Characters / The Masked Singer Seasons 9 To 12

Season 9

Gnome

Ranking: Group A: First-round first elimination
Real Identity: Dick Van Dyke
Songs sung: "When You're Smiling" by Frank Sinatra (as covered by Billie Holiday)

Intro Song: "Walking On Sunshine" by Katrina and The Waves

• Cool Old Guy: It's Dick Van Dyke, what else is there to say? He is the oldest contestant on the show yet, beating the previous record-holder at a whopping 97 years old—something he even lampshades.
• Foreshadowing:
  • He mentions working with Robin Williams, Ben Stiller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Madonna. Dick starred with them in, respectively, Night at the Museum, Mary Poppins Returns, and Dick Tracy.
  • Umbrellas were consistently shown in his clue package and performance. Umbrellas are heavily associated with Mary Poppins.
  • His Swag Bag clue was a medal of John F. Kennedy. Dick became a Kennedy Center honoree in 2021.
• Our Gnomes Are Weirder: Unlike Australia's lawn gnome approach, this gnome is more fantastical in design.

Mustang

Ranking: Group A: First-round second elimination
Real Identity: Sara Evans
Songs sung:

"Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake

"Diamonds" by Rihanna (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Mustang Sally" by Wilson Pickett

• Cool Horse: From her design, she certainly looks the part.
• Foreshadowing
  • The Mustang is given a pail filled with soap bubbles during her clue package. One of Sara's greatest hits is "Suds in the Bucket".
  • Claims to have sung with Elvis. While he was dead for over 30 years back then, Sara did sing with Elvis Presley in Christmas Duets, a 2008 album built around posthumous collaborations between Elvis and modern artists.
  • Her Swag Bag clue is a magazine labeled "Most Beautiful People". She was voted one of People's 50 Most Beautiful in 2005, the only country artist on the list.
• Hellish Horse: Definitely has shades of this, with the black color and the fire motif.

Rock Lobster

Ranking: Group A: Second-round first elimination
Real Identity: Howie Mandel
Songs sung: "SOS" by ABBA

Intro Song: "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" by ABBA

• Cool Old Guy: He's in His Late Sixties, but he's shown to be a rather hilarious (and mouthy) crustacean
• Foreshadowing:
  • He mentions that he was, and still is, a neurotic mess. A well-known fact about Howie is that he's a massive germaphobe.
  • During the clue package, some cards are dealt to him. This references Deal or No Deal, which Howie hosted.
    • The cards dealt are jokers. Howie's modus operandi is comedy.
  • His onstage clue was a gavel. Howie is currently a judge on America's Got Talent and its Canadian counterpart.
• Red Live Lobster: Much like most depictions of lobsters, this one is colored red.
• Shout-Out: Rock Lobster is named after the titular song from The B-52s.

Night Owl

Ranking: Group A: Second-round second elimination
Real Identity: Debbie Gibson
Songs sung:

"Fernando" by ABBA

"The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Lay All Your Love On Me" by ABBA

• Foreshadowing:
  • The clue package contains a record showing multiple "z"s on it. One of Debbie's hit songs is "Only In My Dreams".
  • During the clue package, she and a couple of others drink "Long Island" iced tea. Debbie hails from Long Island.
  • The snake in the package references another of Debbie's hits, "Snake Charmer".
  • Her onstage clue is bubblegum. Debbie specializes in bubblegum pop.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: To the Snow Owls from Season 4.

Polar Bear

Ranking: Group A: Third-round elimination
Real Identity: Grandmaster Flash
Songs sung: "Rapture" by Blondie

Intro Song: "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice

• Beary Friendly: Nothing bad about this cool looking polar bear.
• Breaking Old Trends: Flash's encore was the first on the show to not be a singing performance. Instead, his encore was a DJing performance, befitting of his occupation.
• Cool Old Guy: He's in his 60's and he's got a historic career...and a smart mouth.
• Foreshadowing:
  • His sole appearance was in an episode themed around New York. Flash was born in the Bronx, the Furious Five was formed in that same borough, and one of their hits is titled "New York, New York".
  • His outfit has a hip-hop theme to it. He and the Furious Five are one of the most well-known hip-hop groups out there.
    • The outfit also has an abundance of records adorning it. Flash more or less created the art of DJing as we know it today.
  • His clue package included the phrase "turn the tables". Turntables are an essential part of being a DJ.
  • He was said to have given an acceptance speech at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Flash and the Furious Five were inducted there in 2007.
  • There's a message in a bottle in his clue package. This references the Furious Five's Signature Song, "The Message".
  • There’s also a lottery card. Flash invented the scratching move for disc jockeys.
  • He was also shown punching a punching bag. Another technique Flash invented was punch phrasing.
  • The Polar Bear costume itself is a clue. Flash won the Polar Music Prize in 2019.
  • He performs Blondie's "Rapture", but sticks solely to the sung verses and avoids the rap. After all, the first rap verse directly namedrops him, and in fact he was originally going to appear in the music video.

Wolf

Ranking: Group B: First-round elimination
Real Identity: Michael Bolton
Songs sung: "Break On Through" by The Doors

Intro Song: N/A

• Badass Cape: The Wolf wears a crimson cape as a part of their attire.
• Breaking Old Trends: A twofer:
  • He has no entrance theme at all. He just teleports to the stage without doing a walk in.
  • He's the first person to appear on the show as a contestant after appearing as a guest in a past season.
• Cool Old Guy: Another older competitor this season, as he's seventy years old and still performing.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The number 6 was shown in his clue package. Before appearing as a contestant, Michael appeared on The Masked Singer's sixth season to duet with the Skunk.
  • He's shown playing with a pirate ship in the clue package. One of his songs is titled "Jack Sparrow", based on the titular pirate.
  • His clue package is set in his "love den". He is best known for his love ballads.
  • The Leopard from season 2 appeared as a skin rug. He and Seal performed When A Man Loves A Woman & It's A Man's, Man’s, Man’s World live once
  • Andy Garcia's face is seen in a heart shaped frame. Garcia's 1994 film "When A Man Loves A Woman" got its title from one Bolton's songs, though it's a cover from song by Percy Sledge.
  • Wolf mentions working with Lady Gaga, Andy Samberg, and Jay-Z. He worked with them on, respectively, "Murder My Heart", "Jack Sparrow", and "Never Let Me Down".

Squirrel

Ranking: Group B: Second-round first elimination
Real Identity: Malin Åkerman
Songs sung:

"Try" by Pink

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down (Battle Royale)

"Just The Two Of Us" by Grover Washington Jr. feat. Bill Withers

Intro Song: "Super Friends Theme" by Hit Crew

• Foreshadowing:
  • She first appeared on a night dedicated to DC superheroes. She played one before in Watchmen.
  • Related to the above, the happy-face pin is another nod to Watchmen.
  • Swedish meatballs are present in her first clue package. She was born in Sweden.
  • She mentions kissing Tom Cruise once. She kissed him in Rock of Ages.
  • The wedding dress in her second clue package refers to 27 Dresses and The Proposal.
  • Her physical clue is a picture of Ken. Both of them worked together in Couples Retreat.
• Shout-Out: A squirrel superhero? Must be one of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl's sidekicks.

