Top 10 Times We Knew a Drag Race Queen HAD To Come Back for All Stars

“Spoof! (There It Is)”

In one of the weirder eliminations on the show, Trixie Mattel was sent home in the fourth week of season 7. Fan backlash was immediate. Trixie was already emerging as a favorite, and frankly, many questioned the fairness of her Blondie lip sync against Pearl, with some even alleging producer interference. Although Trixie was later brought back, eliminated queens typically struggle to regain momentum, so unsurprisingly, she was sent home again. Despite this, there was clearly a lot of support for the pink-obsessed Milwaukee queen. Like Alaska before her, Trixie was an early frontrunner when she stomped onto the set for All Stars, and her eventual success in the cosmetics industry only proved she was destined for greatness.

“Grand Finale”

For the second time, the “Drag Race” finalists faced off in a Lip Sync Smackdown for the Crown. With two challenge wins under her belt, Asia O’Hara was a likely lock for the top two. Then, tragedy struck. An ill-conceived stunt during a lip sync against competitor Kameron Michaels didn’t go as planned. Her intended reveal left a bunch of lethargic butterflies on the stage, and stopped her just short of victory. An “All Stars” season could give Asia the redemption she deserves. As of the time of writing though, she’s yet to reappear on the series, but we can just imagine the stunning butterfly-inspired runway she would pull out if she ever does.

“RDR Live!”

Generally, when a queen is eliminated, RuPaul declares her a star and sends her on her way. However, season 16’s Mirage was so stunned by her elimination that she couldn’t even move from the stage at first. Her exit in the fourth episode was hard to swallow for both her and many “Drag Race” fans. Although some were divided on the decision, as Mirage clearly didn’t know the lyrics to the lip sync song, it proved that she’d left a lasting impression despite her short run on the show. Any queen who can win that much support so quickly certainly deserves a second chance to prove herself.

“Glitter Ball”

In Season 6, this Seattle favorite often butted heads with Rochester’s Darienne Lake. Their rivalry was so gripping that they lip synced against each other twice. However, two double shantays would have been asking for too much. During Week 11’s “Glitter Ball,” BenDeLa was finally sent packing over Darienne. She was a true fan favorite, so viewers weren’t too pleased with that result. Thus, another “robbed” goddess was born. From that moment on, fans eagerly anticipated the Miss Congeniality’s inevitable return to the mainstage, which eventually happened on “All Stars 3.” But of course, no one could have predicted the unforgettable way her run on that season would end.

“Reunited”

Though Jinkx vs. Roxxxy was the main event, Alaska’s humor, smarts, and mastery of every aspect of drag and “Drag Race” made her one of the season’s brightest stars. Without Jinkx Monsoon in the mix, Alaska most likely would have taken the crown. But the season 5 champion’s talent was too big to deny, plus she had a compelling underdog story despite her incredible track record in challenges. Even so, everyone knew that not only was Alaska a shoo-in for a second “All Stars” season, if it ever happened, but she was going to be the one to beat. She made good on that assumption when “All Stars 2” rolled around a few years later.

“Draggily Ever After”

Sometimes, it becomes clear pretty early on that a queen isn’t destined to take the crown. Aja came into season 9 with guns blazing. She was young, scrappy, and had enough attitude to take on anyone who stepped to her. Despite her immense talent, it didn’t seem like she was an actual contender for the crown. But her “Untucked” rant may have single-handedly earned her a spot on “All Stars,” simply by showcasing her ability to command attention on TV. After landing in the bottom in week 3, Aja grew frustrated with the constant praise being heaped on Valentina, leading to one of the show’s most iconic rants. Aja did return for “All Stars,” where she seemed much more confident in her unique talents.

“Hello, Kitty Girls!”

Even in her last episode, Katya Zamolodchikova’s distinctive brand of humor was still top drawer. While her Hello Kitty character was a smash hit, the runway look she made herself was a different story, and it landed her in the bottom alongside one of season 7’s strongest performers, Kennedy Davenport. Katya was great in the lip sync, but she was no match for Kennedy, and was told to sashay away. The devastation across the Internet was palpable that day. Katya was so beloved that RuPaul literally made a joke about it during the winner announcement. Even more inevitable than her Miss Congeniality win was her triumphant return to the mainstage on “All Stars 2.”

“The Fabulous Bitch Ball”

Technically, we had no idea “All Stars” was even a thing when Latrice sashayed away in season 4. But if there was a queen who deserved another shot, based purely on fan love, it was Latrice Royale. The season wouldn’t have been the same without her shady confessional quips and instantly meme-able reactions. When she was eliminated at the final four, she gave props to Mama Ru for elevating the art of drag and bringing it into the mainstream. Fans couldn’t get enough of her, and luckily, they didn’t have to go without her for long. Months after the season aired, Latrice became one of the first 12 queens to return on the inaugural season of “All Stars.”

“Grand Finale”

In any other universe, season 9 would have been a walk in the park for finalist Shea Couleé. With four challenge wins, she’d left her contenders in the dust. But RuPaul introduced the Lip Sync Smackdown mechanic for the finale, and all bets were off. In the first matchup of the night, eventual winner Sasha Velour revealed a shower of rose petals from under her wig, snatching what would have been an almost certain win from Shea’s clutches. There’s not a single timeline where not inviting a titan like Shea back to redeem herself makes sense. “All Stars 5” was all but decided the moment she strolled back into the Werk Room.

“Your Pilot’s on Fire”

She went from leading the pack to crashing out in a single episode. Valentina had bombed week 9’s TV pilot challenge and seemed stunned to find herself in the bottom two. For one reason or another, she refused to remove the mask that went with her look until Ru literally stopped the lip sync and forced her to. It was a real “mask off” moment. The tremendously popular Valentina went home in one of the most unexpected eliminations in the history of the show. And her fans were, like, totally chill about it. This moment may have ended her run on season 9, but it also jump-started her redemption arc for a future “All Stars” installment.


What moment did you know a queen was coming back for All Stars? Sound off in the comments.