Top 10 Most Underrated Queens on RuPaul's Drag Race

Coming into Season 6, Milk was unlike most of the queens we had seen, up to that point. Her unique drag aesthetic - ranging from glamorous, sophisticated queen to campy, club kid - wasn’t nearly as appreciated as it should have been. Milk took big risks, being the first queen in “Drag Race” herstory to walk down the runway in full boy drag. She was also the first to come out wearing a beard, which seemingly inspired the “Bearded and Beautiful” runway on Season 7. Granted, some of her concepts needed polish, but she helped redefine convention on the “Drag Race” main stage. Even on her return for “All Stars,” Milk’s outside-of-the-carton drag wasn’t given enough time to shine before she was eliminated from the competition.

At the time of her appearance on Season 11 of the show, Shuga Cain had only been doing drag full-time for about a year. But there was absolutely no way you could tell. Whether she was acing the Snatch Game as Charo, or coming out on the main stage in RuPaul’s “favorite dress to ever walk down the runway,” Shuga Cain brought a level of polish that only experience could give. The New York queen placed in the top a few times, despite never winning a challenge. Although she was beloved by the fandom, Shuga Cain’s undoing may have been her reserved nature, which was overshadowed by the big personalities on the Season 11 cast.

There is a short list of pageant queens who can also serve a sickening performance and be side-splittingly funny. Kennedy Davenport is high up on that list. As arguably the fiercest performer on Season 7, it was no surprise that Kennedy won the music video parody challenge. But her groundbreaking turn as Little Richard in the Snatch Game proved she had the right amount of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to win the crown. Although she was eliminated right before the Grand Finale on her original season, Kennedy’s well-rounded artistry took her all the way to the Top 2 on “All Stars” 3. This queen deserves way more recognition, as she has shown that there’s absolutely nothing she cannot do.

The world didn’t get to see enough of Laila McQueen when she competed on Season 8 of “Drag Race”. The queen landed in the bottom on both episodes she appeared in, and was sent home, alongside Dax ExclamationPoint, in the second-ever double elimination. But in her short time on the show, Laila’s gothic aesthetic and edgy personality were signs that she clearly had a lot more to offer, if given the opportunity. Since her elimination, Laila has proven just that. The Massachusetts queen has gone on to become a celebrated make-up artist, winning an Emmy in 2022 for her work on the HBO series “We’re Here”. This is one queen we’re dying to see return for “All Stars”.

Even before she competed on the thirteenth season of “Drag Race,” Tamisha Iman was already a legend. The veteran queen, who has been performing in drag since 1989, has quite literally done it all. She has won dozens of pageant titles, nurtured around 80 drag daughters and even survived cancer. As a result, going into the show, Tamisha had quite the reputation to live up to. But her more classic style of drag seemingly failed to connect with the judges’ contemporary expectations. This led to her untimely elimination in the sixth episode. Regardless, there was never a dull moment with Tamisha. From her epic “Untucked” fight with Kandy Muse to her non-stop lessons about drag history, Tamisha certainly was a highlight of the season.

It’s pretty hard to make a lasting impression when you’re the first eliminated queen on “Drag Race”. But in just one night, Season 15 first-out queen Irene Dubois won over fans with her shady confessionals, quirky sense of humor and spectacular looks. Despite such glaring promise, Irene took a tumble during the talent show, in which she failed to make the judges laugh with her ice water tutorial, and got the boot. As the season progressed, however, the Seattle queen shared her unaired runway looks online, which led many fans to question the decision to send her home first. With such an impact made in a short time, it’d be a delight to see Irene return for a second shot at the crown.

Miss Fame got her start in the industry as an editorial model and celebrity make-up artist. Before landing on the seventh season of “Drag Race,” Fame had already painted the likes of Wendy Williams and reality star Snooki. On the show, this queen may not have fully delivered in the comedy and improv challenges. But when it came time to prove their worth, fashion-wise, Fame never disappointed. Their runway looks and make-up were always at a ten, even if they didn’t totally ace the week’s challenge. Despite not getting their due recognition from the judges, Miss Fame went on to a very successful modeling career, and has since released their own make-up line.

Over the 1,000 seasons of “Drag Race” that have aired so far, the cast of Season 6 remains one of the strongest yet. With heavyweights like Bianca Del Rio, Adore Delano, Courtney Act and BenDeLaCreme in the race, it was easy for some other queens to get completely overshadowed. But even among such a fierce lineup, Joslyn Fox, managed to hold her own. Joslyn’s ditzy but totally adorable personality endeared her to many fans who believed, and still do, that she wasn’t treated fairly on the season. Although she made it to the top six over some other very talented queens, we still would’ve loved to see the “black horse” of the competition get even more unexpected success.

The fourth season introduced fans to one of the most captivating performers in “Drag Race” herstory. Dida Ritz may not have served the best looks overall, but you still couldn’t take your eyes off her whenever she stomped down the runway. Her fierce walk and infectious smile were enough to hold your attention. And lest we forget, the Chicago queen took us all to church with her performance of Natalie Cole’s “This Will Be,” and enshrined herself in the lip sync hall of fame in the process. As expected, Dida’s style has improved significantly since her time on “Drag Race” and she had expressed her willingness to return for “All Stars”. We can only hope the show’s producers are paying attention.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Ivy Winters
This Season 5 Miss Congeniality Had What It Took to Go All the Way

April Carrión
With an Outstanding Runway Package, April Carrión Clearly Sashayed Away Much Too Soon

The Vixen
She Didn’t Just Come To Fight, She Also Slayed

Aja
An Established Fierce Performer, Aja’s Comedy Chops Don’t Get Nearly Enough Love

Rebecca Glasscock
Her Dashing Looks and Impressive Makeup Would’ve Made Her a Top Contender on any “All Stars” Season

There isn’t a greater symbol of persistence than this New York queen. Before making it on Season 8, Thorgy Thor auditioned for every prior season of “Drag Race”. Thorgy’s campy style and quirky personality consistently placed her in the top and quickly established her as a unique performer. Alas, she was sent home the very first time she landed in the bottom. Things went even worse on “All Stars” 3, with her controversial elimination in the second episode raising claims of production manipulation. Regardless, she displayed remarkable judgment by being the only queen to vote for Shangela in the finale. Despite her great qualities, Thorgy’s early departure deprived her of the chance to fully shine and the acclaim she clearly deserves.