Jackalope

Ranking: Group B: Second-round second elimination
Real Identity: Lele Pons
Songs sung:

"Wherever, Whenever" by Shakira

"On Top Of The World" by Imagine Dragons (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Pompeii" by Bastille

• Breaking Old Trends: Lele is the first contestant to have appeared on an international version of the show prior to the American version, having competed already on the Mexican version of the show as the Octopus.
• Fearsome Critters of American Folklore: The Jackalope is the first of these critters to appear on the show.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Her clue package had a picture of Ghostface's iconic mask. While Lele didn't appear in a Scream film, she did appear in the TV series.
  • The vines in the package is a clear reference to her start on Vine.

Axolotl

Ranking: Group B: Third-round first elimination
Real Identity: Alexa Bliss
Songs sung: "Can't Fight The Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes

Intro Song: "Timber" by Kesha ft. Pitbull

• Foreshadowing:
  • Her clue package contained some raw meat. Alexa is a part of WWE Raw, and she also had an eating disorder.
  • Her physical clue is a football helmet containing the words "2.3 million". Alexa's net worth is that much dollars.
  • There's golden pom poms. She was a cheerleader in high school and reached Division I at university.
  • Mentions falling in love with a man who helped her "build myself up instead of tearing myself down.” She is married to singer Ryan Cabrera, whose debut single was the 2004 song “On the Way Down.”
• Hidden Depths: Was anyone expecting her to not only be such a good a singer, but also admit to having stage fright?
• Small Taxonomy Pools: The Axolotl's namesake is a rather obscure amphibian, and it shows during her time on the show; the panelists are stumped on how to pronounce the name, and she herself lampshaded how she needed to Google it.
• So Proud of You: How Jenny reacts once she's unmasked, telling her that she's beyond proud of her managing to overcome her stage fright to appear on stage.

Fairy

Ranking: Group B: Third-round second elimination
Real Identity: Holly Robinson Peete
Songs sung:

"You're No Good" by Linda Ronstadt

"On Top Of The World" by Imagine Dragons (Battle Royale)

"Angel From Montgomery" by Bonnie Raitt

"That Don’t Impress Me Much" by Shaina Twain (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Cut To The Feeling" by Carly Rae Jepsen

• Foreshadowing:
  • Her debut was in an episode centered around Sesame Street. Holly's father, Matt, played Gordon on the show for the first three seasons. In fact, one of her major clues was about having a famous father.
  • She's seen tending to a Christmas tree in both her clue packages. She has appeared in multiple Christmas TV movies, including the Christmas in Evergreen series.
  • Also on view are framed photos of Sean Penn, Emilio Estevez, and Rob Lowe. All four of them graduated from Santa Monica High School a few years apart.
  • The stuffed black panther toy alludes to her husband, who used to play for the Carolina Panthers.
  • A police badge and the number 21 are shown in her clue packages. Holly starred in the show 21 Jump Street.
• Our Fairies Are Different: She's a green fairy with a humanoid face, iridescent wings and minor glowing accoutrements.

Moose

Ranking: Group C: First-round first elimination
Real Identity: George Wendt
Songs sung: "The Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News

Intro Song: "Oh Yeah" by Yello

• Cool Old Guy: He's in his seventies and is shown to have a lengthy career.
• Foreshadowing:
  • His sole appearance was in an episode centered around the 1980's. George starred in one of the most popular shows of that decade.
  • His clue package showed him getting a gift from Santa Claus. George played Santa once in Santa Buddies.
  • The clue package itself is styled after a sitcom intro. As stated above, George's claim to fame was a sitcom.
• Mighty Lumberjack: The costume has this as its motif.
• Moose and Maple Syrup: A lumberjack moose? Couldn't get more Canadian themed if you tried.
• Too Important to Walk: Spends all his time on stage sitting down.

Scorpio

Ranking: Group C: First-round second elemination
Real Identity: Christine Quinn
Songs sung:

"Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper

"Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Rock You Like A Hurricane" by Scorpions

• Big Creepy-Crawlies: A humanoid scorpion.
• Bling of War: This scorpion is covered head to toe in gold plating.
• Foreshadowing:
  • A picture of a sunset is shown in her clue package. Christine is known for her role in Selling Sunset.
  • Her physical clue was two dancers doing the Sprinkler. Christine is known for her staunch refusal to allow fire sprinklers to be installed into pet stores.
• Genki Girl: She is pretty much bouncing all over the stage every second she's on it.
• Scary Scorpions: Averted; this scorpion may look menacing, but she's completely harmless.

Doll

Ranking: Group C: Second-round first elimination
Real Identity: Dee Snider
Songs sung:

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds

"Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran (Battle Royale)

"Jailhouse Rock" by Elvis Presley

Intro Song: "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley

• Cool Old Guy: He's in his late sixties and is still performing.
• Foreshadowing:
  • His first appearance is on a night dedicated to the 80s. Twisted Sister was a prominent rock band of the decade.
  • He mentions how the government came down on him. Twisted Sister's most iconic song, "We're Not Gonna Take It", was part of the so called "Filthy Fifteen" made by Al Gore's wife, Tipper, and Dee was a key witness at Gore’s governmental meeting to discuss if rock and roll was too offensive.
  • The clue package has a dollhouse with animal toys in it. Animal House star Mark Metcalf appeared in Twisted Sister's music videos for "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", playing a role similar to his role of Douglas C. Neidemeyer.
  • The costume itself has a feminine look, but the singer is male. Dee's best known for being a Creepy Crossdresser on stage, frequently wearing wigs and putting on makeup.
• The Flapper: The aesthetic that the outfit seems to be invoking.
• Voodoo Doll: The specific type of doll this costume is.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: The costume may be female is design, but the voice inside of it is clearly male. Seeing as how Dee did this all the time, he's right in his element.

Dandelion

Ranking: Group C: Third round first-elimination
Real Identity: Alicia Witt
Songs sung:

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow" by Judy Garland

"(I've Got A) Golden Ticket" by Jack Albertson and Peter Ostrom (Battle Royale)

"Starlight" by Muse

Intro Song: "Summer Breeze" by Seals and Croft

• Foreshadowing:
  • A couple of zombies appeared in her clue packages. Alicia was a prominent star in The Walking Dead.
  • She mentions working with Madonna, Flea, and Elton John. Alicia starred with them in Four Rooms, Gen¹³: The Movie, and Nashville, respectively.
  • She also mentions her home being ravaged by a twister. This happened in March 2020.
  • Dandelion's second clue package show a piano, and she herself played the piano during the following performance. Aside from acting and singing, Alicia is a professional pianist.
  • Another clue in her second clue package was a Santa hat with a "laugh" emoji on it. Alicia starred in various Christmas films on the Hallmark Channel.
  • Her onstage clue during Space Night was "space star". Alicia starred in the 1984 version of Dune.
• Plant People: A living dandelion plant.

