If the past 12 seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race provide any clues, winning the highest number of maxi challenges isn't always the perfect formula for a queen to be crowned America's Next Drag Superstar on the show. There are quite a few things that the contestants on Drag Race must worry about as they move forward in the competition. At a base level, the queens must know how to do their own makeup, style their own clothes, and walk a runway. They must also hold their own in challenges that involve acting, comedy, dancing, singing, improvising, and lip syncing. You know, no big deal.
In order to win a challenge on Drag Race, a queen must also be aware - at least to a certain degree - of her overall brand and general aesthetic. One must also be willing to be vulnerable with RuPaul and with the fans, as they acknowledge their weaknesses but also manage to move beyond them in just a few weeks. If this all sounds like hard (or nearly impossible) work, that's because it is. Going through RuPaul's Drag Race is, in many ways, a nearly impossible task that only a select few can successful execute. As such, it does take charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent to win this show.
Alas, there is absolutely no formula for winning a season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and one only has to examine past seasons to reach this conclusion. The Drag Race winner who won the most maxi challenges during her season was season 4's Sharon Needles. On the opposite side of the spectrum is Yvie Oddly, who won season 11 despite only winning one maxi challenge. Season winners who won three maxi challenges consist of James Ross IV (known as Tyra Sanchez on season 2), Raja (season 3), Bianca Del Rio (season 6), Violet Chachki (season 7), Bob the Drag Queen (season 8), Aquaria (season 10), and Jaida Essence Hall (season 12).
This ranking goes on to include the Drag Race winners who won two maxi challenges during their respective seasons: BeBe Zahara Benet (season 1), Jinkx Monsoon (season 5), and Sasha Velour (season 9). When it comes to All Stars winners, their track records aren't so different from the queens who won regular seasons. The list would include AS1 winner Chad Michaels (three challenge wins), Alaska (four challenge wins), Trixie Mattel (two challenge wins), Trinity The Tuck (four challenge wins), Monet X Change (three challenge wins), and Shea Coulee (two challenge wins).
There isn't a right or wrong track record for winning RuPaul's Drag Race, as each of these winners had different journeys that still made them deserve to snatch the crown. Still, it is fascinating for one to analyze how different their experiences on the show were.
RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 airs Fridays at 8pm EST on VH1.
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March 18, 2021 at 04:11AM
