DWTS Season 34 Finale Power Rankings: Who Will Waltz Away With the Mirrorball?
“Dancing With the Stars” Season 34 Finale: Power Rankings and Trophy Predictions
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 is about to crown its champion. After a season packed with viral moments, emotional packages and some genuinely impressive ballroom technique, the mirror ball trophy comes down to five celebrity finalists: Elaine Hendrix, Alix Earle, Dylan Efron, Jordan Chiles and Robert Irwin. Across a three-hour live finale on ABC, they’ll dance one last time for the judges and the voting audience at home.
Below, we break down the finalists’ stories, strengths and potential finale dances, then stack them in a pre-show ranking. This isn’t just about who scores a perfect 30—on DWTS, pop culture relevance, narrative arcs and fan engagement can be just as decisive as heel leads and hip action.
Why This “DWTS” Finale Feels Different
Season 34 leans heavily into something the franchise has been chasing in the streaming era: cross-generational relevance. The finalist lineup is a carefully balanced cocktail—classic Hollywood nostalgia, Olympic athleticism, Gen Z influencer culture, reality-adjacent fame and the global goodwill of a beloved wildlife family.
In a TV landscape where competition shows now compete with TikTok for attention, DWTS has doubled down on:
- Social-media-friendly casting (Alix Earle, Dylan Efron)
- Sports heroes who translate athletic rigor into ballroom (Jordan Chiles)
- Comfort TV favorites that appeal to long-time viewers (Elaine Hendrix, Robert Irwin)
The result is a finale where each contestant brings a different slice of audience with them, making the outcome less about a single runaway favorite and more about who can convert their fandom into votes when the music stops.
How the “DWTS” Season 34 Finale Works
The finale stretches across three hours, which DWTS uses not just for the competition but for a mini victory lap of the season. Expect:
- Each finalist performing a redemption dance (a style they struggled with earlier).
- A high-energy freestyle routine where the rules loosen and personality takes over.
- Group numbers, returning contestants and pro showcases that fill in the gaps between the competitive scores.
The winner is determined by a combination of:
- Judges’ scores from tonight’s routines
- Live viewer votes gathered throughout the show
“You can’t win this show on technique alone—you need a story that makes people pick up the phone.”
That long-standing truism about DWTS feels especially applicable this year, when every finalist has been framed with a specific narrative hook.
Pre-Show Power Rankings: Who’s Leading the Race?
Based on weekly scores, social visibility, edit, and that ineffable “it’s their time” feeling, here’s how the finalists stack up heading into the Season 34 finale.
1. Jordan Chiles – The Olympian Turned Ballroom Powerhouse
Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles arrived with the usual athlete expectations—strong lines, serious work ethic—but across the season she’s added something harder to teach: emotional range. Her Latin routines sharpened week by week, and her contemporary pieces landed as genuine standout moments.
DWTS loves a redemption story, and Chiles’ arc from “great potential” to “fully fledged performer” plays beautifully on camera. If she nails both a technically clean redemption dance and a show-stopping freestyle, she fits the mold of past winners like Simone Biles-adjacent fan favorites and NFL champs who peaked at exactly the right time.
- Strengths: Precision, stamina, coachable attitude, built-in sports fan base.
- Risks: Judges may nitpick artistry; audience might assume she’s “too safe” and under-vote.
2. Robert Irwin – The Heart-of-Gold Fan Favorite
Wildlife conservationist and TV personality Robert Irwin has quietly become the emotional center of the season. Like his late father Steve Irwin, Robert brings a warm, earnest energy that plays incredibly well with family audiences and long-time ABC viewers.
Technically, he’s not the strongest dancer in the lineup, but his growth curve has been one of Season 34’s most satisfying arcs. DWTS history is full of winners who weren’t the “best” dancers but were the most beloved narratives—Robert fits that tradition almost perfectly.
- Strengths: Huge goodwill, emotional storytelling, broad age-range appeal.
- Risks: Technique may lag behind Jordan’s; could finish as the “people’s champ” in second.