Lamp

Ranking: Group C: Third round second-elimination
Real Identity: Melissa Joan Hart
Songs sung:

"Venus" by Bananarama

"Rocket Man" by Elton John (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind and Fire

• Animate Inanimate Object: A living, breathing lamp.
• Foreshadowing:
  • She's hinted to be a famous 90s icon. Her claim to fame was the title character in the famous 90s sitcom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
  • A picture of Nicole was shown in her clue package. One of Nicole's first acting gigs was in an episode of Sabrina.
  • A picture of a cauldron was also shown. Witches like Sabrina are commonly associated with cauldrons.
  • One of the three celebrities she mentioned working and "locking lips" with was Ryan Reynolds. Ryan was Melissa's co-star in the made-for-TV Pilot Movie for Sabrina, with his character being Sabrina's Romantic False Lead.
    • Another of the aforementioned celebrities was James Van Der Beek. James had a guest appearance in Clarissa Explains It All, starring Melissa as the title character, with James' character being Melissa's love interest with whom she shares a kiss.
    • The last of the three celebrities was Mario Lopez. Melissa and Mario appeared as love interests in two made-for-TV Christmas movies, Holiday in Handcuffs and A Very Merry Toy Store.
  • The steering wheel represents Drive Me Crazy, which she starred in.
  • The costume itself is a clue, as Sabrina had a tiffany lamp on her bedside table.

Mantis

Ranking: Fourth-round: First elimination
Real Identity: Lou Diamond Phillips
Songs sung:

"Old Time Rock And Roll" by Bob Seger

"(I've Got A) Golden Ticket" by Jack Albertson and Peter Ostrum (Battle Royale)

"You Really Got Me" by The Kinks

Intro Song: "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" by Jerry Lee Lewis

• Big Creepy-Crawlies: A human-sized mantis.
• Foreshadowing:
  • A baseball diamond is shown in his second clue package. Of course, Lou's middle name is Diamond.
  • He mentions winning awards for his independent spirit. Lou won the Independent Spirit Award for his role in Stand and Deliver.
  • His onstage clue is "true story" and he mentions how "representing a legend" was instrumental to his success. Lou's Star-Making Role was playing Ritchie Valens in La Bamba.
  • During the Battle Royale on Movie Night, Mantis was able to change his voice to a Broadway-like style. That's because Lou was on Broadway for a time, most notably in The King and I.
• Greaser Delinquents: The Mantis is dressed like a greaser.
• Slaying Mantis: A mantis dressed as a greaser.

Gargoyle

Ranking: Fourth-round: Second elimination
Real Identity: Keenan Allen
Songs sung:

"One Call Away" by Charlie Puth

"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down (Battle Royale)

"DJ Got Us Falling In Love" by Usher feat. Pitbull

"Centuries" by Fall Out Boy (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Batman Theme" by Neal Hefti

• Face of a Thug: In spite of being pretty freaky looking, he has a very soft voice when he sings.
• Foreshadowing
  • He mentions being "stuck on the sidelines”. During the 2013 NFL Draft, he wasn't picked until the third round of picks after being an first round pick.
  • There was a gate in his first clue package. Keenan's mentor was Antonio Gates.
  • One clue stated that he was a Record Maker. Keenan broke several NFL records as a rookie.
  • A jukebox can be seen at one point. A classic football maneuver is called a juke.
  • Says that he's the "guy they passed to". Since Keenan is a wide receiver, it's his job to get the ball passed to him.
  • Gargoyle says he’s “keen on” something. This, of course, hints at his name.
• History Repeats: A male football player dressed in the season's Monster Expy costume ends up in a close match with a female member of his group who ultimately goes on to win the season. Are we talking about him or Season 7's Thingamabob?
• Our Gargoyles Rock: A gargoyle with a slick getup.

UFO

Ranking: 4th Place
Real Identity: Olivia Culpo
Songs sung:

"Yellow" by Coldplay

"Rocket Man" by Elton John (Battle Royale)

"Stargazing" by Kygo feat. Justin Jesso

"Tears Dry On Their Own“ by Amy Winehouse

Intro Song: "E.T." by Katy Perry

• Cyclops: Has one lime-green eye peaking out of her helmet.
• Flying Saucer: The costume's core concept. On the costume itself, it acts as a skirt.
• Foreshadowing:
  • She made her debut on a night dedicated to outer space. Makes sense considering she was crowned Miss Universe in 2012.
  • Her first clue package proclaimed she "landed in New England and headed west." She was born and raised in Rhode Island, winning Miss Rhode Island in 2012.
    • Also mentioned is the phrase "touchdown" and we see the Golden Gate Bridge at one point. She was engaged to a football player for the San Francisco 49ers at the time of her participation.
  • Her onstage clue during the quarterfinals was the words "red, white, and blue". Olivia famously became Miss USA in 2012, and she often uses the three colors as part of her apparel.
• Genki Girl: She's always in high spirits during her time on the show. Not even being eliminated stops her energetic nature.

California Roll

Ranking: 3rd Place
Real Identity: Pentatonix (Scott Hoying, Mitch Grassi, Matt Sallee, Kevin Olusula, and Kristin Maladonado)
Songs sung:

"Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga

"Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel (Battle Royale)

"Total Eclipse Of The Heart" by Bonnie Tyler

"Creep" by Radiohead

"Breakway" by Kelly Clarkson

"Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Sushi" by Merk and Kremont

• Anthropomorphic Food: This time, it's five wads of sushi!
• Breaking Old Trends: This costume is the first five-man costume on not just the US version of the show, but in the very history of the Masked Singer franchise.
• The Dividual: More so than any other group mask before, commonly referring to themselves and their accomplishments singularly as opposed to individually.
• Foreshadowing:
  • They mention Broadway repeatedly throughout their clues, and they made their debut on New York Night. Not only has the group covered several Broadway hits, but Kristin was in Kinky Boots.
  • One of them mentions getting married. Matt got married in 2022.
  • Another mentions being a scholar with a degree from an Ivy League school. Kevin graduated from Yale in 2011.
  • There are caricature drawings of a tiger. As their victory song after winning The Sing-Off, they sang "Eye of the Tiger".
  • They mention hanging with Snoop Dogg and Dolly Parton. They made a guest appearance on The Voice and sang their rendition of "Jolene" alongside Miley Cyrus and Parton; and in 2021 they did a duet video with Snoop on TikTok.
  • The package mentions them being a group project. Pentatonix is an acapella group.
  • One of them mentions "Gleeful Rays". Pentatonix got its start in an attempt to meet the cast of Glee.
  • Their on stage clue during New York Night is "5 Billion and growing". Pentatonix's YouTube channel has around 5 billion views.
  • They mention singing at the White House. Pentatonix has been to the White House several times.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: Pentatonix is known for having a complete accapella style to their music, but here they prove they can sing perfectly fine with a backing track.
• Surfer Dude: Fitting for a California Roll, their clue package has them talking like this, with words like "dude" being said quite a few times.

