The Definitive List: Ranking All The ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Queens From 1 to 126

A total of 126, you read that right, one hundred and twenty six queens have sashayed their way into the work room on RuPaul's Drag Race over the past ten years. 

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The show, which started off pretty small in 2009, has grown into a multiple Emmy-award winning program that has given a platform to drag like it never has before. 

Many of the queens who competed on the show have taken that platform and done some wonderful things with it. They have developed larger social media followings than many celebrities out there, as all kinds of people are completely enamored with who they are both on and off the show. It's a testament to how the times have changed for the LGBTQ community in terms of acceptance and visibility, and each and every single one of these queens should feel proud about what they have accomplished.

I have come up with, in my own special way, a ranking list of all the queens that have competed since season one. To each their own, of course, but this list only focuses on how they did in their individual seasons. It does not include their lives post-show (for the most part), and it also doesn't mention anything about All Stars as that is a separate entity.

So, without further ado, take a look at who landed where from their time on the best reality competition program in the world. 

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1^st. Bianca Del Rio (Season 6). A no brainer here. Just a standout drag queen who stayed true to herself the whole time and pulled out an easy win in the end of the show’s best season.

2^nd. Alaska (Season 5). Here’s someone who tried out for all five seasons, watched her boyfriend Sharon make it on after his first try and win, and still come through and bust her ass to make it to the end. If Ru ever needs someone to fill in or replace her at some point, it would have to be Alaska as her love for drag and this show is undeniable and her work ethic to get to where she was on that season was downright incredible to see.

3^rd. Latrice Royale (Season 4). The Oprah of drag. You just love her. You love her confidence, her laugh, her fashion, her humor… everything. Just an amazing spirit and human being.

4^th. Katya (Season 7). Weird and original is a delicious formula, and Katya was the textbook definition of that in S7. Should’ve made it further than she did, but she’s an easy winner in our books all this time later.

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5^th. Jinkx Monsoon (Season 5). We rooted for Jinkx in season 5 as she had to deal with so much hateration from several other queens and Michelle Visage that it was sort of a foregone conclusion that she would win in the end from all the support she had. And she did.

6^th. Bob the Drag Queen (Season 8). Commanded the werk room from day one. Never really faltered. Won in the end. Remained humble. Fin.

7^th. Alyssa Edwards (Season 5). One of the most unintentionally funny queens to ever compete on RPDR. All Stars helped cement this, but season 5 helped with it and made her a household name for a variety of reasons from Alyssa’s Secret to “Back Rolls” and so much more.

8^th. Sharon Needles (Season 4). Sharon paved the way for future queens who didn’t fit the pageant and glamour aesthetic that the show was sort of known for in its first three seasons. Her type of drag and personality would’ve either got her sent home first or had her go to the distance, and it was beautiful to see her do the latter and take home the crown in the end.

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9^th. Adore Delano (Season 6). Here’s a queen that could’ve gone home during the first two episodes she was on in her season and then did a complete 180 to almost win the whole thing in the end. Her journey was one that this sort of show was made of, and it was beyond fun to watch as she kept creeping towards the top.

10^th. Willam (Season 4). The only queen to be disqualified from the show and still has an IDGAF attitude about it. Willam was the star of season 4 and let that be known while many of the other girls grew frustrated about his attitude. We, the public, loved it, and continue to do so to this day.

11^th. Raja (Season 3). Fierce all the way through, took no s**t, was funny, creative, innovative, etc. etc. etc. Easy winner for S3.

12^th. Raven (Season 2). The eternal runner up and the true winner of season 2. The best damn makeup artist the show has ever had and a personality that is equally captivating and scary all at the same time (in the best of ways possible).

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13^th. Detox (Season 5). The people’s queen. Season 5 had so many amazing cast members, none of which came close however to Detox in terms of personality and just being a kickass bitch in every single episode. Was fun to watch from start to end.

