THE 15 BEST DRAG QUEENS OF RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE
by Kit Vickery
Mar 04, 2018
So far, 114 queens have battled it out across nine seasons (and 32 have returned to compete in All Stars for a place in the Drag Race Hall of Fame) of RuPaul’s Drag Race. As the cast of season 10 is announced, now feels like a good time to reminisce and crown my favourite 15 queens from herstory.
15. Kim Chi
Kim Chi is a phenomenal artist; creating insane designs that would look more at home in anime than the streets of America. Kim was brought up in South Korea and has a slight lisp which makes me want to hug her very tightly and never let go. As of last year, Kim's parents still did not know that she does drag, despite her appearance on national television. ​​
14. Bob the Drag Queen
In addition to having the best drag name, Bob the Drag Queen is a consistently entertaining queen to watch. Her performances are both incredibly talented and hilarious, and her looks are always on point. Bob also boasts great sewing skills, even making a clutch bag out of a pair of curtains in one challenge!​
13. BenDeLaCreme
BenDeLaCreme, or Dela as she is often called on the show, describes herself as "terminally delightful" and boy is that true. Dela's kindheartedness and delightful personality can be sickening to watch sometimes but she's so unbelievably talented that we just appreciate her charm.​​
12. Jujubee
Jujubee always serves a perfect look and her hilarious blend of realism and sarcasm has graced us with some of my favourite quotes from the show. Juju real name is Airline; his parents gave him this name because they wanted to give their child an American name and this was the first word they saw after landing from Laos.
11. Alyssa Edwards
Alyssa started her drag career as a pageant queen and won the title of Miss Gay America in 2010. She was stripped of the crown for unprofessional conduct and watched her drag rival, Coco Montrese take her place. Alyssa has graced our screens twice with her trademark tongue pop and other hysterically unforgettable moments.
10. Ginger Minj
Ginger is the second plus-sized queen to make it onto our list, and the second 'larger' queen to make it into the top three of a season. Ginger married her partner at Drag Con 2017 in New York City in a ceremony officiated by Drag Race's Michelle Visage! Ginger's talents at singing, acting, and being utterly hilarious have earned her a spot in my top 10!
9. Sharon Needles
Sharon made quite the entrance in season four with her out-of-the-box drag style and surprised a lot of her fellow contestants when she won with unconventional looks. Her dry sense of humour tops off the "evil queen" vibe that she exudes and has provided viewers with some intensely shady fights.
8. Courtney Act
Since her time on Drag Race, Courtney has been crowned the 2018 winner of Celebrity Big Brother after clashing with Ann Widdecombe over sexuality and LGBT issues. She also revealed that she was pansexual and hopes to end the 'rigid identity' of sexuality. Courtney's work on promoting drag and LGBT issues alongside her sense of humour and professionalism earns her a spot in my top ten queens.
7. Alexis Mateo
Alexis is a Puerto Rican queen who moved to Florida in 2001. Since her move she has performed at Disney World and taken part in multiple pageants, winning titles such as Miss Gay Days 2016 and Sunshine State All American Goddess. Alexis is known for her high-energy performance and winning smile, however, she once emotionally revealed that she had lost contact with an ex-boyfriend when he was posted overseas with the military. She used his jacket on her runway look to win a military-inspired challenge.
6. Bianca Del Rio
Bianca is the most honest, sarcastic, and genuine queen I can recall from any season. She quickly became known for her sharp tongue, however, she soon showed that she had a sensitive side when she offered help to some of the younger queens. Her time on the show was packed with hilarious comments, the best facial expressions, and more eye rolls than you can shake a stick at.
5. Latrice Royale
Latrice Royale is the ultimate plus-sized queen to have ever been featured on the show. Her exaggerated movements and facial expressions gave me life throughout her time on the show and I would do anything to see a Latrice spin-off series. Her positivity and "mama bear" role on the series has given her a spot in my heart for life.
4. Jinkx Monsoon
Jinkx describes herself as "Seattle's premier, Jewish, narcoleptic, drag queen!" Jinkx was often a little underestimated by the other queens, with a few competitors even looking down on her, and soon became known for her constant repetition of "water off a duck's back" when she was due to be criticised to keep her motivation high. Since the show, Jinkx has revealed that she is non-binary, preferring to use gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them when out of drag.
3. Katya
Katya created her Russian persona, Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, in 2006. Katya's success has been spurred by her sarcastic sense of humour, although her extreme flexibility is another impressive skill. Katya has previously admitted to a substance abuse problem but is currently sober. She announced a hiatus from drag in January so she could focus on her health and well-being.
2. Shangela
Shangela Laquifa Wadley first appeared on the show after she'd been doing drag for just five months. Her time on Drag Race has given fans a chance to see her grow as a queen, although her sewing skills are still questionable at best! Shangela performs best, in my opinion, in challenges that require humour. My favourite performance of hers comes from her portrayal of "Laquifa", a comedic pimp character.
1. Alaska Thunderfuck
From her trademark "Hiiiieee" to her ability to never take anything too seriously, Alaska has proven time and time again that she deserves the top spot in my favourite queens off all time. I could tell you all about her greatest moments on the show, from her hilarious commercials to her astonishing runway looks but I'd be here all day so here's a short compilation of why Alaska deserves to be my top.
0. RuPaul
I know I said 15 but it's almost impossible to make a 'best of' list of queens from Drag Race without including RuPaul! Ru's mother named him RuPaul Andre Charles to encourage him to become a star because "Ain't no motherfucker alive got a name like that!" The show has given many up-and-coming queens a chance to make a career for themselves by giving them a place to showcase their talent, and for that, we say thank you to Mumma Ru.