Macaw

Ranking: 2nd Place
Real Identity: David Archuleta
Songs sung:

"Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw

"That Don’t Impress Me Much" by Shaina Twain (Battle Royale)

"Photograph" by Ed Sheeran

"Your Song" by Elton John

"What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction

"Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars (Battle Royale)

"Hold Back The River" by James Bay

"All By Myself" by Eric Carmen

Intro Song: "Jungle Boogie" by Kool and the Gang

• Bird People: An anthropomorphic macaw.
• Character Tics: He likes blowing kisses with both hands.
• Foreshadowing:
  • A silver medal is shown in one of his clue packages, and he mentions wanting to finally win something. David came in 2nd place on the seventh season of American Idol.
    • A board reading "vote" can be seen at one point. American Idol is a voting contest.
  • The telescope alludes to the fact he played the lead character on Philippine television series Nandito Ako.
  • We see a jar of salsa once. His mom was a salsa singer and dancer.
  • His clue on Twitter was a dolphin. He was born in Miami.
  • The Macaw costume in general represents David's Latin heritage, as well as Honduras (in which the macaw is the national bird), where his mother hails from.
• History Repeats: David Archuleta participates in a really popular singing competition on Fox. He becomes a fan-favorite frontrunner in his season, and makes it to the finale, only to lose and land in 2nd place. Where have we heard that one before?

Medusa

Ranking: 1st Place
Real Identity: Bishop Briggs
Songs sung:

"Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish

"Diamonds" by Rihanna (Battle Royale)

"Dancing Queen" by ABBA

"The Winner Takes It All" by ABBA (Battle Royale)

"New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra

"Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel (Battle Royale)

"Mercy" by Shawn Mendes

"Centuries" by Fall Out Boy (Battle Royale)

"Someone Like You" by Adele

"Take Me To Church" by Hozier

"Runaway Baby" by Bruno Mars (Battle Royale)

"Elastic Heart" by Sia

"Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance

Intro Song: "Kings And Queens" by Ava Max

• Bedlah Babe: Her design draws from belly dancers.
• Breaking Old Trends: Medusa is the first contestant on the show to be saved from elimination.
• Foreshadowing:
  • In her second clue package, we see a picture of Chris Martin. He and Bishop toured together once.
  • Her third clue package has McTerrier's head. Her parents hail from a Scottish town. Said town, Bishopbriggs, would also be where she got her stage name from.
  • A bishop chess piece is shown in a clue package. Bishop is her first name (or rather, the first name of her stage name).
  • A picture of Sarah McLachlan is shown. Medusa's real name is very similar to hers, it's Sarah Grace Mclachlan.
  • Her onstage clue on ABBA Night was an airplane ticket to Tokyo, labelled Flight 1996. Bishop moved to Tokyo with her family in 1996, and stayed there for six years.
  • One of her onstage clues is "alias". Bishop Briggs is her stage name.
  • She says she’s been on the stage before, even if technically. Queen of Hearts performed her song "River" on Season 6.
  • Her penultimate clue package has her specifically mention the Queen of Hearts among the show's past winners. As mentioned before, the Queen of Hearts sang one of her songs in her season.
• Funny Background Event: She could be seen enjoying the music and dancing when her opponents were doing their Battle Royale performances.
• Gorgeous Gorgon: She based on and named after Medusa, and is quite the Ms. Fanservice.
• Incredibly Long Note: Pulls this off 3 times over the course of the season. First is during “Happier Than Ever”, followed by “Centuries” and finally concluded with “Welcome To The Black Parade”.
• Medusa: The costume was inspired by, and named after, the titular gorgon.
• Ms. Fanservice: Her outfit is quite figure-hugging.
• Worthy Opponent: After getting unmasked, Medusa mentioned that she was honored that Macaw was her finale opponent and that she was terrified of actually facing off with him.

Season 10

Anonymouse

Real Identity: Demi Lovato
Song sung: "What About Love" by Heart

Intro Song: N/A

• Breaking Old Trends: The first contestant who isn’t taking part in the contest herself.
• The Chanteuse: She certainly looks the part.
• Foreshadowing:
  • A picture of Nick Jonas was shown in her clue package. Demi and Nick starred in Camp Rock and its sequel.
  • The state of Texas is shown in the clue package. In addition to Demi being from Texas, her older sister is named Dallas, and her mother was a cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys.
  • In her clue package, Anonymouse uses a tiara to fend off a mouse catcher. Demi starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program.
  • There’s also a figure of a T-Rex. Before she rose to stardom, Demi was one of the children who appeared in Barney & Friends.
  • She mentions being on the Time 100. In particular, she was on the 2017 list.
• Nice Mice: Similar to Season 3's Mouse.
• Portmanteau: "Anonymous" + "Mouse" = "Anonymouse"!

Rubber Ducky

Ranking: Group A: First round elemination
Real Identity: Anthony Anderson
Songs sung: "Come On Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners

Intro Song: "Splish Splash" by Bobby Darin

• Breaking Old Trends: Rubber Ducky is the first contestant who was a guest panelist on a previous season (in this case, Anthony Anderson was a guest panelist on Season 2).
• Foreshadowing:
  • A horror videotape labeled "3-4" is shown. Anthony had roles in Scary Movie 3 and Scream 4.
  • Also shown is a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio. Anthony starred with Leo in the film The Departed.
  • His physical clue was a photo of his entire rubber ducky family, which he claims is "full of stars". Not only did Anthony star in black•ish, which had such talent like Tracee Ellis Ross, Lawrence Fishburne, and Jenifer Lewis, but his real-life mother, Doris Bowman, became as big of a celebrity as himself in recent years.
• Living Toys: In this case, a bath toy... along with the entire bath.

Diver

Ranking: Group A: Second round elimination
Real Identity: Tom Sandoval
Songs sung:

"Any Way You Want It" by Journey

"I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic

Intro Song: "Astronaut In The Ocean" by Masked Wolf

• Creepy Old-Fashioned Diving Suit: The type of suit this diver's wearing.
• Foreshadowing:
  • During the preview, he states that he's pumped to be on the show. The word "pumped", of course, refers to Vanderpump.
  • His physical clue in the aforementioned preview is a cardinal. The cardinal represents the St. Louis Cardinals, which in turn represents Tom's hometown of St. Louis.
  • Not only does he mention being Hated by All, but he also mentions becoming a household name in the worst possible way. Both refer to Tom gaining massive infamy for cheating on his Vanderpump co-star, Ariana Madix.

Pickle

Ranking: Group A: Third round elimination
Real Identity: Michael Rapaport
Songs sung:

"Pinball Wizard" by The Who

"Beverly Hills" by Weezer

"Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down" by Fall Out Boy (Smackdown)

Intro Song: "Juice" by Lizzo

• Anthropomorphic Food: One ginormous pickle that’s dressed well.
• Foreshadowing:
  • He made his debut on a night dedicated to the NFL. Michael is said to be a massive fan of sports, and that includes football.
  • His first clue package made mention of him working with people like Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Martin Short. Michael worked with Tarantino and Short on True Romance and Only Murders in the Building, respectively, while Scorsese was a guest on Michael's podcast.
  • The podcast microphones allude to Michael's career as a podcaster.
  • His physical clue in the 2000s episode is a group of pickles labeled as "friends". Michael appeared on the show Friends as Gary.
• Nice Mean And In Between: Of the three wildcards of Season 10, he's the "mean" one of the three, as he's primarily a Sore Loser and a troll to the other contestants.
• Smug Smiler: The costume has a rather troll-like grin plastered on its face.
• Sore Loser: While it's all in good jest, when Pickle gets unmasked, he goes on a curse-laden tangent about how he should have made it to the finals. Even in his encore, he sings, "I should've won!", and he’s still livid in the unmasked interview.
• Wild Card: One of the three wildcard contestants of Season 10, the first one to debut, and the first one out.