14^th. Jujubee (Season 2). Is there anyone more loved from this show than Juju? She never won the show, never won a competition… but who CARES! She’s that queen we all want to be, the one we would want to hang out with in high school and helped put this show on the map in its early years.

15^th. Sasha Velour (Season 9). So many other queens were deemed front runners in the beginning of season 9 that didn’t really include Sasha. She showed them, time and time again, just how much of a competitor she won, and blew our freaking heads off to earn that win in the end (rose petals. Duh.)

16^th. Manila Luzon (Season 3). A good mixture of the four qualities that make up a Drag Race winner but came up short against Raja in the end.

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17^th. Violet Chachki (Season 7). Jaws dropped every time she came onto the runway. Came there to win… and she did, even if it meant that she wouldn’t be in the best light for most of the season.

18^th. Trixie Mattel (Season 7). All Stars not included, Trixie got a raw deal early in season seven but was so freaking well liked that it was a foregone conclusion that she would return. That definitely rings true to this day.

19^th. Kim Chi (Season 8). So. Much. Fun. To. Watch. Every outfit was great, no matter what she wore, but she also had a great back story to her in terms of her insecurities and family life. Would’ve won easily if Bob wasn’t in her way.

20^th. Aquaria (Season 10). Easily the most fashionable queen from her season and maybe top 5 in all seasons. What was great about Aquaria is that her personality developed so well from someone who read as cold and reserved to somewhat of a sweetheart by the time she took the season 10 crown.

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21^st. Ginger Minj (Season 7). Should’ve won that season. She’s the type of queen you want to see when you go to a drag show. I still don’t understand to this day how she lost.

22^nd. Shea Coulee (Season 9). It was Shea’s game to lose, and it’s a shame that the new “lip sync for the crown” format f***ed that up for her. If that didn’t change, she would have the crown on her head today.

23^rd. Chi Chi DeVayne (Season 8). I think a lot of people pegged Chi Chi to go home first but she proved many of us wrong on several levels. Her comedy, fashion sense and likability propelled her into the top four and could’ve easily gotten her a top three spot according to many fans of the show.

24^th. BenDeLaCreme (Season 6). Effervescent with a quirky and unique attitude, Ben was easily one of the biggest stars of season 6 and played her drag character extremely well… much to the chagrin of Michelle.

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25^th. Shangela (Season 2 and 3). Halleloo! She went home first in season 2 only to emerge (out of a box) and dominate the next season. It was a ton of fun to see her take on the “Heathers” and knock a couple of them out in the process as well.

26^th. Phi Phi O’Hara (Season 4). The original Drag Race “villain” of sorts… but was she? Phi Phi came ready to win at all costs, and it rubbed the other queens and viewers the wrong way. It’s worth taking a look at the show again, as she really was in it to win it and wasn’t taking anyone’s bulls**t along the way.

27. Nina Flowers (Season 1). Nina was the first queen to make it to the end of her season having never lip synced or be in the bottom two. An arguable winner against the one who took the crown.

28^th. Eureka (Season 9 and 10). Would’ve gone the distance in season 9 most likely but made up for it in season 10 to become the only big girl to really have a shot at the crown (other than Ginger).

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29^th. Naomi Smalls (Season 8). The modeliest (sp?) of models to compete on RPDR, Naomi commanded the werk room the moment she walked in. Not only that, but she had a refreshing and fun personality to boot.

30^th. Roxxxy Andrews (Season 5). I will always wonder how different Roxxxy would’ve been if Jinkx Monsoon wasn’t on the season. She spent so much time negatively critiquing her, that if she spent half that effort focusing on herself and how good she was, then she may have actually won the show’s fifth season.

31^st. Peppermint (Season 9). Peppermint was the little engine that could in her season as she almost went home a handful of times. Still, she persevered and worked her way into the final two. That is something she should be incredibly proud of.

