Who Is The Best Drag Race Winner?
A Ranking Of All Original Nine Winners!
#GAG! Like most of the LGBTQ community, I've found some of my time being dedicated to the one reality television series which truly caters to us. While we've been progressing with additional series such as Queer Eye and Finding Prince Charming, one long running series with arguably the best/worst fandom is none other than RuPaul's Drag Race. Since 2009, in an age RuPaul dubs, "before the internet", Drag Queens have filled our brains and their names are on the tip of our tongues. Over a hundred Queens have stepped into our lives, ready to be judged. And judged they will be, damn it! Check out my list of the best original winners below:
09. Violet Chachki
Yawn. Is there any season of Drag Race more forgettable than their seventh season? Sure, we got to see the lackluster introduction to Trixie Mattel and high-energy, extremely likable Katya, but is there anyone else to truly fan for? Clearly RuPaul had an aneurysm before she declared the winner Violet Chachki. While fashion forward, I struggled to even remember who she was. Literally, I had to Google how to spell her last name. Is she still doing drag?
08. Sasha Velour
Alright, I'll admit Sasha Velour had one of the most memorable lip syncs to date. Roses falling from her wig?! Uhh, girl! That's pretty intense! It clearly shook the audience, RuPaul, and Shea Coulee (Who certainly thought she was going to win the whole show). However, besides her final performance, Velour disappeared among larger personalities. The looks were incredible, but everyone knows Velour wasn't their first choice to take home the crown.
07. Tyra Sanchez
Honestly, regardless of Tyra Sanchez's recent drama of being banned from DragCon, I would still place her low on a list of all-time winners. While I appreciate her controversial attitude for the sake of dramatics, she truly didn't bring the heat during her performance in the series second season. Heat – as in shutting down the others. It's still debated to this day fellow contestant, Raven, should've snatched the crown. While Sanchez served us a lot of entertainment; a final win shouldn't have been in her cards.
06. BeBe Zahara-Benet
Throwing this back all the way into Drag Race's first season. Should BeBe Zahara-Benet have won? Absolutely. She was arguably the most marketable Queen out of the bunch. While being marketable, she also was deemed as "comfort" for the time. She wasn't a fishy Queen blending the lines of being Transgender. She was gorgeous, modest, and looked straight out of Studio 54. Zahara-Benet is classic, traditional Drag…which is why she probably doesn't stack up compared to the rest of the Drag Race winners.
05. Bob The Drag Queen
The only reason Bob The Drag Queen isn't higher on this list is because, let's be real, we've all seen her shtick before. Hilarious, yes. Dude in a dress, of course! Bob is familiar with everyone because she essentially represents your friendly hometown Drag Queen who made it on television. Luckily for Bob, she ended up on a season complete with CuCus, fodder, and Derrick Barry; which made her the clear winner from episode one. A win definitely deserved, but I believe we all feel our hometown hero could've done the same routine.
04. Jinkx Monsoon
I would love to place Jinkx Monsoon higher on this list. Monsoon defeated a mean girls clique and defied odds by winning over the audience's hearts. In the same vein as Bob, Monsoon had such a hometown Queen vibe. She would be more successful if she had been on a season prior, since she virtually has duplicated the narrative of former winner Sharon Needles.
03. Raja
Ahh, Drag Race season 3. The innocence before the obsessed fandom began to destroy the edits and producers became heavily involved in creating story lines rather than allowing Queens to be petty and well…themselves. Long before we had talks of conversion therapy and work room heart-to-hearts for ratings, we had a divided cast of Boogers and Heathers. Raja, a Heather, was a force to be reckoned with. Her fashion had us gagging while her confessionals read the competition flawlessly. When she believed she'd be perceived as a villain, she strictly stated she only gossiped among her friends – because who doesn't talk a bunch of bull with their best friends among the kitchen table? Raja is truly one who has made her mark in the Drag Race Hall of Fame.
02. Bianca Del Rio
It's no secret Bianca Del Rio has been one of the few Queens to use her position to further her career outside of the nightclub scene. From Netflix films to comedy specials, Del Rio has most made a thumbprint in mainstream media. To this day, I still cannot scroll through social media without seeing one of her quotes or a GIF of her. With a flawless win of never landing in the bottom, Del Rio demolished her competition.
01. Sharon Needles
The fourth season of Drag Race truly changed the series. The audience began to grow, especially with a powerhouse of personalities such as villainous Phi Phi O'Hara, former inmate Latrice Royale, ejected and blackballed contestant Willam, among many other colorful characters. Now, hear me out, the winner of the season, Sharon Needles, truly changed Drag Race. She brought a heartbreaking story of being an outcast her entire life. Drag was her outlet and she excelled at being one of the best. Through being berated by O'Hara, Needles became America's Sweetheart. Ever since Needles won with talent and a gut-wrenching history of pain, World of Wonder Productions has been trying to find a Needles in each season moving ahead. Needles, without question, changed reality television as we know it…and all of the winners of Drag Race need to be bowing down to her.
Who is your favorite Drag Race winner?!
Bianca should be number one
Bianca be one in my humble opinion.
While Sharon storyline on the show was that of outcast, Sharon seemed to know what would make for good fv (This is according to Sharon and Phi Phi’s own admission in interviews online ) to show a rival while knowing It would be interested to watch a TV rivalry such as this as it hadn’t been shown before to this extend.
Bianca had spats but didn't need to drum up drama for dramas sake, it was for the greater good of the person and frankly just be honest
And at the end of the say that was helpful for all parties involved.
Plus Bianca has stayed above the drama after her season while still managing to give her effortless shade and not be offensive to the core . she's nearly perfected her art and her career and works her ass off.
If you had to Google who
If you had to Google who Violet Chatchki was then you shouldn't be writing about RuPaul's Drag Race. True she didn't cause any sensationalist drama but her talent was SO clearly in view, her determination (especially for the YOUNGEST winner ever) so on point and her win was achieved without EVER stepping on anyone else made her the standout winner for me. No doubt you dislike her because she's, what – pretty? Her looks are mesmerizing and let me tell ya, ya don't need to be a drag queen to do comedy. Drag is, whatever else it might be, it's the art of transforming a man into a female – DRAG, and in that regard Violet Chatchki (note the spelling) is 4 ACES.
Completely agree. 100%
Completely agree. 100%