Royal Hen

Ranking: Group B: First-round elimination
Real Identity: Billie Jean King
Songs sung:

"Philadelphia Freedom" by Elton John

"Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John ft. Kiki Dee (Smackdown)

Intro Song: "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John

• Bifauxnen: Despite the costume having a masculine outfit, the person under the mask is the female Billie Jean King. Downplayed, as the costume is referred to as a she in her clue package.
• Cool Old Lady: She's nearing her eighties and she's shown to have an accomplished career.
• Foreshadowing:
  • In the preview, she mentions that while she was already well-known in America, she would do something that would make her known around the world. That something would be winning the Battle of the Sexes.
  • Her sole appearance was on a night dedicated to Elton John. Elton wrote the song "Philadelphia Freedom" (which she sang that night) specifically for her.
  • Her clue package mentioned doing something in front of ninety million subjects. The Battle of the Sexes was viewed by ninety million people worldwide.
  • A coin with a football on it is shown in her clue package. Billie Jean did the coin toss for Super Bowl LVI.
  • The name "Royal Hen" could be considered a clue in of itself. After all, King is her last name.
• Graceful Loser: She took losing to Hawk well.
• Legacy Character: Is most likely a redesigned version of the French Hen that was going to appear in Season 9.

Hawk

Ranking: Group B: Second-round elimination
Real Identity: Tyler Posey
Songs sung:

"Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" by Elton John

"Don’t Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John ft. Kiki Dee (Smackdown)

"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" by The Police

"Monster" by Lady Gaga (Smackdown)

"Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms

Intro Song: "Honky Cat" by Elton John

• Bird People: A hawk dressed like a warrior.
• Foreshadowing
  • A picture of Miley Cyrus is shown in one of his clue packages. Tyler worked with Miley's father in the show Doc, and he was the first person that Miley dated.
  • A stethoscope is also shown. This also references Doc.
  • In Harry Potter Night, Hawk mentions playing the role of a student. Referring to his character in Teen Wolf.
  • Mentions hearing a sound that “changed my mind in the blink of an eye.” He’s collaborated with Travis Barker of blink-182 fame.
  • The NYC postcard was a clue to his role in Maid in Manhattan.
• Gladiator Games: Their main aesthetic.

Hibiscus

Ranking: Group C: First round elimination
Real Identity: Luann de Lesseps
Songs sung:

"It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls

"Hey Mickey" by Toni Basil (Smackdown)

“What Do I Want For Christmas?” By Luann De Lesseps

Intro Song: "My Sherona" by The Knack

• Breaking Old Trends: Luann is the first contestant on the show who was a celebrity clue-giver in a past season (in her case, Season 9's New York Night).
• Foreshadowing:
  • Her clue package shows a vampire. The most famous vampire has the title of Count, while Luann has the title of Countess.
  • The Statue of Liberty can be seen at one point. Luann hails from New York. Not only that but she’s married to a descendant of the statues sculptor.
  • The gingerbread house was a clue to her Christmas song "What Do I Want for Christmas?".
• Plant Person: The second flower character on the show after Flower in season 2 (third if you want to count Tulip from The Masked Dancer).

Cuddle Monster

Ranking: Group C: Second round elimination
Real Identity: Metta World Peace
Songs sung:

"You Got It (The Right Stuff)" by New Kids On The Block

"Can't Stop The Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake (Smackdown)

Intro Song: "Larger Than Life" by Backstreet Boys

• Foreshadowing:
  • He mentions self destructing during his career. Metta was the instigator of the infamous "Malice At The Palace" brawl, in which he charged into the stands and attacked fans after one of them threw a drink at him.
  • Among the things shown in his clue package was a bull. Metta played for the Chicago Bulls from 1999 to 2002.
  • His Trolls sketch contained a globe with the word "champ" in it. Metta became an NBA champion in 2010.
• Gentle Giant: This costume may be the biggest and tallest single-person costume in the show's history, but he's still called the Cuddle Monster for a reason.
• Nice Mean And In Between: Of the three wildcards of Season 10, he's the "nice" of the three, as when he appeared, he's giving out hugs to both Nick and Anteater after he lost to the latter in their smackdown and is shown to have mellowed out after his grandchild was born.
• Our Monsters Are Different: Doesn't exactly bear a resemblance to previous monsters, but it’s still one.
• Wild Card: One of the three wildcard contestants of Season 10, the third one to debut, and the second one out.

S'more

Ranking: Group A: Fourth-round elemination
Real Identity: Ashley Parker Angel
Songs sung:

"Slow Hands" by Niall Horan

"Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5

"Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's

"Sugar, We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy (Smackdown)

"That's The Way (I Like It)" by KC And The Sunshine Band

Intro Song: "I Melt With You" by Modern English

• Anthropomorphic Food: A s'more whose overall appearance could’ve come right out of The Three Musketeers.
• Badass Mustache: Has a rather gallant moustache, befitting his musketeer motif.
• Foreshadowing:
  • His first clue package shows an angel adorning a Christmas tree. That's a dead ringer to his last name.
  • The gaming console refers to Ashley doing voicework for a couple of video games in the 90s—most notably Alex Noa in Lunar: The Silver Star and its remake, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.
  • The can of hairspray was a clue to his time in the musical Hairspray as Link Larkin.
    • He’s also seen tending to a cauldron at one point. That refers to his time in Wicked.
  • We see plenty oranges and a shuttle taking off. Auditions for his band O-Town were first held in Orlando.
• I Kiss Your Hand: He gives Nicole a kiss on her hand at the end of his first performance, leaving Nicole quite smitten.
• Swashbuckler: The S'more is the spitting image of one. He even calls himself one in his first clue package.

Husky

Ranking: Group B: Third-round elimination
Real Identity: Ginuwine
Songs sung:

"Bennie And The Jets" by Elton John

"Super Freak" by Rick James

"Always” by Bon Jovi

Intro Song: "Cold Heart" by Dua Lipa ft. Elton John

• Foreshadowing:
  • The preview has him saying "10 million". Ginuwine has an estimate of 10 million albums sold in the U.S.
  • His first clue package had an appearance from Season 6's Mother Nature. Ginuwine and Mother Nature herself, Vivica A. Fox, both starred in the film Juwanna Mann.
  • The crying face emoji was a clue to his song, "I'm Crying Out".
  • The carousel was in reference to his hit single "Pony".
  • The three king of hearts card alluded to his band TGT and their album Three Kings.
  • We see a globe at one point. He's got a song called "World Is So Cold".
  • During Harry Potter Night, he mentioned having a connection to P. Diddy. Ginuwine was a featured artist in P. Diddy's song, "I Need a Girl (Part Two)".
• Sled Dogs Through the Snow: Seems to be the theme for this Husky.