32. Chad Michaels (Season 4). Chad had a drag aesthetic of yesteryear but made it look great for the time she was on the show. Also, no one will ever do Cher better than she can… even Cher herself.

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33^rd. Ongina (Season 1). Criminally eliminated early on. She made bald look great in a wig-filled drag world and was fun, honest and exciting to watch in the show’s debut season.

34^th. Asia O’Hara (Season 10). Asia was the mother-type on the most recent season and helped many queens out with their aesthetics and emotions. The butterfly thing was hard to watch but it really doesn’t matter as her career right now is brighter than ever (no pun here).

35^th. Valentina (Season 9). Love her or hate her… she made good television. Valentina would’ve won season 9, we all know this, but she either forgot the words to a song or wanted to have a dramatic exit. Regardless, she’s become the licorice of Drag Race: you either want to beeline for it or avoid it at all costs in the supermarket.

36^th. Kennedy Davenport (Season 7). Kennedy was classic drag in a modern era. Very southern, very pageantry, but it worked and helped her get to the final four in her season. Also her impression of Little Richard proved that a drag queen doesn’t need to impersonate a woman in order for it to be freaking hilarious.

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37^th. Yara Sofia (Season 3). Hands down one of the top three makeup artists to ever be on the show. Her looks were sickening each and every week, and she should’ve had more wins under her belt if the judges weren’t gagging for Raja’s looks all the time.

38^th. Pandora Boxx (Season 2). The top three in season two would’ve been a lot more fun if it was Pandora, Raven and Jujubee. The first really funny queen to ever compete on RPDR where her talent outweighed her fashion choices (proving you don’t need that to win this show).

39^th. Bebe Zahara Benet (Season 1). She exuded elegance all throughout season one which seemed to appeal to what RuPaul was looking for in a winner for the show’s first season. That worked wonders for her and helped get her the crown in the end.

40^th. Trinity Taylor (Season 9). Trinity called every single person out that needed to be called out (Valentina, Charlie Hides, Eureka) and gave no f***s about it. We need more queens like her to tell it like it is without worrying about a social media backlash.

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41^st. Monet X Change (Season 10). So freaking lovable. It’s hard to say anything negative about Monet when she was such a joy to watch in season 10. One of the most likable queens to come out of the show in recent seasons, easily.

42^nd. Courtney Act (Season 6). Courtney propelled herself into the top three of her season by showing consistent look after look after look while showcasing her phenomenal voice and fun acting talent. She wasn’t going to win against Bianca or Adore IMHO (maybe in another season sure), but she was heck of a lot of fun to watch on and off the runway.

43^rd. Pearl (Season 7). Hmm. I would’ve never thought of Pearl as being a top three finalist, but she made it. Not sure how, really, but her whole “waking up” storyline in season 7 sort of helped in that and it got her to the end due to some strong showings as the show progressed.

44^th. Tatianna (Season 2). Keep in mind, I’m only including original seasons here. If All Stars was a factor, she would be much higher. Tati was controversial for many reasons but did a really good job at holding her own against Raven and other queens who saw her as less than. She wasn’t and she isn’t… at all.

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45^th. Miz Cracker (Season 10). So talented. So funny. So original. So misunderstood. So frustrating. Didn’t deserve to go home at all. Calling my cable provider.

46^th. Alexis Mateo (Season 3). She won as many challenges as she was in the bottom, it seems, and made it to the final three as the only quote unquote “booger” that season against Raja and Manila Luzon. She did, however, play a great game throughout and kept it real each and every episode.

47^th. Carmen Carrera (Season 3). Such a knockout, beauty, etc. Probably the most stunning queen the show had up until that point. She did sort of rely on her body, as Michelle would say, but during the competition but it worked for her and got her very far in a sea of very talented competitors.

48^th. Kameron Michaels (Season 10). Proof that quiet can get you far. Kameron is one of only two queens (besides Coco Montrese) to survive three lip syncs. Some thought she coasted throughout S10, but she was just playing a relaxed game while everyone else was pretty much going haywire.