3. Alix Earle – The Social Media Supernova
Influencer Alix Earle represents DWTS’ ongoing effort to convert online clout into linear-TV ratings. With a massive following on TikTok and Instagram, she’s brought a younger, digitally native audience into the ballroom—exactly what ABC wants in 2025.
On the floor, she’s improved steadily but not always consistently. Some weeks, the performance quality caught up with the hype; in others, the dancing felt secondary to the edit. Still, if her followers show up in force and the freestyle leans into her party-girl persona, she’s the wild card who could upset the “Jordan vs. Robert” narrative.
- Strengths: Enormous online fan base, camera charisma, synergy with the show’s social content.
- Risks: Voters who prioritize technique may look elsewhere; older demo might not connect.
4. Elaine Hendrix – The Seasoned Scene-Stealer
Actor Elaine Hendrix, forever iconic to a generation of viewers as Meredith from The Parent Trap, has leaned into her theatrical chops. Her ballroom and tango numbers crackled with character, and she’s one of the most reliably entertaining performers in the cast.
The downside: DWTS crowds don’t always reward older, more experienced performers with the trophy, even when they’re delivering. Hendrix feels like a finalist the show is proud to have, but not necessarily the one it’s building the “and your winner is…” drumroll around.
- Strengths: Stage presence, acting ability, nostalgic fan base.
- Risks: Limited ceiling on technique; may be overshadowed by more “transformational” journeys.
5. Dylan Efron – The Quiet Contender
Filmmaker and adventurer Dylan Efron entered the season with name recognition (yes, that Efron family) but less public familiarity than the rest of the cast. Across the weeks, he’s shown steady competence and occasional flashes of charisma without quite grabbing the narrative spotlight.
In most DWTS seasons, there’s one finalist who feels like a “happy to be here” success story rather than the presumptive champion; Dylan fills that role for Season 34. A strong finale could bump him up the ranking, but as of now, he’s the long shot.
- Strengths: Solid improvement, likable on-camera demeanor, potential crossover fans.
- Risks: Lower name recognition, fewer big “moments” for voters to latch onto.
So Who’s Most Likely to Win the Mirrorball?
If we’re weighing scores + story + fan energy, the edge going into the live show belongs to:
- Front-runner: Jordan Chiles
- Close challenger: Robert Irwin
- Chaos agent: Alix Earle
The finale often turns on two key moments:
- Whether anyone delivers a viral freestyle that dominates social feeds overnight.
- Whether a single emotional package—family tribute, comeback narrative, or deeply personal story—pushes one finalist over the top with casual viewers.
In DWTS history, the contestant who “wins the night” isn’t always the one who’s led the entire season—but they almost always feel inevitable by the time confetti falls.
The Cultural Footprint of “Dancing With the Stars” in 2025
Nearly two decades in, DWTS no longer dominates the zeitgeist the way it once did, but its cultural footprint is still surprisingly resilient. The show has become a kind of comfort-food television: familiar structure, glittery escapism, and just enough real emotion to keep it from feeling disposable.
Season 34 in particular underlines a few ongoing trends in unscripted TV:
- Legacy network shows are leaning on nostalgia and multi-generational casting to stay relevant.
- Influencer contestants are no longer novelties—they’re essential to the strategy.
- Sports and wildlife personalities continue to be reality-TV gold for their authenticity and built-in fan bases.
Whether you’re rooting for Jordan’s polish, Robert’s heart, Alix’s chaos, Elaine’s theatrical flair or Dylan’s steady climb, this finale is a snapshot of where celebrity culture sits in 2025: fragmented, platform-specific, but still united—at least for one night—on a sparkling ballroom floor.
How to Watch and Join the Conversation
The Season 34 finale of Dancing With the Stars airs live on ABC and typically streams next day on Hulu and other affiliated platforms, depending on region and rights. Check local listings or the official site for exact airtimes and streaming availability.
If you’re tracking reactions in real time, follow and use hashtags like:
#DWTS#DWTSFinale#DancingWithTheStars
However the votes shake out, Season 34 has done what DWTS does best: turn a rotating cast of celebrities into temporary ballroom stars—and give viewers at home one more reason to keep the glitter handy.