Tiki

Ranking: Group B: Third-round elimination
Real Identity: Sebastian Bach
Songs sung:

"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" by Elton John

"Magic" by Pilot

"Monster" by Lady Gaga (Smackdown)

"I Was Made For Lovin' You" by KISS

"Nothin But A Good Time" by Poison (Battle Royale)

Intro Song: "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John

• Anthropomorphic Food: To a certain extent; while it's not a type of food, it is a tiki cup you’d put a drink in, complete with its own little umbrella.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The monkey represented one of Skid Row's hit songs, "Monkey Business".
  • The alarm clock with the word "snooze" on it was a refrence to the Skid Row song, "Wasted Time".
  • The piano was a clue to his pianist, Matt Fallon, who plays for Skid Row and Anthrax.
  • The pineapple refers to the fact that he and Tommy Chong (Pineapple from Season 1) appeared in an episode of Trailer Park Boys in 2017.
• Irony: He's the former lead singer of a famous rock band, yet he got eliminated on a night dedicated entirely to rock.
• Reused Character Design: Is more or less copied from a costume previously seen on the French-Canadian version of the show.

Anteater

Ranking: Group C: Third-round elimination
Real Identity: John Oates
Songs sung:

"Walking In Memphis" by Marc Cohn

"Hey Mickey" by Toni Basil (Smackdown)

"I Want It That Way" by Backstreet Boys

"Can't Stop The Feeling!" by Justin Timberlake (Smackdown)

"Johnny B. Goode" by Chuck Berry

Intro Song: "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus

• Caring Gardener: The Anteater is dressed up as such.
• Cool Old Guy: He's in his seventies and he's shown to be a Nice Guy in all his appearances
• Foreshadowing:
  • The covered eyes represent one of Hall and Oates' hit songs: "Private Eyes".
  • The Anteater itself could be a clue. After all, "anteater" sounds very similar to "Maneater".
  • Is seen on a yacht in his first clue package. Hall & Oates is often categorized under the genre of Yacht Rock.
  • The thunderstorm is a twofold clue. Hall & Oates have 2 songs entitled “Lady Rain” & “Heavy Rain.”
  • His reference to "bad business deals" was a clue to when John and Daryl signed a bad deal, in which they were paid up front for their music but never received royalties.
  • Mentions racing all over America & the UK. He is a high level IMSA GT Championship driver and has competed at Lime Rock, Road America, and Daytona.
  • During One-Hit Wonders Night, he mentions being watched by 40% of the world. Hall & Oates performed during Live Aid, which was watched by roughly 40% of the world's population at the time.
• Nice Guy: Never gloats despite being in two Smackdowns.

Candelabra

Ranking: Group C: Third-round elemination
Real Identity: Keyshia Cole
Songs sung:

"1 Thing" by Amerie

"All My Life" by K-CI and Jojo

"I'm Going Down" by Mary G. Blige

"Wanted" by Hunter Hayes (Smackdown)

Intro Song: "Hot, Hot, Hot" by Buster Poindexter

• Animate Inanimate Object: It’s a living candelabra.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Her first clue package had a picture of California. That’s where Keyshia was born and raised.
  • The royal flush was a clue to her song "Playa Cardz Right".
  • The phone call to Kevin Hart referenced her 2010 album, Calling All Hearts.
  • Is shown receiving a package that says, “From the Angels.” She’s got a song called "Heaven Sent".
  • Robopine makes an appearance. Tyrese Gibson starred in the music video for her single "Love".
  • She hints at being called a princess. She has the esteemed title of "Princess of Hip-Hop Soul".
• Graceful Loser: She took losing to Donut in stride, complimenting him on his talent and saying that she can't wait to find out who he is.

Sea Queen

Ranking: 4th Place
Real Identity: Macy Gray
Songs sung:

"Love Potion No. 9" by The Searchers

"To Be With You" by Mr. Big

"Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison (Battle Royale)

"Winter Wonderland" by Ella Fitzgerald

"Rescue Me" by Fontella Bass

Intro Song: "Wicked Ones" by Dorothy

• Breaking Old Trends: The first Wildcard to make it to the finals.
• The Bus Came Back: This is Macy’s second time on the show, having previous participated in the Australian version as Atlantis.
• Foreshadowing:
  • A black widow is once shown. Black widows are a type of spider, and Macy made a cameo in the first Spider-Man film.
  • She mentions working with Denzel Washington. Macy starred with him in the film Training Day.
  • Her panelist connection is with Ken, stating that she once worked with him. The year before she was unmasked, Macy appeared as a guest on Ken's own Fox show, I Can See Your Voice.
  • Proclaims “I’ve lived many different experiences.” Not only is she a singer, songwriter and actress, she has also released music in various genres, including R&B, soul, jazz, and pop.
  • A photo of Tyler Perry is seen at one point. She stared in his film adaptation of For Colored Girls.
  • Her holiday gift clue was a dragon, like Donut. She did some voice work for an episode of American Dragon: Jake Long.
• Nice Mean And In Between: Out of the three wildcards of Season 10, she's the "in-between" of the three, as she's shown to be a lot nicer than Pickle, but her clue packages indicate there's a streak of meanness in her.
• Sea Monster: What this costume boils down to.
• Wild Card: One of the three wildcard contestants of Season 10, the second one to debut, and the last one out.

Gazelle

Ranking: 3rd Place
Real Identity: Janel Parrish
Songs sung:

"Uninvited" by Alanis Morissette

"The One That Got Away" by Katy Perry

"Lucky" by Britney Spears

"On The Radio” by Donna Summer

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor (Battle Royale)

"Underneath The Tree" by Kelly Clarkson

"Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol

Intro Song: "Love You Like A Love Song" by Selena Gomez & The Scene

• Foreshadowing:
  • Her preview clue was the Gremlin from Season 4. Janel starred with the Gremlin himself in the film Tiger.
  • The three bulldog statues in her first clue package allude to Janel's 2010 film Triple Dog.
  • Her NFL Night onstage clue was a football with the word "Villain" on it, with Gazelle explaining that she's good at playing the part of one. Janel notably portrayed villainess Mona Vanderwaal in Pretty Little Liars.
  • Her panelist connection is with Nicole, mentioning that they both have a connection to "the islands". Much like Nicole, Janel was Hawaiian-born.
  • Mentions having a special connection with deer. Her father-in-law, whose nickname was “Buck,” was killed by a drunk driver two weeks before her wedding.
  • A yellow umbrella was her holiday gift clue. “Rainy Day” was the name of her first single.
• Pimped-Out Dress: Look at all the flowers on it.
• Total Eclipse of the Plot: "Uninivited" ends with a solar eclipse.

Donut

Ranking: 2nd Place
Real Identity: John Schneider
Songs sung:

"Hooked On A Feeling" by Blue Swede

"I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees

"Frosty The Snowman" by Gene Autry

"Georgia On My Mind" by Ray Charles

"Wanted" by Hunter Hayes (Smackdown)

"You Are So Beautiful" by Joe Crocker

"Drift Away" by Dobie Gray

Intro Song: "Tootsee Roll" by 69 Boyz

• Anthropomorphic Food: This being consists of many donuts.
• Cool Old Guy: He's in his sixties and manages to be a very strong singer.
• Expy: The concept for him is similar to the UK's Doughnuts character.
• Eyes Do Not Belong There: His costume also has eyes on both his stomach and his shoes.
• Foreshadowing
  • The bow and arrow is a clear reference to John's character on The Dukes of Hazzard: Bo Duke. This is also emphasized by everything from the cowboy boots to the peaches.
  • At one point says “Get Out of Dodge.” Referring to the General Lee, the iconic orange 1969 Dodge Charger driven on Dukes of Hazard.
  • He mentions singing with Ray Charles before. The two of them sang "Georgia On My Mind" together in the TV special John Schneider: Back Home.
  • Proclaims not a lot of people know he can sing. He has released nine studio albums and several compilation and greatest hits albums since the early 80s, several of which peaked on the country music charts, but they’re eclipsed by his acting endeavors.
  • During his third clue package, there's a dragon figurine. This refers to John's role in the film The Dragon Unleashed.
  • It's mentioned repeatedly that he lost his wife recently. John's most recent wife, Alicia Allain, died in February 2023, a few months before he appeared on the show.
  • An Egyptian sarcophagus was his holiday present clue. John was the voice for Rick O'Connell in The Mummy: The Animated Series.
• Vocal Dissonance: Has a goofy, childish face, and a deep, booming voice coming out of it.