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49^th. Tyra Sanchez (Season 2). The most controversial winner in RPDR history. Was Tyra good at fashion? Yes. Was she good at anything else? That’s arguable. She may have won but didn’t possess a lot of the characteristics that future winners had even when they first entered the werk room.

50^th. Vanessa Vanjie Matteo (Season 10). How someone who went out first became the most memorable part of season 10 is quite frankly unreal. But saying your middle name three times while walking backwards will do that for you.

51^st. Alexis Michelle (Season 9). A tad confident some would say but backed it up in a ton of challenges like her impressions of Kris Jenner and Liza Minnelli.

52^nd. Joslyn Fox (Season 6). Quite possibly the most underrated queen the show has ever had. Go back and look at her Snatch Game and Reading Challenge performances for those receipts.

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53^rd. Aja (Season 9). Blunt, brutal, in your face and had a song created over her “aggressively complimenting” Valentina. Awesome.

54^th. Miss Fame (Season 7). Could’ve easily been rotten and mean given how pretty she is, but was a simply sweet lady with a fashion sense that was some of the best the show has ever seen.

55^th. Acid Betty (Season 8). There is no one like Acid Betty in terms of her makeup artistry and costume construction. She was so much fun to look at, but didn’t really seem like she was having that great of a time… at all.

56^th. Darienne Lake (Season 6). Darienne did a good job in some of the challenges, primarily ones that highlighted her comedy ability, but she sort of got lucky in getting herself to the top 4.

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57^th. Monique Heart (Season 10). I didn’t get the hype with her originally. Now I think she’s awesome, hilarious and one of the most authentic queens to ever step foot into that werk room.

58^th. Cynthia Lee Fontaine (Season 8 and 9). Queens like Cynthia are smart when it comes to finding something that is memorable only to them. “Do you want to see my cucu?” or any variation of the word “cucu” proves that point.

59^th. Thorgy Thor (Season 8). The Raven of being a runner up in one season. She came close to winning so many challenges that Bob took, and then got kind of bitchy towards the end of it. She didn’t exactly redeem herself in All Stars either.

60^th. Milk (Season 6). She got shat on by other queens for challenging drag stereotypes by dressing with a beard or in men’s clothing, but it so worked on her. One of my favorite queens from the best season of RPDR.

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61^st. Max (Season 7). Max did not deserve to go home that early on. She was uniquely talented in her character and viewpoint, but sadly did a bad Snatch Game impersonation and lost the lip sync later on in the episode.

62^nd. Ivy Winters (Season 5). Yes, Ru made her name a catchphrase (it got annoying), but Ivy’s sweet exterior and fashion ability were fun to watch in season 5.

63^rd. Trinity K. Bonet (Season 6). Fashion forward but lacked the confidence needed in a season that had a variety of headstrong personalities. Best lip syncer of the season… IMHO.

64^th. Shannel (Season 1). Shannel could’ve easily won season one (or at least made it to the end) if she didn’t let her ego get in the way. She represented that classic, Las Vegas type showgirl that is underappreciated in today’s drag world.

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65^th. Jessica Wild (Season 2). The only queen to impersonate RuPaul really well (sorry, Trixie). Also needs a spot on All Stars at some point.

66^th The Vixen (Season 10). Controversial, outspoken, polarizing, unapologetic. Everything we need in a drag queen. There should be more Vixen-types for the upcoming seasons.

67. Kenya Michaels (Season 4). Super fun, stylish, and contrary to popular opinion did a good job as a crazed Beyonce in Snatch Game.

68. Nina Bo’Nina Brown (Season 9). Nina had crazy potential but let her insecurities and demons completely wreck her on S9.

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69. Derrick Barry (Season 8). “It’s Britney… bitch?” (question mark is there on purpose.)

