On RuPaul's Drag Race, the competing queens are put through plenty of maxi challenges that test a range of skillsets, with some of them being more difficult than others. From sewing challenges with unconventional materials to multifaceted performances that require singing, dancing, and acting, these challenges are notoriously difficult.
The high difficulty level of these tasks makes it even more impressive when the show's queens perform well under tight time constraints to put out memorable performances. Recognizing these difficulties allows fans to see the work that goes into producing a showcase for the talents of these artists.
10 Read U Wrote U (All Stars 2)
The "Ru-mix" challenges are now a Drag Race staple, but the concept was introduced in season two of All Stars with the "Read U Wrote U" remix. In this challenge, queens must write and perform verses for a RuPaul song, and then they have to craft a group lip sync performance to their rendition.
Even though this challenge has gotten bigger over the years, this original iteration had the final four queens of the season doing something bigger than had ever been seen on the show. The performance is still a fan favorite to this day, but its intricacy shows the work that must have gone into every element.
9 Make Dat Money Ball (Season 3)
Season 3 of Drag Race is largely considered to be one of the most grueling, simply because of its sheer length and abundance of design challenges, the last of which is the Money Ball. The final four queens had to model three looks, making the final look out of money, and also prepare a dance number.
Not only is making an outfit entirely out of money a challenging prospect, but this challenge also comes on the heels of a long season full of daunting challenges. The fact that this is often considered one of the best runway categories in Drag Race history is a testament to the queens' creativity and grit.
8 Prancing Queens (Season 7)
Dancing challenges are a common presence on Drag Race, but season seven's couples dance challenge is one of the hardest in the series due to a couple of factors. First, the paired queens had to come up with their own choreography, combining two dance styles, and second, they had to create a half-man, half-woman look for the runway.
Since the suits for the runway were provided on the show, this runway is basically an extension of the challenge, making it a test of the queens' time management skills. No dance challenges since this one have replicated the couples format, the difficult mix of genres, or the runway theme, let alone all three at once.
7 Queens Of All Media (Season 1)
Although the first season of Drag Race is often seen as a more simplistic era, it has some difficult challenges, such as this Oprah-themed gauntlet. In Drag Race's third maxi challenge ever, the queens had to recreate Oprah's career by taking on the roles of a newscaster, a saleswoman, and an interviewer.
Later seasons would feature similar challenges to each of these tasks individually, but their combination here required queens to flex several skills. While charisma is required for all three tasks, talking to a camera is very different from conducting an interview, demonstrating the flexibility the competitors need to succeed.
6 Drag On A Dime (Seasons 1 & 10)
The first challenge in Drag Race history and the first challenge of the show's tenth season, "Drag On A Dime" is a design challenge that has the queens making high fashion out of dollar store items. As unconventional material challenges go, this is one of the most difficult in the series.
Fans love this challenge for iconic looks like Nina Flowers' winning design and famous failures like the outfit that caused Vanjie's iconic exit in one of Drag Race's most memorable scenes. Due to the difficult nature of the challenge and the wide variety of unconventional materials represented, it always creates memorable looks and moments.
5 World's Trashiest Fighters (Season 4)
More athletic than most Drag Race challenges, this season four maxi challenge has contestants flexing their acting and physical coordination skills in choreographed wrestling matches. Famously, this challenge injured queens, showing the difficulty of the physical feats on display here.
Not only do queens have to balance the kayfabe acting of the wrestling world with physical stunts, but they also only have a few short days to learn the choreography. The dangerous nature of this challenge means that it probably won't be returning, but its single appearance is memorable.
4 Snatch Game (Several)
In every season except season one and All Stars' first season, the queens of Drag Race have participated in the celebrity impersonation challenge Snatch Game. Inspired by Match Game, this maxi challenge has contestants improvising comedic responses in character as famous figures.
Even though queens know to expect Snatch Game on every season of the show, its combination of celebrity impersonation, comedy, and improvisation makes it a daunting task. Queens who are successful at this challenge must not only be funny and quick-witted, but they also have to have a deep knowledge of their character.
3 She Done Already Done Brought It On (Season 9)
In a similar vein to the wrestling challenge, season nine's cheerleading challenge held the queens to a high standard in terms of physicality and led to injuries. With only a few days to learn dangerous stunts, the show expected a lot from these queens in one of the wildest challenges in Drag Race history.
While dance and cheerleading may seem similar, this challenge reveals the differences between the two, as even the cast's seasoned dancers struggle to keep up. The routines turned out well, but the practice and performance took their toll on the cast, proving that cheerleading takes plenty of time to master.
2 RuPaul's Hair Extravaganza Ball (Season 3)
Season three is the season of design challenges, tasking its large cast with creating a bevy of outfits, including one out of hair for this iconic and grueling challenge. Alongside two other looks brought from home, the queens had to make outfits out of wigs in what fans often consider the best ball in the Drag Race franchise.
The fact that this challenge led to the "Tulle-gate" incident just shows how difficult and controversial the materials were, but the impressive outfits also stand out to fans. With a strict time limit and the need to work with incredibly unusual materials, this challenge really shows why season three's queens are so well-regarded.
1 Drag On A Time (All Stars 1)
In the final challenge of the first edition of All Stars, the final four were put to the test when they had to complete an interview, an award acceptance speech, and a standup comedy set within minutes of each other. Further, the queens are driven from location to location and must change on the way.
The Amazing Race-style dashes between gigs and the sheer amount of energy and preparation that this challenge requires makes it one of the hardest the show has to offer. Not only is this a major challenge for the queens, but it is also a test of how they can handle performing under pressure in the real world.
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July 15, 2021 at 12:00AM