Cow

Ranking: 1st Place
Real Identity: Ne-Yo
Songs sung:

"Bones" by Imagine Dragons

"Treasure" by Bruno Mars

"Cry Me A River" by Justin Timberlake

"Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor (Battle Royale)

"What Christmas Means To Me" by Stevie Wonder

"Rhythm Nation" by Janet Jackson

"Take A Bow" by Rihanna

Intro Song: "Milkshake" by Kelis

• Breaking Old Trends: Cow is the first crossdressing costume to win.
• Broken Win/Loss Streak: The previous four seasons all had female winners. Cow, despite having a feminine design, breaks this streak with the singer underneath being the male Ne-Yo.
• The Bus Came Back: This is Ne-Yo's second time on the show, having previously participated on the UK version as the Badger.
• Distaff Counterpart: To Season 6's Bull.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The sign saying "moo-sical" is a nod to Ne-Yo starring in a musical. In particular, he was the Tin Woodsman in The Wiz Live!.
  • His final song is "Take A Bow". Ne-Yo actually wrote this song himself.
  • His first onstage clue is a movie ticket with the world "blockbuster", with him explaining that his success started with a movie. His stage name was derived from a blockbuster movie; specifically, Ne-Yo is named after Neo from The Matrix.
  • Mentions making hit after hit. His many albums and singles have earned him sixteen Grammy nominations, six BET Award nominations, and four MTV Video Music Awards, among others.
    • Subsequently he mentions winning Grammys but never giving an acceptance speech. The 3 Grammys he’s won are in categories that aren’t televised.
  • The silver and black football was a clue to the Las Vegas Raiders, which is the city that he grew up in.
  • The aviation wings were an homage to his appearance in the movie Red Tails.
  • The 4th of July refers to his song “Miss Independent”.
• My Greatest Second Chance: Ne-Yo was previously the Badger on the UK version of the show and, while he would fall just short there, he would ultimately win it all here.
• Wholesome Crossdresser: Despite having a feminine costume design and outfit, the voice coming out of the Cow is distinctly male.

Season 11

Book

Ranking: Group A: First round self-elimination
Real Identity: Kevin Hart
Songs sung: "So Sick" by Ne-Yo
Intro Song: "ABC" by The Jackson 5

• Animate Inanimate Object: A book with a Literal Bookworm hanging out to boot.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The phrase "Animals 101" refers to Kevin voicing a couple of animals in animated films; namely Snowball from The Secret Life of Pets and Ace the Bat-Hound in DC League of Super-Pets.
  • At one point, we see a ghost. Kevin once went to a haunted house on The Tonight Show.
• High-Class Glass: He wears a monocle as part of their design, something also worn by his bookworm companion.
• Non-Gameplay Elimination: Similar to Gremlin before him, Book would be the second contestant in the show's history to unmask himself prematurely, before everyone could even vote. This time, however, it was intentional on his part, doing it as part of a prank on Nick.
• The Prankster: Setting aside the fact that he's a well-known prankster already, Kevin's entire tenure as Book, from his off-key vocals to his self-elimination, was all an elaborate prank on Nick.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Much like Gremlin, he unmasked and left the show immediately after his performance. This time, though, it was due to him pranking Nick, rather than his costume overheating.
• Useful Book: This book is wearing other books as shoes.

Afghan Hound

Ranking: Group B: First round elimination
Real Identity: Savannah Chrisley
Songs sung:

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by The Tokens
"Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg (Smackdown)
Intro Song: "The Merry Old Land Of Oz" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

• Corpsing: During both of her performances, she's audibly heard breaking out into laughter.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Her connection to the Cowardly Lion and her song choice could connect to her name, as lions are usually found in savannahs.
• Reused Character Design: The costume is derived from the French-Canadian version of the show's Lady Greyhound.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Ranking: Group C: First round elimination
Real Identity: Joe Bastianich
Songs sung:

"Only The Good Die Young" by Billy Joel
"Movin' Out (Anthony’s Song)" by Billy Joel (Smackdown)
Intro Song: "We Didn't Start The Fire" by Billy Joel

• Anthropomorphic Food: A being with a spaghetti head dressed in an Italian chef outfit.
• Foreshadowing
  • His physical clue was a pizza with the words "show time" on it. He elaborates by saying that he spends most of his time on a hit show. That show is MasterChef.
  • The costume has a chef motif. Obviously, this refers to MasterChef.
    • The costume is also based on an Italian dish, and has an Italian chef's outfit. Joe has quite a few connections to Italy—he's of Italian descent, his parents owned an Italian restaurant, etc.
• Graceful Loser: Shared a high-five with Lizard after being bested by him in the smackdown.
• Hidden Depths: Who knew that Joe Bastianich of all people was a pretty solid singer?

Sir Lion

Ranking: Group C: Second round elmination
Real Identity: Billy Bush
Songs sung:

"Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra
"Who Are You" by The Who (Smackdown)
Intro Song: "Frolic" by Luciano Michelini

• Cat Folk: He’s more sophisticated than Season 1’s Lion.
• Foreshadowing:
  • The radio at the start of his clue package refers to Billy's radio show, The Billy Bush Show.
  • Also shown is an anchor. Billy was an anchorman for the shows Access Hollywood and Today, and currently does anchor work for Extra.
  • He mentions coming from a rather famous family. That would be the Bushes; in particular, Billy is the nephew of George H. W. Bush and the cousin of George W. Bush.
• Graceful Loser: After Lizard was announced as the winner of their smackdown, Sir Lion shared a hug with his competitor before unmasking.
• Reused Character Design: He’s more or less the same as the Lion from the Canadian version of the show.
• Spear Counterpart: For all intents and purposes, he's the male version of Season 1's Lion.