70. Jiggy Caliente (Season 4). One of the most lovable queens from a season that was insanely dramatic. Also, the owner of the worst ensemble ever created on the show (we all know what that was).

71. Mariah (Season 3). Study Joan Crawford… last longer. Simple as that.

72. Farrah Moan (Season 9). Became more known for her whining, which was oddly endearing. Plus her epic showdown with Valentina during the reunion was legendary.

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73. Coco Montrese (Season 5). Talented queen but didn’t really get a chance to shine as the entire season was focused on her rivalry with Alyssa.

74. Stacey Layne Matthews (Season 3). Her version of Mo'nique in Precious is still one of the best Snatch Game performances of all time.

75. Jaidynn Diore Fierce (Season 7). Criminally underrated.

76. Gia Gunn (Season 6). “How is she though?” and “ABSOLUTELYYYY” are forever embedded in my brain.

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77. Blair St. Clair (Season 10). One of the sweetest queens to ever compete, with a sharp eye for fashion. Was eliminated too early, IMHO.

78. Morgan McMichaels (Season 2). Came out the gate a strong contender (won the first challenge) but faded shortly after that.

79^th. Laganja Estranja (Season 6). Laganja is proof that creating an exaggerated character doesn't work for every person. 

80^th. Robbie Turner (Season 8). Robbie’s shining moment was her Les Chicken Wing performance, but her acting abilities (something she claimed to be an expert at) faltered all over the place.

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81^st. Delta Work (Season 3). Delta’s insecurities and her blunt attitude towards “the boogers” was her downfall in season 3.

82. Sahara Davenport (Season 2). Sahara had a presence to her that read as extremely regal and poised. It’s something that many other queens wish they had but don’t. Rest in peace, queen.

83. Mayhem Miller (Season 10). I pegged Mayhem to go the distance early on, as she was already so well known outside of RPDR. It just didn’t happen for her, sadly, as her quieter persona hurt her in the end.

84. Mimi Imfurst (Season 3). Mimi would’ve gone the distance had she not lifted up India. Her personality was off putting but hey, at least she had some compared to the other girls that season.

85. Lineysha Sparx (Season 5). One of the most physically stunning queens to ever enter the werk room (both as a boy and a queen). And yes, I thought her rendition of Celia Cruz was hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

86^. Rebecca Glasscock (Season 1). It’s pretty much known by longtime RPDR fans that Rebecca should not have been in the top three, nor anywhere near the top that season. She got by on looks with little to back anything else up. But, regardless, she made it to the finale that season over someone way more deserving: Ongina.

87. Milan (Season 4). So underrated when it came to her lip sync abilities. She destroyed Madame, Kenya and almost Jiggly in her effort to win the season 4 crown. 

88. Mrs. Kasha Davis (Season 7). “There’s always time for a cocktail.” Should’ve been the one to come back instead of Trixie, but I understand why that didn’t happen.

89. April Carrion (Season 6). She got royally screwed in season 6. Sort of shocked she hasn’t been asked to do All Stars yet (she actually campaigned for it during the S6 reunion).

90. DiDa Ritz (Season 4). Love DiDa and her personality, but I struggle to still find out she made it to the top 5 in her season.

91. Serena Chacha (Season 5). She’s only this high on the list for the fact that she took on her entire cast in Untucked during the second episode and was delusional enough to believe she was in the right the entire time.

92. Tammie Brown (Season 1). Was the first queen to really get into it with Ru at one of the reunions. It took almost ten years for that to happen again. Also… “I don’t see you walking children in nature” and “Teleport us to Mars” is just… well, iconic.

93. Dusty Ray Bottoms (Season 10). Dusty had a great style and edge to her, and gave Monet a run for her money during the lip sync to Nicki Minaj’s “Pound the Alarm.”

94. Monica Beverly Hillz (Season 5). Monica was very brave to open up about being a transgender woman on the show. I wish she would’ve lasted longer but she seemed defeated the entire time.

