Once Upon a Time: All 7 seasons of OUAT ranked from worst to best

Get your affairs in order dearie because Once Upon a Time is now streaming on Hulu! And don’t you worry. The fairytale series will continue to be offered on Disney+ as well. All seven seasons of the hit show have been added to Hulu for our viewing pleasure. And to commemorate its arrival on another streaming service, we’re ranking them all from worst to best.

We don’t like to say worst. Let’s say non-favorites to favorites maybe. The ABC hit series brought with it many magical moments that we’ll always remember. Overall, it was a show about hope, redemption, love, and everything else in between. To this day, it’s definitely No. 1 in my heart!

But even if a series is your favorite, there might be a season here or there that just aren’t your cup of tea. Here’s our ranking for all seven seasons of OUAT below.

Once Upon a Time: All 7 seasons of OUAT ranked from worst to best

#7: Once Upon a Time season 7 (worst)

I’m sorry, but this season is like blocked from my memory. Many of us fans just say that the show ended with season 6, and we don’t even think about the seventh. The concept the showrunners came up with could have had potential, but it wasn’t executed very well. To be honest, after most of the major cast members decided to leave, that’s when the behind-the-scenes team should have just called it quits. The fact that we were seeing the same characters but in a different storybook just did not make sense. And please don’t get me started on Wish Hook. Just no. While OUAT had so many great OTPs, the chemistry wasn’t there between an adult Henry and Cinderella either. So even with some of the same original cast members returning, the season just did not work.

#6: Once Upon a Time season 6

Ok, so I do think season 6 had a lot of great moments. The first few episodes were really good, the twist of the sleeping curse placed on Snow and Charming was so smart, the OUTSTANDING musical episode was off the charts, and I loved those last moments in the finale where we had the montage. It was the perfect way to wrap up the show (hence why it should have ended here). The reason the sixth season is ranked #6 for me though is a few reasons. Some of the episodes between those first few and the finale were kind of meh, and the whole Emma is destined to die thing wasn’t written the best. Also, the Wish Realm episode was disappointing for many fans because instead of seeing an alternate universe that showed how things would have played out if the curse was never cast, we go to the Wish Realm instead.

I also didn’t like how they ended Regina’s arc with her vs her evil self. I think Regina had a lot of growth and I liked the portrayal of that for her character. She really came full circle. What I didn’t like is that in the end, she was separated from the Evil Queen and they were two different people. I know they sort of share a heart, but still. Regina needed to accept both parts of herself, which she did. But she’s one person. Regina is the Evil Queen and the Evil Queen is Regina. They’re not two separate people. Also they killed Robin off which was a huge shocker.

#5: Once Upon a Time season 4

I’ll be honest, season 4 lost me a bit. It was fun having characters like those from Frozen and the Queens of Darkness. But their storylines, again, weren’t super interesting. The whole thing with Maleficent daughter, Lily, kind of put me to sleep. Pun intended. I don’t know. That whole storyline didn’t really have an effect on me. But if I do have a favorite part of the season, it’s definitely Emma and Killian’s relationship growing and blossoming. They were adorable!

#4: Once Upon a Time season 5

The fifth season is a little up and down for me. The Dark Swan storyline was interesting and a really cool idea. And even though I don’t think it hit with viewers the way the writers wanted it to, it was such shocking twist to have the Savior become The Dark One. I did enjoy the second half with the gang going to the Underworld to save Killian, and it was great how Regina was able to make peace with her dad too. Though, Hades wasn’t a great villain to be honest. Sorry not sorry. He was pretty boring compared to the others and I feel like we stayed in the Underworld for too long. Since season 3, the show decided to do two arcs per season. While I think it worked for the third season, it didn’t necessarily do so later on.

#3: Once Upon a Time season 2

The top three seasons of the series are definitely the first three. Season 2 of the fairytale drama was so fun! We had Emma and Snow in the Enchanted Forest trying to get back to their family; the reveal of Neal being Henry’s father, aka Bae, aka Rumple’s son; the introduction of Captain Hook/Killian Jones; and we got to learn even more about the characters we started to invest in from the first season. The story and pacing just really worked here.

#2: Once Upon a Time season 3

If the first season didn’t hold the top spot, OUAT season 3 definitely would have taken it. The arcs and story ideas were so unique and interesting. First was Neverland. And Pan was one of the most deliciously evil villains. I loved everything about that storyline and how everyone banded together to save Henry. And then the Wicked Witch. I mean who doesn’t love Rebecca Mader in the role? Her sarcasm and unhinged character was so fun, and put a lot at stake for our favorite characters. Plus Captain Swan get to go on a Back to the Future adventure, and these two episodes are probably my all-time favorites and some of the best from the entire show.

#1: Once Upon a Time season 1 (best)

Of course like most shows, it’s always the first season that ranks at the top. There’s something so magical about Once Upon a Time season 1 that couldn’t be replicated. The introduction of the fairytale characters’ stories that we know but had their own unique spin, seeing Snow and Charming’s love story play out in the Enchanted Forest, and the twist that Emma breaks the curse at the end? Perfection. The first season really had it all! There’s nothing like the pilot episode and the finale. I get goosebumps just thinking about them.

All seven seasons of Once Upon a Time are now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.