Lizard

Ranking: Group C: Third round elimination
Real Identity: Sisqó
Songs sung:

"Uptown Girl" by Billy Joel
"Movin' Out (Anthony’s Song)" by Billy Joel (Smackdown)
The theme from "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!"
"Who Are You" by The Who (Smackdown)
"Bring Me To Life” by Evanescance
Intro Song: "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me" by Billy Joel

• Foreshadowing:
  • His first physical clue had the word "billboards" on it, in which Lizard explains that he had a #1 billboard. Sisqó's song "Incomplete" made #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • During TV Theme Night, his physical clue was a dog, which he claims was integral to his career. Sisqó starred in the film Snow Dogs.
  • One of the things we see in his third clue package is a photo of Justin Timberlake. Sisqó was a support act for Timberlake and the rest of *NSYNC during their No Strings Attached Tour in 2000.
  • Season 4's Dragon appearing in the third clue package represents Sisqó's connection with dragons; several of his albums have the word "dragon" in them, and his record label is named Dragon as well.
    • The Lizard costume as a whole could be another reference to dragons; both lizards and dragons are reptilian creatures, and one lizard in particular is called the komodo dragon.
  • The panelist Lizard has a connection with is Rita, since they both won the same award. That award was the MTV Video Music Award.
• Lizard Folk: It's all in the name.
• Non-Mammalian Hair: He has a tuff of hair under that hat, even though most lizards usually don't have hair.
• Reused Character Design: The costume is derived from the Dinosaur from the French-Canadian version of the show.

Lovebird

Ranking: Group A: Second round elimination
Real Identity: Colton Underwood
Songs sung:

"Home" by Philip Phillips
"All That You Are" by Goo Goo Dolls
Intro Song: "Higher" by Creed

• Bird People: A human-sized lovebird.
• Foreshadowing:
  • His costume being the Lovebird makes sense; after all, he's known for appearing on a show that's all about love.
  • His physical clue in the first episode is a TV displaying the words "leading man". The Bachelor, of course, is a TV show, and Colton was the lead character in its 23rd season.
  • Optimus Prime mentions that Lovebird has made television history before. Colton was the first-ever gay lead on The Bachelor.
• Reused Character Design: The costume is mostly taken from the French-Canadian version of the show, where it was part of a group costume.

Koala

Ranking: Group A: Second round elimination
Real Identity: DeMarcus Ware
Songs sung: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears for Fears
Intro Song: "Battle Cry" by Imagine Dragons

• Foreshadowing:
  • His clue package mentions that he can be defensive. During his time in the NFL, DeMarcus was part of the defensive team as a linebacker.
  • The cowboy hat is a clear nod to DeMarcus playing for the Dallas Cowboys.
  • Optimus Prime's clue was that he's on a shortlist with the greatest in his field. For DeMarcus, that shortlist is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• High Koala-ty Cuteness: A koala dressed in a fine outfit.
• Swashbuckler: Much like S'more before him, this serves as Koala's main aesthetic.

Ugly Sweater

Ranking: Group A: Third round elimination
Real Identity: Charlie Wilson
Songs sung:

"The Best" by Tina Turner
"Brick House" by The Commodores
"I Want To Break Free” by Queen
Intro Song: "Undone-The Sweater Song" by Weezer

• Cool Old Guy: He's in his early seventies and is shown to be a humorous at his age.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Bumblebee mentioned that he won a Lifetime Achievement Award. He actually won two of them, both in 2013.
  • He mentions working with Tupac. Charlie worked with him on the songs "Just Watching" and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
• Homemade Sweater from Hell: They're a chaotic, asymmetrical mass of fabric and stitches.
• Living Clothes: A singing sweater.
• Ugly Cute: Their name may be Ugly Sweater, but they still look endearing nonetheless.

Starfish

Ranking: Group A: Third round elimination
Real Identity: Kate Flannery
Songs sung:

"Material Girl" by Madonna
"21 Guns" by Green Day
"Under Pressure" by Queen ft. David Bowie
"Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen (Battle Royale)
Intro Song: "Shining Star" by Earth, Wind, and Fire

• Fish People: A starfish wearing scuba gear.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Optimus Prime's clue was that she was part of a talented group. That group was the cast of The Office.
  • Her physical clue in the first episode was "50 billion"—as in over 50 billion minutes streamed in a single year. In particular, The Office streamed over 52 billion minutes on Netflix in 2018.
  • The office supplies in her third clue package is a blatant reference to The Office.
  • The telescope references Kate's participation on Dancing with the Stars.
  • She mentions having to replaced someone who was fired. She pulled Other Darrin duty for Henriette Mantel, who played Meredith in The Office's pilot.

Miss Cleocatra

Ranking: Group B: Second round elmination
Real Identity: Jenifer Lewis
Songs sung:

"Stormy Weather" by Etta James
"Free (Your Mind)" by En Vogue
"Waterfalls" by TLC (Smackdown)
Intro Song: "We're Off To See The Wizard" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

• Cat Folk: She's named Cleocatra for a reason.
• Distaff Counterpart: To the White Tiger, another feline with an Egyptian motif.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Her second clue package included pictures of Bette Midler and Whoopi Goldberg. Jenifer was a backup singer for Bette on stage and in the film Beaches, and starred with Whoopi in the film Sister Act.
  • The Bel-Air sign references Jenifer's recurring appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
  • She mentions how The Supremes were a part of her career. While Jenifer was not a part of Dreamgirls (which was inspired by the Supremes' career), she was a co-star of Anika Noni Rose (who played one of the Dreamgirls in the 2006 film) in The Princess and the Frog.
• Punny Name: Her name's a clear pun on Cleopatra.

Beets

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD and TBD
Songs sung:

"Home" by Michael Buble
"I’m So Excited" by The Pointer Sisters
Intro Song: "Follow The Yellow Brick Road" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

• Anthropomorphic Food: A pair of living beets.

Clock

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD
Songs sung:

"Piano Man“ by Billy Joel
The theme from Good Times
"Respect" by Aretha Franklin
"Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrill
Intro Song: "For The Longest Time" by Billy Joel

• Animate Inanimate Object: A clock themed person in a dress.

Goldfish

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD
Songs sung:

"Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo
"Baby Come Back" by Player
"The Show Must Go On" by Queen
"Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen (Battle Royale)
Intro Song: ”How Deep Is Your Love” by Calvin Harris & Disciples

• Fish People: She’s a goldfish wearing an orange dress.
• Reused Character Design: She’s identical in appearance to the Goldfish from the Australian version.

Gumball

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD
Songs sung:

"If I Only Had A Heart" by Jack Haley/"Heartbeat Song" by Kelly Clarkson
"Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg (Smackdown)
“Wide Open Spaces” by the Chicks
Intro Song: The Lollipop Guild segment from "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead!" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg

• Animate Inanimate Object: While the costume's name is Gumball, the costume itself is a sentient gumball machine.
• Bait-and-Switch: His first song appears like it's going to be "If I Only Had A Heart", only for him to quickly break into "Heartbeat Song".

Poodle Moth

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD
Songs sung:

"Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel

"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
"The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert
"Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tami Terrill
Intro Song: "Always A Woman" by Billy Joel

• Big Creepy-Crawlies: One ginormous moth.
• Parental Abandonment: Her Clue Package on TV Theme Night had her revealing how her father walked out of her life without warning, with all the letters she sent to him being returned to sender with no reply.

Seal

Ranking: TBD
Real Identity: TBD
Songs sung:

"Hold On" by Wilson Phillips
"Waterfalls" by TLC (Smackdown)
Intro Song: "Worth It" by Fifth Harmony ft. YK Ink

• Reused Character Design: Much like other costumes this season, Seal's design is derived from the French-Canadian version of the show; in this case, it was inspired by the Whitecoat.
• Sweet Seal: A white seal dressed in a blue scarf and matching hat.