and talent that impresses all of her competitors.
Jujubee (runner-up)
Original Appearance: Season 2 (3rd), All Stars 1 (4th=)
"Third time's the charm!"
- Broken Win/Loss Streak: After competing in eighteen previous episodes across three seasons, episode 3 marks the first time Jujubee has ever won a challenge... and the first time she's ever lost a lip sync note .
- Crazy Cat Lady: Jujubee is obsessed with her cats, to the point it is something all she talks about in confessionals when she is supposed to be talking about something else (like the eliminations or challenges). She even claims if she won All Stars she would use the $100,000 to turn her home into a cat sanctuary filled to wall to wall with cats!
- Literal-Minded: She portrays Eartha Kitt as this in the Snatch Game of Love, to hilarious results:Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman: I'm originally from Canada, so if we went up there for a winter visit, how would you keep me warm at night?Jujubee!Eartha Kitt: I would sensually walk to the thermostat, and turn up the thermostat to a sensible 74.
- Mr. Vice Guy: Many fans will remember Jujubee being a lush in Season 2, there even being jokes that she was the sole cause for why production is a lot more strict in how many drinks they allow the queens to have. However, Jujubee admits that she has been struggling to stay sober since then as she realized her drinking was hurting herself, even breaking down in tears as she says the stress of the competition makes lapsing back into old habits look very appealing.
- Not So Invincible After All: As longtime fans know (and as she'll proudly remind you) Jujubee is the original lip sync assassin, famously getting to the top 3 in season 2, and the final four in All Stars 1, having never lost a lipsync, and providing some all-time classic performances in the process. In episode 3, she's tasked with going head-to-head with Monet X Change (to Lizzo's "Juice"), a formidable opponent in her own right. Surprisingly, Juju gives an uncharacteristically lackluster performance, and suffers her first loss.
- Still Got It: Jujubee was part of the very first reading challenge, back in season 2, which she won. Ten years on, and Juju will still read you to filth, and she wins the reading challenge once again (tied with Blair).Jujubee: Mayhem Filler. Sorry. I'm sorry. I meant "meh"-hem Miller.
- Tears of Remorse: Breaks down sobbing after the Survivor-style elimination in the penultimate episode, when she realizes that picking Blair's lipstick makes her majority responsible for the vote (along with Shea) should the group vote be used. She said seeing Blair so afraid she wanted to give her a hug, but just couldn't since she knew she was eliminating her and couldn't be that fake and shady to someone she respected.
Miz Cracker (runner-up)
Original Appearance: Season 10 (5th)
"Aaaand Crack-tion!"
- All of the Other Reindeer: Admits she has not made a friend in years, due to people being turned off by her loud personality. Realizes having no friends in the competition puts a big target on her back should she ever be up for elimination.
- Berserk Button: Being called "Difficult" to work with.
- Control Freak: Her teammates for the "I'm in Love" challenge bristled at her perceived micromanagement.
- Dresses the Same: With India, while the cut of their dresses are very different, both of them enter the workroom wearing almost the exact same shade of mint green. This of course is doubly hilarious as this was India's second time entering the show wearing an outfit similar to another queen.
- My Greatest Second Chance: Wins the ball challenge but loses the lip sync against Roxxxy Andrews and the potential $10,000 tip that week. The following week, Cracker wins the stand-up challenge and even points out she's getting a second chance at double the tip, winning her redemption lip sync against Kennedy.
- Never My Fault: Is upset when several people tell her she is "difficult" to work with, trying to enforce that she is a nice person and gets upset when everyone tells her she is difficult. The other queens point out if everyone is saying she is difficult, then maybe everyone else isn't the problem.
- The Perfectionist: Admits this was her downfall in Season 10, and despite planinng on trying to relax and have more fun for her run on All-Stars, she starts getting in her head again.
- This Is Gonna Suck: While she is thrilled to have won the Stand-Up Challenge, she expresses her worry about having to lip sync to "Fancy" by Reba McEntire, which she claims contains about every word in the English language!
Shea Couleé (winner)
Original Appearance: Season 9 (3rd=)
"I'm... black!"
- Beehive Hairdo: Shea rocked a beehive several times on the runway, even during her finale look (which was purposeful as she was recreating her mother's prom photo).
- Boring, but Practical: The judges reaction to her "Freaky" runway in which Shea wears a leotard, harness, and ten-inch heels. They agree it fits the baseline of what the runway required, but compared to the other girls, and what they already know Shea is capable of, it just seemed kind of lacking.
- Break the Haughty:
- Likens this back to her run on Season 9, come the finale she was, in her own words, "really confident" about winning … until Sasha Velour took off her wig, and Shea could see her dreams shattering as the rose petals hit the floor.
- She starts the season very strong, winning episode 2 and expecting to breeze through the rest of the challenges... only to end up in the bottom in the very next week.
- Disappeared Dad: This was touched on during Season 9 but Shea was not really ready to discuss it then, but right before her season started airing her father died. If that wasn't tragic enough, about a month later her sister also passed away, the two of them having been Shea's biggest supporters in her life and career. It really sheds light on why Shea seemed to distracted at the Season 9 finale.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Talks about how since her loss on Season 9, even genuine fans love to harass her with rose petals. She puts on a brave face, but says its gotten old.
- Family-Friendly Stripper: Shea works (and we mean works) a stripper pole for the talent show. She doesn't strip, but the Pit Crew toss (fake) money at her anyway.
- My Greatest Second Chance: Was the favorite to win Season 9 but lost to Sasha Velour, but wins All Stars 5. Even the other queens from the first episode treated this season as Shea's to lose.
- Recursive Crossdressing: She portrays Flavor Flav for the Snatch Game of Love (and wins!).
- Running Gag: Shea bringing up the fact she is triggered by rose petals, due to her loss in Season 9 thanks to Sasha Velour's iconic Lip Sync.
- Shout-Out: Her "Prom" runway is a take on Carrie, with Sasha Velour's rose petals instead of blood.
- Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway: For her pole dancing routine, Shea admits that the Talent Show was the first time she had ever worked the pole for a number. She reveals that she learned how to pole dance in just ten days to perform on the show because she always felt her character of Shea Couleé was secretly a stripper.
