The Challenge has a long history, and with so many repeat competitors, it feels like every season is a chapter in an ever-growing book. Some chapters are packed with content, but you could probably skip some of them without even noticing.
These are the most skippable Challenge seasons. They gave us very few moments that impacted future seasons, and it feels like they live in a silo. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bad seasons — they’re just moments in time that came and went.
5. Spies, Lies and Allies
After Double Agents turned out to be a success, this season tried to continue the spy theme. General consensus: That theme added nothing to the franchise and the veteran roster was way too repetitive. Despite this, the biggest problem was the number of rookies. Some of them had potential, but so few of them returned that it can make rewatching this season feel like a distant memory — even though the season is only four years old.
Memorable moments
- Amber sparks a big fight after being betrayed by the big brother alliance, which led to Fessy getting sent home.
- Kaycee gets her first win, CT gets his fifth.
- Amanda and Tori heat up their rivalry after Amanda steals Tori’s spot on the ruby team.
4. Battle for a New Champion
Some people actually like this season. It has drama, alliances, and some cool competitions, but it has a similar issue to Spies, Lies and Allies. Very few cast members have appeared on subsequent seasons. Only five of its contenders returned for Battle of the Eras, and by the time season 41 airs, Olivia will be the only regular competitor from Battle for a New Champion that is on the season.
Memorable moments
- Olivia back stabs Nurys, sparking a rivalry that carried into Battle of the Eras.
- Corey makes a grand gesture by betraying Big T and Melissa.
- Moriah hooks up with James, causing a messy break up with Bananas.
3. Battle of the Bloodlines
Upon its premiere, this season felt a bit awkward. The format was unbalanced and a lot of the Bloodlines felt random. Many viewers assumed this would be some type of spiritual successor to Fresh Meat, but only four of the bloodlines returned to appear on a future season. Beyond Cara Maria getting her first win, most of the moments on the season felt irrelevant. As soon as Rivals 3 aired, it felt like the Bloodline drama was over and fans quickly forgot what happened during the season.
Memorable moments
- Cara Maria eliminates Bananas and gets her first win.
- Tony hooks up with Christina on the first night, signifying the end of his relationship with Madison.
- Kellyanne returns to the Challenge after about seven years away.
2. The Inferno 3
This season has a unique issue: It was missing on Paramount+ for a long time. By doing this, it demonstrated just how unnecessary the season was, because it didn’t feel like many Inferno 3 moments impacted its predecessor, the Gauntlet 3. Compared to other Inferno seasons, this one has far less drama and the cast is much less remarkable. Viewership dipped while The Inferno 3 aired, so it’s not much of a surprise that MTV wanted to distance itself from it.
Memorable moments
- CT punches Davis on the first night and gets sent home — but he returned on the next season, The Gauntlet 3.
- Derrick gets his first win and Tonya gets her only win, which got her a spot on the Champions team on The Ruins.
- Timmy retires from the Challenge.
1. The Extreme Challenge
By nature, the non-vote off seasons are going to be more forgettable, but it felt like The Challenge got its stride when Challenge 2000 aired. That season had memorable cast members and fun competitions, but despite its name, the Extreme Challenge felt like a downgrade. It felt like the cast never quite meshed like prior seasons, and the Road Rules team was a mess. But if you never watch this season, your relationship with the Challenge will be practically unchanged.
Memorable moments
- Ayanna punches Christian for using racist language, becoming the first person on the Challenge to get kicked off.
- Syrus grabs James by the collar for shooting him with a paintball after the mission’s horn is sounded.
- Celebrity guests appear during missions like Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, LL Cool J, and Chris Klein.
Stop Being Polite 
The Island should have been #1. That was the worst season.
That was a bad season, but the Bananas, Paula, and Evelyn drama impacted a lot. It also really solidified Derrick in the JEK alliance, which influenced future seasons. But perhaps most importantly, it has the Kenny/Johanna hook up that sparked the Kenny/Wes feud.