95. Madame LaQueer (Season 4). Don’t wear green… ever… at least in front of Michelle Visage.

96. Jasmine Masters (Season 7). Jasmine’s most memorable moment was when Nina Bo’Nina Brown impersonated her on Snatch Game.

97. Mystique Summers Madison (Season 2). I’m not really keen on them doing another All Stars season, but Mystique would benefit from being on it given her amazing transformation over the past couple of years. Also… “I AM FROM CHICAGO!”

98. Jade Jolie (Season 5). You gotta give Jade this: she was able to read the house down for someone who was very reserved. We wouldn’t have the legendary “back rolls” comment from Alyssa Edwards if she didn’t say it originally.  

99. Vivacious (Season 6). Not sure if I should write Vivacious or Ornacia here.

100. Victoria Porkchop Parker (Season 1). The first queen to ever be eliminated on RPDR. I love how RuPaul finds a way to speak about her at every reunion, further solidifying her legendary status on this show.

101. Laila McQueen (Season 8). Such a cutie but got so screwed early on that season.

102. The Princess (Season 3). One of the few bald-headed queens (Sasha Velour, Ongina) from RPDR. Had a great aesthetic that would’ve been fun to watch had she made it further. Darn, those quiet personalities.

103. Nicole Paige Brooks (Season 2) … “from Atlanta, Georgia.”

104. Yuhua Hamasaki (Season 10). ANKH ANKH!

105. Akashia (Season 1). Arguably the best lip syncer in the show’s debut season. And let’s not forget her epic fall on the runway which she turned into something seriously fierce a second later.

106. Tempest DuJour (Season 7). I personally loved Tempest and her personality. However, she was sent home twice in the same season. Ouch.

107. Kimora Blac (Season 9). Adjective.

108. Kelly Mantle (Season 6). The judges WERE NOT feeling her bacon.

109. Jaymes Mansfield (Season 9). Super cute and quirky but was swallowed whole by the big personalities of season 9.

110. Sonique (Season 2). Just never seemed like she really wanted to be there.

111. Dax ExclamationPoint (Season 8). I liked Dax’s viewpoint as a cosplay sort of queen, but her attitude both episodes was really her downfall.

112. India Ferrah (Season 3). Sweet queen, but only remembered for being lifted up by Mimi Imfurst.

113. Charlie Hides (Season 9). Her lip sync had more excuses than actual footsteps taken during it.

114. Lashaun Beyond (Season 4). “Post Apo-po-lop-tic” (SP?)

115. Phoenix (Season 3). Her showdown with India Ferrah during the werk room entrance was so dramatic and over the top but amazing nonetheless.

116. Vivienne Pinay (Season 5). Overconfident fish.

117: Honey Mahogany (Season 5). Caftan.

118. Sasha Belle (Season 7). “I kind of misunderstood the assignment.”

119. Jade (Season 1). Fierce but got destroyed by Rebecca Glasscock in her lip sync. 

120. Magnolia Crawford (Season 6). Quite possibly the most negative person to ever be on RPDR.

121. Naysha Lopez (Season 8). The most pointless bring back ever.

122. Kalorie Karbdashian Williams (Season 10). She knew how to make that ass jiggle. I’ll give her that.

123. Kandy Ho (Season 7). I struggle to find anything that she did good outside of her several lip syncs that she was in (which were great).

124: Alisa Summers (Season 4). Her one hilarious point from season 4 was mentioning how she could’ve turned it out in the first lip sync had she worn sneakers like Jiggly Caliente did.

125: Venus D'Lite (Season 3). Her attitude during the one episode she was there was really off putting, and she made the lip sync against Shangela really uncomfortable to watch.

126: Penny Tration (Season 5). You should be lucky you even made it onto this list when the one who sent you home was Serena Chacha.

This was created by one of our Contributing Writers and does not reflect the opinion of Instinct Magazine or the other Contributing Writers when it comes to this subject.